HU Awarded Grant for Student Poll Workers

Hampton University has been awarded a $74,055 grant from the Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) 2009 Help America Vote College Program. Through the grant, HU will recruit the next generation of poll workers, training students to work the polls for the 2009 and 2010 elections.

Through the grant, HU will educate student poll workers through a curriculum on democracy and election processes. The university will also host mock elections to prepare student recruits on their upcoming duties. Students from Thomas Nelson Community College will also be recruited.

Of the 71 programs that applied for monies, the EAC awarded a total of $749,000 to 11 colleges and universities and two non-profit organizations, including HU. Individual amounts ranged from $20,000-$75,000.

Poll workers play a critical role in the election process – responsible for the set up of polling place materials and equipment, checking voters’ registration, and demonstrating how to use voting systems. The program seeks to ease the shortage of poll workers, a problem in the 2004 election, where 5.8 percent of polling places and four percent of precincts reported having too few poll workers, according to the 2004 EAC Election Day Survey.

“We are excited about the college poll worker program because too many young people are disengaged from the political process,” said Dr. Mamie Locke, dean of the School of Liberal Arts and professor of political science. “By serving as a poll worker students can be a part of democracy at work and witness directly the importance of voting in the process.”

The EAC was created by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and the College Program grants are authorized by this act.

Theo Smalling Memorial Service

Please note:

The Tribute to Theo Smalling tonight has been canceled.  A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, Oct. 29 at noon in the Hampton University Convocation Center. The Memorial Service is open to the public. 

HU Community Mourns the Loss of Theo Smalling

       

The Hampton University community mourns the loss of Theo Smalling. Smalling died on Monday, Oct. 26 at approximately 8:40 p.m. at the age of 22. Smalling, captain of the HU Men’s Basketball team, was involved in a senseless accident on Oct. 24.

“Theo was the model for the term student athlete. He was a terrific student, an all-star athlete and a good human being. In addition, he was actively involved in a great deal of community service. I and the Hampton University family will truly miss him,” said HU President Dr. William R. Harvey.

“This is a devastating loss for our community,” said HU Men’s Basketball Head Coach Edward Buck Joyner. “He was a great young man who was an assest to Hampton University on and off the court. Not only was he the captain and leader of our team, but the backbone of our team. He will be with us in our hearts and minds when we step on the court.”

Lonza Hardy, Jr., Athletic Director added, “We are all deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Theo. A student athlete we saw grow and mature into an individual who made us all proud.”

About Theo Smalling

Theo Smalling was a leader on and off the court at HU. He was a senior sports management major and was in line to graduate this spring. He played in 91 games for the Pirates, making 76 career starts. As a junior, Smalling led the team in rebounds, averaging 5.3 boards per game, recording a career-high 14 rebounds on Jan. 12, 2009 at Florida A&M. Smalling’s career high of 15 points came Dec. 22, 2007, when the Pirates played at Maryland-Baltimore County. He blocked a career-high five shots Nov. 21, 2006 against George Mason, and he blocked another four shots against Virginia Commonwealth last season.

For his career, Smalling averaged 3.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He had 307 career points and 470 career rebounds – 298 on the defensive end – and Smalling averaged 22 minutes a game for his career as a Pirate.

Though he was born in Boston, Mass. to Carl Smalling and Shelley George, Smalling called Tampa, Fla., where he played his high school ball at Bloomingdale High, home. He averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds a game as a senior earning All-County and All-State Honorable Mention honors. Smalling is Bloomingdale’s all-time leading scorer with 1,239 points.

The October Student Connection

It’s Homecoming 2009!!

As you prepare for all the hot events on campus and off, The Student Connection is ready to bring you the latest information from the HU campus!

Check out the Student Connection at http://www.hamptonu.edu/news/connection/

In this issue: a first person account of Opening Convocation from the eyes of a graduating senior, HU students and Victoria’s Secret Pink scholarships, School of Pharmacy white coat ceremony, the latest information on student organizations, faculty, major/minor news and Hot Events and a special tribute to School of Science dean Dr. Douglas J. DePriest.

