Vol. 42, No. 19 March 14, 2013

A Weekly Update of Activities at Rust College

Campus NewsBriefs

Where Tomorrow’s Leaders are Students Today

The Home Depot “Retool Your School Project”

VOTE TO SUPPORT RUST COLLEGE!

“You know how valuable our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and

Universities are, and how much they have contributed to our country’s

growth in so many ways. What could be more worthwhile than being

part of helping preserve and improve some of America’s most historic

campuses and landmarks?”

This year, The Home Depot is doing even more to increase the number of grants

offered to HBCUs by creating an additional Tier II Grant award in the amount of

$10,000, for a total of 12 Tier II Grants. The Tier II Grant is in addition to the

$50,000 Tier I Grant and the $25,000 Campus Pride Grant.

Vote for major and minor projects proposed by and for Rust College

Major Project

Rust College proposes to upgrade the present baseball

field with a dugout, grading and sodding and erecting

a new fence.

Campus Pride

The Campus Pride Grant will go to the school with

the most votes and social media activity. Follow

@RYS_2013 on Twitter and tweet Rust College pho-

tos and events using the hashtag

#RustCollegeRYS2013 to earn points toward Rust

College’s social media activity.

To Vote: http://www.retoolyourschool.com

Click “Vote For Your School”

Scroll through to find Rust College, click and VOTE!

Schools with the highest votes are at the top of the list—

let’s put Rust College at the top of the list!

VOTING ENDS APRIL 15, 2013

Minor Project

Rust College intends to install wrought iron fencing on

the east side of campus to improve safety and appearance

of the women's dormitories.

“BY THEIR FRUITS… Page 2

Business Week 2013: “Financial Responsibility: Gaining & Managing Personal Resources”

The Division of Business of Rust College held its annual Business Week, March 5-8, 2013, welcoming several guest

speakers who shared vital information with our students. Students were able to ask questions and re-

ceive advice on business attire, resume writing and interviewing skills, and money management.

“Your resume is the tool that opens the door,” said Mrs. Charmell Slaughter, Resume Reformer. “Prove

yourself valuable so you can talk about how valuable you are.” Mrs. Slaughter is a speaker, writer,

trainer and certified professional life coach. She has worked in the fields of healthcare, military, soft-

ware development, information technology, non-profit education, government contracting and consult-

ing. She currently owns and operates “Resume Reformer”, a career coaching and resume writing ser-

vice; as well as a personal development website: www.growthandgratitude.com.

“Everyone in this room has a brand,” said Ms. Tish Norman, Executive Director of Transforming

Leaders Now, Inc., a leadership development company that specializes in educational programming. “The brand name is

YOUR NAME. The logo for your brand is YOUR FACE. Make sure you have a reputable brand.” Ms. Norman has

published several articles in university publications and is the co-author of From Mediocre to

Magnificent and Leading The Way: Stories of Leadership & Inspiration.

“In order for you to be successful in business, especially in this climate, you have to have a bias toward

optimism,” Dr. Leroy D. Nunery II told students and guests during the annual Business Week Luncheon

held Thursday, March 8. “If you have a bias toward pessimism, or a deficit mentality, you will always

think the worst.” Dr. Nunery has extensive experience on non-profit and for-profit boards, and has been

a frequent public speaker and advisor on the issues of education, economic development, leadership

development and strategic planning.

“The most successful people in the world consume knowledge,” he said. “Learn how to tell YOUR

STORY and build on it.”

Special thanks to all of the presenters: Mrs. Charmell Slaughter, Ms. Tish Norman, Mr. Jeffrey King, Mr. Carl Robinson,

Rust College Class of 2003; Dr. Sujata Sinha, Mr. James Turnbo, Ms. Christine Amisi, Rust College Class of 2003; Dr.

Leroy D. Nunery II, Ms. Jamishela Williams, and the Division of Business Student Activities Council (DOBSAC).

Mr. Carl Robinson, ’03, (left), and Mr.

Jeffrey King with Mr. Frederick. L-R: Ms. Shtoria Fox, Ms. Rachon Pulliam,

Mr. Richard Frederick, Ms. Nakeshia Bennett,

Ms. Faderricka Harvey

Ms. Jade Moore and Ms. Faderricka Harvey

modeled for the Business Week Assembly, “Hot

or Not Fashion Show: Business Edition”.

L-R: Mr. James Turnbo, Dr. Leroy D. Nunery II,

Dr. Nellie J. Smith, Ms. Christine Amisi, ’03, and

Mr. Frederick.

Ms. Tish Norman speaks one on one with

students and signs copies of her books.

Dr. Leroy D. Nunery II

Mrs. Charmell Slaughter

...YE SHALL KNOW THEM” Page 3

Phi Beta Lambda Senior to Compete in National Competition

Rust College senior Ms. Sohna Jagne has earned the opportunity to travel to Anaheim,

California for the 2013 National Leadership Conference. Ms. Jagne won the opportunity when

she placed first at the Phi Beta Lambda State Conference in February, in Natchez, Mississippi.

She won the “Marketing Concepts” competition and also placed 3rd in the “Managing

Concepts” competition. Ms. Jagne will represent Phi Beta Lambda Charter #5986 among

approximately 50 other students from Mississippi, and hundreds of students from across the

nation, who will compete in California.

“It was a great experience for me,” she said of the State competition. “I wasn’t really nervous

because even though this is my first competition in the U.S., I have competed at home a lot.”

