Newsletter Fall 2010[1]

Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, President

We develop the whole person

The School of Humanities and Social SciencesNewsletter

Claflin University

Fall 2010Volume 10 No. 1

This newsletter is available on the website http://www.claflin.edu/Academic/School_Hum-SocialSciences.html

The World Needs VisionariesBy Dr. Peggy S. Ratliff, Dean

Dr. Peggy Ratliff

When a friend of mine said that she had been wrong-fully insulted, I bombarded her with “What? When?Where? Why? How” before she finished her sentence.However, she seemed very hurt and wasn’t ready to talkabout what had happened. I tried to provide her with so-lace by speaking about the positive aspects that we en-counter in everyday life. The world we live in may not beperfect, but it is still a wonderful place to live. Therefore, Iasked her to try to put that incident out of her mind, hop-ing that the guilty party’s conscience will have to answerfor the injustice. Let us bow our heads in faith to thank the God Al-mighty for his amazing creation. Should we pause to glanceat those who are loud and vain or too passive to lend ahand to make a positive contribution, to make a differ-ence, and say to them, “Thank you for nothing”? Or shouldwe follow William James’ pearl of wisdom, “The art ofbeing wise is knowing what to ignore,” and move forwardin gratitude with a smile for those who take a firm standand lend their firm hands to make this world each day abetter place to live in peace and justice? Each one’s time on earth is limited. There is only somuch energy that anyone is bestowed with in this life time.Energy is power. One should not waste it. One can doonly so much in a given time, so he or she should not dwellon negative things. One should be happy to join the com-munity of just, happy and positive thinkers who are al-ways ready to lend a hand to uplift the downtrodden, tomake a difference. These positive contributors are des-tined to stay on top because they need always to stand ontop in order to be able to lift someone else up. They are

By Mandakini Hiremath

Stand to make a positivedifference

See POSITIVE DIFFERENCE, page16

The award-winning School ofHumanities and Social Scienceswelcomes back all faculty, staff andstudents. We have added several newfaculty and staff members to our Schooland the Claflin Family. Read the column Goodbye andwelcome to get acquainted with newfaculty members who have joined theSchool.

Congratulations to Dr. Camille Kantor, who recentlyearned her doctoral degree in geography. She is no strangerto the University, having served for several semesters as anadjunct professor; she joins the Department of History andSociology as an instructor of geography. Additionally, we are proud to welcome two new staffmembers: Ms. Tynisha Jones joins the Department of Englishand Foreign Languages as an associate administrativeassistant, and Ms. Carolyn Goodman, associate administrativeassistant, joins the Department of Philosophy and Religion. With the experience and skills of these new faculty andstaff members, we are even better equipped to serve theClaflin family and the surrounding community. Moreover, weare looking forward to working with these new members aswe implement several new majors and mentor returningstudents who have selected a major in a discipline in thehumanities or social sciences. A section on new faculty provides more information onthe faculty listed above and sections on each departmentalso provide accomplishments of our faculty, staff andstudents. We were deeply saddened in May 2010by the passing of Dr. Preston Blakely, associate professor ofmass communication. Be sure to read the special section ofthis newsletter as we lift him up in memoriam as a colleagueand a friend. Overall, the School is off to a good start, and we arelooking forward to a most productive academic year.

DeanDr. Peggy S. Ratliff

CompilerMandakini Hiremath

EditorsLinda R. Hill

Mandakini Hiremath

Design and LayoutMandakini Hiremath

The School of Humanities andSocial Sciences Newsletter

Dr. Peggy S. Ratliff, dean of the schoolof Humanities and Social Sciences, forgiving me the opportunity to produce thenewsletter.

Ms. Linda R. Hill, assistant professor ofEnglish, for agreeing to work with meas an editor.

Members of the School and Depart-ment Chairs for their contributions.

Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, president, andDr. George E. Miller, III, vice presidentfor academic affairs, for encouragement.

Special Thanks to

The School of Humanities andSocial Sciences publishes itsnewsletter periodically; therefore,please bring your stories to thecompiler, Mrs. Hiremath. I am inthe Writing Center, GTK, room #228, ext. 5422. Your stories shouldbe typed using Microsoft word. You may e-mail attachments [email protected].

Humanities and Social Sciences Newsletter

Finally, I sincerely appreciate all thecompliments from my administrators,co-workers, students, and friends on theprevious issues of the newsletter and thecolumns that are printed in The Timesand Democrat. These encouragingwords are a source of motivation.

************************************

Department of ArtBy Mr. Winston Kennedy, Chair

Dr. Kod Igwe, professor of art, has been doing applied research and creatinga unique sculpture that will be unveiled at the Orangeburg County Fine ArtsCenter on October 27, 2010, at 5:30 p.m. The artwork, recently approved bythe City Council, is dedicated to the mayor and the City Council of the City ofOrangeburg. The Fine Arts Center is located at 649 Riverside Drive. Mr. Herman Keith, assistant professor and immediate past director of theArthur Rose Museum, is also the former chairman of the Department of Art.Mr. Keith has been a significant chronicler of the legacy of Arthur Rose, apioneering art educator who left us a rich tradition in the visual arts at ClaflinUniversity. After organizing a series of important exhibitions over the years, Mr.Keith has vigorously returned to his studio. This past summer he created aseries of twenty paintings. He employed his “key motif” when he attendedFACETS – the Fine Arts Enrichment Teaching Studios, here in Orangeburg. Mr. Habibur Rahman, associate professor and immediate past chair ofthe Department of Art, is the founding professor of the digital design program inthe department. He was awarded a 2010 Summer Research Grant from theCenter for Excellence in Teaching at Claflin University. Mr. Rahman began thetask of organizing, writing and editing a monograph on the graphic design workthat he has created for the Arthur Rose Museum over the last several years.Due to the fact that his computers have been upgraded more than three timesduring his tenure, retrieval of images and text has been a problematic task –increasing the difficulty of the present work. It is an important moment in agraphic designer’s life when a monograph is organized and published. In thisinstance the monograph, in one sense, is a catalogue raisonne. It permitsClaflin University and beyond to reflect and understand an important aspect ofhis contributions to the visual art and design programs at Claflin University. Mr. Jelani Thomas, assistant professor, began a large series of artworksthat will eventually contain at least twenty paintings and drawings that visuallyreference and investigate the Afro Brazilian Capoeira of Angola art form. Sub-ject categories represented in the series are derived from the musical instru-ments of Capoeira; the singing of traditional songs; the martial games of CapoeiraAngola; and, from within these games, the ritual calls and gestures known aschamadas. In his applied research Mr. Thomasemploys four different media to convey the discreteformal visual referencesto realize his imaging: pen and ink; pastels; oil paints;and digital painting. The completed series will con-tain five works executed in each medium. The se-ries will be completed by April 2011. Additionally, Mr. Thomas attended a one-weekArt Educators Forum at the Savannah College ofArt and Design during the summer of 2010. His re-search during this program was funded through aSummer Research Grant from the Center for Ex-cellence in Teaching at Claflin University. His re- Study of Flamingo by

Mr. Terrance RobinsonSee ART DEPARTMENT, page 12




Goodbye and welcome

See, NEW MEMBERS, page 4

As the 2009-2010 academic year ended, a few col-leagues moved on to their chosen destinations. Our schoolmisses each departing member, but life has to go on. As it’ssaid, persons may come and go, but institutions stay intact.The beginning of each academic year is filled with new aspi-rations, promises and challenges. Each member of the Claflinfamily is expected to persevere and to meet expectations.As we welcome new freshmen and transfer students, wealso gladly welcome new faculty members who have joinedthe School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Let us lookforward to working together to accomplish ClaflinUniversity’s mission. Dr. Tiffany Boyd Adams joins us as an assistant pro-

fessor in the Department of English andForeign Languages. Before coming toClaflin University, she was an adjunctprofessor at Winthrop University in RockHill, SC, and at UNC-Charlotte. Dr. Adams earned her Ph.D. in En-glish from the University of Georgia inAthens in December 2009, her master’sdegree from Morgan State University inBaltimore, MD, and her bachelor’s de-

gree from the University of South Carolina, Columbia. Herteaching and research areas of specialization are twentieth-century Anglophone Caribbean literature and twentieth-cen-tury African American literature. Dr. Adams was awarded the Manuscript, Archive, andRare Books Library (MARBL) Fellowship in July 2009from Emory University. She studied the non-fiction prose ofAlice Walker and the Universal Negro ImprovementAssociation’s (U.N.I.A.) business and personal letters ofMarcus Garvey and his wife Amy Garvey. She lived andstudied in Trinidad at the University of the West Indies. When asked why she chose Claflin and what she plansto accomplish, Dr. Adams answered, “I chose to work atClaflin University because it can provide me with opportu-nities for growth and leadership.” She added, “While atClaflin, I plan to lead my students by example. I am com-mitted to being a responsible and knowledgeable teacherwho aims to make her students informed, global citizens. Ialso plan to continue to build a strong record of publicationsand research so that I can be an influential voice in Carib-bean Studies.” Proud mom, Dr. Adams says, “I have an awesomedaughter named Naima Simone.”

