NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

BYRON PITTS:EVERY DREAMHAS AN ADDRESS

Farewell chris

welcome jillian

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 | 2

THIS ISSUE 3 SOCIAL JUSTICE JANUARYCommunity centers collaborate.

3 UPCOMING EVENTSWhere will you be this semester?

4 BYRON PITTS“Nightline” co-anchor visits campus.

5 CAREER ADVICEGet a jump start on your dreams.

6 RESOLUTIONSMake 2016 your best year ever.

7 WHAT’S ON THE TABLE?AACC creates safe space for students.

Hey,As I reflect on my tenure as Editor-In-Chief, what comes to mind is how much this position

has given me and how it challenged me in ways I never imagined. I’m not the same student I was year and a half ago when I came aboard as editor. Today I feel more confident than ever that I will graduate in May having contributed meaningfully to the NC State community.

Writing for the Nubian Message as an opportunity for me to become involved on campus as a transfer student. I twruly experienced community while at the Nubian Message. As editor I found myself immersed in places of knowledge on campus I would not have been exposed to otherwise.

I am appreciative of the editors before me and those who will follow. As a staff writer, Jillian Smith contributed to the paper each week throughout the

past year. Her numerous insightful pieces reflected her commitment to producing meaningful content. The staff who’ve contributed continuously during my tenure are students I’ve learned much from and have grown because of.

These past three semesters have been some of the best, and as I enter my final semester I bring with me all the lessons, experiences and memories that will remain when I graduate and beyond. To everyone, I hope you finish strong, whether you’ll be at the commencement ceremony in May or the ones to follow. To those who will be there, see you at the finish line.

Be free, Christopher Hart-Williams

Welcome back Pack! I hope you all had a relaxing break and you’ve enjoyed your first week back (yeah right). Here

at the Nubian, we are kicking off the new year with big changes. First and foremost, I’ll be serving as the Editor-In-Chief for the Spring semester and our new Managing Editor is Stephanie Tate. I’ve been with the Nubian since fall 2014 and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve found a home with this organization which is what makes me so excited to be heading it!

I have to thank both Christopher Hart-Williams and Nia Doaks for being so supportive, inviting and helpful throughout this transition. They provided me with the insight, advice and strength to run this organization and for that I am indebted to them. I’m honored to have been chosen to follow in the footsteps of so many wonderful editors and I hope to bring the same energy and enthusi-asm to the Nubian as they did.

That being said, we are looking to bring in more writers and branch out to more organizations, strengthening our foothold in the NC State community. There are lots of opportunities coming up for editors, writers, photographers

and designers on our staff so stop by anytime if you’re interested. We want to improve our paper and ourselves every year and we are looking to make this one

great. I pray for a year of success for all of us so with that, I hope you all enjoy the first Nubian Message of 2016!

All the best,Jillian Smith

Only with the permission of our elders do we proudly produce each edition of the Nubian Message.

Dr. Yosef ben-Yochannan: Dr. John Henrik Clark: Dr. Leonard Jeffries: The Black Panther Party: Mumia A. Jamal: Geronimo

Pratt: Tony Williamson: Dr. Lawrence Clark: Dr. Augustus McIv-er Witherspoon: Dr. Wandra P. Hill: Mr. Kyran Anderson: Dr.

Lathan Turner: Dr. M. Iyailu Moses: Dokta Toni Thorpe and all those who accompany us as we are STILL on the journey to true

consciousness.

The Sentinel of the African -American Community at N.C. State Since 1992.

Editor-in-ChiefJillian Smith

Managing EditorStephanie Tate

Design EditorLica Mishelle

news WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 3

The Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity has decided to use the month of January to emphasize the importance of social justice on our campus, thus Social Justice January was formed.

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Center along with the Women’s Center, Multicultural Student Affairs, and the African American Cultural Center are co-sponsoring this month-long event that will create awareness, encourage acceptance and promote unity among students.

