by Dominique M., Assistant Editor-in-Chief Black History Month is finally here on our campus and the lengthy list of events that are lined up seem sure not to disappoint. One of these events that I had the pleasure of attending today, was “Adjust Your Crown” hosted by the Honors College. They invited our current Homecoming Queen and Brock Scholar, Kalah Vance and current Miss Black USA, Daphne Lee. The event discussed the importance of using your platform to advocate for others who may not have the same ability. Additionally, the interactions between the two queens during the program stemmed around body image in the Black community and being an effective advocate despite your status.
“Advocacy is part of my career because I’m a Black women, but I am also a ballerina,” said Daphne Lee. “I’m always trying to use advocacy through the arts and now I am able to use my platform as Miss Black USA to further accomplish my goals for advocacy.” Vance asked Lee questions about her involvement in dance and how she got her start in pageantry. Lee expressed how her main rationale for getting involved in pageants was to win scholarship money, but it turned into so much more for her. She has been able to teach young black girls that they truly can do anything through the barriers that she has knocked down thus far. These barriers include dismantling the stereotypical white, skinny, ballerina. Vance depicted how she too has used her platform to advocate for the UTC student body, particularly in trying to show how self-confidence is key. “I feel like people consider Homecoming Queen as a popularity contest, but I don’t see it that way,” said Kalah Vance. “I see my peers allowing me to advocate for them and in this position you have to make sure you’re advocating on behalf of their desires and wants, so you won’t let them down.” Both ladies recognized their privilege in their respective titles and the amazing work that they have been able to do because of it. But, they also agreed that you don’t need a title to advocate for anyone. The first step is checking your resources and networking with other people. With it being Black History Month, it is important to keep in mind the drive and determination of those who we recognize this month for. Pursuing advocacy work for those who are less fortunate than you will always be a good representation of continuing this movement.
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by Simone E., Editor-in-Chief Everyone sat in the Multicultural Center: some were munching on popcorn, others were doing homework, while some participated in light conversation. No one was prepared for the intensity that is the movie Detroit.
No matter how many horror movies you’ve seen, you always walk away from them relatively unscathed. Even movies about real events are usually roughly based on the true story and are often extremely dramatized in order to make the movie seem more interesting. Detroit was almost too real. It opens with a police search that seems all too familiar and as the movie begins to unfold, it becomes hard to watch, but hard to look away. This can’t really be happening can it? We thought the same thing countless times when black faces filled your laptop or phone screen before a gunshot was heard and suddenly, they were dead. The only difference was, Detroit was set in the 1960s: they didn’t even have phones to record the evidence. As if that helps; but, I digress. The movie is tantalizingly realistic, everyone was gripping their seat, and because of this, I’m not going to spoil the movie. I’ll just say this, it was hard to leave that movie without being angry about something. If you know you won’t watch the movie, but want to know about the Detroit riots, the Algiers hotel, and the rest of the story, read this: http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/detroit/ by Simone E., Editor-in-Chief This event was put on by the Social Issues, Equity and Diversity Committee in SGA with the intention of educating the campus on an important issue that plagues the nation, as well as the Chattanooga community: school-to-prison pipeline. The pipeline is a national trend in which educational institutions implement harsh punishments that lead to an increase in students’ contact with the criminal justice system. The event was one that began with a discussion about what the pipeline is itself, lead into statistics (such as students who are suspended or expelled are nearly three times more likely to be in contact with the juvenile justice system the next year), and then began a small group discussion on the topic and real life scenarios. During the reflection of the small-groups, questions were asked about the lifestyle of the children impacted (statistically, minority children) and how can we truly help them. There was the conclusion that mentorship and restorative practices (as in, building a community within the school) were one of the solutions that everyone agreed with. While there were a lot of other points made, mentorship was a topic that the event ended on. Jamal Morris from Intervarsity talked about students getting involved in Intervarsity and eating lunch and mentoring students at Orchard Knob Middle School. Another event that students on campus can get involved in is the Student Empowerment Luncheon, put on by BSA and SGA, which will bring 30 Orchard Knob Middle Schools students to UTC. At the event, UTC students will have the opportunity to talk with the students, interact with them, and ultimately empower them. Following the luncheon, there will be a tour of the campus.
If you missed the event and want to get involved in either Intervarsity or attend the Student Empowerment Luncheon, email [email protected]. by Simone E., Editor-in-Chief It’s Black History Month! The shortest month of the year! The month full of melanin appreciation, culture, and, hopefully, education. In preparation for this month, countless hours have been spent planning events, paying for t-shirts or food, and we now have a full calendar of events for you to attend. These events are not only for black students, but if you are a black student, please be sure to come out, support your peers, and learn a little something about your ancestors that built this country. We’ve posted the calendar, courtesy of our lovely Multicultural Center, and we’ll be covering a lot of the events, in case you miss one. Happy Melanin Appreciation Month!
by Adeola I., Staff Writer Have you ever thought about how incredible it would be to get the chance to study abroad? Was the next thought in your mind how unaffordable and impractical that would be? This is the same thought I had too, until I spoke to Mr. Takeo Suzuki, the executive director of the Center for Global Education at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Mr. Suzuki emphasized the vast amount of scholarships and grants that are available for minority students to study abroad and how willing his office is to guide students through the process of funding their study abroad journey.
According to NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, 1.6 percent of US students attending an institution of higher education studied abroad during the 2015-2016 academic school year. As expected, most of those students were white: to be more exact, 71.6 percent. In contrast, only 5.9 percent of those students were African-American or black, 6.8 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, 9.7 percent Hispanic/Latino American, 3.9 percent multiracial, and 0.5 percent American Indian/Alaska Native. These numbers reflect the reality of minorities either not having access to opportunities or not knowing how to utilize resources to experience the same opportunities their white counterparts do. Meshia Seay, a UTC student, studied abroad in Australia during the fall semester of her sophomore year and shared how the experience helped her. Seay expressed,“The experience was eye opening in regards to experiencing a new culture and learning to appreciate my culture and see the flaws in it.” With help from the Center for Global Education on UTC’s campus and other offices on campus, Seay was able to fully fund her study abroad trip. Let your doubts go, grab a Study Abroad Program Advisor, and take the chance to explore the world! If you are a student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, contact Laura Livermore in the Center for Global Education located in Hooper Hall at [email protected]. The percentages of students studying abroad during the 2015-2016 academic year is based on the most current data from the Institute of International Education's Open Doors Report and the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. |
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