December 2006 - Benedict College

FEATURES
BC Tiger News - Page 6 December 2006
B.C.A.R.T.I. Encourages
Creative Arts at Benedict
by Chaquain Meyer-Boone
Circulation Manager
“Bacardi,” the popular alcoholic
drink, sounds like a club at
Benedict. However, here it has a
totally different meaning. At
Benedict, B.C.A.R.T.I stands for
the Benedict College Art Intelligentsia.
It is a club that caters to
all of the arts including poetry,
painting, drawing, singing, dancing,
acting, rapping, sculpting,
writing, and etcetera.
Originally established in 2002,
B.C.A.R.T.I has been the longest
running open MIC venue at
Benedict College, frequented by
poets, artists, musicians and actors
across the southeast. It was
created by Omari Fox, whose ability
to think outside the box encouraged
him to create
B.C.A.R.T.I. The club aims to foster
community pride and enlightenment
through intelligence and
awareness of the arts, and also
be a creative and uplifting voice
not only for Benedict but for every
person according to Eboni
Epps, B.C.A.R.T.I president.
Intelligentsia is defined as being
intellectual or learned people,
collectively, especially those capable
of thinking for themselves.
Therefore the club intends to
operate under the assumption
that its members symbolize the
principles of this definition and
will treat them as such.
Members of B.C.A.R.T.I are
encouraged to bring their individual
talents and abilities to the
organization; ideas and innovations
are welcome from all members.
The club intends to assist
in the growth of individual members
through the collective talents
and abilities of the entire
group.
B.C.A.R.T.I seeks to offer
support to other campus organizations
. In addition to raising
campus awareness of local artists
and artworks, B.C.A.R.T.I’s
intention is to assist in the development
of all-round intellectual
growth and to carry this
learning into the world. The club
also has numerous events on
campus like a, talent showcase
called “Hot Spit,” and hosting a
Haunted House for children under
twelve. The club frequently
takes trips to poetry slams, museums,
galleries, plays, as well as
other activities.
Contrary to popular belief, the
club is not limited to art majors;
the club welcomes anyone who
is interested in joining, said
Epps. So the next time you hear
Bacardi, instead of thinking
about indulging in activities that
you may regret the next day,
think about engulfing yourself in
a more positive B.C.A.R.T.I, the
Benedict College Arts Club.
To join and/or learn more
about B.C.A.R.T.I, attend their
weekly meetings on Thursday at
7:00 p.m. in Room 108 in Fine Arts
or contact Ebony Epps at (803)
840-4060.
Tiarra Johnson wins Miss
Phi Beta Sigma 2006-2007
talent and beauty pageant
by Sherell Watson
Entertainment Editor
After displaying poise, talent
and beauty Tiarra Johnson was
crowned Miss Phi Beta Sigma
2006- 2007, beating off her competitors
Sheena Smith, Wandtez
King, Ramla Aden, and Tori
Howard.
With a promising night ahead
for each contestant, the audience
gathered into the Henry Ponders
Fine Arts Building in the Little
Theatre to watch as they captivated
the judges with original
dances, piano medleys, song solos,
and many other performances.
“The pageant was very successful
and the contestants
worked very hard and were truly
dedicated,” said Randall Brown,
senior, and member of Beta Mu
chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity,
Inc.
While the contestants prepared
for the evening gown presentations
the audience was entertained
with the poetic stylings of
Bertrand Boyd, also known as Da
Youngsta, and Kristen Williams
who gave an enthusiastic and
spirited performance of “Lord I’m
Available to You.”
Giving her impression of the
overall show, Shanae Gooch, junior,
biology major, said, “I enjoyed
the talent portion the most, especially
when she [Tiarra
Johnson] danced to ‘Smooth
Criminal;’ the evening gowns
were also nice, especially
Sheena’s[Smith].”