“One of the conversations that emerged from those meetings was a desire to do more collaborations that would bring the populations together that are served by the various centers,” said Renee Wells, director of the GLBT Center.

This is the second Social Justice January being hosted by the four community centers. There will be two major events featured throughout the month along with the GLBT Center’s monthly meetings and drop in counseling with MSA every Thursday from 3pm-5pm.

“The beauty of being a part of and working to support the GLBT community is that it is incredibly diverse. GLBT people represent every race, ethnicity, nationali-ty, religion, socioeconomic class, ability status, etc,” Wells says.

On Monday, Jan. 25, GLBT will also host Monday Movies and Mingling from 5pm-7pm where you can drop by to study, connect with friends, watch a movie or play games with other GLBT and ally students.

On Wednesday, January 27, guest speaker Dr. Ravi Perry will give a lecture entitled ‘Rise. Resist. Repeat.’ His lecture will address the culture of violence that underlies the #blacklivesmatter and #translivesmatter movements. This an event that is open to the public and it will be held in Talley 3285 from 7:00pm-8:30pm. On Thursday, January 28, Dr. Perry will facilitate a workshop for current students that is designed to help them develop the skills needed to engage in social justice activism. The workshop will be held from 4:30pm-6:30pm in Witherspoon 356.

“Within the community, a wide range of social justice issues are always present as community members navigate various interpersonal, cultural and institutional forms of discrimination and oppression,” said Wells.

For more information about Social Justice January, visit the OIED website or stop by one of the four community centers involved in the program.

Social Justice January Creates campus unity

spring into the new year: semester events preview

Talley Party: The Night Show January 23, 2016Talley Ballroom10:00pm-2:00am Hosts: Society of Afrikan American Culture, the Kappa Lambda Chapter of Omega Psi Phi, the Eta Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, the Kappa Xi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, and Collegiate 100

Queer People of Color*January 28, 20163221 Talley Student Center6:30pm-8:00pmHosts: Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity

The Soul of Philanthropy Exhibit OpeningFebruary 2, 2016African American Cultural Center Gallery6:00pmHosts: African American Cultural Center

Welcome back Wolfpack! We hope that you’ve had a wonderful break full of rest, family, friends and freedom from academic responsibilities, but now it is time to return to our lives as students. Here’s a number of events coming up this semester that may help rejuvenate you, keep you grounded in your roots, provide you with a space to vent, or just provide you with some good old-fashioned fun.

Wilmington Ten: Pardon of Innocence Film andDiscussionFebruary 10, 2016Witherspoon Cinema6:00pmHosts: African American Cultural Center

Live Blacks in Wax MuseumFebruary 20, 2016126 Witherspoon11:00amHosts: African American Cultural Center

Diversity Education Week: RevisitedMarch 14-18, 2016Hosts:UAB Diversity Activities Board

Jessica stubbsStaff Writer

Stephanie TateManaging editor

Business, Beauty and Wellbeing for the Black Woman March 19, 2016Witherspoon 8:00amHosts: African American Cultural Center

Red, White and Black WalkMarch 23, 2016African American Cultural Center Gallery3:00pmHosts:African American Cultural Center

Rooted: Pan-Afrikan WeekApril 2-9, 2016Hosts: Black Students Board*bi-monthly

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 4 news

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and the struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals,” said originally by Civil Rights Activist Martin Luther King Jr. and re-peated to a crowd of almost 600 members of the NC State community by Byron Pitts on Monday, Jan. 11.

To kickoff the 25th anniversary of the African American Cultural Center and the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Campus Commemora-tion, Pitts, an ABC News national correspondent and “Nightline” co-host spoke on about the difficulties he overcame in order to achieve a successful career in journalism.

“I liked how he spoke about his own personal adversity and made the presentation about his journey as a man,” said Mallory Deeter, a junior studying communication with a concentration in public rela-tions.