Join the Student Connection facebook group:

HU Student Connection 

HU President Issues Statement Regarding Miss HU

To:The Hampton University Community From:William R. Harvey President Date:October 20, 2009 Re:Miss Hampton University Miss Nikole Churchill, a beautiful, talented, articulate, and personable young lady, was elected by a panel of judges to reign as Miss Hampton University for the 2009-10 academic year. Miss Churchill was born in Hawaii, the same state as our founder, General Samuel Chapman Armstrong, and President Barack Obama. She is of mixed heritage with her mother being Italian and her father from the island of Guam. With her being the first non-African American to hold the title of Miss Hampton University, it drew a lot of attention to the University, some of which was negative. Just two days after being named Miss Hampton, Nikole, feeling unaccepted by some of her peers, wrote a letter to President Barack Obama to share her dismay. The letter was posted on the internet, and it quickly circulated nationally and internationally. She later issued a statement to the campus community informing them that she "took the comments of a few and blew it out of proportion.” After explaining what prompted her letter to President Obama and apologizing for doing so in a meeting with over 100 of the student leaders, they not only accepted her apology, but gave her an ovation and pledged to work with her. Even though it turned out not to be as major an issue as some tried to make it, the media has continued the controversy. As President of Hampton University, I firmly disagree with any who believe that Miss Hampton should only be an African American. Many of us have fought white racism all of our lives, and therefore will not allow black racism (even from a few) to rear its ugly head at Hampton. It is very clear to me that the vast majority of our students, including the SGA President and other elected leaders are very supportive of Miss Churchill and her selection as Miss Hampton University. At the Homecoming Week Fashion Show, the students in attendance also gave her a standing ovation. Throughout our history, Hampton has been a beacon of light for equality, freedom, and tolerance. Starting with our founder, who was white, the collective efforts of our faculty, staff, students, and administration have prompted and promoted diversity. General Armstrong opened a school for black recently freed slaves. Some ten years later, he pioneered Native-American education in this country. Additionally, he traveled widely inviting students from many, many countries to be a part of the Hampton family. General Armstrong used to say often that Hampton students "girdled the world." Therefore, we have always had people of all races and colors associated with us as students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Currently, Hampton University has 29 countries represented in the student body and 45 countries represented among the faculty. Having embraced diversity as part of our history and legacy, Hampton University has been able to establish itself not only as an historically black university of exceptional note, but also welcomes and embraces students and their cultures from around the world. That is our history, legacy, and mission. And we shall continue to be true to those ideals. Miss Nikole Churchill will make a wonderful Miss Hampton University. She will represent the students and the University in an exemplary fashion. I urge all Hamptonians to support her enthusiastically and not participate in any media sensationalism regarding this issue.

# HU #

HU to Induct 15 Into First Athletics Hall of Fame

Hampton, VA - The inaugural Hampton University Athletics Hall of Fame will welcome its first members when 15 legendary names are inducted next month.

The Athletics Hall of Fame, approved by the University last December, has as its mission “honoring and recognizing individuals who have made superior and outstanding contributions to the Hampton University athletics program and whose accomplishments reflect the university’s reputation and image as one of America’s premier institutions of higher education.” The inaugural inductions are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 20 at the Student Center Ballroom on the HU campus. Tickets are currently on sale for $75.

The Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2009 will include 10 former student-athletes along with three coaches and two administrators.  The HU Athletics Hall of Fame’s 2009 inductees will include the following persons:

Thomas R. Casey
A student-athlete who excelled in football, men’s basketball, and men’s track and field between 1942 and 1948, Casey’s college career was interrupted with a two-year stint in the military.  He was a two-time All-American football player who went on to play professionally with the New York Yankees of the All-American Football League (a predecessor to the AFL) and the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League.

Montrell Coley 
A star football student-athlete between 1997 and 2000 whose 3,838 career rushing yards is second on the Pirates’ all-time rushing chart, Coley rushed for a school-record 253 yards in a 2000 game against Morgan State.  That same year, he also scored a school record 38 touchdowns and earned SBN All-America honors.

Anita Cooper
Ranked No.3 among HU’s all-time women’s leading scorers with 1,795 career points, Cooper’s 15.2 career scoring average ranks her No.4 all-time at HU in that category.  She led the Lady Pirates in scoring and rebounding in 1983-84 with averages of 13.4 points and 8.0 rebounds a game and was the American Women’s Sports Federation’s regional player-of-the-year in 1985-86, when she averaged 19.0 points a game.

Jacqueline Dolberry 
The star player on the Lady Pirate team that captured the NCAA’s Division II national championship in 1987-88 with a 33-1 record, Dolberry is the all-time leading scorer in HU and Virginia women’s basketball history with 2,645 career points.  The four-time All-CIAA performer and three-time CIAA player-of-the-year also ranks first at HU in career blocked shots (137), second in career rebounding (1,252) and second in assists (449).

Reginald Doss
A stalwart defensive end for the Pirates’ football team between 1974 and 1978, Doss’s performance on the field led to his selection as an NAIA All-American in 1977 and as an honorable-mention Associated Press All-American in both 1976 and 1977.  He went on to play 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL.

