HU Alumni Collaborate to Release First Book

HU Alumni Collaborate to Release First Book

"Strange Fruit" by the Left Side Poets

Four years ago, nine poets and lyricists at Hampton University united to put together a compilation of pieces to create a show in preparation for Hampton University’s Black Heritage Extravaganza during Black History Month. They met for practice each time in the first six rows on the left side of Ogden Hall. There a bond was formed through poetry and locality and The Left Side Poets, a talented projection of their generations’ talent, was derived. Inspired by the piece “Strange Fruit” created for the show, the poets jointly created a book, which recently released on June 17, entitled “Strange Fruit.”


Strange Fruit has been reviewed by a wide range of online websites, magazines and literary arts professionals. It is an assortment of 52 poems, 45 solo pieces, and seven collaborations meant to explore the encounters of, “Youthful curiosity and adult angst produced to tackle historical preservation, deference of the flesh, religious ambivalence and the vicissitudes of love.”

Each poem captures the unique style of its poet while being guided through life’s physical, spiritual, and mental speed bumps on the pathway to understanding.

“No matter the emotion, we just want the reader to feel ... something,” said Ronald P. Clark, a.k.a. Ron Ton Soup, of the book.

The Left Side Poets is comprised of nine members including six Hampton University alumni: Sophia E. Buxton, Ronald P. Clark, Shawnon Corprew, Nikieta Faulkner, Terry G. Odis and Daniel Parrish. The group’s three other members attended Hampton University and went on to continue their education at neighboring universities: Stefano Patton, Tolani S. Oyefule, and Martin Carlo Tucker.

“I love HU for introducing me to some of the dopest poets and spoken word artists I've ever known,” said Daniel Parrish, a.k.a. No Pun Intended.

Plans are already in place for a second book, which will include an additional poet added to group. They hope to release it around the same time next year.

Support them at their book release celebration on July 9, in Washington, D.C. by RSVPing at Tabaq Lounge. Follow them on Twitter (@leftsidepoets) and become a fan on facebook (The Left Side Poets).

The Left Side Poets are:

Sophia E. Buxton, a.k.a. QuoteKey, received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hampton University in 2009 and went on to the University of Illinois where she attained her master’s degree in education policy studies in 2010.

Ronald P. Clark, a.k.a. Ron Ton Soup, received his bachelor’s degree in print journalism from Hampton University in 2008. He is now working as a high school sports reporter for The Record in Woodland County, N.J., and a relationship columnist for EDGE Magazine, LLC.

Shawnon Corpew, a.k.a. Sublimeness, recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from Hampton University in 2010. Corpew plans are to attend Old Dominion University to obtain a master’s degree in creative writing.

Nikieta Faulkner, a.k.a. Key, is a 2011 entrepreneurship graduate of Hampton University with plans of songwriting and searching for ways to serve God with her words.

Terry G. Odis, a.k.a. T.O. the Soapbox Poet, received a master’s degree in architecture in 2009 from Hampton University and is now working as a freelance graphic designer in Dallas, Texas.

Daniel Parrish, a.k.a. No Pun Intended, graduated in 2009 with a master’s degree in architecture from Hampton University. He is now working as an architectural intern for a civil engineering/architecture firm in Dallas, Texas.

Stefano Patton, a.k.a. S. Velvet Noose, a 22-year-old undergrad, born in Long Beach, Calif. is now attending Georgia State University working to obtain a bachelor’s degree in English and film in 2012. He hopes to become a literacy artist.

Tolani S. Oyefule, a.k.a. In Due Time, is a 22-year-old student at Pennsylvania State University working towards a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. He is on track to graduate in 2012.

Martin Carlo Tucker, a.k.a. Bad Apple, is studying at Old Dominion University to receive a bachelor’s degree in English.

  

-Breana Hubbard '12

HU School of Nursing receives scholarship grant

The Hampton University School of Nursing received a $50,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) New Careers in Nursing Scholarship (NCIN) Program. Five scholarships worth $10,000 each will be awarded to students entering the university’s accelerated nursing program in the 2011-2012 academic year.

The NCIN program was launched in 2008 by the foundation, and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), to address the national nursing shortage and develop a diverse professional nursing workforce. Since its inception, 2, 317 scholarships to students at 108 nursing schools were distributed.

