Voice of the Wildcats March 2023

Spring spells probate season at B-CU

Once spring arrives on campus, probate shows featuring members of various organizations can not be far behind.

The number of performances, this year has been skimpy. One reason is that many organizations, especially the Divine 9, have not been active on campus. So far, the campus has been treated to performances by only two groups—the ladies of Gamma Sigma Sigma Sorority and the brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity--in the Performing Arts Center (PAC). A third group Sigma Alpha Iota women's music fraternity held a private show in the Larry Handsfield Music Building.

Left, new members of the campus chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity following their reveal during a probate show in the PAC last Friday, March 24.

Below, the newly made members of Sigma Alpha Iota music sorority peek out during their presentation on Saturday, March 25 in the music building.

New members of Gamma Sigma Sigma, left, waiting to be unmasked at the probate show on Friday night in the PAC.

Photos/Desirai' Carr

Photo/ Noah Mcdonald

March 2023

The Voice of the Wildcats is written, edited and published by members of the student body at BethuneCookman University. All opinions are solely those of the author.

Editor Shay Myrthil

Assistant Editor

Tatieana RampersadSanders

Layout Editor

Chloe Wilmore

Assistant Layout

Editor Desirai' Carr

Sports Writers

Sidney P. Brown

Teray Bembery

Feature Writers

Shay Myrthil

Jasmine Hall

Photographers

Emmanuel Fields

Dylan Jatan

Jonia Stover

Social Media

Desirai' Carr

Online

Champel Williams

Publication Director

Dr. Salvador R. Victor

Faculty Adviser

Prof. Valerie Whitney

PUBLICATION MEMBERSHIP

The Voice of the Wildcats is a member of the Black College Communications Association (BCCA), College Media Advisors Association (CMA) and National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

ADVERTISER MEMBERSHIP

The Voice of the Wildcats subscribes to the 360 Youth

Send Correspondence to:

Editor The VOICE, Fine Arts Building Room 319

640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd. Daytona Beach, FL 32114

Phone: (386) 481-2707

voiceofthewildcats@ gmail.com

Mary’s Choice Awards coming to campus

By Henson White

Students in the department of mass communication are pulling out all the stops to stage their own version of an awards show kin to the Academy Awards or even the Met Gala.

The latter, in fact, is the theme for the first Mary’s Choice Awards, set for March 31 in the Performing Arts Center, will highlight the multitude of talent here at Bethune-Cookman University. The preshow is at 3:30 p.m. and the main show at 6:30 p.m.

The MCA is a student-run event, which means all of those involved in production are students. The idea was conceived by student Leviticus Glover, who graduated last December and is just waiting to march in May. Glover’s plans originally called for staging the event in the fall and when classes started, prep work was underway.

Mother Nature, however, had other plans.

The arrival of Hurricane Ian at the end of September forced the campus to shut down for about 10 days.

“The hurricane really threw a wrench in our plans, and we made the decision to postpone it,” professor Akeemia Clements said, adding the event was supposed to take place Oct. 28.

Clements and Chris Shaw, manager of the campus television station, both said they are excited about the project.

Organizers have blanketed the campus with a list of 17 categories including the Zora Neal Hurston Writers Award, Rick Ross HipHop Artist Award, Mary’s Social Influencers and the Booker T. Washington Faculty Award. Voting is open.

Mass communication students Decembir Dukes and Brianna Avrilien are serving as the producers for the show. They faced challenges as first-time producers of the event including time management and keeping the team members together. Figuring out the structure and logistics of the event also proved a challenge, they said.

“All the students we have are working hard to get this show to happen. And no matter what no one after the show will be able to say that Mass Comm did not put on a big show,” Dukes said.

Both she and Avrilien said one key takeaway from the experience, so far, is that you should come in expecting the unexpected. They are also confident that this show will have a tremendous impact when it happens.

What: Mary’s Choice Awards

When: Friday, March 31 (Pre-show at 3:30 p.m. and main event at 6:30 p.m.)

Where: Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center

Cost: Free

Six women who dared to achieve

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer.

She currently holds the record for the most Grammy Awards – 32 -- won in a lifetime.