Pitts’ inspiring story proves that determination is key and that hard work pays off. His humble beginnings are rooted in Baltimore, Mary-land. Raised by his single mother, Pitts faced significant financial, emotional and mental struggles. However, the “mustard seed” faith of his family, as well as their ambitious nature provided him with a solid support system.

This is what gave Pitts the confidence he needed to make a distin-guished career. “I have never been lucky a day in my life, but I have always been blessed,” he said.

It is hard to imagine someone so successful was declared mentally retarded by specialists at the age of 12.  At the time, he was failing almost all of his classes, and especially struggled with mathematics. After being brought in for testing, the doctors discovered that his difficulty in school stemmed from his inability to read. They recom-mended that he be institutionalized given the limited means and 10th grade education of his mother.

ByronpittsZoe wilsoncorrespondent

international broadcast journalist honors mlk JR., inspires students to act

Kai McNeil | staff photographer

news WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 5

Despite the scarcity of resources available to him, the strenuous effort he devoted to his education allowed him to graduate high school. With hard work, Pitts went from being ranked number 435 out of 440 students in his class to number 40.

“I was not the best student in my high school, but I was the best student I could be,” he said.

Pitts was accepted into Ohio Wesley-an University in 1978 and graduated in 1982. While many college students think those four years are the best ones of their lives, he had a different experience.

“It was hard for me,” Pitts said. He was on academic probation for his first two years and at one point in time, he was seriously consid-ering dropping out after an English professor told him that he was “not Wes-leyan material.” Luckily, a kind first-term pro-fessor was able to convince him otherwise.

While many doubted that he was capable of accomplishing such illus-trious dreams, Pitts is now an Emmy award-winning journalist who has traveled the world to cover some of the biggest news stories of our time.

“He covered a lot, but my main take away was to have high aspirations for myself and set high goals. He encour-aged me to create a list of goals and dreams to better myself and others. He also taught me that you don’t have to be a straight A students to be successful,” said Williams.

Pitts asked students to be as mindful and engaged as they possibly can. He encouraged them to take action and be involved in their community as well as

the lives of those within it.Though he reported from Ground

Zero on 9/11, and has seen death and the atrocities of war the world over, compla-cency still scares him.

“In many ways as a journalist I make my living covering death, and I’ve made my peace with that,” Pitts said. “But something that still makes me uneasy is indifference.”

He said one of his biggest take aways from those situations is that indifference can be a deadly weapon.

“Do not be indifferent about the opportunities you have to change the

world. It might be as small as hug, but could change the world for someone else,” said Pitts.

While every-one in the crowd reacted well to his speech, giving him a standing ovation when he finished, some students were surprised by the content of his speech.

“I enjoyed listening to Pitt’s speech, however, it was not at all what I was expecting because of the current racial climate, I assumed he would address the challenges still facing the black community and thought he would start a dialogue on how to best bring about that change,” Deeter said.

While there is no simple fix for this problem our country has faced for decades, Pitts addressed the enormous progress that has been made. He appre-ciated the radical changes the nation has seen in four generations; from his great grandfather born a slave, to him, born free, able to live the American dream.

“We are still a great nation, despite our flaws,” Pitts said. He emboldened each of audience member to both take advan-tage of and live up to that greatness.

“Do not be indifferent about the opportunities you have to change the world.”

PITTS POINTS STUDENTS DOWN

CAREER PATHjillian smitheditor-in-chief

Byron Pitts’ speech on Monday, Jan. 11 featured empowering mes-sages that encouraged students to make definitive decisions about their futures and follow through.

He provided some compelling career advice giving students per-spective on entering the industry, finding jobs and ultimately becom-ing successful. Pitts began by detailing his personal journey from illiteracy in Baltimore to being a national correspondent for ABC News.

His main message to students and especially graduating seniors, was to be as specific as possible when it comes to your career goals. At age 18, Pitts decided that he wanted to be a correspondent on “60 Minutes” by age 45. By working diligently he made it to the show by age 44.