Henry “Hank” Ford
The winningest head men’s basketball coach in HU history, Ford’s 12-year stint saw him compile a record of 228-120, a winning percentage of .655, best among all of the Pirates’ former coaches.  His illustrious career saw his teams win 20 or more games five times and capture CIAA tournament championships in 1982 and 1983.  He was named the CIAA tournament’s most outstanding coach four times and in 1997 he was inducted into the CIAA Hall of Fame.

William R. Harvey 
One of the nation’s longest-tenured college presidents and perhaps its most influential, Harvey has been the architect behind HU’s rise as one of the nation’s leading academic institutions and athletics powers.  During his 31-year stint as president, the school’s various athletics teams have captured more than 50 championships and it was his vision that led to the construction of some of the best facilities of any university of its size and moving from Division II to Division I, becoming a premier national mid-major power.  He recently was named to the prestigious NCAA Board of Directors.

Gregory Hines
The second all-time leading scorer in Pirate basketball history with 1,967 points, Hines’ honors included selection as CIAA rookie-of-the-year (1979-80), CIAA tournament MVP (1982) and All-CIAA (1982-83).  His 1,254 career rebounds is No.2 all-time at HU, his 499 career free throws is No.1 all-time at the school and his 734 career field goals ranks him No.2 in the record books.

Derrick “Rick” Mahorn 
A 2003 inductee into the CIAA Hall of Fame, Mahorn is a three-time All-America selectee who was the first Pirate basketball player to be drafted into the NBA.  His 2,418 career points and 20.3 career scoring average make him the Pirates’ all-time leading scorer.  He also sits atop the HU record books in at least nine other categories as he earned All-CIAA honors for three consecutive years, winning player-of-the-year honors in 1978-79.  Mahorn went on to a stellar playing career in the NBA and he now coaches the Detroit Shock of the WNBA.

Carl Painter
Painter was noted as one of the top running backs in the CIAA in the mid-1980s, winning All-CIAA honors in 1985 after compiling 1,170 yards, tops among all league rushers that season.  Two years later, in 1987, he scored 96 points, leading him in the conference for that season. After completing his stellar college career with the Pirates, Painter went on to excel in the NFL with the Detroit Lions and later in the WLAF with the Orlando Thunder.

Robert M. Screen 
Screen has elevated the Pirate and Lady Pirate tennis programs into two of the nation’s best over a legendary coaching career that spans more than 30 years.  In the time, his teams have captured some 40 championships in the CIAA and MEAC along with two NCAA national championships, four national black college titles and three state of Virginia crowns. Screen is noted as being one of only five living coaches to eclipse the 1,000-victory ledger.

Gideon Smith 
The first Hampton coach to lead the Pirates to a national championship (black college title in 1922 with a 5-1 record), Smith served as the school’s head football coach from 1921 to 1940.  That 20-year span, the longest of any coach in the history of HU football, saw him compile a career record of 97-46-12, making him the winningest coach in the first 90 years of Pirate football.  The 1916 graduate of Michigan State is said to be one of the first two African-Americans to play college football.

Dennis E. Thomas 
Thomas was a 12-year employee at HU who, along with president William R. Harvey, orchestrated the rise of Hampton athletics into a dominant NCAA Division I mid-major power.  During his reign as athletics director, the school captured MEAC championships in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, softball, women’s tennis, men’s tennis, women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, men’s indoor and outdoor track and field, and men’s cross country.  Under his direction, the athletics program was awarded the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame’s Achievement Award in 2000 and 2001.  Today, Thomas serves as commissioner of the MEAC.

Darryl Warwick
The fifth all-time leading scorer in HU men’s basketball history with 1,755 career points, Warwick averaged an impressive 15.1 points over his four-year college career.  Not only did he score a lot of points, but he also helped others to score, ranking No.1 in career assists with the Pirates with 722 in four seasons.  His 214 assists in 1979-80 is also a single-season school record.  He made the All-CIAA team in 1980-81.

Tarvis Williams 
The sixth all-time leading scorer in Pirate basketball history with 1,754 career points, Williams posted a 21.9 points-per-game average as a senior.  During his senior season in 2000-01, he was tabbed MEAC player-of-the-year and MEAC tournament MVP.  That year, the Pirates became the darlings of the NCAA tournament after shocking Iowa State in the first round of the post-season tournament with a 58-57 victory.

“We’re happy to see our dream of initiating an athletics hall of fame at Hampton University become a reality,” said Lonza Hardy Jr., the school’s athletic director.  “This will surely be a fitting tribute to the legends and pacesetters that made our program what it is today.”

Individuals interested in purchasing tickets to the Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet, or in purchasing congratulatory advertisements for the souvenir program, can call the athletics office at (757) 727-5641.

HU Mourns the Loss of Science Dean

Dr. Douglas DePriest

 Hampton University mourns the loss of Dr. Douglas DePriest, acting dean of the HU School of Science. DePriest passed away on Oct. 12, at the age of 65.

