wc in motion vol 2

Engaged Students Making the

Impossible Possible

Volume 2 . Spring 2014

WC in Motion, Volume 2 A publication of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services P a g e | 2


Table of Contents

Wiley Wins Big at All Conference ......................................................................................................................... 4

Teach For America ............................................................................................................................................. 6

My Journey to Make a Lasting Difference ............................................................................................................. 7

Introducing Urban Flow ...................................................................................................................................... 8

From Marshall to L.A. ......................................................................................................................................... 9

Tavis Smiley Welcomes Debaters to L.A. ............................................................................................................. 10

Wiley Connects With L.A. High School ................................................................................................................. 10

Carrying on the Legacy ...................................................................................................................................... 11

Adding Up Success ............................................................................................................................................ 11

Let’s Eradicate Hunger ....................................................................................................................................... 12

Party in Pink Raises Funds for Breast Cancer ....................................................................................................... 13

Where Dreams Come True ................................................................................................................................. 14

Celebrating the Church ...................................................................................................................................... 15

Contact Us ........................................................................................................................................................ 16


Wiley Wins Big at All Conference

(ABOVE: Coach Eaton and the Men’s Cross Country team.)

All Conference results are in! The

Wildcats brought home a number of

awards in three different sports. Way

to go!

Congratulations to the Men’s Cross

Country team for finishing 2nd overall!

The Cross Country team also brought

home all-conference honors for

Patrick Mutai, Victor Rotich, Paul

Sterlen, and Jeremiah Kipkemei.

In Men’s Soccer, Saye Suah brought

home the 2nd team all-conference

award. Michael Flynn was recognized

for being a Champion of Character. In

Women’s Soccer, Anani Magana also

brought home an award for being a

Champion of Character.

Women’s Volleyball was well

represented at All Conference. Susan

Tsisichie, Fatoumata Dacosta, Lucille

Johns, and Diana Castaneda

represented 1st team with Jessica

Izquierdo representing 2nd team. Both

AnJone’e Mathis and Alice Marques

received honorable mentions. Diana

Castaneda was named Defensive

Player of the year, while teammates

Andrea Daniels and Fatoumata

Dacosta were both honored as

Champions of Character.


Congratulations to the Men’s Soccer Team on making it to

the first round of the playoffs!


Teach For America

By Pheron Russell

Ever been in a situation where

adjectives just aren’t sufficient

enough to express your feelings?

That was exactly the predicament I

was in about a month ago en route to

Dallas, Texas, for my Teach For

America interview. Before I take you

back to the day of my interview, let

me give you a brief background on

the organization. Teach For America

is an American non-profit

organization that was founded to help

abolish educational inequity. This

organization solicits proficiently

performing recent college

graduates/professionals to fulfill a

two-year commitment to teach in

under-resourced communities

throughout the United States. These

individuals are the sergeants in the

trenches known as our educational

system. The application process was

rigorous. It included a comprehensive

application and phone interview. I

was blessed enough to do well during

the phone interview portion, and was

promptly invited to complete an in-

person interview.

Because of building anticipation, the

two hour drive to Dallas, Texas, for

the interview felt like years. The day

of the interview, I was the epitome of

the saying, “dressed to impress”—I

made sure to wake up bright and

early to ensure that this was the

case. When I arrived for the face-to-

face interview, my day consisted of a

plethora of activities that were

evaluated by two interviewers. It

included a five-minute lesson plan

that I constructed, listening to a

group activity with fellow

interviewees, a reflection from the

interviewers regarding their Teach

For America experience, and a one-

on-one interview with one of the

interviewers. I arrived at the

interview location almost two hours

early. This gave me extra time to

practice my five minute lesson plan

on predicates of a sentence.

Let’s fast forward to the meat and

potatoes of the day. There were

supposed to be 12 applicants there

on interview day; however, only six

of us were present and prepared. I

volunteered to be the first one to

teach my five-minute lesson plan.

