Inside Morehouse. ([Atlanta, Georgia]) 2008-????, September 01, 2008, Image 4
SNEWS
INSIDE MOREHOUSE, SEPTEMBER 2008
Henrietta Yang Introduces Chinese
Language to Morehouse Students
Henrietta Shu-Fen Yang, assistant professor of Chinese.
50 Million Pound
Challenge Gains
Morehouse Members
By Vickie G. Hampton
Trade Daniels’ 14-year-old son,
Austin, wanted to try out for his
school's football team. He was side
lined before even hitting the turf be
cause at the required sports physical
exam, his 219-pound girth and high
blood pressure - "and I'm not talking
about borderline," said his mother -
kept him off the field.
Trade Daniels was inspired by her
son, Austin, to take part in the 50
Million Pound Challenge.
Daniels made a move of her own by
signing up for the 50 Million Pound
Challenge, a national weight-loss cam
paign created by Dr. Ian Smith, spon
sored by State Farm Insurance and
aimed specifically at African Americans.
"My son is from a diabetic family,
and most of them are younger than 50
and on disability," said Daniels, the ad
ministrative assistant for General Edu
cation who plans to lose 80 pounds.
"This challenge will help us eliminate
the biggest risk factor - obesity - that
we can eliminate."
Obesity is a national epidemic,
according to a 50 Million Pound Chal
lenge brochure. But the news is graver
for African Americans: nearly 80 per
cent of black women, 67 percent of
black men and 20 percent of black
teenagers are overweight. This leaves
African Americans disproportionately
afflicted with high blood pressure,
diabetes, and various forms of cancer.
Judith Richmond, administrative
assistant for the Andrew Young Cen
ter for International Affairs, signed up
because dieting alone has not worked
for her.
"I've tried many times to go on my
own, but you take a pass one day,
then one day becomes two and even
tually you don't do it anymore," she
said. "With this competition, I think
that I will be more motivated because
there will be a group of people doing
the same thing."
Eddie Southard, a 50 Million
Pound Challenge Coordinator, distrib
uted 2,000 bottles of water, bags,
towels and pedometers as incentives
to sign up. He said targeting college
students is essential because "if we
can impress upon them to stay on top
of their health then they will lead a
healthier lifestyle."
To sign up for the challenge, visit
www.50millionpounds.com. ■
By ADD SEYMOUR JR.
Henrietta Shu-Fen Yang remem
bers the talk about 20th century
People’s Republic of China (com
monly known as China) becoming
a future player on the political and
economic world stage.
“I had been hearing that the 21st
century would be China’s century,”
said Yang, who goes by Henrietta.
“Well, there’s no doubt that China
has gotten stronger and stronger in
politics and the economy.”
Because of that, Yang hopes to
get the men of Morehouse out front
on the global surge of interest in
Chinese business, trade and culture.
Yang, an assistant professor of Chi
nese, is the new director of Chinese
Studies at Morehouse.
With the ever-increasing potential
that students could someday be
working or doing business in China
- the world’s most populated coun
try with 1.3 billion people - Yang will
be teaching mandarin Chinese,
which is spoken by nearly three-
fourths of the people in China. That
makes it the world’s most-spoken,
indigenous language.
Tears and Cheers
(Continued from the cover)
television and a refrigerator from a
moving truck.
Even though Ryan is from
Fayette County, a suburban com
munity just south of Atlanta, he was
like any other freshman.
“Uh, a little nervous,” he said as
he shuffled his hat. “I’m used to
being comfortable being at my
house. And now it’s a big change,
leaving Mom and Dad.”
“I’m somewhat nervous too,” his
mother added. “But I know that he’s
well able.”
No matter how far their journeys
to campus, the Bain and Hobbs
families typify the bundle of emo
tions that united many of the new
men of Morehouse.
The eight-day New Student Ori
entation (NSO) helped to ease some
of those fears and calm the nerves
of new families who became part of
the Morehouse family.
“The activities of Freshman
Week are designed to expose new
students and their parents to the
history, traditions, resources, aca
demic programs and overall pur
pose and presence of Morehouse
College,” said Anne Watts, associate
vice president for Academic Affairs.