Ms. Gloria D. Brogdon, native of Aylett, Virginia, joinsus as an instructor in the Department ofMass Communications. She earned herB.S. in print journalism from Bowie StateUniversity and MLA in broadcast jour-nalism/television production andscriptwriting from Oklahoma City Uni-versity. Ms. Brogdon has thirteen yearsof teaching experience at both the uni-

versity and secondary levels. She served as a departmentchair at Virginia Union University for three years and hasextensive experience with software for website developmentand use, Adobe Creative Suites, media technology, and mediaeducation. Ms. Brogdon teaches basic writing and web con-vergence/production classes and will assist with our onlinewebsite for The Panther. Ms. Brogdon is a professional videographer, and hascreated several full-length and short productions. CurrentlyMs. Brogdon is a Ph.D. candidate in media art and text(MATX) interdisciplinary studies at Virginia CommonwealthUniversity. When asked why she chose Claflin and what she plansto accomplish, Ms. Brogdon answered, “I chose Claflinbecause I feel the University has a great CommunicationsDepartment. My accomplishments at Claflin University aredirectly connected to the needs of the students.” Dr. Nathaniel Frederick, II, a 2002 Claflin graduate,

returns to his alma mater as an assistantprofessor in the Department of MassCommunications. Dr. Frederick earnedhis Ph.D. in mass communications in2009 and his master’s degree in mediastudies in 2004 from the PennsylvaniaState University and his B.A. in masscommunications from Claflin University.

Dr. Frederick spent several years teaching as an adjunctand teaching assistant while attending school, and served asthe Frederick Douglass Postdoctoral Scholar in the Com-munication Studies Department at the California Universityof Pennsylvania before joining the faculty. Dr. Frederickteaches theory and foundations courses for the departmentand will oversee the honors thesis courses and developmentfor the department. Most recently he was invited to speakon a panel; he discussed the topic Gospel Music and So-cial Consciousness, 1945-1960.

Ms. G. Brogdon

Dr. T. Adams

Dr. N. Frederick



NEW MEMBERS - continued from page 3

Dr. Frederick has presented his research twice overseasat international conferences at the Collegium for AfricanAmerican Research in Bremen, Germany. His research wasalso competitively selected for the International Communi-cation Association Conference in Dresden, Germany. Therehe presented a paper entitled A Couple of White GuysSittin’ ‘Round Talkin’: Representations of Masculinity andCommodification in ‘Frasier.’ When asked why he chose Claflin and what he plans toaccomplish, Dr. Frederick answered, “Claflin University ismy alma mater, and Orangeburg is my hometown. I have aspecial relationship with this university and the community.When I finished my degree from Claflin, I wanted to work inthe television industry. In graduate school, I took a coursethat made me realize that media is constructed to make usthink a certain way about the world. This course led me tothink about media more critically. Instead of working in theindustry, I chose to study the industry. As a professor, I canshare these ideas with students. My greatest satisfaction asa teacher is having a positive influence on young personsand showing them new ways to think about the world. Thattype of influence stays with someone for a lifetime. My pro-fessors at Claflin inspired me to attend graduate school, somy goal is to be that inspiration for someone else.” He added,“I hope to expose students to different aspects of media byinviting both media practitioners as well as scholars to sharetheir experiences and insights.” In his spare time, Dr. Frederick enjoys traveling andwatching movies, especially documentaries. Dr. Camelia-Maria Kantor, originally from Romania,

Eastern Europe, after teaching part time fortwo years, joins us as an instructor of geog-raphy in the Department of History and So-ciology. She earned her Ph.D. in human ge-ography and regional development fromBabes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Ro-mania, and her M.B.A. from Claflin Univer-sity, Orangeburg, South Carolina, in 2010.

In addition she has earned following degrees:• Master’s degree in education management, 1

Decembrie 1918 University, Alba-Iulia, Romania(2006)

• Master’s degree in regional development, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (2005)

• Undergraduate studies in geo-informatics , Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (2004)

• Bachelor’s degree (French and English), Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (2003)

When asked why she chose Claflin and what she plansto accomplish, Dr. Kantor answered, “I chose to become amember of the Claflin University family primarily because Ifound here a lot of warmth, understanding, and friendlypeople. From the very first days of school, I felt integratedand received support from faculty and staff, which made mytransition almost imperceptible. Being both a Claflin gradu-ate student and a part-time faculty for two years, I proudlyfelt like a liaison between the student body and the faculty,which made me even more aware of the bonds that havebeen established throughout the years between the two, lead-ing to the creation of a successful institution.” She added,“My goal for the future is to establish a full-fledged geogra-phy department, but mostly to introduce GIS courses, sinceHBCU’s have had little access to this relatively new tech-nology, which could benefit all majors, not only those inter-ested in areas related to geography.” Talking about her academic special achievements, ad-ventures, and contributions, Dr. Kantor said, “My most re-cent achievement of which I am particularly proud is gettingmy Ph.D., the result of five years of intensive study and indi-vidual work. Secondly, I managed to present at four confer-ences this year, two of which were international conferences,Rural Space and Local Development, Romania, and the 2nd

Serbian Geographers Congress. The other two were heldby Duke University and Claflin University. I was also a re-cipient of Who’s Who in America and graduated with a 4.00GPA from the MBA program at Claflin University.” Mr. Winston Kennedy joins as a professor of art, chair

of the Department of Art, and directorof the Arthur Rose Museum. He comesfrom the suburbs of Washington, DC,Hyattsville, MD. He has also lived inNew York City and Washington, DC.He earned the Bachelor of Arts degree(magna cum laude) from NorthCarolina Central University, Durham,North Carolina, in 1970 and the Master

of Fine Arts degree from the University of North Carolina atChapel Hill in 1972. Mr. Kennedy was previously chairman of the Departmentof Art and director of the Gallery of Art at Howard University,where he accomplished most of his academic and

Dr. C. Kantor

Mr. W. Kennedy




administrative goals. He took early retirement from HowardUniversity in 2001. His wife, at that time, had won theMcArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship, and she wassubsequently offered her dream professorship at New YorkUniversity. He thought it was appropriate to support herdreams, so they moved to New York City. In New York, hebecame a Schomburg Scholar at the Schomburg Center forResearch in Black Culture, NYPL. He did research indocuments and art objects concerning two subjects: “Out ofthe Shadows: The Image of Black Men in Fine Arts andPopular Prints” and “A History of African AmericanPrintmakers from 1724 to the Present Day.” Although hehas written articles and given lectures in the United Statesand Europe (University of Paris 7) on this subject, he,nevertheless, anticipate that he will complete this researchand publish on the same early in his tenure at Claflin University.He has found some interesting materials concerningCharleston slave printers working in 1750 at the SouthCarolina Historical Society in Charleston. This workcontinues. When asked why he chose Claflin and what he plans toaccomplish, Mr. Kennedy answered, “I was impressed byClaflin University’s ranking by external evaluators, especiallyits ranking among HBCU’s. Additionally, although I was bornin Bridgeton, NJ, I consider Orangeburg to be my primaryancestral home on my maternal side. I lived here for tenyears as a child, although on my paternal side my ancestralhome is Jamaica, WI.” He added, “I plan to build a superiorart program at Claflin University. I believe that the facultyhas begun to assist me in that process through their currentcareful review of and recommendations on the variousprograms in the Department. Our intent is to become aregionally important art program in two to three years. Afterthis time, with continuing effective work, we should be ableto obtain a national ranking as a leader in African Americanart. We wish to challenge the standing of Howard Universityand Spelman in the visual arts. We wish to deliver anincreasingly superior program for our students.” Mr. Kennedy states that one of his academicachievements during his first tenure as chair of the ArtDepartment was tripling the departmental budget from$15,000 to $45,000. The Gallery of Art’s budget was alsotripled from $7,000 to $21,000. The Art Department’sgeneral operating budget was $1,300,000+. Mr. Kennedypresented a series of annual exhibitions in the Gallery of Art.

Many were reviewed by the Washington Post. Hewrote the NASAD self-study report and hosted the

evaluation team, nurturing the eventual full accreditation ofthe department. During his second term as chair, he advancedstudent enrollment in the Art Department from 60 studentsto 160 students and completely replaced all studio and officefurniture and was able to secure a major warehouse facilityto which their sculpture program was relocated; additionally,individual studios were provided for MFA graduate students. Dr. Emmanuel N. Ngwang joins us as a professor in

the Department of English and ForeignLanguages. After graduating from theUniversity of Yaoundé with a B.A. in 1977and an MAT in English and Teaching Englishin 1978, Dr. Ngwang gained admission intothe University of Wisconsin in the fall of 1980to do an M.A. in American literature.