Shocking, huh?! I was shocked at

myself, too, but it was a good look.

Now, here’s the thing about this

portion of the interview: all the fellow

applicants and interviewers were my

students for my five-minute lesson.

It really felt more like thirty seconds,

giving my palms just enough time to

break a sweat. As I took my seat

following the presentation, I said in

confidence to myself, “Pheron, you

handled that pretty well.” The next

portion of the day was the group

activity. Now, I’m not at liberty to

discuss this portion in detail, but I will

say that I definitely think my passion

for change in the educational system

was understated.

I’m going to go on a limb and say

that everyone at some point in his or

her childhood desired to be a

superhero and save the world; I have

a confession, I STILL think I can save

the world. This philanthropic

characteristic was further stimulated

as I listened to the interviewers’

reflections about their Teach For

America experiences. They talked

about why they chose to join, how

they were effective, and the students

that inspired them during their

teaching tenure.

The day closed with my one-on-one

interview; again, I am not at liberty

to give the logistics of this portion of

the day, but I will say that I was


completely honest. The interviewer’s

questions forced me to be

transparent with both my skills and

flaws. Because I was so honest in

my one-on-one interview, I left Dallas

on a high, a high on the many ways I

could be an effective vessel as a

Teach For America Corp member.

For the next two weeks, I virtually

crossed my fingers—as if that

superstition would contribute to my

acceptance into Teach For America

(silly rabbit!). Then I remembered,

throughout my whole application

process, I gave EVERYTHING to God;

therefore, as I waited for the results,

I was more excited than nervous. I

am an example that the God that I

serve is real and has created us for a

purpose. Throughout my tenure at

Wiley College, I struggled with

finding/tapping into my talents and

accepting that God does have a

purpose for me. Thanks to God, my

parents, friends, Dr. Cruise, Ms. Gaut,

Dr. Engel, Dr. Hamilton, Wiley

Alumnus, and current Teach For

America Corp member, Tristan Love,

and the ever so motivational, Dr.

Morale, I AM a 2014 Teach For

America Corp member. I will be

teaching secondary English in

Arkansas. As a superhero in the

making, I am ready for the challenge,

but most importantly, I am ready for

the change I so yearn to see for

educational equity amongst our

children in America. How’s THAT for

a Wileyite!

My Journey to Make a

Lasting Difference

By Felix Ekwueme, NSCS Chapter

President

The National Society of Collegiate

Scholars (NSCS) is an honors

organization that recognizes and

elevates high achievers with a 3.4

grade point average or higher. The

organization provides career and

graduate school connections,

leadership and service opportunities,

and gives out $1 million in

scholarships annually. My journey to

start a NSCS Chapter at Wiley College

began in August 2012, after I visited

Houston Community College. During

this visit, I met NSCS student

members who dedicated their time

and efforts to the success of

incoming freshmen.

I was attracted and eager to be a

part of such an organization.

Therefore, I contacted the office of

Student Activities to inquire if we had

a NSCS Chapter on campus.

When I heard "No," I immediately

realized that if I wanted to positively

impact the lives of students by

starting a Chapter at Wiley; I would

have to be prepared to commit an

enormous amount of time and

energy.

On February 12, 2013, after a full

semester of ensuring that the College

met national and campus

requirements to start up a NSCS

Chapter, Wiley officially made a

chapter and held an inaugural new

member induction ceremony. The

journey was well worth it!

Interested?

Check us out! nscs.org/chapters/wiley-college

facebook.com/nscs.WileyCollege


Introducing Urban Flow

By Kai Scates

Hello, my name is Kai Michelle

Scates. I am a 19-year-old

Sophomore here at Wiley College,

originally from Lancaster, CA. I have

created my own publication called

Urban Flow Magazine, established

this past summer.

When I came up with the idea of

Urban Flow Magazine, I made it a

fashion magazine for college students

everywhere. So, I began to blog on

tumblr and Instagram.

