Newspaper Page Text
LOCAL
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9 -16, 2018 • Page 6
These cars were part of a display event to motivate students.
COMMUNITY
Continued From Page 1A
DeKalb Kids Project, HP Pack Car Club and Shadow Rock Elementary hosted a car
display event on the first day of school, Aug. 6.
CLUB
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Cori Bostic, middle, with her parents Cory, left, and Lenise. He parents also marched
with FAMU band in the 1990s.
Hill said the members of
car club are all different, just
like the cars they drive.
“It’s a beautiful thing. We
have about 30 members from
various backgrounds and
various parts of the country
who found a bond through
cars,” Hill said. “Everyone is
successful in their own and
this is our opportunity to be
the LeBron [James] in our
community.”
Hill said members of the
car club are professionals in a
range of careers.
“We noticed kids go crazy
over cars and our vision was
to give kids bookbags and give
them an opportunity to speak
with us and ask us questions,”
Hill said. “We want them to
know that if you see a nice
house or see a nice car you
don’t have to be a rapper or
athlete to acquire it.”
During the car display,
teachers also took students on
a tour around the cars to teach
the students the value of hard
work.
Shadow Rock Elementary
Principal Sylvia Sanders
said she wants to continue to
strengthen the bond between
community members and
school officials.
“This is an awesome
opportunity to bridge the
gap between community and
school. This year, one of our
focuses is that we want to
rebrand our school,” Sanders
said. “This event helps us
to energize our students and
begin the conversation of all
the possibilities if they stay
focused.”
Sean Tartt, a Georgia
native who grew up in DeKalb
County, is currently the Region
III Superintendent for DeKalb
County School District.
Tartt attended the car
display event and said it was
inspiring.
“It speaks volumes to see
men doing great things and
showing kids what they could
possibly achieve,” Tartt said.
“White collar and blue collar
men are here showing the
importance of reading, writing,
math and social skills. This is a
positive event all around. A lot
of us don’t have these cars, but
it’s always good to dream and
have a goal.”
DeKalb that she wanted to be a
drum major at FAMU.
“She asked her papi [Cory
Bostic] [if] she [could] be [a]
drum major, and papi was like,
‘Sure, you can do whatever
you want to do,’ as he’s told all
of our daughters,” Bostic said.
“We have seven girls and we
put no limits on them. [They]
can do anything [they] want.”
Southwest DeKalb band
director James Seda, who is
also an alum of FAMU and
was in the band with Bostic’s
parents, said he was proud to
see his former student make
history.
“I remember when Cori was
born and to see her grow into
the fine young lady she became
in high school and in college,
I’m glad I had a part in that as
being someone who trained her
musically,” Seda said. “It was an
incredible community effort.”
Seda also credits Southwest
DeKalb girls’ basketball coach
Kathy Walton for helping her
get to this point. Bostic was
the starting center for the 2016
state championship team at
Southwest DeKalb.
“We saw her gain her
confidence at Southwest
DeKalb High School. A big
part of the confidence Cori
gained came when she was
on the basketball team,”
Seda said. “From not really
knowing anything about the
sport to winning the state
championship and being the
starting center, that’s really
when we started to see the
confidence come out of Cori
that she really didn’t have
before. We owe a lot of that to
coach Walton.”
Bostic played basketball
for one year at FAMU before
leaving the team to focus on
band full time. Her mother
said it was difficult for Bostic
to participate in band and play
basketball.
“It was a juggling act in
high school, so when she got
to FAMU she tried [both]
her freshman year,” she said.
“She played basketball and did
band, but it was too much. The
basketball coach told her she
wanted [Cori] full time and
Cori was like I can’t do it, I love
band.
“She chose band and stayed
with the band because she
knew her goals, she knew what
she wanted to be, and she fell
in love with it,” Lenise Bostic
added. “She has always been in
love with band, but at FAMU
[band] just captured her heart
like it did mine when I was
there, and her papi’s when he
was there.”
This is the second time Cori
Bostic tried out for drum major
at FAMU. Last year she wasn’t
selected but was given feedback
on what she needed to do to
improve her chances, including
improving her upper body
strength.
“[Cori] was like, ‘I’m a
basketball player. I know how
to work out, so I’ll just work
out,”’ her mom said. “When she
came home that summer she
was sad for a week, and then we
went right up the street to the
gym and she started working
out, lifting weights and she got
stronger and stronger. She went
back out and tried out again.”
Ivan Wilborn, who was
head drum major at FAMU
from 1983-84, said Cori
Bostic’s athleticism is what gave
her the advantage over other
women who auditioned for a
drum major spot in the past.
“The drum major position
is a hard position. It’s hard on
the upper body,” Wilborn said.
“The difference between Cori
and the [other women who
tried out] is she’s [6-foot-1] and
that helps her. She’s athletic.
She has the arm strength to
deal with the baton.
“The baton is really massive
and big and there are things
that you have to do with it,”
Wilborn added. “Of course,
our upper body strength is a
little different than the women,
but I think she possesses
that because of her athletic
prowess.”
Although Cori Bostic
has received congratulations
and support from current
and former band members,
Wilborn said there are some
who are against the decision.
“Some of us old-schoolers
are fighting it, but I think if
she’s worthy then she deserves
the chance,” he said. “She’s
proven that she’s worthy, so we
have to give her the chance.
She has to live up to it. She’s
going to do it, she’s going to be
an excellent performer. We just
have to get on the bandwagon
and support her and make sure
that we’re together in this and
[support her].”
Lenise Bostic said she
knows there are those who
doubt her daughter’s abilities to
be drum major, but knows she
has a good support system at
FAMU and at home.
“She has a good nucleus of
people who keep her grounded
and she has her siblings who
keep her grounded. She just
has a lot of people who support
her,” Lenise Bostic said. “A lot
of former drum majors are
helping her and preparing her
for what’s about to come. Her
drum major squad [is] working
really hard together and
working really well together.
She’s leaning on her squad.”