However, in the spring of 1981, he transferred to CentralState University (now the University of Central Oklahoma),Edmond, Oklahoma, where he later obtained an M.A. inEnglish in December 1981. That spring he gained admissioninto Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, where heearned his Ph.D. in American literature with a specializationin 19th and 20th Century American drama in 1986. Beforecoming to Claflin Dr. Ngwang taught at Oklahoma StateUniversity for four years as a graduate associate; Universityof Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 1987-1997, where he movedup to the rank of associate professor and acting chair of theDepartment of English, coordinator of Graduate (M.A. anddoctoral) Programs; Kentucky State University, Frankfort,Kentucky from 1997-2003 and Mississippi Valley StateUniversity from 2003-2010. Dr. Ngwang has won significant recognition in academiaboth in Cameroon and the U.S. Of particular note are the2000 Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers; 2002 Who’sWho Among American Teachers; 2002-2003 College ofArts and Sciences Excellence in Scholarship & CreativeAward, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Kentucky;and the 2004 Mississippi Humanities Teacher Award forExcellence in Teaching & Research, Jackson, Mississippi.Dr. Ngwang’s research interests have shifted to postcolonialliterature with emphasis on dramatic literature. Some of hisrecent publications include “Arrah’s Existential Dilemma: AStudy of Tanyi-Tang’s Arrah” in Cameroon Literature inEnglish: Critical Essay on Fiction and Drama (2010);

Dr. Ngwang


The World Needs VisionariesSee, NEW MEMBERS, page10


“Spaces, Gender, and Healing in Alice Walker’s The ColorPurple (1982); “Mariama Bâ’s So Long a Letter,” achapter in New Urges in Postcolonial Literature:Widening Horizons (2009); “Re-Configuration ofColonialism or the Negation of the Self in PostcolonialCameroon in Bole Butake’s Plays,” a chapter inReconceiving Postcolonialism: Visions and Revisions(2009); “Buchi Emecheta’s Destination Biafra: A Feminist(Re)-Writing of the Nigerian Civil War,” a chapter in TheJournal of African Literature, Vol. 5: War and Conflict(2008); “In Search of Cultural Identity or a Futile Searchfor Anchor: Africa in Selected African American LiteraryWorks” in Identities and Voices: ALIZES No.12; RevueAngliciste de la Réeunion (2007); “Female Empowermentand Political Change: A Study of Bole Butake’s Lake God,The Survivors, and And Palm Wine Will Flow…” inALIZES (TRADE WINDS): A Journal of English Studies.No.23 (2004); and “Literature as Politics: Revisiting BoleButake’s Lake God and Other Plays in The LiteraryGriot: An International Journal of African-WorldExpressive Culture Studies, Vol. 14. When asked why he chose Claflin and what he plans toaccomplish, Dr. Ngwang answered, “I was attracted toClaflin University because of Claflin University’s history andreputation. As I move towards the end of my teaching career,I want to end it with and on a winning team; I wanted to bepart of the growing popularity of the Claflin family that hasdistinguished itself in the many fields of excellence andtradition. For a poor teacher, there is no greater joy andreward than moving into the world and meeting visionaryleaders who can point back at you and say, ‘He was myteacher.’ And who doesn’t want to be part of a winningteam!” He added, “I bring with me a global perspectivebuilt on the experience of having studied and taught on twocontinents and lived in several different states and otherparts of the U.S. I hope to accomplish an extra push forlove of scholarship and publication among the students. Iwant to infect the students with my love for scholarship,publications, and research and hope to add AfricanLiterature, which does not feature prominently in theliterature program except in the English Department’s WorldLiterature II. I strongly believe that every HBCU shouldendeavor to teach a pure African-based program as partof its historical heritage, and African Literature tends toencompass and embrace the humanistic values of suchprograms. Hopefully, I can add this missing link to the English

program and to the African American Studies specialization.So far I have been encouraged by the fellowship andfriendliness of my colleagues and the eagerness and thirstfor knowledge I have discerned in my students.” Dr. Ngwang’s special interests include traveling, reading,and playing soccer (football). Dr. Donald K. Pardlow, a resident of Chattanooga,

Tennessee, joins us as an assistant professorof English in the Department of English andForeign Languages. He earned his Ph.D. inEnglish Rhetoric and Linguistics from IndianaUniversity of Pennsylvania in 2003, an M.A.in British and American literature from theUniversity of Tennessee at Chattanooga in

1994, and a B.A. in writing and American literature fromthe University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1990. Having taught in the community college system of Georgiafor the past nine years, he now teaches sections of Englishcomposition and the Honors thesis seminars at Claflin. When asked why he chose Claflin and what he plans toaccomplish, Dr. Pardlow answered, “Since I finished mydissertation, I had been looking to move on to a four-yearcollege, an institution where I could teach a wider varietyof classes and complete more of my research. I think thatmy cognition-centered pedagogies for teaching languagecould well serve the university’s unique goal of trainingvisionary thinkers and leaders.” His revised dissertation, Flight for Flatland, waspublished last year by VDM Verlag Dr. Mueller Publishing,and his first volume of verse, Notes of a “Gypsy” Scholar,is currently under editorial review by University ResearchPress (NM). In addition to a collection of short fiction, heis currently working on monographs about deductive logicand student creativity. His hobbies are creative writing,ancient languages, and chess. Mr. Colin Patrick Pool, a native of Mobile, Alabama,

joined us as an instructor of masscommunications in the Spring of 2010 tofill our need for a sound production facultymember. He earned the Master of FineArts degree in Recording Arts andTechnologies from Middle TennesseeState University in Murfreesboro andBachelor of Arts in History and Bachelor

of Music degrees from the University of South Alabama.

Dr. Pardlow

Mr. Colin Pool


Department of English and Foreign Languages

Dr. D. Gene Pace

By Dr. D. Gene Pace, Director of Study Abroad.Study abroad notes

The Department of English and Foreign Languageswelcomes five new members: Dr. Tiffany Boyd-Adams,assistant professor of English; Dr. Emanuel Ngwang,professor of English; Dr. David Pardlow, assistant professorof English; Dr. Jorge Salvo, associate professor of Spanish. Our faculty members continue to engage in research andattend conferences and workshops. Dr. Sharynn OwensEtheridge attended the UNCF Mellon Faculty Seminar inAtlanta, Georgia, July 6-12. Its theme was “UNCF MellonPrograms Archival Research Institute Legacies and Treasures:Exploring the Archival Collection of Black IntellectualScholar-Activists.” Her research focus was African AmericanHarlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes. She also attended the Summative ADEPT FormalEvaluation of Classroom-Based Teacher Training recently.The training was sponsored by the South CarolinaDepartment of Education. Dr. Gaynell Gavin’s recent publications include essaysand a poem: “The Wedding,” Vermont Literary Review,XII, 2010, 67-74; “Anarchy Barbie, Attorney-at-Large,”“In Brief: An American Tale,” and “Leftovers,” Legal StudiesForum XXXIV.2, 2010, 633-650; and “The Change,”Arcadia 1, Spring 2010, 77. With summer 2010 funding assistance from the Centerfor Excellence in Teaching, Dr. Gavin attended the RustbeltRoethke Writers Conference at Saginaw Valley State

University in July. While at the conference, she gave a well-attended invited reading at the United Church of Christ inMidland, MI. Last spring, at the invitation of Dr. Mitch Mackinem, Dr.Gavin gave the presentation “Some of My Best Friends areSociologists: Literary Nonfiction and Sociology” as thekeynote address at the Annual Meeting of the South CarolinaSociological Association. The Ninth Annual Claflin University Conference onContemporary English and Language Arts Pedagogy inSecondary and Postsecondary Institutions was held onOctober 27-29, 2010, in Ministers’ Hall, Claflin University.The theme for the Conference was “Locating Voices:Community and Literacy.” Also joining the department are approximately 10 newmajors. These students will major in English, EnglishEducation or American Studies. The Department offersmajors in English, American Studies, and English Education,and minors in the aforementioned subjects and GenderStudies, French, Spanish and Theatre. Speaking of majors, the Department is proud of theaccomplishments of all its majors, but would especially liketo congratulate Tiffany Miller on being named a WoodrowWilson Fellow, and UNCF/Mellon Fellows Isaiah Jones,Erin Swinney and Shatavia Wynn.

Recently, Claflin University studentshave taken a particular interest in foreignstudy. During the fall 2010 semester alone,seven students are studying abroad, alarger number than in the previous twoyears combined (2008-2010). Severaladditional students plan to do so duringthe fall 2011 semester. Those studying in

foreign countries during the fall semester are Carolyn Smith(Kenya),

Brandon Singleton (Japan), Amani Turnage (England),Mary Remy (France), Aaron Shepard (Spain), Beije Allen-Nichols (Spain), and Afton Anderson (Spain). During theprevious two years, five of the six Claflin University study-abroad students were from Trinidad; the other was fromthe U.S. (five females, one male). This semester, all seven

study-abroad students are African-American (five females,two males).

