Bulldog Times

DO’S AND DON’TS ON THE HILL CORONATION

Alabama A&M 67th Queen leading with elegance and grace

CAFETERIA FRENZY

ISSUE # 1 OCTOBER 2017

Welcome Week 2017

E D I T O R S C O R N E R

From The Editor

Greetings Bulldogs,

I’m grateful you’ve picked up the very first edition of the Bulldog Times Magazine. This student publication serves as the official voice of the students of Alabama A&M University. The Bulldog Times will keep you connected, informed, and empowered to really Start Here, Go Anywhere.

As we start this new journey, I would like to remind you that success is yours. Start demanding the best out of you. As you walk into your classes, meetings, or networking event have the mindset that you can conquer exactly what you set out to do. Do not let your dreams settle as just a good idea. Combine your passion with your work ethic and achieve your greatest dream on the highest hill.

Enjoy Bulldog Country.

Sincerely, Kiara Hurst Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief Kiara Hurst HillTips Jasmine Searcy-Editor Avery Merrill-Assistant Editor HillFeatures Kristina Stevenson-Editor Joshua Williams-Assistant Editor HillNews Jazzmine Walker-Editor Kion Brown-Assistant Editor HillCollege Shabree Frett-Editor Alexis Rudolph-Assistant Editor Tyler Palm-Assistant Editor Graphic Artist LaZerek Davis Photography Samuel Carter

C O N T E N T S

HillEvents Move-In Day to Remember.........................5 A Family aFAIR: RSO Fair.........................6 Absolute Midnight Madness........................7 HillFeatures Scenes From The Hill..................................8 HillNews Miss Alabama A&M: Leading with Grace Aliyah S. Riley......................................9-10 HillTips Bulldog Survival 101............................11-12 Cafe Frenzy ................................................13 Greek Do’s and Don’ts................................14

Welcome to The Hill

H I L L E V E N T S

A Move-In Day To Remember

SGA Executive Board (Instagram @AAMU_SGA)

AAMU Band on Move-in Day

Alumni Association

August 10th and 11th was Freshman Move-In Day on the Hill. Parents and new bulldogs were filled with joy and ease when welcomed by student organizations from all over campus. This year’s Move-In Day was smoother than usual with dorm check-in located at the Elmore Gym. The Department of Public Safety directed traffic up the hill. Each dorm location was staffed with student volunteers making the typical move from car to dorm about 20 minutes or less. A Freshman Bulldog dad said, “ I wasn’t expecting all of the help and trolleys. They (volunteers) really made it easier on us.” In addition to all of the help; snacks and drinks were provided to help Bulldogs cool White Band,various NPHC members and Housing for welcoming the Class of 2021.

Absolute Midnight Madness

AAMU’s Student Government Association kicked off Welcome Week with Midnight Madness. Midnight Madness was the first Quad Party of the year.

DJ Dre Smoove was on the 1s and 2s for the packed out Quad Party. Students were welcomed by members of the SGA. Freshman were in awe by the many fraternities and sororities strolling and having fun with them Midnight Madness was madness indeed but just the start. Welcome Week consisted of the Freshman Talent Show, Movie Night, Greek Yard Show, many quad parties and the infamous Fan Day at the Louis Crews Stadium.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Shot by Instagram: @khronicalsofken )

Quad Party

A Family aFair

By Jazzmine Walker

Going away to school can be hard, especially if it is your first time being away from everything and everyone you know. It’s an adjustment that many on campus have had to face, but have prevailed through the friendships they have formed on campus. For this very reason, students at A&M are urged to go out and find people who mesh well with their passions and values. Every fall semester, all students, especially freshmen, are charged to venture to the annual Registered Student Organization (RSO) fair where the various groups are represented. True to form, the RSOs went above and beyond expectations with their tables. They pulled out all stops with their banners and posters and even their candy or popsicles in Omega Psi Phi’s case. From Divine Nine to social Greeks and even choir, diversity upon Normal’s hills was heavily displayed upon the quad at this event.

