Spring/Summer Voorhees Voice

THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF VOORHEES COLLEGE

SPRING/SUMMER 2010

THE VOORHEES

VOICE

Changing Minds. Changing Lives.First Presidential Scholarship Gala a success

Yearbooks are $10.00 each.

For more information, contact:Mrs. Teesa J. Brunson, Director of Communications

Office (803) 780-1194Booker T. Washington Building, Room 104

481 Porter RoadDenmark, SC 29042

inside4 Summer scholarsTake a look at the achievements and activities of students during the summer.

7 e-SMART initiative

Voorhees held the Environmental Science, Mathematics and Related Technology (e-SMART) Day Camp for high school students.

9 History shared

African American Research Committee returns from its second pilgrimage.

16 Scholarship Gala held

Voorhees enjoys an evening in Charlestonfor the first Presidential Scholarship Gala.

28 Experience Africa

Voorhees alumni Dameone Ferguson andLouis Laws visit South Africa.

cover

9“Everyone at Voorhees can learn so much from Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee.”

16

President Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr. with Miss Voorhees College 2009-2010 Shampale Williams and Miss Voorhees Col-lege 2008-2009 LaTo-nya Gillespie at the first Presidential Scholarship Gala held in Charleston on April 10.

28

“Voorhees molded me into a more refined leader and helped me to understand my strengths and weaknesses.”

The Voorhees Voice 1

The Voorhees VOICESpring/Summer 2010

www.voorhees.edu

President

Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr., Ed.D.‘62

Vice President, Institutional Advancement

Courtney L. Davenport

EditorTeesa J. Brunson

Communications Director

Editorial CommitteeJayme Bradford

Priscilla FerretteTifanie Lewis

Sandra Rouse, Ph.D.Curtiss Sumner

Communications OfficePhone: 803-780-1194

Fax: 803-780-1590E-mail: [email protected]

ContributorsDorothy Patterson,‘73, Alumni Relations Director

Cecil Williams Photography, LLCLenora Caldwell‘10

Felicia Chandler‘12

James Harris‘10

Darrius Snow‘13

Shampale Williams‘10

The Voorhees Voice is published for alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of Voorhees College. All items may be reproduced with credit to The Voorhees Voice. Comments or suggestions should be addressed to:

Teesa J. BrunsonCommunications Director

P.O. Box 678Denmark, SC 29042

(803) [email protected]

Voice of Voorhees: Message of Change Dear Tigers:

Welcome to another edition of The Voorhees Voice! In this issue, we feature our first Presidential Scholarship Gala, which was a huge success. We hope that after viewing our feature on the gala, you will be motivated to join us for our next Presidential Scholarship Gala. This issue also features several other Voorhees accomplishments within the last several months.

Last semester, Voorhees received $3.1 million in grant money for science research from the Department of Energy. With this grant money, Voorhees plans to introduce environmental science and emer-gency management majors. In addition, this grant money also enabled the institution to sponsor the Environmental Science, Mathematics and Related Technology (e-SMART) Day Camp for high school students, which successfully took place during the summer.

As I enter my third year as president of this great institution, I am excited about the growth and positive changes taking place. We remain committed to the Voorhees Col-lege vision: successfully completing our Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) reaccreditation, increasing the number of students enrolled, creating a student-centered environment, and becoming a premier liberal-arts institution.

Our top priority at Voorhees is making sure we are on task for our (SACS) reaccredita-tion. Our SACS Leadership and Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) teams are currently on schedule and moving forward with all of the necessary tasks at hand. These teams are implementing new systems and procedures to increase our accountability and trans-parency.

Voorhees reached another milestone this academic year with increasing the number of students enrolled. Our Fall 2011 class exceeded the history-making class from last year. It is imperative that everyone takes part in assisting Voorhees with retaining all of these bright and talented students.

Creating a student-centered environment is the best approach to retaining our students. Voorhees must work to reestablish the old “nurturing” environment of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which is being customer-service focused. The main customers of Voorhees are the students. We must continue showing our students how much we appreciate them making the decision to attend Voorhees.

Lastly, Voorhees is making great strides toward becoming a premier liberal-arts institu-tion. Most recently, the South Carolina State Board of Education officially approved our Elementary Education Program. We have also added sports management as a major and African American studies as a minor for the 2010-2011 academic year. In addition, our concert choir will have a new sound under the direction of newly hired choir director Alvin Tuck.

In order to continue on this path of greatness, we need your assistance. We are aggres-sively trying to increase our annual giving so that we can launch our capital campaign. In order to launch a capital campaign, the necessary funding needs to be in place to support it. As alumni and supporters of the institution, I am asking that you increase substantially your pledges and gifts to Voorhees. In addition, encourage other gradu-ates to become active, identify new donors, and recruit more students to Voorhees. I am asking that everyone get involved in the “VC” spirit in an effort to change minds and change lives.

As you can see, Voorhees is striving to reach our goal of leading the way in the 21st century with providing a top-ranked education experience and a premier liberal arts program. Although we are making great strides, we need your help as well. As a devoted Tiger, we can all rest assured knowing that through our combined efforts, our commu-nity of scholars is destined for success.