Afton Anderson wrote from Spain: “Both Baije and Idid, indeed, arrive at our destinations safely. As you mayknow, our first destination was London, which I absolutelyloved! We took a tour of the city and I was amazed by theancient and modern architecture London has to offer. Wealso got a chance to see the queen’s palace, which was aphenomenal sight. I was really awed by the richness of thecity, the shopping, the architecture, the monuments, thePEOPLE! It was a different world altogether and I definitelywould not mind living there one day if I ever got theopportunity. We arrived in Granada on Tuesday, where wemet our host families. I absolutely love ours! Our senora is

See, STUDY ABROAD, page


Top Left to Right: Destinee Moore, Danielle Scott,Patrice Cooper, Rasheeda Wright, Tasha Smith,Bottom Left to Right: Katrina Dickey, Angela Primus, Tanika MorrisonAbsent from Photo: Mary Chisolm, Christina Grant, Vestina Jackson

Dr. Till and students in the linguistics classpresented a paper entitled “One Poem,Many Journeys” at the ninth annualPedagogy Conference sponsored by theDepartment of English and Foreign Lan-guages on October 27-29, 2010. Intheir study of how home and communityexperiencesshape not only

one’s literacy but also one’s iden-tity, the students wrote their own“Where I’m From” poems. Thestudents created a collective pre-sentation, consisting of one stanzafrom each of their individual po-ems. The combined poem re-flected a collage of life events, be-ginning with birth and ending withthe present. Each student read heroriginal stanza. After the session,the student writers/linguists an-swered questions from the audi-ence about their insights in con-structing personal “Where I’mFrom” poems.Women in Popular Culture ConferenceDr. Susan Till presented a paper at the Women in PopularCulture Conference held at South Carolina State Univer-sity, October 21-23. Her presentation, entitled “GenderRoles in the American South: Voices from The Color Purple

Claflin University’s Eighth Annual Pedagogy ConferenceBy Dr. Susan Till

Dr. Susan Till

by Alice Walker and Bastard Out of Carolina by DorothyAllison,” examines the hegemonic origin and structure ofgender roles in novels written by Southern women. Dr. Tillcontends that societal and institutional structures of hierar-chy that privilege some and marginalize other are often in-visible to readers who simply “read literature” rather than“study texts.” She explores the paradigm developed by

the linguist Norman Fairclough forcritical language study.Fairclough provides an approachfor collective groups, such as col-lege and university classes, to un-mask power structures in lan-guage. When students criticallyexamine the narratives of the fe-male protagonists Celie in TheColor Purple by Alice Walkerand Bone in Bastard Out ofCarolina by Dorothy Allison,they uncover continuing systemsof hegemony that reify femininecompliance and masculine domi-nance. The novels reveal a patriarchalworld, reinforced by society,church, and family. Walker and

Allison narrate stories told by young girls imprisoned bythe normalization of male dominance and female submis-sion, a reality that results in violence, which dehumanizesperpetrators as well as victims.

so nice and she feeds us very well :-) We have alreadystarted our intensive Spanish courses, where are taught inSpanish with not a lick of English! lol but it is great becauseit forces us to use Spanish and learn the language. Even thepeople in Granada, in the stores, restaurants . . . speak[no] or little English; so I hope to be fluent when I getback. Yesterday, we visited the Alhambra. It was the mostmagnificent sight I have seen since I have been in Granada.This fortified palace was jaw-dropping, as every room andevery ruin held some of the richest history one could onlyimagine. From the Alhambra, there was the most fantasticview of the ancient town, which we will be visiting next

week. I loved the Alhambra as well and if I ever get thechance, I will definitely go back :-)”

We are currently seeking to expand the number ofexchange programs with foreign institutions to include suchcountries as Turkey, China, Equatorial Guinea, andCameroon. Brandon Singleton’s blog may be found at http://neoclassical09injapan.blogspot.com/. Dr. Pace plans tocollaborate with and support Mr. Lee Tant, assistantdirector of public relations at CU, to sustain an internationalstudies blog that will feature all of our students who studyabroad.

STUDY ABROAD - continued from page 7


Department of History and SociologyBy Dr. Christopher Curtis, Chair

Dr. C. Curtis

It would be foolish to think thatresearch excellence is found onlyin the biotechnology and chemis-try laboratories at Claflin. After onlyits second year in existence, theDepartment’s Social Science Re-search Initiative is already bearingsubstantial fruit. Last spring, de-partmental students travelledacross the region to deliver re-

search presentations at academic conferences. In March,senior Bridget Perry and junior Keara Washington madepresentations at the Black Psychology Conference hostedby Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Vir-ginia. Perry presented her paper on changing perceptionsamong African Americans on death and mourning, whileWashington presented her poster analyzing factors that re-cur when domestic abuse devolves into homicide. In April,eight students – Shawna Griffin, Karon Hopkins, NicolaWhitley, Takiah Corbett, Keara Washington, Tris Thrower,Maggie Malloy, and Mary Remy – travelled to Myrtle Beachto present papers and posters at the Carolina Undergradu-ate Social Science Symposium (CUSS). It was the fourthconsecutive year that our students have participated in thisstate-wide conference, but the first time that we had morethan three students on the program. Karon Hopkins, MaryRemy, and Shawna Griffin were awarded $500 scholar-ships to attend the Southern Sociological Society meetingin Atlanta. The idea behind these competitive scholarshipsis to expose promising minority students to the habits of thediscipline and to foster their interest in graduate study. Thispast summer, two of our Politics and Justice Studies ma-jors, Kiara Drake and Mary Remy, participated in the Lead-ership Alliance program. Additionally, Natia Marshall (Poli-tics and Justice Studies) and Karon Hopkins (Sociology)also participated in prestigious summer internship programswith the law firm of Rogers, Townsend, and Thomas andthe Social Security Administration, respectively. We alsohave two students studying away from campus this semes-ter: Mary Remy is taking a semester abroad in France,while Claros Morean is spending the semester as a Con-gressional intern in Washington, D.C.

The proliferation of quality research among our stu-dents is not so surprising when one considers that they aresimply following in the footsteps of their faculty mentors.Our professors continue to set the standards of teaching

and research excellence at Claflin University with more thanhalf of our faculty presenting papers at national, international,or regional conferences last spring, and by maintaining a con-sistent pace in peer-reviewed publications. Faculty in the De-partment of History and Sociology are not merely proposingto research promising projects; they are producing, and do-ing so on a nationally recognized level. Dr. Kema Irogbe’smost recent article, “Food Insecurity in Post-IndependentSub-Saharan Africa: Causes and Prospects,” The Journalof International Governmental Systems and Structure(June 2010), was published in both English and French. Dr.Mitchell Mackinem continued his string of publications withhis essay “Losing Hope: The Production of Failure in DrugCourt,” Research in Social Problems and Public Policy,17 (2010). Dr. Lisa Dilks, in the midst of completing herfirst-year here at Claflin, published what is already becominga widely-acclaimed article, “Socializing Economic Theoriesof Discrimination: Lessons from Survivor” (the televisionshow), Social Science Research (2010). Other faculty mem-bers are achieving national recognition for their scholarship.Ms. Anisah Bagasra recently presented a timely paper: “De-velopment and Testing of an Acculturation Scale for MuslimAmericans” at the American Psychological Association An-nual Conference that was featured in the October issue ofthat association’s leading journal, Monitor on Psychology.Dr. Millicent Brown has been named to the SmithsonianInstitute’s advisory council on the “Civil Rights Oral HistoryProject” for the forthcoming Museum of African AmericanHistory, which will open in Washington, D.C., in 2015. It might be worthwhile to note that the faculty’s engage-ment and success in research publications has not dimin-ished their commitment to teaching excellence. The springstudent evaluations for departmental faculty were off thecharts. While the overall performance mean for faculty at theuniversity was 3.54 (an impressive number in itself), the de-partmental mean stands at 3.61 with nine of thirteen facultymembers ranked above the university standard. Five facultymembers were scored above 3.7. With this kind of personalattention and successful learning going on in the classrooms,it is easy to see why the department continues to attract stu-dents. It has been a very busy fall semester for the Departmentalready. In August, the departmental office and six of our

See, HISTORY AND SOCIOLOGY, page 10



Over this past summer, Mr. Pool attended IndianaUniversity School of Journalism’s Teaching FellowsWorkshop. Before coming to Claflin, he worked as anindependent audio engineer in Nashville, gaining productioncredits on a variety of independent and demonstrationrecordings. As a graduate assistant with MTSU’s WalkerLibrary, he helped upgrade the library’s educationalmaterials for distance learners, including a series of web-based Flash tutorials. And most recently he worked as anadjunct at Belmont University, Nashville, TN. When asked why he chose Claflin and what he plans toaccomplish, Mr. Pool answered, “I was attracted by thelocation, the small, close-knit community, and theopportunity to participate in the building up of the masscommunications program.” He added, “I hope to preparemy students for the professional world, while working toincrease the prominence of the university.” He says, “Oneshort-term goal is preparing the student radio station,WCUR, for possible expansion onto the Internet.” Mr. Pool is a member of the Audio Engineering Society,Alpha Epsilon Rho, Phi Kappa Phi, and Golden KeyInternational Honor Society. His interests include electronicmusic composition, college football, and cooking. Dr. Jorge Salvo joins us from University of SouthCarolina as an associate professor of Spanish in theDepartment of English and Foreign Languages. Dr. Salvo earned his Ph.D. in Spanish Americanliterature from Florida State University and his master’s

and bachelor’s degrees in Spanish fromFlorida International University. Dr. Salvo proudly says that he wrotethe first doctoral dissertation on the topicof Hispanic African literature, whichcomes from Equatorial Guinea, a smallSpanish-speaking country in the Gulf ofGuinea on the West Coast of Africa.Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish-

speaking Sub-Saharan country. The dissertation waspublished by the Biblioteca Miguel de Cervantes(www.cervantesvirtual.com) of the University of Alicante,Spain. He has written number of short stories and a novel,which are published in different outlets. When asked why he chose Claflin and what he plansto accomplish, Dr. Salvo answered, “Because as a privateinstitution and a Historically Black College, Claflin providesus, faculty, with a sense of purpose, a clear direction inwhich our efforts are part of a vision that brings the wholeuniversity on a sensible path.” He added, “I plan togenerate an effort for greater comprehension andcollaboration between the two bigger minorities in the U.S.:African Americans and Hispanics.” Dr. Salvo is one of the founders of CESGE (Centrode Estudios Guineo Ecuatorianos), the first think tank forEquatorial Guinea.