Each RSO did not fail to have a little quirk that drew people to their table, like House Arrest’s dancing mob and SAI’s spontaneous singing. Even the Greeks strolling across the quad could not help, but catch the eye of some interested bystanders. Freshmen were in awe of this new world they had suddenly been immersed into. The fair was like a breath of fresh air, as they stepped into this different world. By the end of the day, the event had promising results; not because of all the fliers and candy that had been passed out, but because of the opportunities that had been offered to the students. Although many may find the fair to be a show and tell to display who runs the “yard” at A&M, it is bigger than that. It was about getting to know one another through the things we cherish and hopefully even sharing it with others. This is always the goal for the event and it has never failed to bring the bulldog family closer together. The fair was only a stepping stone for something greater for the students. They are not only choosing to join an organization; they are joining a family.

“Beauties and Boutonnieres”

H I L L N E W S

Friday, September 8, 2017, Alabama A&M University held its 67th coronation of Miss Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University at seven o’clock in the evening in the Thomas M. Elmore Gymnasium. Miss Aliyah Sharnae Riley, a senior Psychology major from Columbus, Georgia, officially received the crown and title as the 2017-2018 Miss Alabama A&M University by former Miss AAMU for the 2016-2017 academic school term, Carmen Patrice Wright.

The newly-crowned Miss AAMU was joined by her Royal Court who also participated in the elegant affair. Her Royal Court consisted of class queens with male escorts for each respective queen and campus queens representing various campus organizations with escorts for each respective queen dressed in gorgeous white gowns and devanier tuxedos. Not only did the AAMU community witness a rich legacy continue with the crowning of a new queen, but the event also consisted of presentations through song, poetry, and dance.

Among Miss AAMU and her Royal Court, were their families and friends who were each acknowledged at the beginning of the ceremony and sat in their designated reserved sections. In addition to this, past AAMU queens were present as well as President Andrew Hugine Jr. and First Lady Abbiegail Hugine and their family, along with Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Gary Crosby and his family, University Administrators, Student Government Association, faculty, and staff.

Joshua J.R. Williams, Assistant Editor

“Embodying a Legacy,

Fun Facts Former Miss Honors Program Aliyah Riley graduated top 10% from Central High, Phenix City, AL Maintains a 3.80 GPA Founder of F.I.R.E. (Freely Immparting Righteousness to Everyone) Enjoys poetry, basketball, prayer, worship and dancing

Embracing a Future�

H I L L T I P S

BULLDOG SURVIVAL GUIDE By: Avery Merrill

Follow these helpful tips to help you get through your time here at Alabama A&M University and you should have a successful but fun time here. Welcome to the Hill.

GO TO CLASS Obvious, right? Maybe, but sleeping in and skipping that 8 am class will be tempting at times.

Avoid the temptation. Besides learning the material by attending classes, you’ll also receive vital information from the professors about what to expect on tests, changes in due dates, etc.

MEET WITH YOUR PROFESSORS Speaking to a professor, I can assure you there are only upsides to getting to know your professors, especially if later in the semester you run into some snags. Professors schedule office hours for the sole purpose of meeting with students — take advantage of that time..

GET ORGANIZED In college, the professors post the assignments — often for the entire semester — and expect you to be prepared. Buy an organizer, use an app, or get a big wall calendar — whatever it takes for you to know when assignments are due.

SEEK A BALANCE College life is a mixture of social and academic happenings. Don’t tip the balance too far in either direction. One of my favorite former professors always lived by this motto, “To study hard means you can play hard.”

GET INVOLVED ON CAMPUS A big problem a lot of new students have is a combination of homesickness and a feeling of not belonging. Consider joining a select group, but be careful not to go overboard with student organizations, clubs, sororities or fraternities, or sports teams.

You’ll make new friends, learn new skills, and feel more connected to your school..