With Tiger Pride,

Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr., Ed.D.’62 2 The Voorhees Voice

Voice of Voorhees: Message of Change Dear Tigers:

Welcome to another edition of The Voorhees Voice! In this issue, we feature our first Presidential Scholarship Gala, which was a huge success. We hope that after viewing our feature on the gala, you will be motivated to join us for our next Presidential Scholarship Gala. This issue also features several other Voorhees accomplishments within the last several months.

Last semester, Voorhees received $3.1 million in grant money for science research from the Department of Energy. With this grant money, Voorhees plans to introduce environmental science and emer-gency management majors. In addition, this grant money also enabled the institution to sponsor the Environmental Science, Mathematics and Related Technology (e-SMART) Day Camp for high school students, which successfully took place during the summer.

As I enter my third year as president of this great institution, I am excited about the growth and positive changes taking place. We remain committed to the Voorhees Col-lege vision: successfully completing our Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) reaccreditation, increasing the number of students enrolled, creating a student-centered environment, and becoming a premier liberal-arts institution.

Our top priority at Voorhees is making sure we are on task for our (SACS) reaccredita-tion. Our SACS Leadership and Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) teams are currently on schedule and moving forward with all of the necessary tasks at hand. These teams are implementing new systems and procedures to increase our accountability and trans-parency.

Voorhees reached another milestone this academic year with increasing the number of students enrolled. Our Fall 2011 class exceeded the history-making class from last year. It is imperative that everyone takes part in assisting Voorhees with retaining all of these bright and talented students.

Creating a student-centered environment is the best approach to retaining our students. Voorhees must work to reestablish the old “nurturing” environment of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which is being customer-service focused. The main customers of Voorhees are the students. We must continue showing our students how much we appreciate them making the decision to attend Voorhees.

Lastly, Voorhees is making great strides toward becoming a premier liberal-arts institu-tion. Most recently, the South Carolina State Board of Education officially approved our Elementary Education Program. We have also added sports management as a major and African American studies as a minor for the 2010-2011 academic year. In addition, our concert choir will have a new sound under the direction of newly hired choir director Alvin Tuck.

In order to continue on this path of greatness, we need your assistance. We are aggres-sively trying to increase our annual giving so that we can launch our capital campaign. In order to launch a capital campaign, the necessary funding needs to be in place to support it. As alumni and supporters of the institution, I am asking that you increase substantially your pledges and gifts to Voorhees. In addition, encourage other gradu-ates to become active, identify new donors, and recruit more students to Voorhees. I am asking that everyone get involved in the “VC” spirit in an effort to change minds and change lives.

As you can see, Voorhees is striving to reach our goal of leading the way in the 21st century with providing a top-ranked education experience and a premier liberal arts program. Although we are making great strides, we need your help as well. As a devoted Tiger, we can all rest assured knowing that through our combined efforts, our commu-nity of scholars is destined for success.

With Tiger Pride,

Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr., Ed.D.’62

Sports management now an option at Voorhees

Voorhees College began offering sports manage-ment as a new major for the 2010-2011 academic year. Dr. Bill Gunn, coordinator of the program, spearheaded the efforts to implement the new major and said the new major will have the in-terest of many students. “This major is relatively a new one nationwide that will probably be of interest to a large num-ber of students,” Gunn said. “There are so many different job opportunities for students who graduate from this program.” Gunn will be teaching the first course in sports management during the fall semester and two additional courses in the spring. These classes will be the first courses required in the sports management curriculum at the sophomore level. In addition, the sports management program is interdisciplinary with the business department. Some of the classes in the curriculum for the sports management major are Sports Event Planning, Ethics and Sports Management, Role of Sports in Society and Finance and Economics in Sports. The total program will consist of 125 credit hours. “The curriculum for the major will give stu-dents all the necessary knowledge and skills needed to have a successful career in sports man-agement,” Gunn said. “Students will be able to pursue careers in recreational and intramural programs, sports marketing and promotion, sports broadcasting, college and university intercollegiate athletic programming and various others.” Gunn said that he sees the major producing successful graduates working in various capaci-ties of sports management in the near future. “I see the major having at least 80 to 100 ma-jors and graduates successfully being employed in the field within the next five to ten years,” Gunn said. President Sellers is excited about the new ma-jor and the direction Voorhees is headed. “The addition of sports management as a ma-jor is yet another milestone for Voorhees,” Sell-ers said. “Voorhees is determined to be a premier liberal arts institution in the nation.”