Dr. J. Salvo

HISTORY AND SOCIOLOGY-– continued from page 9

faculty members moved into our new location on Goff Av-enue. We are very pleased with the accommodations, par-ticularly since the new house includes a conference roomin which we can now conduct our departmental meetingsand Honors seminars. There is also sufficient space forexpansion that would allow for the entire department to behoused in one location and could also provide classroomspace and a much-needed departmental computer lab. InSeptember, the department hosted its Third Annual Poli-tics Forum as well. Our students were introduced to andengaged prominent, federally-appointed law and justice

officers in the forum setting. Participating this year wereFederal Judge Michelle Childs, US District Attorney BillNettles, and Federal Marshall Kelvin Washington. And,finally, we want to welcome our newest full-time facultymember, Dr. Camelia Kantor, who completed her doc-toral work in Romania over the summer.


When you try to achieve your goal and fail,don’t be disappointed. Accept it and stand up.Wipe your tears, study and learn once again.You might achieve even more than you’veset out for.

The Pre-Law Society (PLS) has grown increasingly activeduring my three years at Claflin University. A highlight ofthe 2009-2010 academic year was the informative and well-attended second annual law student alumni panel, whichwas held on November 20, 2009. The topic was “LawSchool and Beyond.” Panelists included Harriet Huell(chair), then a law student at UNC. Other panelists wereChyrra Greene (USC), Krystal Johnson (Charleston), andAntoine Marshall (Wake Forest). We missed 2008 panelchair, Waverly Gordon (Duke), who was studying abroadin Italy. Concluding remarks were made by Drs. Rooseveltand Peggy Ratliff. The November 2010 panel is being co-chaired by Ms. Huell and Mr. Marshall. Another highlightoccurred in spring 2010 when First Circuit Solicitor DavidPascoe spoke to the PLS of his life-long dream to becomea prosecutor and the achievements he finds most meaning-ful. He engaged in a lively question-and-answer sessionwith students, covering topics ranging from how he pre-pared for the LSAT to prosecuting a capital murder case. Constitution Day brought “An Evening with SouthCarolina’s Federally Appointed Legal and Law Enforce-ment Professionals” on September 17, 2010. Under theguidance of Mr. Robert Nance and my co-adviser, Dr. ChrisCurtis, the PLS co-sponsored this event with the Depart-ment of History and Sociology. Featured panelists wereU.S. District Court Judge Michelle Childs, United StatesAttorney for South Carolina William Nettles, and UnitedStates Marshal for the District of South Carolina KelvinWashington. Tonya Brown, General Assignment Reporterat WPDE NewsChannel 15 Presentations were followedby a Q-and-A session. After many questions, the panelistsremained to meet and converse informally with students. The following week brought Bryan Jeffries, of the JeffriesLaw Firm, as the featured speaker at the September PLSmeeting. Mr. Jeffries’ private practice includes personal in-jury, wrongful death, and criminal defense. He is also apart-time First Circuit Assistant Solicitor. Mr. Jeffries ex-plained that he does not do criminal defense work in thecircuit where he prosecutes crimes and elaborated on theconcept of conflict of interest. He answered many ques-tions about his majors before law school (criminal justiceand English), life as a law student and his subsequent broadrange of law practice experience. The guest speaker atOctober’s PLS meeting is CU’s own Dr. Caroletta Shuler,who brings expertise to share on the CLEO (Council onLegal Education Opportunity) program.

PLS Member News PLS VP Kiara Drake, a senior with a double major inAmerican Studies and Politics and Justice Studies (PLJS),had her first experience with the Leadership Alliance atYale University in 2009, where she was startled to learnthat she would research and write a 25-30 page paper.Rising to the occasion, she began work on “Legalized Dis-crimination in the Land of Liberty,” arguing against dis-crimination that gay and lesbian Americans continue to faceregarding the institution of marriage, which formed the ba-sis for her senior honors thesis. She also participated in theJohn Marshall Law School Legal Education Access Pro-gram, which provided an introduction to law school cur-riculum and a Kaplan Law School Admissions Test prepa-ration class. Kiara was awarded Best Opening Statementand Best Overall Team in a mock trial competition and(pending application and acceptance) received a $10,000award toward tuition at John Marshall. Her second sum-mer with the Leadership Alliance, 2010, was at CornellUniversity, where she took on another constitutional lawproject, “Practicability and Democracy in Antonin Scalia’sOriginalism and Stephen Breyer’s Living Constitutional-ism.” Kiara is in the process of applying to law schools. Nzingha Hooker, PLS president, interned at theOrangeburg County Probate Court under the HonorablePandora Jones-Glover in summer 2010. Nzingha’s manyduties included preparing case summaries, pre-hearingnotes, marriage licenses, and other legal documents. Sheattended hearings on settlement of estates, will contests,conservatorships, guardianships, commitment of the men-tally ill, and performance of marriages. Nzingha also at-tended meetings at which the judge decided how she wouldrule and gained knowledge of the legal system’s “innerworkings.” A senior, Nzingha is now applying to lawschools. In summer 2010, PLS secretary-treasurer and parlia-mentarian Natia Marshall was CU’s first intern at the lawfirm of Rogers Townsend and Thomas, where she took ona wide variety of duties in technology, business law, eventplanning, and reports/accounting. She had to learn the firm’sdata bases quickly and had three supervisors assigning vari-ous projects with deadlines to her. Under the supervisionof a corporate attorney, she also had the opportunity toreplace a paralegal who left for summer vacation. Discussing

Claflin University Pre-Law Society newsHumanities and Social Sciences Newsletter

See, PRE-LAW SOCIETY NEWS, page 12

her internship, Natia, a junior PLJS major, concludedexuberantly, “I greatly appreciate this chance to broadenmy horizons in the field of law!”Alumni News Waverly Gordon, who majored in biochemistry at CU,went on to obtain a Master of Health Administration atThe Ohio State University, followed by a JD from DukeUniversity in spring 2010. During law school, she internedin the Office of the Majority Whip of the U.S. House ofRepresentatives, Congressman James E. Clyburn. Shenow serves as a Louis Stokes Urban Health Policy Fel-low through the Congressional Black Caucus Founda-tion. Her fellowship is a 20-month program, which in-cludes work on health care issues in the office of Del.Donna Christensen, who is the Delegate to the U.S. Houseof Representatives from the Virgin Islands, and on a con-gressional committee with jurisdiction over health care. Harriet Huell obtained a BA in mass communicationsfrom CU, followed by an MA in media studies from ThePennsylvania State University in 2007, and a JD from theUniversity of North Carolina School of Law in 2010.She has joined The Banks Law Firm, P.A., in ResearchTriangle Park, North Carolina. Her areas of concentra-tion are commercial real estate, community economic de-velopment/affordable housing law, and general civil liti-gation. Ms. Huell is licensed to practice in North Caro-lina and the District of Columbia, and will also take theSouth Carolina bar exam. She serves on the Board ofDirectors for the New Beginnings Women’s ResourceCenter in Raleigh, North Carolina, and as General Counselfor Kingdom Apostolic Community Worship Center. Antoine Marshall graduated from CU with a BA inAmerican Studies and is thriving in his second year oflaw school at Wake Forest University. Over the summerhe worked for the North Carolina Institute of MinorityEconomic Development as a policy analyst. He moni-tored bills at the state and federal levels that affect smallbusinesses, HBCUs, home-ownership, loans and debt.He also created a database of the evolution of state lawsaffecting minority-, women-, and service-disabled vet-eran-owned businesses.