Pitts took advantage of his opportunities early on during his time at college. “I think there are left lane people and right lane people. I’m a right lane guy, I have to go the slow way, so for me it was im-portant to get an internship in my junior year of college,” he said. He made it clear, however, that we are not all meant to follow the same path.

According to Pitts “every dream has an address,” it’s all about get-ting a clear view of that address and following the path that leads to it, beginning to end.

Pitts recalled how his mother vehemently railed against the first job

Kai McNeil | staff photographerByon Pitts, national news correspondent for ABC News, speaks with Jessica Stubbs, Zoe

Wilson and other members of the Nubian Message staff on Monday, January 11, 2016.

continued on page 5

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 6 news

6 resolutions for the new year

I’ve never been one to make a big deal about New Year’s resolutions. For a lot of college students time and commitment are hard to come by. Throughout the year, spend some time ramping up to bigger changes instead of holding yourself to impossible standards right away and then giving up in the first two weeks. I’m sure plenty of us are guilty of that, including myself.

Here are some New Year’s resolutions to ease into that will hopefully come in handy not only for this semester, but for the rest of your college career:

he took with WNCT-TV in Greenville, NC. He was only making $8,600/year, less than one semester of tuition at Ohio Wesleyan University where he graduated from, but he doesn’t regret it for one minute.   

“It got me on course to achieve my dream,” he said, and while it hurt him to know that his mother was disappointed, he was clear about his end goal. “I said ‘Mama trust me, it’s going to be okay.’”

After a series of journalism stints around the country, Pitts was asked to join CBS News as a correspondent in 1997.

“Decide what the end game is. Decide what you want to be doing by age 35. As my pastor would say, reach for the stars and fall on the moon, let the goal be as outrageous as you want,” he said.

Pitts suggests finding five people that currently have the job that you want. Research their background, their career highlights, anything that provides an understanding of how that individual became successful in their chosen profession.

While you don’t want to be the same as them, he believes you cannot perfect the craft without first studying it.

“My five people, in no partic-ular order, are Dan Rather, Ed Bradley, Diane Sawyer, Bryant Gumbel and Sam Donaldson,” he said. Pitts admired these anchors and worked tirelessly to ensure that he followed in their footsteps.

“Have a clear mission,” he says. “Once you decide, it becomes easier.”

continued from page 5

1) ACTUALLY ATTEND CLASS: Even if it’s a huge lecture that you know you can pass with skipping, make an effort to go. Once you are there, engage. Professors enjoy having students who actively participate and it makes the class go by much faster. You’re spending good money on these courses--you might as well make the best of them and get as much as you can out of it.

2) BE PREPARED: So you man-aged to get up and look decent in your oversized State sweatshirt and Uggs, great! Make sure your bag has all it needs to take proper notes. Don’t be the kid who always asks for a new pencil every day, or never seems have a piece of paper on them. Also, grab a protein bar or a fruit cup if you don’t have time for a big breakfast so you can be mentally prepared for discus-sions.

3) NO PROCRASTINATING: You made it to class, your backpack had a pen with ink in it for once, now you’ve gotten a stack of assignments.

Make this the year you learn to pri-oritize. No more late night cramming (or not as often) and no more rushing to finish ten page papers that are only worthy of a C+. Have a serious sit down with your laptop and let it know your relationship with Netflix is going to have to take a break for a while--an open relationship has to take place, and your next date will be with your textbook.

4) LEARN TO SAY “NO:” Our student body president makes the weekly HOWL very appealing. The long list of events can seem over-whelming. So many awesome things to do, so little time. It’s fine to say no every once in a while without feel-ing like you’re missing out on a large chunk of college life. Picking and choosing fun events or interesting workshops to attend doesn’t have to be a sad chore if you keep in mind that there will always be plenty of new things to do.

5) APPLY FOR AN INTERN-SHIP: If you want a job after you

graduate, securing an internship and networking along the way is definitely something you might want to start looking into. Choose something you know won’t take up too much time from schoolwork. If you think you can handle the extra workload this semester, then go for it! Head down to the Career Development Center for assistance in bolstering your resume, or sign up for ENG 350 so a professor can help you snag an internship that’s the right fit for you.