Three students visit Brazil

Voorhees College sent its fourth group of account-ing students to Brazil for

an eight-week foreign exchange program in 2009 with Federal Centers for Technical Education College (CEFET/RJ). Kyle Lawton, former SGA vice president and 2010 graduate, and seniors Arious Salley and Steven Fletcher were the three chosen by Dr. David Caslan, coordinator and professor of accounting, to participate in the program. According to Caslan, students are chosen based on good stand-ing. “Those able to conduct them-selves in a professional manner and are good students in class will be the ones given this opportu-nity,” he said. In addition, students must have a 3.0 grade point average in the accounting courses. Each student was given $1,000 cash to pay for food, traveling and other expenses while in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The students also had their own studio style apartment in Brazil. Salley was excited about travel-ing to Brazil. “It’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit, so when the opportunity presented itself, I took advantage of it because I saw it as a once-in-

lifetime opportunity,” he said. According to Lawton, once in Brazil, the students were greeted by Angela Norte’, a Portuguese instructor at CEFET/RJ, and a group of students from the Bra-zilian institution. “They took us on tours of the city and showed us where we would be living,” Lawton said. While in Brazil, each student was obligated to take courses required for their major and the elective courses Portuguese 1 and Portuguese 2, which totaled four classes in the semester. Our students quickly took notice of differences existing between the two countries such as work ethics and educational opportunities. “Students in Brazil tend to be more focused and engaged in class and in work,” Lawton said. Fletcher recognized that eating habits were also a huge culture difference. “Brazil has healthier and more natural foods. Brazil-ians’ eating and exercise habits motivated me to live a healthier lifestyle,” Fletcher said. The students were apprecia-tive of this opportunity. “I thank Voorhees for allowing me to be exposed to other cultures,” Law-ton said.

Pictured above are Voorhees students Kyle Lawton, Arious Salley and Steven Fletcher with students from the Federal Centers for Technical Education College.

BY LENORA CALDWELL


Tigers on the prowl for success

Javon Jackson, accounting, Sumter, S.C., Class of 2012

“I gained a wealth of knowledge at my internship at the Los Alamos Na-tional Laboratory located in Los Alamos, New Mexico,” Jackson said. This summer, Javon experienced the day-to-day business functions of op-erations and how they correlate the up and downstream business functions within all areas of the national laboratory. This internship was with the National Nuclear Science Administration and Department of Energy. “I feel blessed that all of my hard work through the year paid off. I also feel that this was a great networking mechanism for my future.”

Jasmine Addison, mathematics, Stone Mountain, Ga., Class of 2012

Jasmine interned with the National Nuclear Security Administration in Washington, D.C. She was able to receive this internship through her work with the Voorhees College Information Technology Department. Some of her tasks this summer included working with the budget for the Information Technology and Cyber Security departments, organizing bud-get notebooks and sitting in on budgetary meetings. “My adviser was very informative with explaining directions to me when given assignments. Although this was a very speedy learning process, I was able to keep up. This internship has definitely helped me improve on my money management and hospitality skills,” Addison said.

Emmanuel Nwokocha, biology, Nigeria, Africa, Class of 2012

Emmanuel spent his summer working hard on a research internship at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, Fla. For 10 weeks, Emmanuel lived on campus researching radionuclides in landforms such as rocks and water bodies to determine the effects of radio-nuclides on animals and the environment at large. This job provided Em-manuel with a glimpse into the environmental science world. “This internship enabled me to gain more experience in this arena and be more competitive in this job market once I graduate,” Nwokocha said.

4 The Voorhees Voice

Brionca Walker, biology, Savannah, Ga., Class of 2012

“I participated in the Profile for Success (PFS) Program at the University of Michigan this summer, which is a premedical and dentistry pipeline program,” Walker said. As a part of the program, Brionca took physics, biology and chemistry classes, participated in seminars about medical and graduate schools and experienced clinical settings with doctors and medical school students. “I enjoyed this experience, and I was able to fly on a plane for the first time. I encourage more Voorhees students to take advantage of more internship opportunities like this one.”

Alton Brown, mass communications, Brooklyn, N.Y., Class of 2011

This summer, Alton served as an office support clerk for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) interning at Department of Energy headquarters in Washington, D.C. This was Alton’s second summer participating with this internship. Be-cause of his hard work and dedication, he was invited to come back again this past summer. “Being invited back for another summer shows NNSA’s commitment to me and my future. I thank NNSA for giving me the chance to continually improve my public relations skills which will help me become more mar-ketable in this field,” Brown said.

Thomas Sumter, biology, Bishopville, S.C., Class of 2013

“This summer, I spent six weeks at the University of Virginia Medical School participating in the Summer Medical Dental Education Program (SMDEP). The program consisted of me taking biology, chemistry and physics classes in preparation for the MCAT, participating in mock inter-views and gaining useful information on the admissions process for medi-cal school,” Sumter said. Sumter was also selected to Duke Medical School and Howard Univer-sity for the same program. “I felt honored to participate in this program because I was the first biol-ogy student from Voorhees selected for this prestigious program, and this is one of the top medical school programs in the country.”


The Voorhees Voice catches up with various students to see how they spent their summer. These Tigers are definitely on the move!

Voorhees officially welcomes the Class of 2014 at the Annual Legacy Dinner


Voorhees hires new choir director

Voorhees has hired Alvin B. Tuck to serve as the new choir director. Tuck is a native of Alexander City, Ala. Prior to coming to Voorhees, Tuck served as the director of vo-

cal choral activities and associate professor of music at Fort Valley State University for three years. Tuck served as the interim music coordinator at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. He also held the po-sition as assistant principal at Carver High School in Montgomery, Ala. Tuck earned a master’s degree in music education from Alabama State University and a bachelor’s degree in music performance and criminal justice from Troy State University. He also received certification in admin-istration from Alabama State University. Tuck holds membership in various organizations including the National Education Association, Alabama Education Association, American Choral Director Association and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. “I look forward to teaching students on the concert choir music from all genres including classical, spiritual, gospel and vocal jazz,” Tuck said. “It is my hope to build a well-rounded program here at Voorhees and uphold the tradition of the HBCU choir.”