Angela Bassett, actress Noted for her role in “How Stella Got her Groove Back,” “What’s Love Got to Do with it” and “Black Panther”

Serena Williams, Athlete Winner of more Grand Slam singles titles (23) than any other woman or man during the open era in tennis.

Frederica Wilson, Politician U.S. Representatives since 2011, representing Florida's 24th congressional district.

Val Demings, Politician

Served as the U.S. representative from Florida's 10th congressional district from 2017 to 2023

Photo by Sassy Create/Wikimedia Commons

Photo by Flickr/Wikimedia Commons

Photo by Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons

Viola Davis, actress Noted for her role in “How to Get Away With Murder,” “The Help” and “The Woman King”

Photo by Andrew Henkelman/Wikimedia Commons

Photo by Wikimedia Commons

Photo by Wikimedia Commons

The Voice takes pride in saluting these women in honor of Women's History Month 2023.

Natural hair empowering, black women say

By Sanaa’ Towers

Black hair has been uniquely significant throughout history and has symbolized survival, resistance, and celebration. Unfortunately, hair has been used as a source of oppression but, as a community African Americans have risen up and survived the test of times. In 2023, natural Black hair is empowering, and society’s perceptions of Black hair still influences how Black people are treated today. In honor of Women’s History Month, VOICE staff Sanaa Towers caught up with several students who take pride in embracing their natural hair and they also shared some great tips on hair care as well.

Janaya Williams: “As a Black woman embracing my natural hair has made me more confident. I can truly embrace who I am through the art of my hair and see the growth and progress of it. I’ve always loved wearing it out even before I loc’d it. Some hair advice I would give people with locs and natural hair in general is to just let your hair be. Your hair grows the most when you leave it alone. Oiling and keeping your hair moisturized is key. You will truly find more confidence when you embrace the natural state of your hair.”

Ah’Laya Birch: “How I feel as a Black woman embracing my hair especially during these times? I feel very great about it because at first it was pretty rough, and I was very self-conscious. There has always been a stigma about us having short and ‘unpretty hair.’ I feel positive now about my hair because it’s like me loving myself. Some tips I have would be take a breather! Have patience. Secondly, moisture, especially when it comes to detangling. Try to learn new styles that cater to natural hair. It’s not going to be easy but you will love it in the long run.”

Crown Act aims to eliminate the stigma attached to natural Black hair

The Florida Legislature is expected once again to take up the Crown Act before it ends the current session at the end of May 5.

CROWN is an acronym for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. The bill failed for the third time during the 2022 session, according to published reports. Research Studies reveal that racial discrimination based on hairstyles can start as early as 5 years old. The CROWN Act was created in 2019 by Dove and the CROWN Coalition, in partnership with then State Senator Holly J. Mitchell of California, to ensure protection against discrimination based on racebased hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, locs, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools.

While progress has been made, race-based hair discrimination remains a systemic problem in the workplace – from hiring practices to daily workplace interactions – disproportionately professional advancement impacting Black women’s employment opportunities

A 2023 workplace study commissioned by DOVE and LinkedIn found that:

• Black women’s hair is 2.5x more likely to be perceived as unprofessional.

• Approximately 2/3 of Black women (66%) change their hair for a job interview. Among them, 41% changed their hair from curly to straight.

• Black women are 54% more likely (or over 1.5x more likely) to feel like they have to wear their hair straight to a job interview to be successful.

• Black women with coily/textured hair are 2x as likely to experience microaggressions in the workplace than Black women with

straighter hair.

• Over 20% of Black women 25-34 have been sent home from work because of their hair.

• Nearly half (44%) of Black women under age 34 feel pressured to have a headshot with straight hair.

• 25% of Black women believe they have been denied a job interview because of their hair, which is even higher for women under 34 (1/3).

Ah'Laya Birch Jamaya Williams

Photos/Jonia Stover

Wildcats make history at SWAC

By Teray Bembery Sports Columnist

Wildcats sports history was made on March 8 this year school year when the Men’s Basketball team participated in its first-ever SWAC Tournament.

Also, point guard Zion Harmon was named the SWAC Newcomer of the year and he also made the SWAC All-Conference team.