6) MAKE HEALTHY CHOIC-ES: Skip that 3am Insomnia Cookie run for a clean smoothie instead, and don’t give up on a walk to class for a hover-board. Make health your number one priority this semester, on the same level (or even more so) than studying. Grades won’t matter when you’re crying at 2am alone in your dark dorm room, on the verge of a mental breakdown. In the wise words of DJ Khaled: water, egg whites, tread-mill runs, and massages are major keys to your success, I promise you.

threa almontaserstaff writer

features WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 7

Every Friday at 3 p.m., the African American Cul-tural Center hosts “What’s on the Table,” a safe space for students, faculty, and staff to bring attention to and discuss current events or topics.

“What’s on the Table,” allows attendees to have what may be considered “difficult” conversations.

“It provides an environment that everyone can relax and speak honestly in,” says Amani Manning, a junior studying political science. “The dialogue by far is the most important concept and the conversations need to be had at this point. I am glad that we have a place to converse weekly, because not having this would inhibit my achievement,” he added.

Before each session starts, ground rules are set in place for the circle of participants. These rules include, but are not limited to, making sure that participants use “I feel,” statements which places ownership over their words, opinions, and beliefs.

Participants are also asked to make sure they main-tain the space safe by not revealing content that is shared within the group outside of the session. They are also encouraged to listen and given undivided attention to each person who shares their opinion as a display of respect.

After ground rules are established, students intro-duce themselves by sharing their name and major. This is important because anyone who participates is called by their first name only, regardless of their title or position at the university.

“Because of the ground-rules, it really is a safe space where you can meet people (faculty and students), get your opinions out, and learn from others without the intimidation that titles can sometimes bring,” says Janay Graham, a senior studying education.

This opportunity is open to all students, faculty, and staff. Since we are the school of “Think and Do,” “What’s on the Table,” is a vital catalyst to inspiring tolerance, leadership, and action on our campus.The program also serves as an outlet for many different students on a number of levels.

“What’s on the Table is one of my favorite events of the week. I find so much joy being able to relax and have meaningful conversations with men and women across generations who understand how it feels to walk in today’s society. It is an event that affirms me in my blackness while teaching me to appreciate the beauty in everyone that I encounter,” said Destinie Statum, a senior double majoring in Social Work and Africana Studies.

The safe space created not only allows participants to be free with their emotions and opinions, but it also acts as a form of encouragement for many.

“It’s is kind of like being at your grandma’s house with all your favorite cousins. It makes me feel a stronger sense of belonging to NC State because I get to be around conversations I care about, anything from serious issues in our community to funny hashtags on Twitter,” said Graham.

Manning says he not only appreciates “What’s on the Table”, but also the African American Cultural Center for providing the event space.

“You can wind down and not worry about being judged or persecuted for your actions. The experience in all cannot be duplicated anywhere on campus and that is saddening, but it makes this space even more significant,” he says.

Toni Harris-Thorpe, affectionately known as Mama Thorpe, is one of the many important resources within the African American Cultural Center and an import-ant contributor to “What’s on the Table.” She provides insight on different conversations, questions for partic-ipants to consider, and wonderful hugs that will surely make your day better.

“What’s on the Table serves as a free space with absolutely no judgment. I get to dedicate my time to conversations that address my ethnic group and what I consider important which may sometimes in other settings make others uncomfortable. What’s on the table offers me the opportunity to live in my truth and be myself: unapologetically black,” said Jakini Kauba, a junior studying biological sciences, as she summed up her experience with the group.

“What’s on the Table” is a great opportunity for stu-dents, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds to engage in meaningful conversation with each other, so why not take a bite?

What’s on the Table?

The most exciting, controversial, intimate,

infuriating, thought-provoking, challenging and uplifting topics

on campus served up weekly at the African AmericanCultural CenterQuianne’ holmes

Staff Writer