Some of the program activities included trips to Wallop Air Force Base in Virginia, Duke Univer-sity and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in North Carolina. “Being a part of the e-SMART program was an opportunity of a lifetime,” said Lenny Swinton, e-SMART college mentor. “This program exposed me to many new and exciting things taking place in the science world.” Some of the program presenters included Dr. Sacoby Wilson of the University of South Carolina, Dr. Maria J. Small of Duke University and Dr. Meldon Hollis, associ-ate director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

e-SMART program held at Voorhees

This summer, Voorhees held the Environmental Sci-ence, Mathematics and Re-

lated Technology (e-SMART) Day Camp for high school students. The program was designed to improve environmental science education for high school students and increase the number of stu-dents pursuing degrees in envi-ronmental science, mathematics, biology and computer science at Voorhees College. The three-week program was funded by a grant from the Department of Energy. Project Director Barbara Nim-mons said that the program was beneficial not only for the students but also Voorhees College. “The e-SMART program was a great recruiting mechanism for Voorhees because several of the students who participated in the program enrolled as a student at the college,” Nimmons said.

Participants and staff in front of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences building.

Participants of the e-SMART program after an activity in Massachusetts Hall.


Book fair during National Library Weeks brings prominent figures to campus

In celebration of National Library Week, which was in April, Voor-hees hosted its annual book fair

featuring authors Stedman Graham and Victoria Rowell. The Healing Force, African story-tellers/drummers, opened up the book fair by entertaining the crowd. Along with Victoria Rowell, who is best known for her role on daytime drama, “The Young and the Restless” and “Diagnosis Murder,” and Sted-man Graham, chairman and CEO of S. Graham & Associates (SGA), a man-agement and marketing consulting company that specializes in the cor-porate and educational markets, there were local authors in attendance. Among those authors were Shampale Williams, who graduated in May 2010. During the book fair, Williams’ first book of poetry, “Alphabet Love,” sold out. Williams is currently working on her second book of poetry, “Ain’t I a Woman.”

Guests take a look at the art gallery on display during the book fair.

The Healing Force, African storytellers and drummers, entertain the audience.

Above: Stedman Graham greets the Voorhees family.Right: Stedman Graham and Victoria Rowell during the book fair.

Victoria Rowell shares her life story with the audience.

Shampale Williams autographs copies of her book for the Voorhees family.


Book fair during National Library Weeks brings prominent figures to campus

In celebration of National Library Week, which was in April, Voor-hees hosted its annual book fair

featuring authors Stedman Graham and Victoria Rowell. The Healing Force, African story-tellers/drummers, opened up the book fair by entertaining the crowd. Along with Victoria Rowell, who is best known for her role on daytime drama, “The Young and the Restless” and “Diagnosis Murder,” and Sted-man Graham, chairman and CEO of S. Graham & Associates (SGA), a man-agement and marketing consulting company that specializes in the cor-porate and educational markets, there were local authors in attendance. Among those authors were Shampale Williams, who graduated in May 2010. During the book fair, Williams’ first book of poetry, “Alphabet Love,” sold out. Williams is currently working on her second book of poetry, “Ain’t I a Woman.”

Dr. Rochelle, along with students, look through historical documents containing information on Wright-Menafee while a student at Tuske-gee.

Above: Students are photographed with Booker T. Washington’s horse carriage.Below: Richard Reid and students in Tuskegee’s museum

Voorhees African American Research Committee returns from second pilgrimage

BY TEESA BRUNSON

The African American Research Committee returned from its second pilgrimage in hopes of learning more about Voorhees’ founder, Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee. The pilgrimage took place April 22-25. On the journey to Tuskegee, Ala., the committee, which is comprised of faculty and staff members and students in the Elizabeth Evelyn Wright Culture Club and the White Rose Social Club, first stopped at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute for tours on April 22. On April 23, the committee began tracing Wright-Menafee’s footsteps on the campus of Tuskegee University (formerly Tuskegee Industrial School), where she was edu-cated under the leadership of Booker T. Washington. “Everyone at Voorhees can learn so much from Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee,” said Richard Reid, pilgrimage organizer. “It is important for our students to learn more about the endurance, perseverance and strength that she displayed in her quest to establish a school for African Americans.” The group’s research at Tuskegee University took place in the archives department. The participants read many dif-ferent letters and communication that took place between Wright-Menafee, her husband Martin Menafee, Booker T. Washington and others. The group headed to Talbotton, Ga. on Saturday, April 24 for a celebration in memory of Wright-Menafee. The celebration included greetings from Mayor Tony Lamar, a letter from Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue in honor of Eliza-beth Evelyn Wright-Menafee, the history of Voorhees by Richard Reid and a reception following the program. A portion of the letter read from Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue said, “Ms. Wright played an important role in Geor-gia’s contribution to education.” Following the celebration, the group visited Greater St. Phillip Methodist Church, where Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee received her early education. The group also toured the basement where her classes were held. Many were excited to visit the place where Voorhees’ founder got her start in education. To show the church appreciation for making its mark in history in the education arena, the group presented the church with a monetary gift. “Being a resident of Talbotton, it makes me proud to know that someone who came from my hometown accom-plished so much,” said NaEisha Owens, a junior. “Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee’s story inspires me to receive an education to better myself and to help others just as she did.”