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS. Don’t look to place the blame on others for your mistakes; own up to them and move on. Being an adult means taking responsibility for everything that happens to you.

MAKE CONNECTIONS IN YOUR CLASSES One of my best friends said his technique in the first week of classes was to meet at least one new person in each of his classes.

It expanded his network of friends — and was a crucial resource at times when he had to miss a class.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR MONEY If you’ve never had to create a budget, now is the time to do so.

Find ways to stretch your money – and as best you can, avoid all those credit card solicitations you’ll soon be receiving. The average credit card debt of college grads is staggering.

DON’T GO OUT EVERY WEEKEND I understand that it’s your first year of college, but it can soon be your last semester of school if you don’t do right.

BE YOURSELF You don’t have to change who you are as a person to fit in. People will accept you sometimes just for being your yourself regardless of what you like to do or what you are interested in.

GREEK COLUMNS GREEK DO’S AND DON’TS By: Kiara Hurst It’s welcome week and it wouldn’t be the same without the Greeks. The AAMU NPHC is comprised of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity , Incorporated, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. They all came to show who really runs the yard. There were no official judges but Instagram was talking. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority were the greeks to beat. Just because winners were not announced doesn’t mean you can’t be a winner.

Here’s some Greek 101: DO NOT VERBALLY EXPRESS INTEREST The members of these organizations are flattered that you’d want to be apart of their organization but do not want to know that you wish to be apart. That’s what interest meetings are for.

BE PRESENT NPHC organizations have events monthly,be there! Yes, you do not have to verbally show interest but your presence at events does.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO IMITATE ANY ORGANIZATION All organizations have calls, strolls, and signs specific to them. They all went through a process to earn the right to use them. It is very disrespectful to mimic their call or actions. Your time will come.

Just wait on it.

THE STONES ARE NOT FOR YOU! The stones are located on “The Block”. Each organization has a stone, as well as, STE, which is not apart of the Divine 9. These beautiful monuments are meant for their members only. Please do not step,sit, or stand on these areas.

DO NOT BREAK A LINE Enjoy your turn-up just not in line. Quad parties are fun and will quickly escalate especially if a line is broken. When an organization dances in a line that is called a stroll. Bystanders are to stand by meaning do not cross or interrupt the dance. Please get out of the way when you see a stroll line coming. You do not want to kicked in a Ques Hop or Elbowed by a Delta!

Cafeteria Frenzy By: Jasmine Searcy

It never fails at noon every day in the Ernest Knight or Foster cafeteria, there is always a flood of students over packing the area. It could be Fried Chicken Tuesday or Fried Fish Friday, there will always a stand still at the door. Have you ever wondered why there is only one person checking student ID cards and taking their precious time? Eventually, after waiting for 30 minutes to finally get into the cafeteria, there is no enjoyable food or no more chicken or fish left. So if you just shook your head and agreed to the different dilemmas I just wrote about, here are some tips that has helped me over the years:

1. ALWAYS GET THERE ON TIME: If class lets out early enough before noon, make your way to the cafeteria. They always have fresh food around 11am and no lines.

2. RESERVE YOUR SPOT: If your friend is already ahead in the line, you can skip the line, the other students may be mad but your hunger is worth it, just kidding.

3. THE WORKERS ARE YOUR FRIENDS: Be friendly to the workers and you will receive bigger amounts of food. Always greet them with a smile and have small talk, being nice goes a long way.

If all that fails, use your bulldog bucks to have a bite to eat at Subway or the Pod Station. Please be mindful of the cafeteria hours, when the door is closed, the food is gone. Listed below are the times that both cafeterias open and close for the day.

West Cafe

Breakfast:7:00-9:00am Continental: 9:00am-10:30am Lunch: 11:00am-1:45pm Dinner: 4:00pm-7:00pm

Foster Cafe

Breakfast: 7:00am-9:00am Lunch: 11:00am-1:00pm Dinner: 4:00pm-6:00pm