Then students started e-mailing me

asking for more features. So I was

inspired to make Urban Flow

Magazine just a little bit more than

fashion. I thought about classmates,

friends, and other college students

who live in this urban generation we

are a part of. We are dreamers,

artists, philosophers, and business-

minded individuals. The older

generation may not see what we see:

a vivid urban landscape filled with

diversity.

When I was a preteen, the only

magazines for my age were

SEVENTEEN and J-14… stuff that was

cute but not much for a young black

girl to relate to.

There wasn’t a lot of diversity: Zac

Efron, Hillary Duff, Dillon and Cole

Sprous. Yes, they were positive

characters, but they lacked diversity.

What about the black and brown

girls? We needed more motivation.

Sure, Essence and Ebony cater to

minorities but they appealed to the

fully grown-up generation.

My vision with Urban Flow Magazine

is to keep our generation motivated

with material that relates to a

younger, more diverse crowd. As the

younger generation flips through the

pages of Urban Flow Magazine, they

will know that they can achieve what

those who are featured achieved. The

people are relatable. From college

students to young entrepreneurs,

these are real people who are

achieving great things in their life.

You, too, can be inspired by Urban

Flow Magazine by checking us out

online!

facebook.com/urbanflowmag

urbanflowmagazine.tumblr.com

twitter.com/UrbanFlowMag


From Marshall to L.A.

Two months after starting college

classes at Wiley College, freshmen

Lyle Kleinman and Nathan Leal,

members of Wiley’s debate team,

never thought they would be back in

their home state so quickly. After

auditioning for the exhibition team,

they found themselves representing

their new school on televised and live

streamed debates across the country.

This time, they landed in Los Angeles

along with eight other students to

represent Wiley College in a series of

TV appearances and live-casted

debates. In between national media

appearances, the team soaked up

local culture, including some of the

best soul food in Los Angeles,

courtesy of Dulan’s on Crenshaw.

It’s a moment the historic team

would not have thought possible.

Seventy-eight years ago, Wiley

College made history when a small

group of debaters beat the reigning

national champions at the University

of Southern California. It was a true

underdog victory under the

leadership of debate coach and Wiley

College English professor, Melvin B.

Tolson.

After receiving a generous gift from

Denzel Washington in 2008, the

Wiley College debate team has

flourished. The team of 26 members

competes at more than a dozen

tournaments annually under the

guidance of a large coaching staff

headed by Director of Forensics,

Christopher Medina.

Now in its sixth year, the debate

team is coming of age—and receiving

substantial press.

On October 24, Lady Charmaine Live

highlighted the achievements of the

revitalized team, its roots, and its

future. The team’s success was heard

in 97 countries across the globe.

From Marshall to L.A. and heard

across the world, Wiley students are

making a mark!

(Wiley students post with the owner of Dulan’s On Crenshaw)


Tavis Smiley Welcomes

Debaters to L.A.

On Thursday, October 24, Lyle Kleinman

and Nathan Leal, along with Coach Chris

Medina, met with Tavis Smiley on his

critically acclaimed radio talk show.

“It was inspiring to see the amount that

people cared and respected the history

that we were trying to uphold as Wiley

College,” said Freshman Nathan Leal.

“Even though it’s been 78 years from the

original debate, people are still willing to

take the time to stop and listen to stories

that laid the foundation for the stories we

hear and learn from today.”

Wiley Connects With L.A.

