Dr. Shari J. Clarke

Daijah Abram

On October 22, 2013, Ohio University and its students learned that a new provost for Diversity and Inclusion had been appointed, her name was Dr. Shari J. Clarke.

On March 20, 2014, I sat down with Dr. Clarke to get to know her a little better. When I walked into the room she greeted me as if we had known each other for years and I was immediately comforted by her vibrant energy. 

When we began our interview I decided to start with the basics, her background. I learned that Dr. Clarke was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio and she attended Rogers High School.  After graduating from high school, she went on to receive an undergraduate degree from Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee. After graduating from Lane College, Dr. Clarke believed she wanted to be a social worker, however she was persuaded by the Dean of Graduating Admissions to seek higher education. She applied to a graduate school that only accepted every three out of 32 applicants, and she was accepted. Dr. Clarke received her Master's degree from Bowling Green State University and her Doctorate's degree from the University of Nebraska: Lincoln. Talk about a rigorous journey. While in college, Dr. Clarke also became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. she was also proud to tell me that she was voted "Best Dressed" and "Most Sophisticated" by a fellow Fraternity. Despite managing a hectic school and work schedule, Dr. Clarke was able to start her own family. She has been happily married for 27 years and has raised two sons Austin, 26, and Iain, 16.

As a graduate assistant, Dr. Clarke worked as a program coordinator for both Toledo University and Bowling Green State University where she provided support for minority students. Eventually she gained the position of Director of Multicultural Affairs at Whitman College in Washington, in 1992, where she developed and coordinated multiple student groups and programs. Dr. Clarke held this position for three years before moving on to work as the Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs at the University of Maine, where she also worked for three years. Dr. Clarke then went on to work for the University of Nebraska: Lincoln for five years before she began her work as Vice President for Multicultural Affairs at Marshall University, in 2008. During her employment here, Dr. Clarke received national recognition for the high graduation rates of the African American students and she also received a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award. Now, she has moved to our campus of Ohio University. When asked about this move Dr. Clarke told me that she had saw the open position but chose not to apply despite the encouragement from her colleagues. However, after seeing that the position was open multiple times, she became curious and decided to apply after realizing there wasn't much opportunity for growth left at Marshall.

Here at Ohio University, Dr. Clarke oversees the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center, the Women's Center, the Multicultural Center, and the Office for Multicultural Student Access and Retention. She states that her overall responsibility is to create "a climate of inclusion across the university" in regards to both the students and the staff. When asked what her favorite part about her job was, Dr. Clarke answered that it was when she can see success and when she can touch a person's life.

A Brief History on The Evolution of Jazz

 Taijuan Moorman

Jazz music is often said to be American music, having its roots deeply originate from various American cultures, and evolving with African American culture in the early twentieth century.

The music that is easily defined today as jazz music has an interesting background. One can point to West African drum culture and slave spirituals. You can also look at minstrel music, a type of medieval European song and dance entertainment for royalty. However the biggest influence on jazz music was the city of New Orleans.

Photo from yahglobal.com

Elements of Jazz can be found in Ragtime, the Blues and the marching bands at New Orleans parades and funerals. Though what started down in Louisiana would soon move up to northern states by the Mississippi River.

Louis Armstrong, born 1901 in New Orleans, served as a great influencer on what jazz would evolve to in northern cities, especially Chicago. Much of the black population would travel up to South Chicago and Harlem, and they took jazz music with them. Chicago helped make jazz “more sophisticated,” which kept the rhymes from New Orleans and added in Chicago’s culture.

Photo from thefamouspeople.com

Armstrong would also influence elements of scat and improvisation, and in a lot of ways there wouldn’t be jazz without improv. Other important jazz musicians include Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, the latter often considered one of the greatest scat singers in jazz history.

The Essence of A Queen: Monologue

Aunjanna' Million

Now my children I am going to teach you what a real queen is suppose to do and how she is suppose to act, because it seems that society is showing you wrong my sisters.

Now before you can lead others you must first love yourself.

You must gain confidence in who you are.

Take your testimony and speak it to the world, let others know that they are not alone.

Use your legs to keep you grounded and humble, use your feet to walk with empathy my children.

A queen must give all of herself for the good of her brothers and sisters. A queen carries the weight of the world on her back so she must be strong willed and strong minded.

A queen must spread herself to all her people like she’s been doing for the past 300 years.

Now child you must use your eyes to acknowledge the struggle, while using your mouth to fight the struggle.

Use your words to educate those narrow minded individuals who cannot see equality in races, who cannot love their gay brothers and sisters, who cannot love the texture of my hair, my curves of a queen, my almond eyes, and my skin that flows from Alabama, to the Dominican Republic, to Mississippi, to Africa, right back here to the swing state.

I am a queen whether that be Nubian or Latifah.

Queens lift your chin up, let your smile shine bright, let your back be arched, let your crown of curls accentuate your beautiful round face, and your lips oohh child your lips, don’t you eva let them go to waste. Don’t let men talk down to you, have respect for yourself.

I am outspoken, I am courageous, I am an advocate. I will not hold my tongue, I will only use it to annunciate my words.

Now if you want to be one of the courageous, selfless few that will take on this responsibility, stand up, I said, stand up, and my beautiful bronze queens, take your place at the thrown.

Miss Bronze 2014

Zahara Pruitt

Miss Bronze 2014

            The 39^th Annual Miss Bronze Scholarship Pageant was thrown by the Phi Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and took place on April 5, 2014. This year’s pageant focused on, The Essence of a Queen.