After modeling various dresses
Tiarra Johnson crowned Miss
Phi Beta Sigma 2006-2007.
that showcased the style and
glamour of each contestant, the
ladies next prepared for the question
and answer section. The
questions asked varied from the
greatest issues in society today
to “What would you change
about yourself” Each contestant
answered to the best of her
ability.
Besides the coveted title of
“Miss Phi Beta Sigma,” various
other awards were given out to
the contestants. Sheena Smith,
senior, psychology major, received
the Sigma Spirit award for
the most ad sales; Wandtez
King, freshman, business major,
received the award for Most
Photogenic; and Tori Howard,
freshman, received the award for
Miss Congeniality.
Jovonavan Baldwin, junior and
also a member of Beta Mu chapter
of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity,
Inc., said, “It was a great pageant
and all the women were
beautiful.”
From the crowd’s reaction, the
pageant seemed to be entertaining
and an overall success.
AKAsino kick-offs
annual Skee-Week
by Koren Merchant
Staff Writer
The ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha
kicked off this year’s annual
Skee-Week (Oct. 2 – 6) with
“AKAsino Night,” an event that
focused attention on breast cancer
awareness while providing
something for students who attend
Benedict College to do
during their leisure time.
“We are attacking leisure time,
and we want to promote fellowship
and unity among students
through fun and games,” said
Nadia Muhammad, current Miss
Benedict College, and a member
of the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA)
sorority.
For this event, the David H.
Swinton Center was transformed
for one night into a Mini-Casino.
The decorations and gaming stations
made the Center to look as
though students were really in
Las Vegas or Atlantic City. There
were Checkers, Spades, Connect
Four, Sorry, and other games and
fun things to do.
As students entered the makebelieve
casino, they received
Breast Cancer Awareness Kits,
wrist bands, bracelets, and Mary
Kay products as prizes, given
out by members of AKA .
Ebony Howard, Community
Service chair of the AKA’s, one
of the key organizers the Skee-
Week activities, said she was
pleased with turnout for the
event.
“Everyone had a great time,
student’s won prizes, and they
had the chance to get to know
some of the ladies of AKA,”
Howard, a senior, Criminal Justice
major, said.
Asked why casino-like entertainment
was chosen, she said,
“I wanted something different
because students don’t always
have the opportunity to interact
with each other.”
Students attending the event
also thought it was different and
fun. Shondraya Francis, a junior,
Mass Communication major,
agreed that the AKAsino night
was a fun and enjoyable night to
be with other students.
“It was just a nice environment
to be in.” Francis said. “And it
allowed me to speak to people
that I’ve never spoken to on a
regular basis, and now I have different
feelings about some of
them.”
Approximately 46 students attended
AKAsino night, which
began a week of events hosted
by the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority.
Coronation of Miss Benedict College - A Masquerade World
by C. Dante Winstead
Features Editor
The coronation of Miss
Benedict College 2006-2007, in
the Benjamin E. Mays Human
Resource Arena was “A World
of Masquerade.” That was the
theme for newly crowned Miss
Nadia J. Muhammad who entered
her themed masquerade in a sequined
mask complementing a
gold gown with a long and elegant
purple train.
“She looks like a baby doll,”
said Amber Davis, a senior, mass
communication major, who is also
a campus Queen and Nadia’s Alpha
Kappa Alpha sister.
Tina Sanders, now an alumnus
of Benedict College and last
year’s Misss Benedict College,
turned over her rein and crown
to Nadia. “She looks so nice,”
said Sanders later.
Muhammad and her royal
court, consisting of first attendant,
J. Nichelle Wimbush, a senior,
biology major, and second
attendant, Qwanteria Pamela M.
Hall, a senior, Studio Art major,
entered the Arena before her and
sat on the special stage built for
the occasion.
Hall, who is confined to a wheelchair,
was carried on a throne and
placed in her royal chair.
The royal entourage of queens
and escorts represented organizations
on campus was also in
attendance, and each entered the
arena majestically, in support of
the new Miss Benedict College.
