Tennessee State University Forensics Program Students Excel In Qualifying Tournaments

Tennessee State University’s forensics team won 135 awards during the fall semester and is poised to surpass the number of awards earned in previous years, Director of Forensics Kimberley LaMarque said.

In the two-day 2009 Holiday Frolic tournament hosted by the Ohio State University Dec. 4-5, the team won 19 awards and placed third in the team sweepstakes of the 30 competing colleges and universities. Two weeks prior, two team members nabbed 21 of 26 possible awards at the 2009 Tennessee Porch Swing Tournament, hosted by Carson-Newman College and Belmont University.

“Forensics is the competitive art of public speaking. The more our students compete, the better they and the program will become. Competitions prepare the students to think on their feet and give them the necessary tools to produce under pressure,” said LaMarque, who also serves as associate professor in the University’s Department of Communications.

LaMarque credited the stronger showing to having an increased coaching staff, allowing for a specific plan of learning objectives to be created for each team member. Emily Kofoed, assistant director of the forensics team, and TSU alumnus Clarence Ball, assistant coach, have both joined LaMarque’s administrative team within the past year.

“Since joining the forensics team, I’ve become a faster thinker and more confident speaker. Preparing speeches for tough competitions and challenging practices has also made me a better writer. There’s nothing like it,” said first-year team member Derrick Johnson, a sophomore speech communications and theater major from Cleveland, Ohio.

LaMarque said the team prepares to compete in at least six tournaments per semester and often hosts one tournament on campus each fall. However, budget restraints have limited the team’s participation to only four-to-five events per semester.

Each tournament consists of 11 different categories of competition, including interpretation, prepared and limited preparation events. Andrea Durham, who serves as the team’s president and is a second-year team member, said she loves the interpretation events, which include prose, dramatic, poetry, dramatic duo and program of oral interpretation.

“In 10 minutes, I get to tell a story that wouldn’t be told otherwise. In a world of instant gratification, 10 minutes can be a long time to get your point across and keep an audience captivated,” said Durham, a junior biochemistry major from Bowie, Md., about her love of competition.

Next up for the team is the Mid-Year Championships hosted by University of Texas-Austin this month. LaMarque said the team members have worked hard and are prepared to win even more awards at the upcoming tournament.

Highlights from 2009 Fall Commencement

Tennessee State University celebrated its 2009 Fall Commencement on Dec. 18 awarding degrees to more than 400 graduates.

Students from the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Health Sciences and School of Graduate Studies made up over half of all fall graduates. As they depart from TSU as graduates, they are prepared to continue educational studies toward advanced degrees and find success in entering the global workforce.

The 2009 Fall Commencement at TSU marked the institution’s 98th year and proved to be evidence of a continued tradition of excellence in lifelong learning. Judge Monte Watkins, a 1970 graduate of Tennessee State University, delivered the commencement address. The legendary Coach Edward Stanley Temple was honored as the recipient of the Doctor of Humane Letters. 

See photos from the 2009 Fall Commencement here.

Tennessee State University Among Most Admired Companies for Minorities in Research Science

The 24th Black Engineer of the Year Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Conference announced the 2010 Most Admired Companies in Research Science.  The list represents a full array of employers who are working in critical areas of U.S. health care, agriculture, education, government and industry.

This list, published for the past five years, is unique because it is a survey of the readers and editors of US Black Engineer & Information Technology, Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology, Women of Color and Science Spectrum Online magazines regarding their impressions of diversity programs at today’s top organizations. Tennessee State University was among the universities and colleges that made the list.

Despite the economic recession, many of the top companies have maintained their commitment to diversity, retention and recruitment according to the survey of professional minority research scientists, technologists and engineers.  This is in part because of the global demand for scientists and researchers who remain the backbone of knowledge-based economies. Without them we would not have the worldwide web or many other advances we take for granted in our lives, from health care to food safety, even engineering feats such as power stations or the Channel Tunnel. 

The awards come at a time when the country is facing a science and technology crisis: Baby boomers are retiring, more restrictions are being placed on immigrating students and science workers, and foreign countries are fast catching up to the United States technology lead.

The Obama Administration is attempting to reverse these trends by making science research a priority. President Obama set a goal of spending 3% of our GDP on Research and Development. According to Obama, “I believe it is not in our American character to follow – but to lead. And it is time for us to lead once again.” However, to meet these goals, 10,000 more scientists, students, postdoctoral fellows, and technicians, as well as 100,000 highly qualified math and science teachers, must be contributing to America’s scientific enterprise by 2015. 

According to Dr. Tyrone D. Taborn, the founder of the conference and publisher of US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine, “This survey is important because it gives employers an insight to minority employees’ attitudes and increases their abilities to recruit outstanding scientific talent. “Recruiting women and minorities, only to see them walk out of the door within a few years is a loss of investments and opportunity.”

Retaining promising employees is just as important as recruiting them. Companies are moving beyond simply acquiring a diverse work force and calling it quits. Taborn pointed out, “Our survey shows that many employers are successfully managing, embracing, and cultivating a diverse work environment. Minority employees give their employers improved marks on managing diversity and being fair.”

“I am thrilled to present and honor the organization’s that are providing opportunities for our nation’s brightest stars,” says Taborn. “Clearly, if we are to bring on a new cohort of science talent, we must begin by recognizing and applauding those in the employer community who are actively seeking a diverse workforce of the nation’s most talented scientists, technologists and engineers.”

About the conference:
The 24th BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference has attracted top professionals and students from every part of the nation and every field of science, engineering, and technology for more than two decades. Throughout the conference, our seminars and workshops will offer new information on a variety of topics affecting multicultural technology professionals such as career advancement, diversity programs and specialized industry updates. The Career Fair will link qualified engineers, scientists, business professionals and students with employers both regional and national. The conference is sponsored by Lockheed Martin Corporation, The Council of the Engineering Deans of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine.

See the complete list of the 2010 Most Admired Companies here. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER CLOSINGS

The Tennessee State University Office of Marketing and Public Affairs will make announcements of University closings through media and other outlets. Employees can confirm inclement weather closing announcements by calling the TSU Police Department at 615.963.5171.

Faculy/staff may check online for weather closing announcements at the University’s web site, Facebook and Twitter pages.

TSU Web site: www.tnstate.edu

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nashville-TN/TSU-Office-of-Marketing-and-Public-Affairs/93831967611

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tnstatenewsroom

FACULTY/STAFF INSTITUTE POSTPONED UNTIL MONDAY, JANUARY 11

Due to anticipated inclement weather conditions, the two-day Faculty/Staff Institute scheduled for Thursday, January 7 and Friday, January 8 has been postponed until Monday, January 11, announced President Melvin N. Johnson. The University will not be closed unless weather conditions deteriorate. Please pay close attention to news announcements for any delays in operating hours.

“We must take precautionary measures to ensure that our University community is safe,” said President Johnson in making the announcement. He added that although weather conditions remain uncertain, the safety of TSU’s faculty and staff must continue to be a top priority.

Monday’s condensed schedule is being finalized; however, the institute is slated to begin promptly at 7:30 a.m. with a coffee sip in Kean Hall. Once finalized, the revised schedule will be disseminated via University Communications and the TSU web site.