The Collegian

The Collegian has had a very successful year for news. We discussed taboo topics like homosexuality at SC State, gave faculty a voice to express their concerns and provided the news about campus crime that you need to know to make more informed decisions. We don’t do it for mere controversy, knowledge is power and a more informed student body can make wiser decisions. Here is a re-cap of the most controversial stories for 2009.

Gay at SC State

5. I promise you if we were at another university like Claflin or Hampton, you would never see this article. Gay at SC State was a two part series that allowed students speak out about they way they are treated on campus. Students interviewed were candid about they way they are stared at, made fun of, and stereotyped because of their sexuality. 

"The name calling is truly annoying,” said one of the students interviewed. “I feel as if we are all adults therefore we should conduct ourselves as such. Even though a name does not define who I am [derogatory name calling]; it is just that I want to shake them and say grow up!"

Students also spoke about controversial issues like gay marriage, men on the “down low,” religion and “coming out.”  In the fall of 2009, Unity a new organization designed to was formed to eliminate stereotypes associated homosexuals, and to promote awareness of HIV/AIDS and encourage testing.  Click here to read original story

4.      Light Skinned in an HBCU

The fact that students who are light-skinned would actually be at the receiving end of discrimination at SC State was shocking to many including those who believed that only darker skinned persons were discriminated against. Students explained that they have been called Light Bright, High-lighter, High yellow, Red Bone, Mulatto, Light Skinned-ed, “See Through” and Transparent since attending SC State; behavior, they said, was expected at a playground or even at high school, but not at an institution of higher learning. 

The authors also cited the historic source of the divide in the African American community; the difference in treatment of the lighter skin house slaves and darker field slaves. The story was picked up by Blackcollegewire, a website that selects the best HBCU newspaper articles. Several blogs also posted this article as a discussion thread.

Comments from readers were long and included historical quotes showing that lighter skinned slaves had it more difficult in many circumstances than darker slaves, because they were accepted by neither the white slave masters nor the dark skinned slaves. 

On campus the article had mixed reactions. One of the authors was even told by a student that they were not the ones who have it hard it is dark skinned people. The purpose of the article was in no way to decipher which complexion has it harder, it was merely to share the story of these students so that the student body can have a greater knowledge of what it is like to walk in another person’s shoes. Click here to read article

3.      Omegas Face Hazing Allegations

This story received far more hits online than controversial stories about other fraternities; however the “buzz” was not quite as frenetic. Before writing this story, several of the other Student Media staff members were worried about Greeks taking revenge on the organization. I am happy to say that this has not been the case.

Comments online were a little more balanced. Some said that The Collegian should stay out of the business of Greek organizations while others decried the act of hazing itself. The article reported that the The Xi Psi Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. was given cease and desist orders from their national fraternity because of hazing allegations.

Sixth district adviser for the chapter, Octavio Miro, confirmed that the allegations existed and also said that hazing has no place in an organization, but admitted that some young people believe that you have to engage in this behavior to become a member. Miro continued by saying he was appalled by that kind of behavior both on the part of the giver and those who choose to accept it. Click here to read original story

2. Faculty discusses a vote of no confidence in SC State’s Leadership

The campus buzzed less than 24hours after this story was posted online. A vote of no confidence in the university’s leadership is definitely serious business and the story was picked up in the Times and Democrat two days later.

Faculty members were angry. Their senate president who co-chaired the meeting said that was ‘talk" of an 18 day furlough because of low enrollment numbers and budget cuts.

The website’s hits were low, but the article was copied and pasted throughout the campus [mainly among faculty and staff.]

Two days later at the Board of Trustees meeting, faculty members as well as students were in attendance to listen to the president’s presentation to the board. It was clear that the board was not pleased with the way the Faculty’s meeting was publicized in the media, but addressed their concerns and even delayed a decision on furloughs until after President George E. Cooper met with faculty and staff to discuss the matter.

Cooper, who said he thought he had been inclusive, called a general assembly for all faculty and staff the next week and solicited feedback after communicating that his administration was considering a 10 day furlough.

The furlough days were eventually decreased to 7 days and began during Thanksgiving week. Click here to read original story

 1. Alphas told to Cease and Desist

By far the most controversial and most commented on story for 2009 was "Alphas told to Cease and Desist." Copies of The Collegian reached as far as Claflin University and the Claflin student newspaper staff even told us that they had never seen an article as explicit as that before.

The article raised questions about the line between privacy and freedom of the press and exactly how secret ‘secret societies" should be.

While the article was designed to expose both sides of the conflict, several readers commented that the article was one-sided and The Collegian was even called "Trash and Dirt" by one reader.

The article was a report on "cease and desist" orders given to the Beta Delta Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc following an event held by the organization in Harmon Park on March 23.

The university’s administration accused the group of having an illegal probate at Harmon Park that attracted a large crowd with no security. The fraternity maintained that they did not have a probate; it was a birthday party held off campus, because the university cancelled their event at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial center without notice, even thought they booked the facility since December of the year prior and informed the university that they had a different timeline set by their National organization.

Although the fraternity is "off the yard," the Alphas continue to do community service work in keeping with their mission. Click here to read original story