Dr. Donald L. Fowler, board chairman, de-livered the commencement address to the 2010 graduates. Fowler is also the chairman

of Fowler Communications, Inc., a public relations and governmental affairs firm in Columbia. During commencement, President Sellers present-ed several awards. The Presentation of Citation was awarded to Fowler, the Keeper of the Flame Award was presented to Dr. Marashall B. Bass, former board chairman, and the Assistant Professor Emeri-tus Award was presented to Roosevelt Bryant. In addition, Dr. Matthew A. Golson, current board member and 1940 alumnus, received an award for his many contributions to Voorhees College.

Board chairman shares wisdom with graduates Graduates ready to conquer the world

Dr. Sellers and Dr. Fowler present the Keeper of the Flame Award to Dr. Marshall B. Bass.

Dr. Sellers presents the Presentation of Assistant Professor Emeri-tus to Roosevelt Bryant, retired professor.

Dr. Sellers presents an award to Dr. Matthew A. Golson.

Dr. Fowler encourages graduates to strive for success.


Board chairman shares wisdom with graduates Graduates ready to conquer the world

During the program, Voorhees awarded Denmark mayor and Voor-hees alumnus Dr. Gerald Wright with the Keeper of the Dream Award. Wright received the Keeper of the Dream Award in recognition of the positive work that he is providing for the Denmark community. After graduating from Voorhees High School, Wright obtained a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Morehouse College. He then furthered his education at South Carolina State University receiving a master of education degree and a doctoral degree in educational admin-istration.

Voorhees College celebrated the life and times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with best-

selling author and scholar Dr. Michael Eric Dyson. Dyson, who is an American Book Award recipient and two-time NAACP Image Award winner, is one of the nation’s most influential and renowned public intellectuals. He has been named one of the 150 most powerful African Americans by Ebony magazine. The Philadelphia Weekly contends that Dyson “is reshaping what it means to be a public intellectual by becoming the most visible black academic of his time.”

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson as MLK Day speaker

President Sellers is pictured above with Dyson and his wife, Marcia, ordained minister.

missioning of the LSV-8 MG Robert Smalls, the largest army transport ship of its kind. The MG Robert Smalls is named for Congressman Smalls who was also commissioned as a Major General in the South Carolina Militia. Robert Smalls was born an enslaved person on April 5, 1839, in a small cottage in Beaufort, S.C. By the time he died in 1915, Smalls had served five terms in the United States Congress. Smalls was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame in February.

In celebration of Black History Month, Voorhees College present-

ed the traveling exhibit of “The Life and Times of Robert Smalls.” The exhibit included visual dis-plays, three dimensional artifacts, such as furniture from the Robert Smalls house in Beaufort, pictures and other memorabilia of Congress-man Smalls, his family and his life. The display also included a digital photo frame with pictures from the 2004 christening and the 2007 com-

Voorhees celebrates Black History Month with Smalls’ exhibit

President Sellers and First Lady Gwendolyn Sellers, along with exhibit attendees and presenters, stand next to one of the visual displays.

Four new members appointed to the Board

Voorhees has appointed four new members to its board of trustees, effec-tive October 2010. The new trustees are: W. Andrew Waldo, Bishop for the Upper Dio-cese of South Carolina who earned a master’s in divinity from the School of Theology at The University of the South in Tenn.; J. Milton Pope, Rich-land county administrator who re-ceived a master’s degree from Golden State University and a bachelor’s de-gree from Newberry College; Brooks P. Moore, interim principal at North Charleston High School who received a master’s and specialist degree from The Citadel and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Baptist College; and Kemar Hunter, the 2010-2011 Student Government Association president at Voorhees, who is a junior biology ma-jor from Portland, Jamaica. “I look forward to working with our new members of the board,” President Sellers said. “I know that Voorhees will be benefit greatly from the leadership and ser-vice that each of these individuals will bring to our board.”


Dr. Michael Eric Dyson as MLK Day speaker

President Sellers is pictured above with Dyson and his wife, Marcia, ordained minister.

Four new members appointed to the Board

Voorhees has appointed four new members to its board of trustees, effec-tive October 2010. The new trustees are: W. Andrew Waldo, Bishop for the Upper Dio-cese of South Carolina who earned a master’s in divinity from the School of Theology at The University of the South in Tenn.; J. Milton Pope, Rich-land county administrator who re-ceived a master’s degree from Golden State University and a bachelor’s de-gree from Newberry College; Brooks P. Moore, interim principal at North Charleston High School who received a master’s and specialist degree from The Citadel and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Baptist College; and Kemar Hunter, the 2010-2011 Student Government Association president at Voorhees, who is a junior biology ma-jor from Portland, Jamaica. “I look forward to working with our new members of the board,” President Sellers said. “I know that Voorhees will be benefit greatly from the leadership and ser-vice that each of these individuals will bring to our board.”