PRE-LAW SOCIETY NEWS-- continued from page 11

Drafted by Dr. Gaynell Gavin, Advisor to the PLS & Pre-Law

Contributors to this column: Kiara Drake, Waverly Gordon,Nzingha Hooker, Harriet Huell, Antoine Marshall, and NatiaMarshall

search consisted of a mining of the question of the relativeintegrity and/or artistic merits of digital arts validity as amedium in fine arts production. After attending courses con-cerning both digital and classical forms of fine art produc-tion during the forum, he was able, after returning home, torecreate a project that he had sampled while in residence atSCAD. He completed the applied research with an essaythat described and analyzed his experiences through the useof a formal comparative analysis. Finally, he was able toorganize an opinion as to the visual differences and visualqualities associated with the final visual art works. Mr. Terrance Robinson, assistant professor, has cre-ated visual works in several media in visual arts. Over thesummer months he taught elders at The Oaks of Orangeburg,a senior-citizen facility located in the area. The purpose ofhis collage workshop was to provide the elders an oppor-tunity to reflect and remember through their individually cre-ated collages. This autobiographical process caused deepreflection on the past and present moments by the partici-pants—creating their collages became a moment of arttherapy for the elders. He continued his applied research atthe Art Center of Columbia. He is attempting to “discoverhow clay bodies can be manipulated into twists, folds, andplanes as elastic, plastic, and rubber are.” Later, Mr. Robinson presented twelve paintings in a one-person exhibition at the Art Center in Columbia. The exhi-bition, entitled Abstraction: Phase I, was exhibited fromAugust 21 to September 15, 2010. Mr. Robinson has accomplished much in professionaldevelopment during the summer: He attended a screen-print-ing workshop at the Savannah College of Art and Design;took a basic welding course at Midland Technical College;and was a participant in the UNCF/Claflin University Insti-tute for Teaching and Learning. Currently, he is executingthe cover design for Dr. Ronald Neal’s book, which is en-titled Democracy 21st Century America: Notes on Race,Class and Religion. Finally, he is pre-paring works for thefollowing exhibitions:Richland County Li-brary, Columbia, SC;Museum of Ne-braska Art, Kearney,Nebraska; HarvestFood Bank, Colum-bia, SC; and the Wil-liam Percy Library,Greenville, MS.

Mr. Robinson with the elders at TheOaks of Orangeburg, asenior-citizen facility

ART DEPARTMENT-continued from page 2



Department of Mass CommunicationsBy Dr. Donna Gough, Chair

Dr. Donna Gough

Faculty and students in the Departmentof Mass Communications are lookingforward to another great year. ThePanther, WCUT Television andWCUR Radio are ready for anotherslate of programs. Under the directionof Journalist-in-Residence Mr. Lee

Harter, The Panther is headed by Editor Brittany Brown,Assistant Editor Jessica Taylor, and Photographer KemetAlston. Under the direction of faculty member Mr. ColinPool, the campus radio station, WCUR, is headed by Sta-tion Manager Antonio Shands, Program Director AsaGillyard, and Music Director Jonqwel Prioleau. Under thedirection of Mr. Michael Fairwell, the campus television sta-tion, WCUT, is headed by Station Manager Kalen Robinson,Program Director Jessica Brown, and Production ManagerNicholas Jackson. Mass Communications supports the internship efforts ofstudents. The following are some of the internships that stu-dents participated in this year: Steven Dial interned at WGCLCBS Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia; Donique Tyler interned inthe Public Relations Department for the Richmond RaidersArena Football Team in Richmond, Virginia; Janda Ander-son interned at Publix in Savannah, Georgia; YolandaMiddleton interned at Dash Promotions in Atlanta, Georgia;Latisha Ford interned at Shawn Johnson & Associates inCharleston, South Carolina, … The names of those on theinterns list goes on too long to include all the names. In addi-tion to internships, students attend workshops to receive ad-ditional training and career fairs to learn about employmentopportunities. Tony Talley and Alan Brooks attended theCenter of Excellence Advertising Boot Camp at HowardUniversity in Washington, DC, this summer. Department of Mass Communications faculty were in-volved in a number of professional activities over the sum-mer. Ms. Yolanda McCutchen and Mr. Colin Pool were ac-cepted into the Indiana University School of JournalismTeaching Fellowship Program, June 13 – 17, 2010, inBloomington, Indiana. The program provides training for fac-ulty new to teaching in the field of mass communications.

Ms. YolandaMcCutchen served as ajudge for the Casey Med-als, a national journalismaward given by the Jour-nalism Center on Children

& Families and the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism atthe University of Maryland. Ms. McCutchen delivered thekeynote address at the T. Howard Foundation’s InternshipOrientation, attended the National Association of Black Jour-nalists Convention in San Diego, California, and attendedthe Blogging While Brown Conference in Washington, DC.Also, Ms. McCutchen served as a judge for the OklahomaSpeech Theatre Communication Association’s 2010 Con-vention Student Public Relations Competition and partici-pated on a panel with her presentation, entitled “Reality PR& Mass Communication Education.” Dr. Donna Gough served as the vice president of theOklahoma Speech Theatre Communication Association(OSTCA) and was responsible for planning the OSTCA2010 Convention held on September 11, 2010, at RogersState University in Claremore, Oklahoma. Dr. Gough be-came the president of OSTCA during the convention and,as a result, is the first woman to be the president of bothstatewide organizations, the Oklahoma Speech TheatreCommunication Association and the Oklahoma BroadcastEducation Association. Dr. Julian Williams and Dr. Nathaniel Frederick attendeda conference on Saturday, September 25, 2010, in Atlanta,Georgia. The conference, “Media Law in the Digital Age:What You Need To Know,” was sponsored by KennesawState University and Harvard Law School. Dr. Williams willbe presenting a paper entitled “Man at the Microphone: JesseHelms’ Early Years As a Broadcaster,” at the annual con-vention of the American Journalism Historians Association.The convention will be held in Tucson, Arizona, on October6-9, 2010. The Department of Mass Communications has been se-lected to develop two major initiatives for the university. Thefirst initiative is the partnership between Claflin Universityand Boston University (BU) that was established to provideexchange programs for students and faculty and to assistprogram graduates with seamless matriculation into thegraduate program in communication at BU. Claflin mass com-munications majors Kristen Bell,Andre Rodriguez, Kelli MarieCarroll, and Jarrell Rogers, alongwith department chair Dr. DonnaGough, traveled to Boston to at-tend the BU Matriculation events,August 29 - September 1, 2010.

See MASS COMMUNICATIONS, page 17

Mass Comm. students at BUMs. McCutchen serves as a judge


Music DepartmentBy Dr. Isaiah McGee, Chair

Dr. Isaiah McGee

Dr. Meisha Adderley was arecipient of a 2010 FacultySummer Research Grant fromClaflin University’s Center forExcellence in Teaching. As acomponent of the grant project,Adderley recorded a CD of worksby Afro-American femalecomposers with GEM RecordingStudios. The project culminated in

a presentation at the World Piano Conference in Novi Sad,Serbia, where she designed a lecture that investigated thelives of the female composers and provided a detailedanalysis of their concert piano works. Dr. Richard House, director of University bands,authored two music reviews for the trumpet ensemble worksNewton Antiphonies by Carson P. Cooman and FantasyFanfare by Michael Bretz. The reviews were published inthe June 2010 International Trumpet Guild Journal. Athird review for the brass ensemble arrangement of ModestMussorgsky’s “The Great Gate of Kiev” from Pictures atan Exhibition will be published in January 2011. On February 23, 2010, Dr. Meisha Adderley andMs. Stacey Holliday, faculty pianists, performed a duopiano recital for the Art of Music series at the Columbia

Museum of Art. In addition to works from the 17th – 21stcenturies, the concert featured a world premiere by SouthCarolina composer and Associate Vice President forAcademic Affairs (Claflin University) Dr. Cedric Adderley. Dr. Laura J. Keith was invited to serve on the MusicContent Advisory Committee of the National EvaluationSeries for Pearson Publishing Company during the week ofJuly 19, 2010, in St. Louis, Missouri. During the NationalBenchmark Conference, K-12 educators and universityfaculty members from across the country met to recommenda performance level that would be expected of an entry-level educator in each field, with Dr. Keith serving in thearea of music. 2010 Graduate Amanda Bailey is currently attendingJohnson and Wales University of Culinary Arts in Charlotte,NC. 2010 Graduate Curtis Bates is currently assistant banddirector at Columbia High School in Columbia, SC, wherehe also serves as a substitute teacher. He plans to attendgraduate school at the University of South Carolina in Fall2011. 2010 Graduate Titus Gant is pursuing a graduate degreein Jazz Studies at North Carolina Central University inDurham, NC.

Recording contract offered by Albany Records to twoMusic faculty members

Dr. Meisha Adderley, assistantprofessor of music/piano, and Ms.Stacey Holliday, instructor of musicand accompanist for the Department,recently signed with Albany Records,one of the most prominent classicalrecord labels in the country.Scheduled to be released in Spring2012, their CD will be comprised of60-79 minutes of piano duo and solo

works by Afro-American composers. Recently, the pianistswere contacted by Susan Bush, president of AlbanyRecords, who commended them on their choice ofrepertoire and their “fine playing” on their demo CD. To date, no piano duets by Afro-American composershave been recorded. The Center for Black Music Research

at Columbia College in Chicago holds the unpublished pianoduet scores of eight Afro-American composers in itsarchives. Over the past year, Dr. Adderley and Ms. Hollidayhave been uncovering these concert duet works as well assolo works by Afro-Americans, performing them at variousvenues throughout the country. Although a considerableamount of Afro-American piano music has been written,further scholarly research and recordings are needed touncover and document the composers and their works andto spark an interest in their obvious value. As we movefarther into the twenty-first century with a transformedinterest in the music of Afro-Americans, the duets and soloworks of Afro-American composers on the CD will beveritable treasures for listening, analysis, future study, andperformance.