But, back to the game. The Wildcats were set to take on Grambling State University at the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Sad to say our Wildcats ended up losing 8772. There were a few standouts on our team. Dhashon Dyson led the “ ‘Cats” in scoring with 22 points. Kevin Davis followed with 19 points and Harmon ended with 12 points.

Even though the Wildcats came up short, I think the basketball team has a lot to look forward to in the future. This was their best showing since the 2019-2020 season, which was 3-4 years ago. Likewise, the team finished last season with a record of 9-21 and finished in 10th place in the SWAC, which means they were not eligible to make the SWAC tournament.

This year, the Wildcats finished with a record of 12-20, and the 8th place of the SWAC, which earned them with the chance to play in the SWAC tournament.

Also, head coach Reggie Theus just finished his second season in that role and he has a lot to build on of this season leading into next season.

Our Wildcats may not have achieved the goal that they wanted, but things are looking good for the basketball program. Coming off of this season, the team is moving in the right direction, and hopefully the Wildcats will have an even better season next year and win the SWAC!

Wildcat guard Dhashon Dyson looks for an opening during a game.

" Our Wildcats may not have achieved the goal that they wanted, but things are looking good for the basketball program."

Teray Bembery is a sophomore from Orlando, Florida.

B-CU head basket coach Reggie Theus (white shirt) and staff monitoring the game.

Avatar: The Way of Water introduces new faces

By Timothy Moss Arts Writer

The long-awaited sequel to the 2009 blockbuster movie “Avatar” opened in theaters on Dec. 16, 2022.

The aptly named sequel, “Avatar: The Way of the Water,” includes many of the same elements that enthralled fans in the first one film that hit the screen. There are numerous storylines that conflicted with each other in a good way but it all comes together at the end.

At the same time, director James Cameron lets viewers know at the end of the film that they story is not over. Stay tuned for another offering in the future. The sequel, which was produced for $250 million, has returned a box office of $2.26 billion for 20th Century Studio. By comparison, the original film cost $237 million to make and returned $2.92 billion at the box office.

Meanwhile, this film begins with the discovery of addition characters. Jake Sully returns as chief of the tribe, accompanied by his wife Neytiri. The new additions to the tribe are their two sons and one daughter, Neteyam, lo’ak, and Tuk, respectively. Then there is Grace’s mysterious daughter, Kiri.

Kiri is an odd addition to the family simply because she is the offspring of the original cast member Grace, but there is no recollection of a father figure being present to lead up into Kiri’s birth. Also, Grace never woke up from the end of the first movie. So, Kiri is claimed by Jake and Neytiri’s family throughout her entire life and throughout the film. Another addition to the cast is the Colonel’s son, “Spider,” who proves to be a very courageous and brave human throughout the entire film.

At the end of the first movie, humans led by the infamous Colonel

failed in their mission to capture the new home world for their existence to strive all thanks to Jake Sully and the tribe. So, for this film, they return with serious opposition against the tribe, but specifically targeting Jake Sully and his family. The humans have learned that the best advantage they would have against Jake and his family is to fight them on their grounds, as in turning themselves

family gets into some conflict with the Sully family before they can even fully accept them as new members of their tribe, fights between their children, getting to a point where even the Water Tribe leader’s son took lo’ak out to dangerous waters to try and purposely abandon him.

During this time, the Colonel and his group are steadily hunting down the Sully family going to different tribes killing and burning anyone who has any knowledge of where the Sully family could be located. While this is happening, the Sully family themselves are overcoming the trials that deal with the water tribes customs and ideologies towards how they intake the concept of war.

The film, meanwhile, met with criticism from some that didn’t appreciate the direct correlation to the Native American tribes that was referenced through certain events.

I loved the film. I feel like it as a perfect sequel to the original movie and I can’t wait to see what is released with the third part of this trilogy.

into the blue people species as well. They gain the strength, senses, and full abilities of the species, and they use that to try and complete their domination and hunting mission.

Eventually, as the fight continues at the beginning against the humans, it gets to a point where Sully and his family have to covert to another location for safety of their original tribe and themselves. They find new reconnaissance in the water tribe miles and miles away from their forest tribe. With this environment change, the Sully family has a lot of adapting to undergo if they want their life in this new civilization to keep their peace away from the Colonel. The water tribe leader’s own

Timothy Moss is a senior mass communications major and member of the March Wildcats Band, who calls Jacksonville, Florida home.