Where I am now
Editor’s Note: This story is a follow-up article to the one printed last semester in the Tiger News by and about HIV-positive student Tawain Kelly. This is Part 2, giving an update of his condition.
by Tawain Kelly
When the article came out in
March I was scared because even
now there are still people who
judge people with HIV as being
nasty or think that they deserve
what they got, especially in the
black community. I told myself that
people are going to judge me and
look at me funny, but I knew that
the article could help someone if
only one. So I decided to pass the
article out myself. One of the first
students that saw me, looked at
me and said , “That’s the guy who
has AIDS,” I read lips well. So
instead of running away I ran to
her. She apologized for staring and
I told her that it was ok because
what that meant to me was that
she was curious and it was my
chance to openly talk to someone
on campus about HIV/AIDS.
Another person was a basketball
player who just look at me in
amazement. I guess because he
has been in some of my classes
and was shocked to know I was
positive.
I remember saying that Magic
Johnson was not the face of HIV,
but that I was the face. I had a
reality check, when someone told
me that I was not the face. I realize
that there are so many faces to HIV/
AIDS and that Magic and myself
are just two faces of this disease.
Everyday, like me, he wakes up
knowing he is HIV positive, but
makes an effort to make a
difference in someone else’s life.
Because Magic Johnson decided
to be open about his status, I think
people in general are better off
because he has allowed people to
say, “It’s ok and I can live.” From
the littlest children born with the
virus to the oldest woman living
with the virus, HIV does not
discriminate. That is why a support
system is great to have and why I
want to say thank you. It’s one
thing to know your family loves
you, but when people you just met
circle themselves around you and
hold you like Benedict College
students have, especially those
creative souls in the Mass
Communication Department, it
really makes a difference.
When I was in so much pain and
so sick that something as crazy as
a bag of Salt N Vinegar chips made
me sicker, it was good to have
people like Mr. & Mrs. Hopper, Ms.
Shabazz, Ms Meetz, Mr.
McKnight, and my on call parents
Ms. Susan Dugan and Lorraine
Dunbar to protect me as if I was
their own child. My pain became
their pain and when I wanted to
quit because of the pain they
encouraged me not to quit. Don’t
tell me I don’t have an excellent
support system.
After the article came out, I
started getting phone calls. People
asked me how much I would
charge, like I said it was never
about money but all about
educating the youth. One thing
that did happen was all the prayers
I got from people I didn’t know. I
tell you they had prayers going
up for me and boy this summer I
needed them all.
The first part of the summer I
was placed back in the hospital
with Pneumocystis carinii (PC)
pneumonia. It was bad because I
knew that back in the day that a
lot of people died from PC
pneumonia. So in my mind I felt
like I was getting ready to die,
until I talked to my mom and my
niece who gave me the strength
to get up and move.
I was invited to a planning
commission to do something
about the rise in HIV/AIDS in
South Carolina. I was pulled to
the side and told by this
gentleman, “nobody cares about
your mother or your niece,”
when I felt sick and wasn’t strong
enough to take on the job; so
they fired me. The fact of this
person coming and saying that
my mother, my niece and all the
people who support me didn’t
matter, made him the fool. If it
wasn’t for those people who
openly supported me, I would
be like so many other African-
American people who are HIV
positive, staying with strangers
and looking for support in the
wrong places. Next year on
September 12, 2007 between 4
and 4:30 p.m., I would have been
knowingly positive for 10 years and
I will celebrate because I am still
here. If I am not here, then celebrate
for me because I made it, because
of my support system.
During the summer I got
depressed. My cousin lost his
triplets the day I got out the hospital
and a week and a day after they
buried the triplets, my cousin James
Cuthbert Jr. was shot in the head
three times and then I was placed
back in the hospital with PC
pneumonia in both lungs. I was
down to 101 pounds; my face had
sink in and I was turning gray.