“Parents, in particular, can leave
their sons with a reassurance that
Morehouse is the place for their son
and that he is in good hands.”
More than 900 freshman and
transfer students took part in NSO
2008, which ranged from the enter
taining “Welcome to the House,”
The XXIX Summer Olympics in
Beijing also gave the world audience
a good look at the glistening and
modern Chinese capital city.
“Because of business and the
economy, there is lots of interaction
- plus the world has gotten smaller
and smaller (because of the Inter
net),” she said. “The Chinese market
has drawn people there. And in
order to do business in China, you
have to speak their language and
understand their culture.”
Anthony Pinder, executive direc
tor of the Andrew Young Center for
International Studies believes bring
ing Yang to Morehouse is the right
step in the College’s increasingly-in-
ternational direction.
“We are at a point in the College’s
history where we are really focusing
on producing globally competent
graduates who are proficient in
languages and are exposed to multi
ple cultures around the world,” he
said. “For an institution... Chinese
fits naturally. We have to begin
looking at other parts of the world
that are serious partners in our
major interests. And if we are to
train globally competent leaders,
production on the first day of NSO
to the emotional Parents’ Parting
Ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 21.
Sterling Hudson, dean of Admis
sions and Records, said the class
represents 40 states and seven coun
tries, mostly from the Caribbean
and Africa. The sliding world econ
omy held down the normal number
of international students, he said.
Hudson said the class of 2012 is
academically on par with previous
classes, but their commitment to
serve is what most impresses him.
“I think we’ll be feeling the
we have to make sure we are train
ing a diverse amount of globally-
competent leaders.”
Yang is a native of Taiwan who
came to the United States to study
linguistics. She had already studied
journalism in Taipei, but developed
a love for linguistics and in teaching
Chinese language and culture.
She comes to Morehouse after
teaching stints at the University of
Texas-Austin and most recently the
impact of this class, possibly
like none other, through their desire
to contribute to the Morehouse
environment, the surrounding
community and in exerting their
leadership skills,” he said. “I think if
there is one thing I would point to
about this class [that stands out] is
that it is full of students who have
leadership credentials.”
President Robert M. Franklin Jr.
’75 greeted parents and students
during the NSO Opening Convoca
tion, assuring parents that their
sons would be fine.
Defense Language Institute’s De
partment of Chinese in Monterey,
Calif., where she had been teaching
team leader.
“I think (Morehouse) is a very
good place to create my ideal lan
guage program,” said Yang, who will
incorporate new technology in
teaching mandarin Chinese. “I was
impressed by our students. It is the
whole package and makes me feel
like this is the place I want to be.” ■
“Leave your son or grandson at
Morehouse and be proud of what
you have done in rearing and nur
turing them,” he said. “We will
make him into a Morehouse Man.
And because of that, the world will
be a better place.”
During the emotional Parents’
Parting Ceremony, the new men of
Morehouse, class of 2012, - all
wearing their new maroon sports
coats and maroon and white ties -
marched out of the Martin Luther
King Jr. International Chapel
through the gates of the campus.
Under dark, yet cloud-swept skies,
tears fell as families and their sons
were symbolically separated by the
closed gates that ceremoniously
welcomed the students into the Col
lege’s fold.
“You feel a little sad that he’s leav
ing you, but you know that he has to
move on,” said Claudia Bain of her
son Charlo. “It’s something he has to
do. Now that I’ve gotten here, I can
see that people are friendly and
everybody is trying to help out. 1
think he’s going to be alright.”
“Our family will never be the
same as far as all of us being to
gether,” said Kimberly Hobbs about
her son Ryan. “Now he’s leaving. He’s
my first and only son, but I trust that
God will bring him through it.”
Though nervousness and uncer
tainty abound, Bain and other first-
year students are looking forward to
the next phase of their lives.
“For me, right now, being a man
of Morehouse it’s just being inde
pendent and being able to make
wise decisions,” he said. ■
African drummers lead the newest men of Morehouse into the Martin Luther King
Jr. International Chapel during New Student Orientation Week.