Black History Month Scholarship Luncheon

The Black History Month Scholarship Luncheon will take place at noon on Monday, Feb. 18, in the Health and Physical Education Complex. It will be hosted by U.S. Congressman Sanford Bishop and State Rep. Calvin Smyre. North Carolina Congressman and U.S. Chief Deputy Whip G. K. Butterfield is the keynote speaker. The campaign will fund university scholarships and has a goal of $250,000.

Butterfield is a life-long resident of eastern North Carolina. His father was the first black elected official elected in eastern North Carolina in the 20th century. His mother was a classroom teacher for 48 years. Congressman Butterfield's law practice was devoted to representing poor people with extraordinary legal problems. He was considered the “People's Lawyer” in his hometown – a title that earned him great respect and admiration in the community. He is best known for successfully handling several Voting Rights lawsuits in eastern North Carolina counties resulting in the Court-ordered implementation of district elections for local officials.

In February of 2001, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley appointed Congressman Butterfield to the seven-member North Carolina Supreme Court. Congressman Butterfield currently serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and serves on the Energy and Air Quality; Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection; and Environment and Hazardous Materials subcommittees. Beginning in the 110th Congress, Congressman Butterfield was appointed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn to serve as one of eight Chief Deputy Whips responsible for helping to formulate Democratic policy and ensuring the passage of legislation.

Enter St. Valentine

As I write this, we are less than a week away from a day that is often dreaded by males and lonely singles of both genders: Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day may have begun as an ancient pagan festival. The Roman feast of Lupercalia honored Juno, the Roman goddess of women and marriage, and was held on February the 14th. During Lupercalia, women would write love letters, known as billets, and place them in a large vessel. The men would draw billets from the vessel and would pursue the woman whose letter they had drawn.

February 14th may have cemented its amorous reputation during the Middle Ages as Medieval Europeans, who believed that birds began mating on February 14th and saw the day as an excellent day to send love letters.
There is a small bit of confusion as to which St. Valentine is honored by the holiday as the Catholic Church recognizes three saints named Valentine (or Valentinus) and all were apparently martyred on February 14 (Denton).

The most likely candidate is a 3rd century Roman priest who, despite direct orders from Roman Emperor Claudius II, performed secret marriages for Roman soldiers. The emperor believed that single soldiers were more likely to join his legions. Claudius had the priest arrested and, according to legend, the priest sent a note to the jailer’s daughter which was signed, “from your Valentine,” before he was executed on February 14 in 270 A.D. (Denton).

As was the case with many of our holidays, the ancient pagan festivals were replaced with holidays honoring Christian saints. Lupercalia, then, became St. Valentine’s Day in 496 when Pope Gelasius named the day in honor of the patron saint of lovers.

By the 15th century, spoken and singing valentines were replaced by written letters of love. Charles, Duke of Orleans, is credited with being one of the earliest creators of valentines. After the battle of Agincourt in 1415, Charles was imprisoned in the Tower of London. While there he passed the time writing rhyming love letters, valentines, to his wife in France (techdirect.com).
The earliest known valentine was sent in 1477. It was written by Margaret Brews of England and dedicated to her soon-to-be husband, John Paston, whom she called her “Ryght Welbeloved Voluntyn.”

By the sixteenth century, the exchange of written valentines had become commonplace. Late in the sixteenth century, Giovanni Portia expanded upon Ovid’s recipes adding twelve new formulas for concealing writing in love letters.

The seventeenth century saw the beginning of “form” love letters as booklets appeared offering poems that writers could copy into love letters of their own.

The first commercial valentine cards appeared around 1800 and were, by today’s standards, quite crude. However within thirty years the cards had become small works of art decorated with gilding, lace, ribbon and satin. They were also quite expensive. By the 1840’s mechanical valentines appeared. These cards featured such gimmicks as pull tabs which, when pulled, caused another part of the card to move.

Of course, then came the the Hallmarks of the world, and the rest is capitalism and hormones at work.

Denton, Paul. “History of Valentine’s Day.” http//www.alivenetwork.com/content.asp?ID=41
http://www.techdirect.com/valentine/history.html

-Dr. B. Keith Murphy is Interim Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Fort Valley State University

The History of Black History

by Elissa Haney
for www.infoplease.com

Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as "Negro History Week" and later as "Black History Month." What you might not know is that black history had barely begun to be studied-or even documented-when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America at least as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a respectable presence in the history books.

We owe the celebration of Black History Month, and more importantly, the study of black history, to Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Born to parents who were former slaves, he spent his childhood working in the Kentucky coal mines and enrolled in high school at age twenty. He graduated within two years and later went on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. The scholar was disturbed to find in his studies that history books largely ignored the black American population-and when blacks did figure into the picture, it was generally in ways that reflected the inferior social position they were assigned at the time.

Woodson, always one to act on his ambitions, decided to take on the challenge of writing black Americans into the nation's history. He established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now called the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History) in 1915, and a year later founded the widely respected Journal of Negro History. In 1926, he launched Negro History Week as an initiative to bring national attention to the contributions of black people throughout American history.

Woodson chose the second week of February for Negro History Week because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

Tuskeegee airman to speak at FVSU

Tuskegee Airman George W. Watson, Sr. Watson, now a retired Air Force sergeant and author, will share his story Friday night as a featured speaker during the John W. Davison Lecture Series. His book, "Memorable Memoirs" will be available for purchase and he will sign copies after the presentation.

Watson volunteered to serve in the U. S. Army in 1942. He served overseas in Germany, England, Turkey and Iran; then retired after 26 years of service.