Honors Day Convocation held at Voorhees with historical mayor Steve Benjamin

Newly-elected mayor of Columbia Steve Benjamin was the guest speaker at Honors Day Convocation. Benjamin became the first elected African American

mayor of Columbia in April. Some of the top issues that Benjamin will focus on include education, fiscal responsibility and transparency in govern-ment. Benjamin graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1991 with a degree in political science. He continued his studies at the University of South Carolina Law School gradu-ating in 1994. Benjamin has been married to DeAndrea for seven years, and they have two children.

Top Picture: Benjamin encourages graduates to continue excelling.RightTop: President Sellers, Steve Benjamin and First Lady Gwendolyn Sellers2nd picture: Steve Benjamin with members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.3rd picture: President Sellers and Steve Benjamin with Benjamin’s parentsBottom: Dr. Carl Carpenter and President Sellers present the Excellence in Teaching Award to Dr. Lugenia Rochelle during the ceremony.


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Voorhees goes live with online giving

Voorhees College now has an online giving option. This ser-vice will allow donor constitu-ents to make gifts to the college 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the Internet. This form also allows donors to direct gifts to a specific area in the college (i.e., Division of Arts and Sciences, the Athletics Department, the college choir, etc.). The online form can be found at http://voorhees.edu/give/give_online/. This form will take users to a secure site that will allow pay-ments and pledges to be made with a Visa or MasterCard. A confirmation and acknowledge-ment letter is also sent to the user’s e-mail address once pay-ment is completed.

Transcripts can now be requested online

In partnership with National Student Clearinghouse, Voor-hees has become the first HBCU in South Carolina to al-low the ordering of transcripts online. This service is offered to alumni and current students. Transcripts can now be ordered 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a valid major credit card and an e-mail ad-dress. The online site can be found at http://voorhees.edu/cur-rent_students/registrar/tran-scripts/.

Rochelle receives teaching award from SCICU

Dr. Lugenia Rochelle, division chair and assistant professor of English, received the 2010 South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universi-ties (SCICU) Excellence in Teaching Award at the Convention Center in Columbia. Rochelle said she was proud to be the recipient of such a prestigious award. “This award is a wonderful way that South Carolina recognizes individuals for their hard work and dedication in the teaching arena.”

Lawrence recognized by BET

Voorhees sophomore Kianna Lawrence was recently featured on the Black En-tertainment Television (BET) Web site for receiving a health care scholarship. During a forum held in Washington in June, the United Health Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to expanding access to quality health care services, awarded more than 200 students schol-arships to pursue careers in health care. Lawrence’s scholarship, which is in the amount of $5,000, will be ap-plied to her fall 2010 semester tuition. Lawrence is majoring in biology at Voorhees.

Konrad featured student of the month

Voorhees student Chuka Konrad was featured on the Web site hbcuconnect.com during the month of June. According to the site, Konrad was discovered during the McGraw Hill Black History Essay Contest, where he was one of the runner-up winners of the contest due to the exceptional essay he wrote. Konrad is from Nigeria. He is sopho-more and currently has a 4.0 grade point average.

Early Head Start parent recognized at conference

In April, Voorhees College Early Head Start parent Danielle Faust traveled to Myrtle Beach to receive the Against All Odds Award presented at South Carolina Head Start Association an-nual spring conference. The award recognizes a head start parent who has overcome significant challenges on the journey of self suf-ficiency. Faust was selected from head start parents across the state based on an essay she submitted. “We are very proud of Ms. Faust and all of her accomplishments,” said Sara Broxton, executive director of the Early Head Start Program. “Her hard work and dedication is such a great example for other parents to follow.”

Voorhees students participate in Budgetball Tournament

During the month of May, a team of eight students from Voorhees and a high school student traveled to Wash-ington, D.C. to participate in the Bud-getball Tournament. Participating students were George Frazier, Michael Gaither, Alex Gall-man, Andre’ Grant, James Harris, Jonathan Singleton and Morgan Whetstone, a student from Aiken High School. The purpose of the Budgetball Civic Engagement Initiative was to help young adults take charge of their own financial future. Participants gained a better under-standing of the issues regarding fiscal responsibility and were empowered through conversations on issues that will impact their financial health. While in Washington, students also met Congressman James E. Clyburn during a Congressional breakfast and visited with National Academy Fellows during a reception. 14 The Voorhees Voice

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Early Head Start parent recognized at conference

In April, Voorhees College Early Head Start parent Danielle Faust traveled to Myrtle Beach to receive the Against All Odds Award presented at South Carolina Head Start Association an-nual spring conference. The award recognizes a head start parent who has overcome significant challenges on the journey of self suf-ficiency. Faust was selected from head start parents across the state based on an essay she submitted. “We are very proud of Ms. Faust and all of her accomplishments,” said Sara Broxton, executive director of the Early Head Start Program. “Her hard work and dedication is such a great example for other parents to follow.”