Bay Street Dawgs is a welcomed addition

By Jasmine Hall Voice Staff

If you’re looking for a quick bite to eat, stop by Bay Street Dawgs at 108 Bay St. in downtown Daytona Beach. You will be glad you did.

The owner and chef Gary Tolla was born and raised in a small town in Connecticut and has lived in Florida for 20 years. A professionally trained chef with many years of experience, he opened Bay Street Dawgs two years ago.

Photo by Jamine Hall

with picnic tables lawn chairs and umbrellas in various colors.

Meanwhile, Tolla said he is constantly looking for ways to make things better. He appreciates ensuring the comfort and satisfaction of each and every one of his clients.

The shop is open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Prices range from $5.25 to $6.50 for the hotdogs. He also offers sides including steak fries, onion petals, fried mushrooms, chili cheese fries and zucchini sticks. You can pay with cash, card , apple pay and android pay.

He previously worked with large companies including the Marriott hotel chain. He also was the owner and chef of Tolla’s Italian Deli cafe in Winter Park, Florida.

Tolla said he opened Bay Street Dawgs so he would have more time to himself. He orders his hot dogs from the Hummel Dogs in New Haven, Connecticut. They typically sell hot dogs that are 8-to-10 inches long. The hot dog buns, meanwhile, come from a vendor in Massachusetts.

Everything, including the chili, cheddar cheese sauce, sauerkraut, etc., is prepared from scratch, according to Tolla. He said the chili and cheese, or "Jack" as it is referred to on the menu, is the most popular hotdog.

During a recent visit, I ended up ordering the Junkyard dog. The 8-inch hot dog was placed on a hotdog bun that had been toasted with butter. It had chili, grilled onions, cheese sauce, mushrooms, and peppers, as well as a pickle on the side. It was served on brown parchment paper and placed in a red basket for a tidy presentation.

They not only offer delicious meals, but also comfortable outdoor sitting. It is adorned

Jasmine Hall is a junior mass communications major, who calls Orlando home.

Chef Gary Tolla, right, in the kitchen at Bay Street Dawgs.

Mass Comm stages annual journalism bootcamp

After Hurricane Ian doused plans to stage their second annual boot camp at B-CU last fall, members of the Central Florida Association of Black Journalist went to work planning for the spring semester.

The Joan Fuller Journalism Boot Camp took place on Saturday, Feb. 18, in the Center for Civic Engagement. News directors from several Central Florida area broadcast stations were on hand—WESH Channel 2, WFTV Channel 9 and SPECTRUM News 13. Each speaker shared stories about their climb to the top and what it will take to get ahead in the business.

Susan D’Astoli, senior news director with Spectrum, said she had planned to go into music education and got into broadcast as a way to

help pay for graduate school.

During the daylong event students had to come up with a story idea, shoot the video, write the script, edit it and showcase it with a limited time period. Meanwhile, one of the highlights was the awarding of a $500 scholarship to the student that wrote the best essay on why they wanted to be a journalist. Freshman Sanaa' Towers took home the prize.

Chris Shaw, manager of the campus television station, and department of mass communication professor of practice Valerie Whitney helped to coordinate the event that honors the memory of Joan Fuller, a former WESH broadcast journalist that taught here years ago. Fuller died in 2019 as a result of cancer.

Mass Comm's graduating seniors featured in photo exhibit

Dr. Salvador Victor, chair of the department of mass communications, and his faculty decided to surprise the graduating seniors with a special exhibit on the third floor of the fine Arts building. Schools and other colleges here have displayed similar presentations in past years.

Members of the Central Florida Association of Black Journalists gathered around Sanaa' Towers after she was awarded a $500 scholarship from the group during the second annual Joan Fuller Journalism Bootcamp on February 18.

Photos/Chloe Wilmore

Halifax Health Family Medicine Program joined with Bethune-Cookman University Health Officials for a student outreach program on March 16. Panelists include Dr. Aneesah Farris, Dr. Courtney Mangum, Dr. Isaiah Cochran, Dr. Robert Sessoms and Angel Brown.

Wildcat Campus Life in brief