When I went in the last time I was
hooked up to the oxygen machine,
put on morphine and asked what I
wanted them to do if I became nonresponsive.
I remember Ms.
Goodwin who is like to a second
mom, who has always been one of
my biggest supporters, rushing to
the hospital and I just collapsed in
her arms. The doctors and nurses
came in the room trying to at least
make me comfortable. Ms. Goodwin
brought her granddaughters up to
the hospital because they wanted
to see me and they lost it. If I ever
wanted to know how HIV/AIDS
affects a child that was my chance.
If they were affected like that then I
knew my niece was not ready for
me to die, so I told myself, ‘it’s time
to fight and fight hard.” I made it!
I decided that whatever came my
way I was going to fight as hard as
I could. I was placed on a new
medicine called Atripla, a one-a- day
pill and it was working, at least I
thought it was until I got out of the
hospital and found out that one
part of the medicine wasn’t
working, so I was taken off and
put on several other pills. Right
now I am battling bad anxiety
attacks, when sometimes I cry, am
unable to move and shake badly.
The other day I had fever of a 103.3
degrees but it’s ok because I am a
believer. I mean so many people
have prayed for me to it becomes
overwhelming.
I am so appreciative of not only
Benedict College because I am a
name, not a number; I am
somebody at Benedict. I
appreciate the help of the staff at
the MCC Clinic, my doctors and
nurses, Hawthorn Pharmacy, my
other mother Thelma Cornish and
her husband and kids, Mr. and
Mrs. Goodwin and the entire
Goodwin clan because I am their
child, Curtis Wilson, my mentor
who has allowed me to be myself ,
Chris, Darci, Nat, Wendy and the
WLTX family, River of Life my
church family who allowed me to
stand in front of the alter and give
my testimony, Richland Memorial
Hospital, Wilbur and Frankie
Tucker, Kim, Gino and Shannon
(Nett), Nicole, Keisha, LeRoy,,
Cynthia, Boom, Lamile, the
McMillan Family, Black, the
Bouknights, Folks all of you, Gwen
and my Tamika-Goodwin Maddox
who, for over 19 years has been
my best friend the one who stuck
by me when I gave up. She prayed
for me and protects me when I
didn’t want to protect myself.
see Taiwan page 7
After the ceremonial entrance
of the royal court, Dr. David H.
Swinton, president of Benedict
College, then formally crowned the
new Miss Benedict College, to
make her reign official. After the
crowning, Muhammad’s parents,
Timothy and Beverly Muhammad,
and other family members spoke,
giving the new queen a fur coat
from the family. Speaking on behalf
of the family, Mrs. Muhammad
expressed her deep compassion
and pride in her daughter, saying,
“ I knew Nadia was destined for
success at Benedict College, and
I’m glad that Nadia is carrying out
the legacy we and family members
started when we attended
Benedict College ourselves.”
The new queen also received a
$1,500.00 scholarship to continue
her education at the graduate
school level from Ron McKnight,
her advisor and professor in the
Mass Communication program,
and the check was presented on
his behalf by Prof. Susan Dugan.
After the remarks and presentation,
the new Miss Benedict College
embraced the student body
in her royal speech, first giving
praise to God and her family. Expressing
her gratitude for being
elected Miss Benedict College,
she said, “I have a rich history
coming from Benedict College, a
lot of whom only wish me the
best and only want to see me do
good work for the school.” (See
full text of her royal address on
page 1.)
After her speech, the Campus
Queens and Kings performed an
elegant ballroom dance in honor
of the new queen. “It looked
good,” said Christina Cason, a
senior, mass communication major.
“The choreography was well
put together.”
Two local celebrities served
as master and mistress of ceremony
for the coronation. They
were Curtis Wilson and Darcie
Strickland, co-anchors of WLTX,
Channel 19. Wilson is also a
classmate of the new Miss
Benedict College.