Dr. Adderley andMs. Holiday


Philosophy and Religion DepartmentBy Dr. Daniel Hembree, Chair

Dr. Hembree

The Department of Philosophy and Religionremains committed to the views, values andguiding principles of Claflin University by en-suring that their graduates are equipped withthe necessary tools and skills needed to navi-gate through the world. Three of our stu-dents graduated in May and are now gradu-ate students in religious and theological stud-ies. Jessica Baker is a first-year student at

Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in the Master ofDivinity program. Jamal Wilkerson was accepted into theSchool of Divinity at Howard University, while Marcus Giv-ens is currently enrolled at Springfield College in Charles-ton, SC, working toward a master’s degree in communitycounseling. They join the list of recent alumni from our pro-

Ms. Anisah Bagasra, an instructor of psy-chology in the Department of History andSociology, has spent the last several yearsexploring issues pertinent to the Muslim com-munity in the United States. The results of herdoctoral research are beginning to garner at-

tention in the psychological community, and serve to fill ex-isting gaps in current knowledge regarding acculturation,religious commitment, and Muslim Americans’ perceptionsof mental illness. The initial goal of her research was to un-derstand how Muslims in America view mental illness, whatthey attribute as the cause of mental illness, and attitudestoward various treatment options. In addition, her researchexplores help-seeking preferences and allowed participantsto share personal experiences with mental illness and men-tal health providers. The results of the open-ended portionof her study have revealed mixed experiences with Ameri-can mental health care providers, and a heavy reliance amongparticipants on religious-based coping mechanisms. Theresults of the close-ended survey suggest that, when facedwith general questions about mental illness, Muslim Ameri-cans attribute mental illness to various causes, both West-ern clinical ideas of causation and cultural and spiritual attri-butions. Muslim Americans are also likely to endorse bothspiritual and psychotherapeutic interventions over medica-

gram who are currently pursuing graduate degrees in theol-ogy and law. We begin the 2010-2011 academic year with both ex-citement and anticipation of meeting new students enrolledin the philosophy and religion program. We are also pleasedto welcome our new faculty member, the Rev. Dr. RobinDease, to our department. The Rev. Dease is a Claflin Uni-versity alumna. She received both the Master of Divinityand Doctorate of Ministry degrees from Wesley Theologi-cal Seminary in Washington, DC, where Claflin Universityalumna Lakisha Lockhart is enrolled. She comes to ourdepartment with great experience and will serve as an ad-junct professor teaching courses in the Bible. She currentlyserves as the pastor of John Wesley United Methodist Churchin Greenville, SC. We extend a big welcome to the Rev.Dease, and we are excited about her being here at ClaflinUniversity.

tion. Help-seeking preferences among participants reflectexisting literature that shows a preference to turn to familyand friends before seeking outside help. The secondary partof this study examined the role of acculturation and religiouscommitment as possible mediating factors in perceptions ofmental illness. Though no solid relationship appeared in thestatistical analysis, the research led to the development oftwo new psychosocial instruments – an acculturation scalefor Muslim Americans and a Muslim religious commitmentscale. The development and testing of these scales has ledMs. Bagasra to present the results at major national confer-ences. In August, she traveled to San Diego to present atthe Annual American Psychological Association Conven-tion. The presentation was well-received and led to a re-port in October’s edition of the Monitor on Psychology.Later this month, she traveled to Atlanta to present at theAmerican Academy of Religion’s Annual meeting regardingMuslim identity formation in the 21st century. Initial resultsfrom her doctoral presentation were also presented at theSociety for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)in New Orleans in June, highlighting the help-seeking pref-erences and experiences with mental health practitioners ofMuslim participants. Ms. Bagasra is now awaiting the finalapproval of her dissertation and has plans to continue withher research and publish the results in academic journals.

Claflin instructor’s research focuses on Muslim AmericansBy Ms. Anisah Bagasra

Ms. Bagasra

Mandakini Hiremath

happy because they know that theyare making others happy by instillingjustice in society. It is better to jointhe team of uplifters than those whoalways stand at the bottom in orderto pull someone else down. ThankGod Almighty that the number of pes-simists is far exceeded by the numberof positive contributors. Reflecting on a situation like this

makes me ponder President Henry N. Tisdale’s favorite“Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership,” producedby Kent Keith. He read these at the conclusion of his springsemester address to Claflin faculty and staff at the Honorsand Recognition Ceremony. 1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered:Love them anyway. 2. If you do good, people will accuseyou of selfish, ulterior motives: Do good anyway. 3. If youare successful, you win false friends and true enemies: suc-ceed anyway. 4. The good you do today will be forgottentomorrow: Do good anyway. 5. Honesty and franknessmakes you vulnerable: Be honest and frank anyway. 6.The biggest men (and women) with the biggest ideas canbe shot down by the smallest men (and women) with thesmallest minds: Think big anyway. 7. People favor under-dogs but follow only top dogs: Fight for a few underdogsanyway. 8. What you spend years building may be de-stroyed overnight: Build anyway. 9. People really needhelp but may attack you if you do help them: Help themanyway. 10. Give the world the best you have and you willget kicked in the teeth: Give the world the best you haveanyway. Obviously, Dr. Tisdale has modeled these command-ments in faith and proved himself as an outstanding leadernot just to the Claflin University family but also to the largercommunity by setting an example, by not just demandingthat his co-workers follow these commandments but show-ing them how to incorporate them in their daily lives. Inaddition, since it is human to forget or overlook these prin-ciples for selfish reasons or at times for no reason, Dr. Tisdalereminds us time and again of his belief: Life would be a lothappier if we praised the good we see, for there’s such alot of goodness in the worst of each one.

He admonishes us to be kinder and fair. In the wordsof “I Know Something Good about You,” a poem heshares with us, he asks, “Wouldn’t it be nice to practicethis fine way of thinking too—‘You know something goodabout me. / I know something good about you!’” Whilespeaking at the 2002 Matriculation Day convocation, heread the poem “The Cold Within” to stress the impor-tance of unity. (“The Cold Within” is about six peopletrapped by coincidence in black and bitter cold. Each onepossesses a stick of wood. While their dying fire is in needof logs, everyone holds his/her log back, for the first onenotices that one of the others is black; the next man seesone who doesn’t go to his church; the third one sits intattered clothes and asks why his log should be put to useto warm the idle rich. The rich man just sits back andthinks of the wealth that he has earned and how he keepswhat he has earned from the “lazy shiftless poor”; the blackman’s face speaks revenge as the fire passes from his sight,for all he sees in his stick of wood is a chance to spite thewhite men; and the last man in this forlorn group believesin giving only to those who give. Holding their logs in theirtight fists, all six die, not from the cold without, but fromthe cold within. As the unknown poet puts it, their actswere “a proof of human sin.”) Dr. Tisdale concluded his address by enumeratingthe lessons learned through the building of Noah’s ark.Dr. Tisdale always stresses the importance of co-workersgetting along and working together as a family, the ClaflinUniversity family. As Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner hasstated, “Make each day a good day. Try to do a littlegood each day, for you don’t know how many more daysyou have got on this earth.” Our time on earth is precious and limited, so make itstrategic and execute it wisely. As we end each day, let’sthank the people that lend a hand to justice and teach ushow to be positive contributors. Let’s pray and thank theLord for the bounty of kindness and love He has placedon this earth to make each life specially gifted, preciousand worth living. It is always better to light acandle than to blame the darkness.

POSITIVE DIFFERENCE -- continued from page 1



MASS COMMUNICATIONS – continued from page 13


“Revivification” adorns Art Center entrance

Claflin University Professor Dr. Kod Igwe andOrangeburg Mayor Paul Miller unveil the sculpture“Revivification” at the Orangeburg County Fine ArtsCenter.

Larry Hardy/T&D

On the afternoon ofWednesday, November 27, Dr.Kod Igwe, professor of art atClaflin University, helpedOrangeburg Mayor Paul Millerunveil the sculpture “Revivification”at the Orangeburg County FineArts Center. Saying, “Thesculpture fits with the city’srevitalization efforts…. This givesa nice new setting to the front ofthe Arts Center,” the Mayor added,“I want to accept this treasure thatwe will have for many, many yearsto come.” Parks and RecreationDirector Buster Smith said the newlandscaping and Igwe’s sculptureadd color to Edisto Memorial Gardens. OrangeburgCounty Fine Arts Center Executive Director Beth Thomasopined that the sculpture and landscaping give anotherattractive entrance to the gardens. By donating this beautiful piece of abstract art, Dr. Igwedesires to create an environment where we as people willcontinue to know that art is very important in the city ofOrangeburg. Beneath the psychology of the consciousmind, what the eyes see is different from the true nature ofan object. We only see what is on the surface, not what is.