            This event was quite a success. The eight contestants varied in age, talents, and unique beauty. Freshman, Alexis Apparicio was crowned the 2014 Miss Bronze. Junior, Joshelyn Smith won 1^st runner up, with Sophomore, Aunjanna’ Million winning 2^nd runner up, and Junior, Tiarra Comer winning Miss Congeniality.

            The event highlighted their professional eloquence, their impressive talents, and their feminine elegance. All of the contestants were extremely well spoken, which could be seen when giving their 90-second platform of their on-campus and off-campus involvement and their philosophy on life.

            The talent portion was my personal favorite. Each of these young ladies is incredibly talented. Talents included spoken word, dancing, singing, a choreographed fashion show, and performing a self-written manuscript. It was clear that each contestant put a great deal of time into preparing their talent, yet more importantly many of the talents had a message in them that touched many audience members.

Aunjanna’ Million performed a touching manuscript inspiring women to treat one another with more respect and to respect themselves, while simultaneously taking pride in themselves and where they come from.

Alexis Apparicio performed an audacious poem criticizing the upkeep of female African-American hair. She spoke of how she doesn’t feel herself when she sees straight her. She urged women to embrace the natural hair that God has given them.

Joshelyn Smith awed many as she performed an opera piece. Her angelic tone and stringent execution combined to bring the crowd to heavy applause, as it was surely unlike anything I have ever experienced before.

The contestants later wowed in the Poise and Appearance portion of the pageant. The several floor length gowns varied in style and color, yet complimented each of the contestants in a very tasteful way.

The contestants were faced with some tough questions in the Oral Expression portion of the competition. The contestants had to answer one of three questions involving women leaders who have impacted their life, reform that you impact on this campus, and how you plan to continue your leadership on campus. The true intelligence and eloquence of the contestants showed through here.

More events like these are needed on campus. There is an incredibly smart, well-spoken, passionate, creative, driven group of young African-American women on Ohio University’s campus. Unfortunately, there are not enough great events like these highlighting that. I applaud the Alphas for putting on this event and doing such a good job with it. It was a nice evening to see our fellow sister bobcats in all of their glory and I look forward to next year’s pageant.

March Madness 2014

Zahara Pruitt

March Madness 2014: The Year of Upsets

With the beginning of March comes the most exciting time of the year for college basketball fans everywhere. However, this year has been unlike any ordinary March Madness year.

To begin, the bracket was a much tougher one than normal. Normally, most first round picks are fairly easy to figure out who will come out on top. This year, that was not the case.

In my 18 years of existence on this planet, I have never before witnessed a more exciting first round of NCAA Tournament play.

There were many crucial upsets in the first round. My beloved Duke Blue Devils had a great regular season with freshman Jabari Parker tearing up the court. Parker is a NBA Draft prospect after only his first year in college. He led the team to the ACC Finals where they fell to Virginia, giving them the #3 seed entering the NCAA Tournament. They, however, lost to #14 seed Mercer in the first round. This was a great game and while Duke maintained the lead for much of the first half, Mercer was able to pull out the win over the Blue Devils, 78-71.

Other crucial first round upsets that negatively affected many brackets were Dayton’s win over Ohio State, Harvard’s win over Cincinnati, and NDSU’s win over Oklahoma.

However, with many upsets came many more very well played games. Although many were upset by their doomed bracket, fans everywhere were pleased to simply watch good games. Even the #3 seed Iowa State game vs. #14 seed NC Central was a good game. This was NC Central’s first time making it to the tournament and while most counted the Eagles out as a no-brainer loss, this eager team put up a tough fight.

Fast-forward to the final four and we see more upsets occurring. Florida was the favorite to win this year, but their luck came to an end with the UCONN game. The #1 seed ended up falling to the #7 seed.

The Wisconsin v. Kentucky game held a similar fate. The #8 seed Kentucky narrowly pulled it out over #2 seed Wisconsin in a 74-73 victory. That’s right folks, there is a #7 and #8 seed in the Championship game for the 2014 NCAA Tournament.

If anyone has ever wondered why I love this sport so much, it’s because as we have seen throughout this tournament, anything can happen. You can not rule out teams and no matter how their regular season went, upsets can happen in tournament play. More often then not, it comes down to a question of who wants it more. Who has more heart? And who is willing to play the hardest for it?

All of these questions will be answered Monday night when the whole country watches to see if UCONN or Kentucky goes home with the 2014 NCAA Tournament Championship.

As You Like It

Alaina Chester

Ohio University’s Department of Theater has officially opened the renowned Shakespeare play As You Like It! The story surrounds multiple entertaining characters. After Oliver, the eldest son, inherits everything as a result of his father’s passing, he denies and practically abandons caring for his younger brother Orlando. Although their father is gone, much tension remains with their family and Duke Fredrick. He is the father of Celia who is best friends with Rosalind who eventually falls in love with Orlando, “the enemy’s” son.

The story takes multiple twist and surprises! It gives the audience such an entertaining journey on love. You will laugh at the ridiculous Touchstone character that is a clown and is one of the most speak-whatever-comes-to-mind kinds of characters. You will relate to that moment when you speak to a guy or a girl who just takes your breath away as Rosalind acquaints with Orlando. I enjoyed the scene where Rosalind is speechless after meeting Orlando for the first time. It made me smile! It was very believable! The words of Shakespeare are sometime hard to understandable but this was relatable.

The stage set up is beautiful. A centerpiece above center stage appears to be a tree with its roots that change color from warm to cool depending on the time of day within the play. They drop fall leaves from it giving it such a warm and comfortable feel.  The set allows for so many different exits and entrances in which made the production come more to life.  The actors and actresses have worked hard and are successful in their efforts. It is refreshing to walk out of the Forum Theatre after seeing this production of As You Like It.