“We are honored to be one of the nursing schools that have been selected to become a part of the Robert Wood Johnson New Careers in Nursing Program,” said Dr. Michelle Penn-Marshall, the grant’s principal investigator and the HU Director of Student Academic Support Services in the School of Nursing.

The HU College of Virginia Beach offers the accelerated nursing program, which caters to non-traditional students, and offers a three-year curriculum course of study.

“This scholarship is an excellent opportunity for five students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree in another discipline, to be afforded the opportunity to prepare for an exciting new career in nursing,” said Shevellanie E. Lott, co-principal investigator of the grant and Chairperson of the Department of Undergraduate Nursing Education at the HU College of Virginia Beach. 

For more information about the HU accelerated nursing program call 757.637.2200 or visit http://cofvb.hamptonu.edu/.

HU DPT Program Gets Decade Long Re-Accreditation

HU Physical Therapy Department

HU physical therapy students recite their pledge at a white coat ceremony.

Hampton, Va. – The Hampton University Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) program has been re-accredited for 10 years by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

“Students, future employers, and the general public can be assured that Hampton's DPT program has a solid, comprehensive curriculum delivered by a highly qualified faculty that prepares graduates to be competent physical therapists,” said Dr. Bernadette Williams, Chairperson of the HU Department of Physical Therapy.


The process for re-accreditation took two years, Williams said, adding that the DPT faculty underwent a thorough review of the entire curriculum, making revisions where necessary in course content, course objectives, learning experiences and/or student evaluation.

The program now has six full-time and one part-time faculty members, 42 students and 26 new students will begin matriculation in Fall 2011, Williams said.

HU was the first university to have a DPT program in Virginia, and is one of only eight Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCUs) with a physical therapy program.
The department was recently awarded a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The funding will establish a family support center for underserved families with developmentally disabled pre-school children, which is a high priority of HU President William R. Harvey.

In 2007, 100 percent of the graduates passed their licensing exams on the first attempt, and 100 percent of graduates in the past two years passed their licensing exam.

Of the program’s most recent success, Williams is elated.

“I am absolutely thrilled,” she said. “As the program chair, there is no greater satisfaction than knowing that all of the hard work paid off.”

-Leha Byrd

Hampton University Establishes Partnership with U.S. Coast Guard

Hampton University Establishes Partnership with U.S. Coast Guard

HU Provost Dr. Pamela Hammond and Rear Adm. Kevin Cook, Coast Guard Director of Prevention Policy, joined by members of HU and U.S. Coast Guard, sign the Memorandum of Understanding.

Hampton University signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Coast Guard on May 13. The partnership agreement will provide HU students with scholarships and internship opportunities in the Coast Guard.

This partnership will provide academic options to HU students and faculty, while supporting the Coast Guard’s civilian and military officer recruiting efforts. The agreement is a part of the Coast Guard’s Historically Black College and Universities outreach initiative.

“This partnership agreement between Hampton University and the U.S. Coast Guard provides an opportunity for HU students to gain much more insight into the wonderful professional and career programs in the Coast Guard while they are students and after graduating,” stated retired Maj. Gen. Wallace Arnold, director of the HU Data Conversion and Management Laboratory.

Under the new agreement, HU students may participate in internships in operations, intelligence studies, community relations, marketing, publicity, and information services among other areas within the Coast Guard.

HU students may also participate in the Coast Guard’s volunteer service program in which they work side-by-side with Coast Guard junior officers and civilian personnel.

In addition, full-time HU students eligible for the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI) program can receive full tuition for up to two academic years, books and essential supplies, as well as active-duty Coast Guard benefits during their junior and senior years of college. The program provides students with valuable leadership, management, law enforcement, navigation and marine science skills and training.

The agreement will remain in effect for two years and may be renewed after the two-year period.

HU Logo Wins DHDP Security Committee Competition

HU Logo Wins Downtown Hampton Development Partnership Security Committee Competition

The first place winning logo submitted by HU faculty and students.

Hampton University Associate Professor Dr. Anne Pierce recently led a team of HU faculty and graphic design students to be named the first place winners of the Downtown Hampton Development Partnership’s Security Committee logo design contest.      

The DHDP’s Security Committee was requesting local artists to submit concepts for a logo for the city’s new Eyes and Ears Program, a crime prevention program.  