Voorhees students participate in Budgetball Tournament

During the month of May, a team of eight students from Voorhees and a high school student traveled to Wash-ington, D.C. to participate in the Bud-getball Tournament. Participating students were George Frazier, Michael Gaither, Alex Gall-man, Andre’ Grant, James Harris, Jonathan Singleton and Morgan Whetstone, a student from Aiken High School. The purpose of the Budgetball Civic Engagement Initiative was to help young adults take charge of their own financial future. Participants gained a better under-standing of the issues regarding fiscal responsibility and were empowered through conversations on issues that will impact their financial health. While in Washington, students also met Congressman James E. Clyburn during a Congressional breakfast and visited with National Academy Fellows during a reception.

Voorhees receives 3.1 million from U.S. Department of Energy

Voorhees College received $3.1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for its science and technology pro-grams. U.S. House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn announced that Voorhees, along with nine other historically black colleges and universities in the HBCU Consortium, will receive grant funds specifically for the advancement of research programs in science and technology. “Voorhees College is pleased to be a recipient of an award that promotes science and technology,” said President Sellers. “These funds provide an oppor-tunity for us to improve and escalate our STEM Programs.” Voorhees will be using the funds for the development and implementation of an environmental science major, the enhancement of its Science, Technol-ogy, Engineering and Mathematics Program and the High School Stem Program.

Voorhees Elementary Education Program is approved

The South Carolina State Board of Education has officially approved the establishment of an Educator Prepara-tion Unit and a Bachelor of Science degree program in elementary educa-tion. The degree is a certification program that will allow graduates to teach in grades 2-6 in South Carolina schools. “We have reached another milestone in our quest to prepare the best and brightest students to succeed in this global society after graduating from Voorhees,” President Sellers said. The approval process for the Teacher Education Program at Voorhees took approximately two years to complete.

Voorhees trains health navigators

Voorhees College held a completion program for the first cohort of health navigators who participated in a new project that was designed to prevent colorectal cancer by increasing access to colonoscopy screening. The health navigators were trained to work with primary care physicians, hospitals, churches and other organiza-tions to recruit candidates for screen-ing. In addition, the health navigators will be employed on a full-time basis to conduct this work. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Public Health Service, the purpose of the project was for Voorhees, in part-nership with the South Carolina Medi-cal Endoscopy Center (SCMEC), to significantly increase colorectal cancer screening in four rural South Carolina counties: Bamberg, Orangeburg, Al-lendale and Barnwell. “Receiving this grant is very benefi-cial because it enables research that has the potential to significantly improve health outcomes for citizens in our surrounding communities,” said Dr. Leroy Davis, principal investigator and executive director of the Center of Excellence in Rural and Minority Health.

Voorhees implements new retention program for males

The Voorhees College Male Mentor-ing Program is for first-generation African American males, and it is de-signed to increase retention, academic performance and personal development of first generational African American males. Some of the program aspects include faculty and peer mentorship, com-munity service, financial literacy and tutoring.

Barrows attends prestigous seminar

Dr. Leland Barrows, Voorhees College professor of history, was selected to participate in a seminar on “Slave Narratives” being offered by the Coun-cil of Independent Colleges (CIC), the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and the United Negro College Fund. From more than 100 highly competitive nominations, 28 participants were selected for the seminar, which was held in June, at the Gilder Leh-rman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Aboli-tion at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. Barrows said that this semi-nar allowed him to discuss historical ideas and beliefs. “I feel that this seminar coupled with discussions among other professionals like myself pro-vided a stimulating conversa-tion that opened up new points of view on a historical event.” The seminar examined the place of slavery and aboli-tion in American history and culture, and participants discussed the genre of slave narratives through some ex-emplary texts including biog-raphies and autobiographies.


First Presidential Scholarship Gala a successBY TEESA BRUNSON

(left to right) President Sellers is pictured above with First Lady Gwendolyn Sellers, Dr. Jack Bass of the University of South Carolina, Willie Tabor of the United Negro College Fund, Natalie Dupree-Bass, authorist, Shampale Williams, Miss Voorhees College 2009-2010, and Dr. Donald Fowler, board chairman.

First Presidential Scholarship Gala a successBY TEESA BRUNSON

Donors, alumni, faculty, staff, students and supporters of Voorhees College enjoyed an eve-ning of dining, dancing and live entertainment on

April 10 for the first Presidential Scholarship Gala. The event, which was held at the Charleston Place Hotel in Charleston, S.C., generated more than $60,000 to support scholarships for stu-dents. In addition, it was the culminating event commemorating the 113th founding of Voor-hees College. “Our scholarship gala is our signature fund-raising event for the institution,” President Sellers said. “It is an excellent opportunity to make new connections and bring our supporters together for the purpose of championing the college and our students.” Some of the business and corporate sponsors for the event included ABL Educational En-terprise, Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, South Carolina Bank and Trust and the Tom Joyner Foundation. During the gala, Voorhees presented the 2010 Keeper of the Flame Award to Dr. Marshall B. Bass, former chairman of the board, for his dedication and commitment to education. Bass served on the board from 1995 to 2009 and as chair of the board from 1998 to 2009. Bass is president of Marshall B. Bass and Associates, a management consultant firm in Winston-Salem, N.C.