Despite their bravery and accomplishments, the Tuskegee Airmen battled racism and bigotry at home. Don't miss Watson's story - 7 p.m. Friday, Feb 8 in the C.W. Pettigrew Center auditorium. Proceeds from the book sales will go toward scholarships and elementary schools in Watson’s hometown.

FVSU students weigh in on Super Tuesday

Today is Super Tuesday, and by all accounts, there’s more at stake than ever before in the Presidential race between the Democratic and Republican primary candidates.

In a video segment now on YouTube and the FVSU TV website, students weigh in on who they believe is the best choice to occupy the Oval Office. Marketing and Communications Department Host Apollonia Jones and Producer Stacie Barrett provide a fresh, interesting look at student views about the race to the White House.

For photos and information about each candidate’s platform, visit the library. Posters are located on the first floor by the elevator.

Watch the video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rhHMR6aZi8 or www.fvsu.edu and click FVSU TV link at bottom left of the page.

Wildcats in the Superbowl

The American High Holiday is this Sunday and, like millions of other Americans (and even more world-wide), I will be in front of a television for four hours Sunday watching the Super Bowl. Throughout this pageantry of capitalism, we are often so overwhelmed by the luscious displays of corporate avarice competing for time with elaborate displays of patriotic fervor that we forget that the Super Bowl is, for the 110 young men on the field, the moment when they have achieved the pinnacle of their professional careers. That kickoff in Phoenix is the moment these men have spent their entire lives sweating, bleeding, and praying for. This fact is often used by the media to create human interest stories. For instance, this year we will all hear about Patriot linebacker Junior Seau who has played like a champion for many long years for a bad team and now he’s getting the chance to play for a title.

However, as a fan, the game becomes quite interesting if you know one of the players. If you are a part of the Wildcat family, you’ve been lucky. In recent years, even if “your team” didn’t make the big game, a number of players from your Wildcat family have been to the big game and we celebrated or mourned along with them.

The most recent Wildcat in the Super Bowl was Nick Harper, who is probably best known for his recovery of Jerome Bettis’ fumble during the 2005 AFC Championship game. Bettis and the Steelers were headed into the end zone when Bettis fumbled the ball for the only time that season. Harper, a cornerback, scooped up the loose ball and headed toward the Indianapolis Colts’ end zone, 99 yards away. It looked, for a moment, as if Harper was going to single-handedly de-rail Pittsburgh’s date with destiny; but Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger managed to get a hand on him and Harper stumbled just enough that the Steelers’ defenders were able to catch him before he could score. No Super Bowl for the Colts in 2006. However, the next season, Harper would get his Super Bowl ring as the Colts crushed the Bears 29 – 17 in Super Bowl XLI. Harper now anchors the secondary as a member of the Tennessee Titans.

Tyrone Poole was an integral part of the New England Patriot’s defense when they slipped past the Carolina Panthers, 32 – 29, in Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004. The irony of the story is that Poole was the Panther’s second-ever draft pick (taken with pick number 22 during the first round of the draft) during their expansion season of 1995. Poole, a cornerback, was a four-year starter while here at FVSU.

Another member of the Steelers, Greg Lloyd, represented the Valley at Super Bowl XXX in 1996. Lloyd, a linebacker, was a sixth-round pick of the Steelers in 1987. During his career, Lloyd, who is probably remembered as much for his feuds with the media and for accidentally cursing on live television after the 1995 AFC Championship game as he is for his stellar play, was a five-time Pro-Bowler and was voted, by fans, to the Steelers’ 75th anniversary all-star team. Lloyd led the Steelers’ defense which carried them to Super Bowl XXX, where they lost to the Troy Aikman, Emmit Smith, Michael Irvin, and Deion Sanders-led Cowboys’ team 27-17.

NFL Hall-of-Famer Rayfield Wright represented FVSU and the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl a total of 5 times, winning twice. Wright was a seventh-round pick of the Cowboys in 1967 (as a tight end). The “Big Cat” went on to a thirteen-year career as one of the best right tackles to play the game. He and the Cowboys won Super Bowls VI (1972, 24 – 3 over Miami) and XII (1978, 27 – 10 over Denver), dominating both games with their outstanding line play. Wright was also named to 1990’s “all-time Super Bowl team.”

As you sit down to this year’s game, remember these key points:

First, teams which score the game’s first touchdown are 30 – 11 to win. And even though there are no former Wildcats on the field, know that FVSU has rich connections to this All-American spectacle. Besides, there’s always next year for Tennessee, Jacksonville, Houston, or whomever is lucky enough to have a Wildcat in their ranks.

--Written by Dr. B. Keith Murphy

Space to learn and grow

Big things are poppin' in the Valley, to borrow a phrase from rapper T.I. One of those big things is a new science and technology education building, on which groundbreaking is set for this month.



The learning facility will house the latest in education technology - SMART classrooms which will be internet-ready with wireless ports and interactive whiteboards. FVSU's largest undergraduate science programs - biology, chemistry, zoology and physics - will relocate to the new building upon its completion before August 2009.



In addition to the science building, several expansion and renovation projects are in progress on FVSU's campus:



The 24-year-old Stallworth Building, which houses the College of Agriculture's research labs, is adding a biotechnology wing. A covered canopy will connect it to the existing facility.



Huntington Hall, circa 1908, Ohio Hall, erected in 1930, and Bishop Hall, 1932, are all receiving restoration work. The Wildcat stadium is receiving an overhaul, as well.



A new Family Development Center is coming to the wide-open spaces near the Health and Physical Education Complex, as will a new parking lot. The parking lot will be completed by the end of the year, and will help accomodate the Wildcats to come.



"If you build it, they will come," is the famous quote from Field of Dreams. In the case of Fort Valley State University, the students are coming as fast as the buildings go up.