SGA ELECTIONS CROWN Miss Virginia State University Joy Watson is crowned during Org Bazaar on April 13th. p. 5 Contributed Photo. Inside: Lt. Col. Dr. Jona McKee p. 2 , Greek Fraternities & Sororities p. 4, & Softball prepares for CIAA p. 6 Twitter @TheVAStatesman Instagram www.TheVirginiaStatesman.com@TheVAStatesmanTHESTATESMANVIRGINIAProudlyrepresentingthestudentvoiceatVirginiaStateUniversitysince1930.www.TheVirginiaStatesman.com|VolumeXCIssue3|April20,2022|FreeMISSVSU
THEVIRGINIASTATESMAN PAGE WEDNESDAY24.20.22NEWS
FEATURESTHEVIRGINIASTATESMAN
“I am a proud three-time alum of Virginia State University,” Dr. Fowlkes said. “I got my bachelor’s degree in Psychology, my master’s degree in Psychology with a clini cal emphasis, and my doctorate in Health Psychology with a clinical specialization from Virginia State University. I’m super excited to be back; it’s like a homecoming.” When it comes to diversity, in clusion, and belonging, Dr. Fowl kes has an extensive background.
O n April 4, 2022, Virginia State Uni versity announced the hiring of Dr. A.C. Fowlkes as the University’s first Director of Diver sity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Dr. Fowlkes is the first to head the Uni versity’s new Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Virginia State University an nounced in a press release that the new office will “promote good rela tions and practices toward histori cally marginalized populations and will work within the VSU commu nity to support people who may be subject to discrimination.”
Dr. A.C. Fowlkes returns to VSU to lead new office
Anjel-Ali ExecutiveOrmondEditor
Dr. Fowlkes is not new to Vir ginia State University.
Dr. Fowlkes is an LGBTQ+ subject matter expert and a trans-inclu sion expert. He writes for Forbes about LGBTQ+ sensitivity, transinclusion, and allyship. He is also on the Board of Directors for The Trevor Project, a crisis hotline for LGBTQ+ youth. “I eat, sleep, and breathe diver sity and inclusion and the creation of safe spaces,” Fowlkes said. “For me, this all started in the prison system. I was working in the pris on system, and I saw things that were concerning to me about how LGBTQ+inmates were being treat ed. I started doing presentations and volunteering to do sensitivity training within the prison system. That’s really where everything started for me, and it grew from there. I began to go from one sec tor to another sector, and the rest is history.”Before his role at Virginia State, Dr. Fowlkes worked full-time at his consulting firm, Fowlkes Consult ing, where he is currently the CEO. Before that, the Virginia State alumnus worked as a healthcare executive.“Iwas doing that for a while; then I transitioned into operating my firm full time, then I heard of the opportunity here, back at Vir ginia State,” Fowlkes said. “And I thought, what an amazing oppor tunity it would be to come back and give back to Virginia State because Virginia State poured so much into me. I would not be who I am if I had not gone to Virginia State Uni versity.”While Dr. Fowlkes is new to the role, he is already getting acclimat ed to the campus and environment again.“Right now, I’m in the infor mation-gathering phase,” Fowlkes said. “I’m trying to get a sense of where things are and the campus climate. I’m taking opportunities to speak with students, faculty, and staff and getting a sense of where things are. But I am excited because I see potential in things we can do and offer that will be a value-added to this community at Virginia State.” Dr. Fowlkes plans to spotlight many different elements of the black community at VSU. “I’m excited about highlighting diversity within the black commu nity because we are an HBCU, and we are predominantly black, but we are such a diverse community,” Fowlkes said. “We are so diverse. I am interested in looking at how we are diverse even within our com munity. Looking at ethnicity and looking at inter-faith things so that we can be exposed to and see other world views and other perspec tives.”Dr. Fowlkes plans to bring in various speakers to campus and host lectures himself in areas he specializes in. He wants students to be exposed to things that they might not have had an opportunity to before.“Bringing in people to speak, acknowledging different reli gious holidays, and understanding what they represent is important,” Fowlkes said. “We have months designated for different cultures and ethnicities, and I’d love to do events that feature those things.” If any students wish to con tact Dr. Fowlkes, they can email acfowlkes@vsu.edu or stop by his office in Virginia Hall, office 317, down the hall from the President’s Office.“Virginia State has grown so much and continues to grow and become even more amazing, and I feel like this [position] is another aspect of that growth. This truly is Greater Happening Here,” Fowlkes said. “To say that we prioritize di versity and inclusion and want to make sure that this is a safe space for all students, faculty, and staff is amazing. I am thankful to be a part of that process.”
