Midwest triumphs at Hampton U. Battle of the States

By Domanique Jordan

The loud cheers of the crowd, the nervous participants waiting in their seats, and the strong sense of regional pride was the overall aura of Ogden Hall for the Battle of the States.

The Battle of the States was a successful illustration of the many students at Hampton University, however there were a few slight stirs before the event occurred. Flyers, posters, Facebook invitations and tweets were distributed to students to advertising this fun filled event, however all of the advertising caused confusion.

“We don’t even know what time it really starts” were words spoken from many students Tuesday as they were making arrangements to get a decent seat.

Some flyers said that the event started at 6 p.m. while others stated 7 p.m. No one knew the actual time that Battle of the States was scheduled to start.

Lines started forming outside of Ogden Hall at 5 p.m. and continued to grow. Doors opened at 6 p.m. with the Pershing Rifle fraternity guarding all entrances letting people in 20 at a time.

Once people entered Ogden, a mad rush for seats began. Most students ran toward the middle section, however, according to Cierra Stancil, an 18-year-old computer science major from Brooklyn, N.Y., “the balcony is the best seat.”

Chelsea Thompson from Annapolis, Md. said, “You get a clear view, no one is blocking your view. It is elevated in a way.”

At approximately 6:28 p.m., Masters of Ceremony Kendal McBroom and Nickiara Anderson announced the beginning of the show. The event started out with a roll call of the freshman dorms: Twitchell Hall Trendsetters and Virginia Cleveland Cuties dominated in attendance.

Then the five regions, the Midwest, West, North, South and the MidAtlantic – casually known as the DMV – strolled in to songs that represented the many artists from a specific region. With three categories to present, everyone seemed ready to see what his or her region had to offer.

Then, the show began. The crowd roared with excitement as the Midwest kicked off the first round of the much-anticipated fashion competition.

The West did not appear to have a discernable theme for their fashion portion, although they did have some California flare to their clothing choice with sandals, sunglasses and daisy duke-inspired shorts.

The North had an Army theme, throwing in salutes to the audience and wearing Army fatigue while modeling to a combination of music that was inspired by the Northern region.

The South brought Southern hospitality to the stage, opening up with “Pretty Girl Rock” by Keri Hilson and modeling spring attire.

Last but not least, last year’s winners, the DMV, took the stage. Before they did their fashion portion, the stage crew decorated the area with a black coffin with red writing that said “R.I.P to the competition,” and a tombstone that said “R.I.P.”

From there, the models came out as zombies dressed in red and black, walking up and down the stage doing spins, leg lifts and other tricks.

At 9:35 p.m. crying, laughter, and celebration was all a part of the Midwest sweeping the competition this year. Although the South finished in second place and the North finished third, the Midwest triumphed in the fashion, dance and talent portions of this year’s Battle of the States.

The writer is a freshman journalism and communications student at the Scripps Howard School.

By Nya Gabriella Peets A handful of Hampton…

By Nya-Gabriella Peets

A handful of Hampton University students filled the seats in Ogden Hall, along with professionals from the black community. As they sat in the seats Wednesday night, they listened to the Black Family Conference history and the future of medical research.

They were welcomed by piano playing in the background and student ushers.

The ceremony began with an invocation by university Chaplain Debra L. Haggins O’Bryant. She was followed by Joan McMillian Wickham, who introduced the theme of the conference, “Reducing Health Disparities: Promoting Healthy Families across Generations.”

Next, Arlene J. Montgomery, dean of the School of Nursing, spoke.

She thanked the audience for their attendance, reiterated the theme, and explained the importance of it for black families.

“Healthy families fill healthy communities,” said Montgomery.

William R. Harvey, the president of Hampton University, gave the history of the Black Family Conference. He began the conference because he felt that there needed to be a forum where issues can be discussed that affect the black community.

Harvey mentioned the health issues that are detrimental to the black community, including heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, all issues to be discussed during the conference. He also said that the Hampton Roads area has the highest STD rates, and most of the people living with the disease are black. After sharing his shocking statistics, he winded down his speech by thanking everyone involved for their interest.

After a musical selection, university Provost Pamela V. Hammond introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Allan Thornton, radiation oncologist with the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute.

Thorton approached the microphone apparently comfortable with a relaxed stance. However, the speaker may have been too comfortable; he spoke quickly, making the message a blur.

He talked about the current state of medical research in America. Thorton explained that how America decides to finance medical research could affect the country for next five years. To reduce the problem, America has to teach medical students to learn and make use of their resources. Fellowships, tutorials, and externships could help with this education.

In between points, he talked about his experience as a proton therapy expert.

Harvey named the Jemmott family the honored black family of the conference. They were honored for their contributions to the community.

The writer is a freshman journalism and communications student at the Scripps Howard School.