(left to right) President Sellers is pictured above with First Lady Gwendolyn Sellers, Dr. Jack Bass of the University of South Carolina, Willie Tabor of the United Negro College Fund, Natalie Dupree-Bass, authorist, Shampale Williams, Miss Voorhees College 2009-2010, and Dr. Donald Fowler, board chairman. The Voorhees Voice 17

Voorhees Presidential Scholars were honored as well during the gala. Those students were Amber Brown, Letegra Brunson, Andre’ Grant, David D. Ma-loney, Cameron Moore, Charity Price, Janielle Samuel and Branton Smith. The mistress of ceremony was writ-er, comedian and actress Myra J., who was a featured cast member on one of the nation’s most syndicated radio pro-grams, the Tom Joyner Morning Show.

In addition, Myra J. has been the voice-over artist in numerous radio commer-cials. Currently, Myra J. is in her fourth season as a writer on hit sitcoms Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne” and “Meet the Browns,” which are both seen on TBS. The entertainment for the gala was “A Touch of Class,” which is a Charles-ton show band with a variety of music

styles including Motown, R&B and Beach. “Voorhees College would like to thank all of its supporters who made this event possible,” Sellers said. “We appreciate their support in helping Voorhees provide scholarship money to our deserving students who are in pursuit of a quality education.”

Dr. Sellers, First Lady Gwendolyn Sellers, along with Voorhees students and The Right Reverend Mark Lawrence

Dr. Sellers presents award to alumni Rosia Speech Gardner‘71

and Trustee James L. Gardner’69, National Alumni Association president.

Attendees during the galaMistress of Ceremony Myra J.

Vice President Courtney L. Davenport displays new picture of Voorhees’ founder, Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee to attendees.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Representative Virgie Reid accepts award on behalf of Blue Cross Blue Shield from President Sellers.


styles including Motown, R&B and Beach. “Voorhees College would like to thank all of its supporters who made this event possible,” Sellers said. “We appreciate their support in helping Voorhees provide scholarship money to our deserving students who are in pursuit of a quality education.”

Dr. Sellers, First Lady Gwendolyn Sellers, along with Voorhees students and The Right Reverend Mark Lawrence

Dr. Sellers presents award to alumni Rosia Speech Gardner‘71

and Trustee James L. Gardner’69, National Alumni Association president.

Attendees during the gala

Vice President Courtney L. Davenport displays new picture of Voorhees’ founder, Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee to attendees.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Representative Virgie Reid accepts award on behalf of Blue Cross Blue Shield from President Sellers.

Voorhees students during the gala

(left to right) President Sellers, Vice President Courtney L. Davenport, Martelle Morrison, and Mr. and Mrs. Chisolm

(left to right) Voorhees graduates Sharon Steedly and Roe B. Hunt, along with Valerie R.J. Watson


In MemoryJimmy Carter, ‘77Aubrey Crawford, ‘71Mary Emma Garvin, ‘39Carolyn Ray JohnsonJoyce Major Napier, ‘75Samuel “Snap” Parler, ‘68Chester Allen RayEunice Primus Robinson, ‘49Ralph ShipmanLeonard Trammell, ‘68Gladys Bryant Lebby Turner, ‘44Ernest TylerDaisy Mae Walker Willis, ‘40

Voorhees College introduces the

2010 Young Alumni Award

Are you or someone you know doing great things in a career field?

Nominate yourself or a fellow alum

for the Young Alumni Award.

For more information about this award, visit www.voorhees.edu or contact Tifanie Lewis at (803) 780-1191 or Teesa Brunson at (803) 780-1194.

It’s the Battle of the Decades!!!

In an effort to raise money for an electronic marquee, the Division of Institutional Advancement is sponsor-ing an electronic marquee campaign.

The class that raises the most money for this campaign will have its graduation year placed on the marquee.

Are you up for the CHALLENGE?

You will receive more information about this campaign in the near future!

CAMPAIGN GOAL: $25,000

Voorhees CollegeDivision of Institutional AdvancementP.O. Box 678Denmark, South Carolina 29042

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the Eta Iota Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is asking members to donate

money for the Elester Garrett Scholarship Fund. The chapter is announcing plans to contribute $40,000 to Voorhees for this

scholarship fund during Homecoming 2011.

The giving categories are below.

1. JEWEL MEMBER LEVEL- $1,000 (20 BROTHERS) = $20,000

2. CHARTER MEMBER LEVEL- $500 (25 BROTHERS)= $12,500

3. LEGACY MEMBER LEVEL-$250 (20 BROTHERS)= $5,000

4. LEADERSHIP MEMBER LEVEL- $100 & BELOW (100 BROTHERS)= $2,500

Contributions do not have to be all at once; you may pay installments over the next (2) years as you see fit. Make your payments payable to: ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC – SCHOLARSHIP FUND, Eta Iota Chapter, P.O. Box 678, Denmark, SC 29042 – (personal checks/money orders only). For additional ques-tions or more informatin on giving categories, contact Mr. Willie Jefferson at (803) 780-1049.

Documents

Spring/Summer Voorhees Voice