Claflin students had several meetings with various BU offi-cials throughout the trip. The BU officials included MassCommunications Exchange Program Coordinator and Pro-fessor Jo O’Connor, Dr. Kenn Elmore, Dean of Students;Dr. Tom Fiedler, Dean of the College of Communication;Dr. Urbain (Ben) De Winter, the Associate Provost for theInternational Programs, and Ms. Katherine Kennedy, thedirector of the Howard Thurman Center for Race, Culture

& Ethnicity.The purposeof the trip wasto generateinterest in theStudent &Faculty Ex-

change Program and the Seamless Graduate School Ma-triculation Program, to meet with BU officials to begin tofinalize the procedures for the exchange, and to get answersto questions that students have concerning the program. The second initiative is the Cooperative Learning Pro-gram at the BMW Corporation. Mass Communications majorSharon Hadden is the first Claflin University student to beselected to participate in this program. As a result, the de-partment faculty and chair and the Dean of the School ofHumanities and Social Sciences together with AcademicAffairs, Student Affairs, and the Career Development Of-fice have been working together to develop and implementguidelines for this program. Ms. Hadden is currently onsiteat BMW and works in the test analysis division.

This abstract piece of art willcontinue to stump interpretiveminds. Great interpretation issealed with a plea of confidence.It conveys the message of life,growth, prosperity, and thestruggle in between. This artrepresents growth, which is anelement of existence; in art, thisgrowth is seen as a continuationof existence in the life of the city ofOrangeburg. It is said, “Beauty inthings exists merely in the mindwhich contemplates them” and“Beauty is in the eye of thebeholder.” Sculptor Igwe’ssculpture “Revivification,” anabstract work of art, stands

proudly symbolizing the City of Orangeburg, its coming tolife and resurgence; it invites varied symbolic interpretationsfrom different beholders. Dr. Igwe says, “In my art, I seek perfection. I believethat my art will endlessly continue to express the impressionsthat are visualized by the human mind and captivated by mythoughts. As aspects of my world continue to evolve, I bringmy vast emotions to formulate my timeless art, which speaksto my soul. For my art, growth is my element of existence.” And we all know growth is evidence of life.

Team Claflin members meet with BU officials



Remembering Dr. Preston Blakely

Dr. Preston Blakely

From the Department Chair, Dr. Donna L. Gough

See, DEPARTMENT CHAIR, page 19

Dr. Preston Blakely

I had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Preston Blakely foronly a short time. But even so, Dr. Blakely made an impacton me with his kindness, sharp wit and indomitable spirit.As the chair of the department, I knew that Dr. Blakely haddevoted his life to the media profession and to teachingstudents. He began his career at HamptonUniversity, where he taught classes andproduced television programs andspecial videos for the university inconjunction with the local ABC affiliate.Then, Dr. Blakely became a marketingsales representative for ViacomCablevision in Nashville, Tennessee.Later, he became a general manager forWCLK-FM, the National Public Radioaffiliate at Clark Atlanta University inAtlanta, Georgia; and then, he becamethe general manager at WEAA-FM,the National Public Radio affiliate atMorgan State University in Baltimore,Maryland. Dr. Blakely made his wayto Claflin University in 2006 and servedas the department chair during the2007-2008 school year. Dr. Blakelypromoted the importance of media education to bothstudents and the community. He spent most of his workinglife in and around universities and influenced thelives and minds of many. I went to the online tribute for Dr. Blakely that waspublished by The Morning Journal in Lorain, Ohio, Dr.Blakely’s hometown. There I read the tributes to Dr. Blakelyfrom his friends, colleagues and former students. One person wrote, “I am deeply saddened of the newsof Dr. Preston Blakely. A great man who taught me so much.He was a mentor, co-worker and friend. I miss him already.His legacy will live on through his family, his students andthose of us whom he molded into professionals. Another wrote, “Preston hired me as his Music Directorof WEAA/Morgan State University - my first job out ofcollege. He gave me the break that, after sending 51 resumesand air check tapes and hearing nothing back, I thought Iwould never get. For this I am eternally grateful. In his ownspecial way, Preston led and developed the next generationof professionals. Anyone who has worked with him or

learned from him knows how special he was. Thank youfor everything, dear brother.” And another wrote, “Dr. Blakely, Thank You for beingsuch a great person and working so well with me my firstyear of college. I will never forget you or the hard work

you made me put in. I remember all ofthe times I’ve made you laugh and smileand I’ll never forget them. I’m very gladto say I have had the opportunity to haveyou in my life as a leader and anoutstanding professor.” One of the most moving tributes wasfrom his former colleagues at MorganState University: On behalf of the Morgan StateUniversity Community, I express to thefamily of Dr. Preston Blakely ourcondolences on his sudden passing. Formany years, Dr. Blakely was one of themajor intellectual forces on Morgan’scampus as general manager of theaward-winning WEAA-FM RadioStation and, later, as assistant professorof communication studies. Dr. Blakelyplayed a major role in mentoring a

generation of radio personalities and professionals and intraining a generation of mass communications graduates atMorgan. They bear the imprint of his professionalism andhis inspiring instruction and guidance. Though we have losthis physical presence and will miss his “individual being,”we are comforted to know that the presence of his absencedoes not mean the absence of his presence in our lives.Preston will live with us forever, and the records of MorganState University will always speak of his remarkablecontribution to the education of our students. But the tribute with which I most identify was the onethat said, “Dear Preston: The last time we spoke, I wasteasing you. I always got a kick out of seeing you smile.Most of the time you had a very serious look on your face.” I remember one afternoon, shortly after I had arrivedat Claflin, Dr. Blakely came to see me. I, too, thought thathe looked like a very stern and serious no-nonsense person.But, before our meeting was over, the two of us were almostrolling on the floor because we were laughing so hard. I


By Dr. Julian M. Williams

I first met Dr. Preston Blakely in 2006, when he cameto Claflin to interview for the position of associate pro-fessor of mass communications. Over the next few years,I really got a chance to know him well. He often cameby my office to discuss academic issues and policies.Through our visits, I became aware that he was a seri-ous, humble, caring and warm-hearted gentleman with akeen sense of humor. We shared many laughs over theyears. Dr. Blakely was diligent in teaching his students.From 2007-2008, he served as acting chair of the MassCommunications Department. Dr. Blakely will certainlybe missed for his unwavering loyalty and support of hisdean and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences,the professional and personal mentoring of our masscommunication students and the overall contributionsthat he made to Claflin University.

By Dr. Peggy S.Ratliff

Although I only had the pleasure of being in a classof six students with Dr. Blakely for one semester, I’llnever forget his unique teaching approach. His studentswould be sure to hear the frequent “But why?” or “I justdon’t understand” partnered with a puzzled expression.I can say he was the first professor I’ve had that declinedto sugarcoat his advice on my personal career path. Iremember turning in my final the last week of school andsaying, “See you next semester,” anticipating his nextcourse. It finally hits hard that I won’t be able to receiveany more of his much appreciated insight. Dr. Blakely,you will be truly missed.

By Jeremy Holder

Dr. Blakely, you will be truly missed

DEPARTMENT CHAIR - continued from page 18 Dr. Blakely will certainly be missed

Although Dr. Blakely was a very private person, hewas highly respected by the Department of MassCommunications. His students loved him. I believe thathe would want the faculty and staff to press on to thegoal that President Tisdale spoke of earlier this schoolyear – that is, the goal of making Claflin a world-classinstitution.

Dr. Blakely was a very privatebut highly respected person

Your presence will truly be missed

By Michael Fairwell

Your presence will truly be missedThey are all gone into the world of light,And I alone sit lingering here;Their very memory is fair and bright,And my sad thoughts doth clear.Dr. Preston Blakely, your presence will truly be missedand you have definitely touched several lives in theDepartment of Mass Communications. You were a greatleader, colleague and father figure.

Remembering Dr. Blakely -- continued from page

don’t even remember what we were laughing about, butI remember the twinkle in Dr. Blakely’s eye and the smileon his face. I saw that twinkle again when we were in meetingsand later, when he and I attended the BroadcastEducation Association National Convention in Las Vegas.The two of us were meeting to divide up sessions betweenus so that we could cover more presentations andrepresent Claflin at both of the district meetings. While we were talking, I asked him how his trip hadbeen and how he was enjoying Las Vegas. In his veryminimal and quiet way, he told me that things were fine.I, of course, saw my opportunity to tease him. I told himthat I thought his account of his trip was more than a bitboring and if that was all that he was going to say, then Iwas going to come back to Claflin with a big story abouthim, a Las Vegas show girl and the police. Of course, headmonished me with a very strong, “Don’t you dare!”But I noticed once again the twinkle in his eye and thesmile on his face. Dr. Blakely worked hard, always cared for and aboutstudents, especially during the times when he had to betough, assisted young people with employmentopportunities and always, always had time for a goodlaugh. We will miss him very much.


To thosewe love -- and see each dayAnd other loved ones far awayTo all good friends whose friendship means so muchAnd those with whom we are somehow out of touch

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Season’s Greetings fromThe School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Wishing you every happiness this holiday seasonand throughout the coming year

Love Hope Joy Peace


Newsletter Fall 2010[1]

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