The aim of the new plan is to get visitors, businesses, and residents involved in keeping their community safe. Based on the same principles as a neighborhood watch program, the initiative is partnering with the Hampton Police Department as well as other emergency agencies throughout the city.  The winning entry had to be creative and distinct, meanwhile incorporating the Downtown Hampton Development Partnership’s logo. 

Pierce first learned of the logo submission request in April through the Hampton Art League, of which she is a member.  As a photographer and art historian, Pierce thought this competition would be a great opportunity for students and faculty to unite.  Pierce, along with Assistant Professor Joseph Martin and his ART 402: Illustration and Rendering class, worked in the Armstrong-Slater graphic design studio as their research and product development space.  Together, they benchmarked similar programs in other states to develop various logo concepts.

“Collaboration is a hallmark of the design philosophy at Hampton University,” said Pierce.

In a blind review, the students chose to submit a design created by HU student Olu Fann.  Fann’s concept reflected the city of Hampton’s nautical past by using the Point Comfort Lighthouse as safety iconography. Pierce and Martin then aided Fann in refining the final design before submission.

“Mr. Fann has a canny sense of commercial logo copy and it shows in a design that is professional,” said Martin. 

The $300 award for first place will be used to support the graphic design studio printers.

 - Alison L. Phillips

HU/ODU Solar Decathlon Home Arrives

Unit 6 Unplugged

The ODU/HU Solar Decathlon team received an interesting gift overnight on the ODU campus. The house that Team Tidewater, which includes HU architecture students and engineering students from ODU, has  designed for the past two years arrived in four parts to the ODU campus.

At around 7:30 a.m. this morning a crane lifted each section of the Solar Decathlon unit off of flatbed trucks and onto concrete foundation blocks. Each piece was fitted together and the roof was lifted off of the truck and placed on the top.

The home is located on the lawn across 48th Street from the ODU Student Recreation Center.

Members of the Solar Decathlon team will spend the rest of the spring and summer doing construction on the home. The home which is officially called Unit 6 Unplugged will be disassembled once complete and moved to the National Mall's West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C.

The competition, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, takes place on the National Mall throughout Sept. 23 through Oct. 2. Team Tidewater is among 20 university teams that entered the competition and are expected to design, build and operate the most affordable, attractive, effective and energy-efficient solar-powered house.

Team Tidewater has focused their efforts on the local urban environment. Expanding on the goals of the DOE, to create a marketable and sustainable building that members of the community can afford.

For additional information on Team Tidewater, visit their site http://www.teamtidewaterva.org/

Noel Harrison, HU architecture student and member of Team Tidewater in the model kitchen.

Unit 6 Unplugged

- Naima A. Gethers

HU Pharmacy student featured on Walgreens Site

Hampton University School of Pharmacy Senior Kefa Wainaina received the Walgreens Diversity Scholarship for $2,000. As a result, he will be featured on the pharmacy chain’s community and social responsibility website, which features students and schools actively participating and initiating diversity awareness in pharmacy schools, and communities in which they serve.

Wainaina was awarded the Walgreens Diversity Scholarship by the HU School of Pharmacy scholarship committee, said Erin Berry, a pharmacy campus relations manager for Walgreens.

“When the school submits an annual reporting form to Walgreens outlining how the Diversity Donation funds were used, they also submit a form acknowledging the awarding of the Walgreens Diversity Scholarship to a deserving student and provide a rationale for why that student was chosen to receive the award at that school,” Berry said. “Kefa was shown to be a very deserving recipient of this award through his work in the community during rotations, which focused on addressing and reducing kidney disease in the Hampton Roads area.”

With Walgreens and AARP, Wainaina has participated in community health outreach programs, raising awareness about health conditions that affect, mainly, the minority population and the community at large. The groups visit churches and community events, where they offer immunizations, medication therapy management, and answer questions.

“It feels good, knowing that somebody noticed my efforts. It also motivates me to do more,” said Wainaina, who graduates May 8 and is set to work as a retail pharmacist at a Yorktown, Va. Walgreens.

Walgreens’ effort to prioritize and highlight community involvement in the pharmacy profession indicates that it’s an important effort, said HU School of Pharmacy Dean Dr. Wayne Harris.

And, HU is committed to that effort and the national priority of increasing minority representation in the health professions, he said.

“The project for which Mr. Wainaina is being highlighted is one of many examples of the outstanding work that Hampton students are performing in the community and we are extremely proud of these efforts,” Harris said.

                       
 -Leha Byrd