High School

Wiley's debate team enjoyed a visit to

Inglewood High School in Los Angeles on October 23, 2013, where they

performed a mock debate for

students and participated in a Q & A session with inquiries ranging from

what are their fields of study to whether they aspire to be courtroom

attorneys, to what would they be doing in five years. And there was

musical entertainment by Austin

Ashford! (LEFT: The team is

pictured with Inglewood’s class

officers; BELOW: The team

performs)

(LEFT TO RIGHT: Lyle Kleinman, Nathan Leal, Tavis Smiley, Chris Medina)


Carrying on the Legacy

Ailey Pope, a Wiley alumnus, was a powerhouse speaker on the debate

team. Televised NAACP debates? Huge

crowds? No problem. Ailey maintained her cool and level head. Last year, Ailey

spotted talent in high school senior, Kayla Hall, and encouraged her to try out

for the team.

Kayla, now a freshman and resident of

Dogan Hall, has thrown herself heart and soul into the debate team. In some

ways, she’s taken on Ailey’s role as a powerhouse speaker in Public Address.

Taking a break from graduate work at Southern Methodist University, Ailey

watched her young recruit bring home her first Tournament Championship in

Persuasion at the Missouri Mule, an

award Ailey had earned the year before.

Congratulations to Kayla for keeping the legacy going!

(LEFT: Ailey and Kayla, 2013)

Adding Up Success

Being successful in the field of accounting

takes more than just being great with numbers. Sure, it takes good math skills

and attention to detail, but to land a job, members of The Accounting Club (TAC)

are taking professionalism seriously and

boosting their job hunting skills at the same time.

On October 3-5, TAC members jetted off

to Houston, TX to participate in communication, personal branding, mock

interviews, and resume-building

workshops from the National Association of Black Accountants. “Now I know that I

should invest in a portfolio to be ahead of the game,” said TAC President, Israel

Pierre, at the end of the conference.

Adriane Cornish advises other students

take advantage of similar opportunities, because occasions like this are rare once

you are out of school. So take advantage of the professional development

opportunities before you graduate.

The Accounting Club takes a calculated approach to professionalism.

For Debra Coleman, the experience made

her reevaluate her brand association. First impressions are made within

seconds of meeting someone new. She

emphasizes the importance of identifying

your “brand” and separating yourself from the crowd. So make those first

impressions count!


Let’s Eradicate Hunger

By Leon Moukendi

I am a French speaking native from the

Republic of Congo, majoring in Business

Management and Accounting at Wiley College. I am involved in community-

based projects on campus and in the community. As President of the

Business Management Club, and Project

Manager for the ENACTUS (a community of student, academic and

business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to

transform lives and shape a better more sustainable world), I embarked on one

of the most challenging projects: the

eradication of hunger within our community.

I am the project lead of Let’s Can

Hunger Spring 2013 for the Wiley

Chapter of ENACTUS. My team and I travelled with a Wiley delegation to

participate in the Universities Fighting World Hunger Summit held in Kansas

City. As a result of this trip, a revolutionary idea was born: create a

platform to help educate people about

hunger and build sustainable projects to eradicate it.

Today, I serve as the chair of the Wiley

College Hunger Initiative Committee

and am working on one of the biggest student-led projects within the

community: the Wiley Community Garden. This is a sustainable initiative

that will help us provide food for more than 100 households annually in the

most efficient and sustainable way. I

am so excited to see how the team is working to rally volunteers on campus

to make this initiative a reality so it can continue to serve as a shining example

of Wiley’s involvement in the

community.

Leon—FAR LEFT—and the ENACTUS team.


Party in Pink Raises Funds for Breast Cancer

Students across campus get their blood pumping with Zumba workouts offered by Dr. Mweni Ekpo on most weekday evenings.

October’s Zumber classes prove that Zumba is good for the body in more ways than one. On October 21, Zumba attendees,

mostly students, raised $175.05 to support Zumba® Global Research Grant for Breast Cancer Prevention, managed by

Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Way to go!

(ABOVE: Summer Kennerson and Mahogany Terry; BELOW: Party in Pink participants pose for a group shot.)