“The Hampton University community is truly saddened by the passing of Dr. DePriest,” said HU President Dr. William R. Harvey.  “His diligent and heartfelt work as an administrator, scientist and mentor at his alma mater will be missed.”  

DePriest received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in mathematics from HU in 1966. He received the Master’s of Science degree in math education from the University of Tennessee and a Ph.D. in statistics from American University.  He returned to his “Home by the Sea” in 1999 as an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics. He served as assistant dean from 2005 until 2008 when he became acting dean of the School of Science. In his role as acting dean, he led the school in curricular, research, and service activities.

“Dr. DePriest’s leadership and friendship will be missed by faculty, students and staff in the School of Science,” said Michael Druitt, assistant to the dean in the School of Science. “We will continue to keep his family in our prayers.”

DePriest mentored many students and worked on projects focused on increasing the number of minorities and women in science and engineering.

“Over the years I was afforded the opportunity to learn from him, work with him, and be encouraged by him,” stated Ciara Brown a graduate student in the HU Department of Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. “Dr. DePriest was a genuinely kind, warmhearted, and funny man who always knew how to brighten my day and subtlety bring me a word of correction! He pushed me to be more than average, but to be great. His presence will forever live on through the many lives he has touched."

DePriest was a devoted father and grandfather.  He leaves to cherish his memory his fiancé, Dr. Linda Malone-Colon; daughter, Marcia DePriest Brown (Brian Brown); son Kraig DePriest (Monica DePriest) and granddaughters Kamile and Kallie DePriest. He was preceded in death by his son Delmar DePriest.

Services for DePriest will be held Oct. 21 at 11a.m. at St. Paul Baptist Church in Richmond, Va., the wake will be held Oct. 20, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Laburnum Chapel in Richmond, Va.

Statement from Miss Hampton University

Statement from Miss Hampton University

I am honored to be the winner of the Miss Hampton University Pageant that was held on Friday, October 9, 2009. On Sunday, October 11, 2009 I posted a letter to President Obama saying that my win was not widely accepted on campus. I have now come to regret writing this letter and disappointing the very students that I now represent. I took the comments of a few and blew it out of proportion. In reality, all comments that have been directed towards me and the reception I received at the Hampton University versus Howard University football game on Saturday, October 10, 2009 were genuinely supportive. Today, I met with student leaders and other elected student officials and they were also supportive. Hampton University has always promoted diversity. In fact Hampton University pioneered American Indian education and has embraced diversity since its inception. I truly apologize to all students, faculty, staff and alumni. It was absolutely not my intention to bring negative attention to the University. I deeply apologize for any misunderstandings that this may have caused and I look forward to working with my fellow students to promote the Hampton University legacy.

Nikole Churchill
Miss Hampton University 2009-2010

Hampton Players and Company Presents “The Bluest Eye”

The Hampton University Players and Company proudly presents “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, adapted by Lydia R. Diamond. This unforgettable drama will be held Oct. 29-Nov. 1 in Armstrong Hall’s Little Theatre at HU.  Friday and Saturday performances begin at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinee opens at 3 p.m.   Tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for senior citizens, children and students, and admission for HU students is free.

How do you define beauty? Based on Toni Morrison’s novel of the same name, “The Bluest Eye” follows the tragic life of Percola Breedlove, a young girl looking for acceptance and the true meaning of beauty in rural Ohio during the 1940s.  This powerful play explores the crippling toll that a legacy of racism has taken on a community, a family and an innocent girl who wants nothing more than to be loved.  “The Bluest Eye” is sure to captivate audiences and cause them to reevaluate their definition of beauty.  

Bresean Jenkins is the director and costume designer for “The Bluest Eye.”  For ticket information, please contact the HU Box Office at (757) 727-5236 or (757) 727-5402.
  

HU Architecture Program Remains Accredited

The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) Inc., recently reaffirmed the accreditation of the Hampton University Master of Architecture program for a six-year term.

The visiting team from the accreditation board noted the development of HU architecture students in their report stating, “The students seem to understand their roles as future graduates, emerging professionals, and future practitioners.” In addition the report also referenced the students’ leadership skills by stating, “they realize the importance of finding new solutions to complex problems, likewise, devising new research methods to arrive at new conclusions.”

The HU Department of Architecture is the only accredited architecture program in Hampton Roads, Va. and one of only three accredited architecture programs in Virginia. 

HU Students on CNN Again!

Two Hampton University students will appear on CNN live today at 2:45 p.m. EST with Roland Martin to discuss their reactions to the HU National Summit on Marriage, Parenting and Families, held Sept. 29-30.

Tune in and support our Pirates!