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Dr. A.C. Fowlkes is the new Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Fowlkes is a threetime alumnus of Virginia State University, earning a Bachelor’s in Psychology, a Master’s in Psychology with a clinical emphasis, and a Doctorate in Health Psychology with a clinical specialization from Virginia State University. Photo contributed.
University hires first Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
FEATURESTHEVIRGINIASTATESMAN PAGE WEDNESDAY44.20.22 THE ALPHAVIRGINIASORORITIESFRATERNITIESGREEKNINEANDATSTATEINCLUDE:KAPPAALPHA Alpha Chapter - Cornell Univ. 1,046 320,000chapters+members ALPHA PHI ALPHA Alpha Chapter - Howard Univ. 850 185,000chapters+members DELTA SIGMA THETA Alpha Chapter - Howard Univ. More than 1,000 chapters 300,000 + members IOTA PHI THETA Alpha Chapter - Morgan State Over 300 chapters 30,000 + members KAPPA ALPHA PSI Alpha Chapter - IU Bloomington 721 160,000chapters+members OMEGA PSI PHI Alpha Chapter - Howard Univ. 750 250,000chapters+members PHI BETA SIGMA Alpha Chapter - Howard Univ. 700 200,000chapters+members SIGMA GAMMA RHO Alpha Chapter - Butler Univ. 500 + 100,000chapters+members ZETA PHI BETA Alpha Chapter - Howard Univ 850 125,000chapters+members
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Staff Reports
Next up for the Trojans are two doubleheaders to finish the season. They play Virginia Union at home on Thursday, April 21st at 4 PM and 6 PM. They then travel to Richmond to face the Panthers in a rematch on Sat urday, April 23rd at 1 PM and 3 PM to conclude their regular season. The CIAA Tournament will take place during the first week of May, with the quarterfinals taking place Tuesday, May 3, and the semifinals and finals taking place at Glenn Al len’s RF&P park on Friday and Satur day, May 6th & 7th.
New turf field comes to Rogers Stadium along with four new sports GibranEditorGodfrey
Pitcher Alaijah Pratt got her sev enth win on the season with a two hit shutout to improve her record on the season to 7-3.
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SPORTSTHEVIRGINIASTATESMAN Softball prepares for CIAA Trojans conclude their season with two doubleheaders against Union
W ith the con clusion of the Virginia footballUniversityStatespring game came the end of grass seed, fertilizer and mowing. Yes, the field at Rogers Stadium is undergoing a face-lift to be ready for fall 2022.
Currently bulldozers are remov ing the grass turf to prepare to lay down a new synthetic turf field.
According to a post from Con structional Journal, Virginia State will see, “construction of an artificial turf field and urethane track system within the existing Rogers Stadium.”
Freshmen Alaijah Pratt connects with a high fastball. Pratt has not only commanded the batter’s box, but also the pitcher’s mound going 7-3 this season. She recently threw a two-hit shutout against Bowie State and a onehit shutout against Lincoln. Photo by Virginia Statesman staff.
According to the www.GoV SUTrojans.com site, “Rogers Sta dium (7,909) is home to the Vir ginia State’s football team and men’s and women’s track & field teams. The athletic field was named after William A. Rogers, the first faculty member that became a coach at VSU. Rogers Stadium was opened for football and track in 1950.
“The current track configura tion was installed in 2002 and saw a major refurbishing over the winter of 2009. It has been the site of the CIAA Championships since 2005. In 2014, Rogers Stadium was the site of the NCAA Atlantic Region Round 1 Football Playoffs.”
The Virginia Statesman With just four games left in the regular season, the Virginia State University soft ball team is just three wins away from 20 wins, a major accomplishment in the first year back to a normal regular season.Most recently, the Trojans de feated CIAA opponent Bowie State in back-to-back games on Sunday, April 10th.After being down 2-0 to Bowie State, off of a Brittney Brewer home run, the Trojans mounted a 5th in ning rally to claw their way back into the game, and eventually take the lead.Three doubles in the 5th proved too much for the Bulldogs, and Des mond Owens tallied the win on the mound bringing her record to 6-5 on the season.Inthe second game of the dou bleheader against the Bulldogs, the Trojans kept their opponent off of the scoreboard completely, 8-0. Owens broke open the 0-0 score in the second with a homer to left center, giving the Trojans a 1-0 lead. From that point on the Trojans didn’t lookScoringback. in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings with hits from Macy Beville, Samantha Cunningham, and Alani Horton, the Trojans took the second game of the doubleheader with the mercy rule in the 5th.
In addition to the upgrade in the football stadium, a new soccer field is currently under construc tion next to the VSU Multipurpose Center. This facility will be home to the new men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, in addition to the men’s and women’s soccer teams.
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