Where Dreams Come True

By Tamika Shields

As a member of the Pre-Alumni Council Board, I attended the United Negro

College Fund Conference February 13-

14, 2013, in Atlanta, Georgia. On February 15, 2013, I sporadically decided

to take a risk that would cause me to reach higher heights and surpass my

own expectations. I began networking

and found myself talking with a young lady about exploratory programs. She

suggested that I investigate The Disney College Program. Like most people, I was

familiar with the Disney brand, but unaware of the educational opportunities

that were offered through the company.

I began to research the Disney College

Program. I didn’t expect to get further than submitting an application because I

was considering other options for my

summer. I wanted to postpone completing my application but for some

strange reason, I couldn’t. Personally, I believe that it was God mysteriously

working on my behalf, but I didn’t notice

it.

I submitted my application. On March 13, my phone rang. It was a

representative from The Disney College Program informing me that I would

receive a call for a phone interview. I

was overwhelmed and elated—so much so that I almost missed the call! Of

course I was afraid of failure, yet I continued my pursuit because I knew

that this inordinate risk would benefit my

future.

When I answered the phone, I recognized that in that moment I had to

choose to either sink or swim. I swam! After getting the green light from

The Disney College Program, I began to

look at my life differently.

Being a part of The Disney College Program has transformed my

life. Participation has not only provided me with educational nutrition, but it has

also allowed me the opportunity to develop a more comprehensive

understanding of giving: giving time, quality, patience, and most of all, love.

All in all, this experience has been

breathtaking!

(Tamika with Mickey Mouse, 2013)


Celebrating the Church

On Thursday, September 12, Wiley

College honored its United

Methodist Roots with a “Celebrating

the Church” worship service in the

Julius S. Scott Sr. Chapel. Students

raised $1,400 to support the

Emerging Leaders initiative for the

Texas Annual Conference. The

initiative provides support

candidates for ministry starting in

high school, through college,

seminary, ordination, and early

pastoral appointments in order to

develop a new generation for His

service. Wiley’s contribution will help

fund the program’s grants,

internships, and leadership training

initiatives. Bishop Janice Riggle Huie

accepted the check on behalf of the

Texas Annual Conference

(Members of the United Methodist Church and Wiley Students.)

(Wiley students present their donation to the Emerging Leaders Institute.)


Contact Us

Dr. Joseph L. Morale

Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services

Nelson House

[email protected]

X3233

Dr. Charmaine T. Cruise

Assistant to the VP for SAES

Nelson House [email protected]

X3229

Ms. Teresa Horn

Senior Administrative Assistant Nelson House

[email protected] x3234

Mrs. Duanchelle Lewis Secretary I

Nelson House [email protected]

X3233

Ms. Janet Eaton

Director of Athletics [email protected]

Alumni Gym, Room 110 X3293

Mr. Christopher Medina Director of Forensics/QEP

Wiley Pemberton Complex, Room 101 [email protected]

X3084

Mr. Ardis Wright

Director of Residence Life

Haywood L. Strickland, Room 105 [email protected]

X1251

Ms. Sandra Bryant

Associate Director of Residence Life Dogan Hall

[email protected] X3284

Ms. Jamecia Murray Interim Director of Admissions

Admissions Building, Room 128 [email protected]

X1641

Ms. Shonte Epperson

College Nurse Dogan Hall, Room 126


Ms. LaDonna Gaut Director of Counseling and Career

Planning Nelson House


Ms. Jessica Edmond

Student Activities Coordinator

Wiley Pemberton Complex Student Activities Center


Mrs. Delores Tennison Interim Director of Student Records and

Registrar David L. Beckley Building 105

[email protected]

X3328

Mr. Richard Johnson Director of the Student Success Academy

Wiley Pemberton Complex 128 [email protected]

X3351

Rev. Tori Butler

Chaplain Julius S. Scott, Sr. Chapel

[email protected]

X2455

mailto:[email protected]














wc in motion vol 2

Documents

mens cross country team

team allconference award

enrollment services

publication of student

conference results

allconference honors

impossible possible

table of contents wiley