Ms. Jagne is a native of The Gambia, West Africa. She will earn her degree in Business

Administration in April from Rust College. She, and Phi Beta Lambda advisor Dr. Nellie J. Smith, will travel to California

for the 2013 National Leadership Conference in June.

Ms. Sohna Jagne with Dr.

Nellie J. Smith

Bearcats Take Advantage of Job Fair

Students had the opportunity to take their first steps into the work-

force at the Mississippi Department of Employment Security

(MDES) Job Fair, held February 26, in the McMillan Multi-

Purpose Center. Several business representatives were on hand to

speak with potential employees, including Holly Springs School

District, B&B Construction, FedEx, and many more.

Former SGA President Braque

Talley, ‘11, returned to Rust to

recruit students for the Graduate

School at

Alabama A&M University. Mr.

Talley is currently the Coordi-

nator of Recruitment and Mar-

keting. He is responsible for

traveling to universities,

colleges and businesses to

interact with department

chairs, directors, faculty and

staff to maintain recruitment. Another graduate, Mr. Carl Robinson,

‘03, was available to recruit for Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc. in

Hamel, Minnesota, where he serves as Director of Safety.

Students were able to ask questions and get

their foot in the door for their future careers.

Ms. Johneshia Taylor, a senior Biology major,

said she didn’t have any expections since most

jobs represented were industrial.

“I found a couple of opportunities, though, and

passed out my resume and talked to people

who could lead me in the right direction.”

Ms. Johneshia Taylor,

senior Biology major

Braque Talley speaks to Christopher

Green about Alabama A&M University.

Dr. Marco Robinson, assistant

professor of History, was selected to

participate in the 2013 UNCF/Mellon

Faculty Seminar, which will be held in

Brazil in July 2013. Dr. Robinson will

join other professors and faculty from

various colleges and universities; the

theme for the seminar is “Afro-Aesthetics in Brazil...

and Beyond: Exploring Transnational Blackness and

Beauty”.

Dr. Alisea McLeod, assistant

professor of English, serves on the

organizing committee of the 2013

National Underground Railroad

Conference, sponsored by the

National Network to Freedom. The

National Network to Freedom is a

project of the National Park

Service. The conference will take

place June 19 through June 22 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Along with Rust professors Dr. Marco Robinson and Dr.

Sharron Sarthou, she will sit on a panel and she will

present a paper titled "They Were Sharp Bargainers:

Camps, Cotton, and Guns." This paper looks at the agency

of African Americans during the war, in particular, their

involvement in cotton production, their arming, and their

work in the camps.

Faculty Members to Participate in

Various Conferences in Summer 2013

Page 8 Announcements IN CASE OF EMERGENCY…

Emergency notifications for students, faculty and staff will be handled by mass email, Channel 19, WURC 88.1 FM, RC-TV 2, and

campus loud speakers. If you would like to receive emergency notifications by text message, please submit your cell phone number to

Mrs. Carolyn Hymon, Dean of Students. The numbers will be used for emergencies ONLY and will not be distributed.

Emergency Numbers:

Security office: 662-252-8090 Security guard on patrol: 662-216-3429

Dr. David L. Beckley, ‘67, President

Ms. Adrienne F. Phillips, Public Relations Specialist

Dr. Ishmell H. Edwards, ’71, Vice President for College Relations

Submitted by Mr. Sana Sise

More than twenty years ago, on the campus of Georgia Institute of Technology,

there was a major problem. The problem was not enough racial diversity among the

recipients of advanced degrees, specifically at Georgia Tech. In hopes of increasing

the minority numbers, Dr. William Wepfer and Dr. John White accepted the chal-

lenge of increasing minority numbers. In acceptance of this challenge, Dr. White

and Dr. Wepfer assigned Mr. Robert Haley as the director of Special Projects in the

College of Engineering. From Haley’s newly appointed position birthed the Focus

Program. The Focus Program would act as a connector between delivering the use-

fulness of receiving an advanced degrees and how especially beneficial it is to mi-

nority students. All the while delivering the message about advanced degrees, Mr.

Haley was also trying to increase the acceptance and graduation rates of Georgia

Tech’s minorities.

In the first year (1992), the Focus Program was held during the celebration week of

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Holiday. It is held annually around this time

because the vision for the program was inspired by Dr. King’s quote, “Education

without social action is a one-sided value because it has no true power potential.

Social action without education is a weak expression.” 21 years later, the Focus

Program still exists.

In 2013, Rust College had the privilege of having Mr. Sana Sise, Computer

Science instructor, escort three students that were granted the opportunity to attend

the Focus Program: Cherlinca Boyd is a graduating senior majoring in mathematics;

Zackline Mendy is a graduating senior majoring in Computer Science; and

Demitrius Moore is a graduating senior, majoring in Mathematics as well. These

students traveled to Georgia Tech and were introduced to the various opportunities

of receiving an advanced degree from that institution. They were also shown around

in their respective departments. Since their attendance of the Focus Program,

Cherlinca and Demitrius have applied to the Ph.D. program in Mathematics and

Zackline has applied to the Ph.D. program in Bioinformatics.

From the first ever Focus Program that attracted 43 students, it has now grown to

attract hundreds of students. In 2013 alone, there were 136 Focus participants. From

the humble beginnings of only focusing of engineering majors, the Focus program

now accepts minority students of all majors and disciplines.

Zackline Mendy

Cherlinca Boyd

Demitrius Moore

Mr. Sana Sise

Rust College Students Participate in Georgia Tech “Focus” Program