UNC-system happenings, March 3-7

NCCU senior an WBCU All-Star

The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities announced its first ever class of All-Stars in February. The recognition was given to 75 students from 62 historically black colleges, and out of those 75 recipients, nine were from North Carolina schools — six of those nine were from UNC-system schools.

One of the recipients was North Carolina Central University senior and chemistry major Victoria Jones.

Jones said she had to go through an application process and that she was chosen due to her leadership achievements and community service.

“It’s an honor to be in the inaugural class and to help push education forward, starting with myself. I can make a difference through planning and speaking out at events on behalf of the White House Initiative,” she said.

Part of her duties as an All-Star includes attending conferences and panels held by the White House Initiative. As an All-Star, she will be one of the student leaders that will be called forward to speak at these panels.

Jones said all the All-Stars across the state will have opportunities to gather and host events on their own, supported by the White House Initiative. Jones said she is especially eager to focus on K-12 education.

Students from Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Winston Salem State University and N.C. Agricultural & Technical State University also received the honor.

ASU holds first free speech week

Coordinated by the campus’ Young Americans for Liberty chapter, this week was Appalachian State University’s first ever free speech week.

In December, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Education listed ASU as one of the top 10 worst schools in the nation for free speech. YAL President Brandon Partridge said the free speech week was largely a response to FIRE’s ranking and an attempt to improve that ranking.

Partridge said that furthermore, YAL’s free speech week was an attempt to bring the universality of the First Amendment to the attention of the students.

He said YAL is a non-partisan organization and a free speech week would “coincide with (their) mission to be a midpoint for everyone to come to.”

The free speech week consisted of four events, including a speech by Robert Shibley, senior vice president of FIRE, an open arts night and a student-led panel made up of different groups on campus.

Partridge said the panel was in no way intended to be an argument but rather an open space where people could feel collaborative instead of competitive.

The final event will take place today and involves the opening of a free speech wall on the campus’ centrally-located Sanford Mall.

“There are a lot of hateful things going on, but I walk past it and I don’t get upset because that is free speech at work and I’m glad that there is a platform for people to stand on no matter what it is,” Partridge said.

UNC-G graduate was in award winning “12 Years a Slave”

The Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave” included a UNC-Greensboro graduate in its cast — Chris Chalk.

Chalk played a character named Clemens Ray who helps the main character, Solomon Northrup, survive slavery.

Because his role involved portraying a slave, Chalk said he had to overcome some of his own personal issues with America and racism in order to accept his character’s journey. He said there was a particularly challenging moment where his character did something that Chalk personally would never do.

Chalk said he has been blessed so far to be a part of so many successful projects — he also has a part on the Emmy-award winning TV series “The Newsroom.”

“It’s easy to not do what we love, but I’ve been very happy to do what I love in the way that I love it,” he said.

After his 2001 graduation from UNC-G, Chalk said he moved to New York where he first found work with the Labyrinth Theater Company, to which he still belongs. He then landed his first role on “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.”

Chalk said his professors from UNC-G continue to be a support system for him. He said they continue to keep in contact with him, telling him what they think of his roles and continuing to help him to grow.

Chalk said he believes that being an actor is an ongoing process.

“Any creative job is about taking steps towards our dream, and I’m just lucky enough that it keeps figuring itself out,” he said.

WSSU professor appointed to national committee

Peggy Valentine, dean of the Winston Salem State University School of Health Sciences, was appointed to the Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary, Community-Based Linkages by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.

Valentine said she does not know why she was appointed or who nominated her, but she feels honored. She said she received a letter over winter break informing her she was appointed until Dec. 31, 2016.

Her duties as part of the committee will include advising Sebelius on policies that would best use interdisciplinary community linkages to improve health care.

Valentine said her experiences as dean will help give her greater insight into national needs.

In Winston Salem, she said Novant Health provided the community with a mobile clinic that is operated by WSSU staff and students. The mobile clinic has helped more than 4,000 people, many of whom were unemployed and uninsured. Valentine said the mobile clinic model is one she can introduce to the committee as a way to improve access to health care in urban and rural communities.

And she said her vision for WSSU is something that will always remain in the forefront of her mind.

“By going to this committee and having an overview of these national issues, I can bring some of the successful experiences that I’ve had here at Winston Salem State University and work that we’ve done with the local community together to improve access to health care,” she said.