By Bro. Mabili Baraka Akinyele
On Saturday,
November 5, 2016 the Que Kidz Program of the Gamma Pi Chapter of the Omega Psi
Phi Fraternity, Inc., sponsored a College Tour at Bowie
State University
for the adolescent children and their parents who belong to the Kentland
Community located in Landover
 |
| Bowie State President Bro. Dr. Mickey Burnim poses with youth |
The tour was held due to the fact many children in
our communities are not exposed to schools of higher learning (colleges,
universities, etc.). Many of them come from families where they will be
the first generation of college graduates. Their parents have not been to
college in many cases and often times they do not know how to help their
children gain admission into a university. Many times they think that
their children have to receive an academic or athletic scholarship to obtain entry
into a university. This is a fallacy and is often perpetrated in our
communities and used as propaganda in society to limit the hope of our children
and their parents. There is a wide range of scholarships that are offered
by universities other than academic or athletic, especially the latter.
There are also other options to pay for college such as financial aid
from the state and government. These are the resources that our parents
need to be informed about and it is our duty to make these provisions. Often
the negative influences of their environment is too massive to overcome and
they are subdued, but if we can create an avenue of change by shining the light
on the golden treasure which is education then maybe their dreams will not be
squandered by their immediate surroundings.
The tour began at Kentland Community Center Bowie State
University
First Ms. Ayanna Tweedy (Admissions Specialist, Graduate
Student Athletic Assistant, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Member, and
Member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.) gave the opening welcome and
introduction and discussed admission requirements for incoming students.
Next we heard from Mr. Clyde Doughty, Athletic Director of Bowie State
University as he discussed the primary focus of university life; academics.
He stressed the fact that students at the university who are athletes are
students first and athletes second.
 |
| Gamma Pi chapter escorts students around campus |
Our next speaker was Ms. Jenelle
Willis who is a financial aid specialist. Ms. Willis spoke on how to
apply for financial aid as well as scholarships. She specifically
informed the parents and students how they can get monetary assistance from the
state and government. We also heard from Ms. Danielle Chapman, President
of the Campus Activity Board who discussed events that are held at Bowie State
University
The presentations concluded at
10:30 a.m. which brought to a close the first phase of our tour. The second
phase began at 10:35 a.m. and included a tour of the campus in which our group
made a visit to or saw 17 buildings on campus which included:
1.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Communication Arts Center (Building #16)
2.
The Center for Business and Graduate Studies (Building #24)
3.
Charlotte Robinson Hall (Marketing and Relations Department, Police
Department;
Building #4)
4.
The Fine & Performing
Arts Center
5.
The George Crawford Science
Building
6.
The Computer
Science Building
7.
Thurgood Marshall Library (Building #23)
8.
The Student
Center
9.
The Residential Halls:
*Christa McAuliffe
Residential Community (Building #17)
*Alex Haley Hall
(Building #1)
*Towers Residence
Hall (Building #20)
*Dwight Holmes
Hall (Building #6)
*Harriet Tubman
Residence Hall (Building #11)
*Lucretia Kennard
Residence Hall (Building #13)
10.
Leonidas S. James Physical Education Complex (Building #12)
11. The
Center for Learning and Technology (Building #2)
12. The William E. Henry Administration Building
We also made a
visit to each plot belonging to every Pan-Hellenic Fraternity and Sorority.
Lunch was held in the Student Center/Dining Hall from 11:30 a.m. – 12:15
p.m.
After lunch we began our third phase of the college
tour which was attending the football game at Bulldog Stadium between the Bowie
State University Bulldogs and the Elizabeth City State University Vikings.
Upon entering the stadium the President of the University, Bro. Mickey
Burnim addressed our children and parents.
He gave them many words of
encouragement and his speech was well received by our group. Prior to the game,
the children were able to meet the players at the Bowie State University
Fieldhouse as they walked onto the field. The Bulldogs of Bowie State
were victorious in their 56-7 win over the Vikings of Elizabeth City.
Following the game we returned to Kentland Community Center
Bro. Mabili Baraka Akinyele, Bro. Chris Edwards, Bro. Kirk Kirby, Bro. Terance Hare, Bro. Bruce Patterson, Bro Orlando McDowell, Bro. Albert Slack, Bro. Robert Taylor and Bro. Markel Waters (Al Que Kidz committee members). Additional Gamma Pi Members in attendance were Bro. Sheku Alieu, Bro. Gordon Sampson, Bro. Tyrone
Smith (Photographer) and Bro. Kerry Wilson
The program was
arranged by the Que Kidz Committee and organized and facilitated by Bro. Mabili
Baraka Akinyele, as Ms. Ayanna Tweedy served as the tour guide and made
arrangements for our guest speakers to address the group. Bro. Kevin Greenwood mentioned the planned tour to Bro. Gordon
Sampson who is a 1969 graduate of Bowie State College and currently serves as
the chairperson of the 100K Club and a member of the National Executive Board
at Bowie State University
Brother Orlando McDowell has long served as the
Chairman of the Que Kidz Committee addressing the needs of our community for
several years.
Photos by Bro. Tyrone Smith
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