Perspective: Fair Coverage?

Published: Thursday, February 25, 2010

Updated: Thursday, February 25, 2010

This weekend the Sprite Step Off took place in Atlanta, Georgia. As I read Monday's Hilltop many things bothered me. Since October of 2009, the ladies of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Alpha Chapter have been participating in the step off.

Not only did we accumulate $23,500 in scholarship money, we were also THE ONLY Zeta team in the nation to make it to regional and final wildcard rounds.

Additionally, during the North Carolina regional round, MTV chose to follow the ladies of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc Alpha ALL weekend.

On top of this, Sprite called the team back to participate in the wildcard round in Atlanta this weekend. Nobody ever bothered to gather or publish this information at all. What is bothersome about all of this is the politics on Howard's campus.

The ladies of Zeta Phi Beta, Alpha Chapter have constantly been overlooked. This is not a plea for accolades at all, but fair is fair.

If the acknowledgments of other organizations are going to be recognized, then all organizations should be.

Additionally, there have been articles about the relevance of D9 organizations, yet not a single Hilltop camera covered the hundreds of D9 members that participated in community service this weekend in Atlanta at the Boys & Girls club and Ronald McDonald House.

The Howard student body is always talking about "keeping it real". Well coming from a member of one of the realest organizations on campus, I have to say that Howard has not been keeping it real.

This paper that was created by our soror is slowly going down the drain, due to Greek politics, lack of integrity, and biased views.

The Howard community has the right to be properly informed of all the things occurring on campus.

Nobody should have the power or right to be selective as to what Howard students know and don't know. All in all, we have to do better because I can honestly say Zora Neale Hurston would NOT be proud.

Sola Zaccheus,
senior psychology major

A Real Uncle Tom

Sun Mar 7 2010 20:05

Could somebody tell me when was the last time any of these so-called Black greek organizations publicly challenged police brutality against Black men, the exorbitantly high unemployment for Black men, home mortgage redlining against Blacks, or the continued dereliction of public service duty by scores of so-called Black Elected Officials? Until this happens, these so-called Black greek organizations should focus on this instead of an Buck Dancing, Al Jolson, or buffonery dance.

Howard University Watch

Sat Mar 6 2010 09:50

I agree with 'A Real Uncle Tom" and the numerous problems he's mentioned regarding Howard University. If we're being truthful, we can clearly see that such claims are very accurate. In fact, he should be commended for publicly saying what many Howard students say amongst themselves.

A Real Uncle Tom

Fri Mar 5 2010 20:27

Re: Ms. Leona D. Willis;

The purpose of using the term "Steppin and Fetchin" regarding the so-called Black Greeks (by the way, have you ever been to Acropolis or even know what it is?) is to convey the point how participants look performing such buffoonery moves akin to that of the Al Jolson era. Regardless how much persons such as you try to claim that "Steppin" origins date back to Africa, this is thing more than pseudo-intellectual way of justifying this chicanery. As it concern the continued university blight at Howard University I pointed out, one must have the visual and intellectual capacity of a “garden pea” to deny such problems exists.

By the way, when was the last time you’ve been on Howard’s and honestly examined the overall conditionality? In spite of the many points of campus dereliction of its educational duties, you still did not have the integrity that such problems do exist. This is akin to that Punk President Obama saying that there’s “no Black Agenda and a rising tides lifts all boats.” I would emphatically say that no matter how much of a cogent argument one may present to neoliberal thinking so-called Blacks such as yourself, you will still defend behaviors and historical myths. Then, the Black community wonder why it’s on a continued downward slope because millions of apolitical and ahistorical so-called Blacks are in complete denial. Deny! Deny!

Leona D. Willis, Class of 1992, HUSC

Fri Mar 5 2010 17:53

Mr. or is it Ms. "New Conscious" do some research before you post. If you KNEW the origin of "stepping" you would not be using words like "steppin and fetchin" . Your ignorance on the subject weakens your argument. If you are looking for a format to educate, learn how to write an argumentative essay first. And to that end, if you truly seek to "enlighten" the Howard community, try sending a letter to the editor addressing such "important" topics WITH solutions rather than posting sophomoric rants that are neither fact based or original.

Finally,when you sign your name...you are saying you stand by your word. No name=no value.

Leona D. Willis, Class of 1992, HUSC

Fri Mar 5 2010 17:52

Mr. or is it Ms. "New Conscious" do some research before you post. If you KNEW the origin of "stepping" you would not be using words like "steppin and fetchin" . Your ignorance on the subject weakens your argument. If you are looking for a format to educate, learn how to write an argumentative essay first. And to that end, if you truly seek to "enlightent" the Howard community try sending a letter to the editor addressing such "important" topics WITH solutions rather than posting sophomoric rants that are neither fact based or original.

Finally,when you sign your name...you are saying you stand by your word. No name=no value.

A Real Uncle Tom

Thu Mar 4 2010 14:08

Re: Ms. Leona D. Willis;

Simply because one doesn't reveal his/her identity to "your particular satisfaction" does not imply one lack any integrity. This is implemented to avoid with dealing with these "so-called" Black Greeks such as yourself who yearn to identify(indirectly) with White European culture and will attempt to muzzle anyone who see it different than yourself.

It's amazing that you have exhibited this furvor to defend this "Steppin and Fetchin" but yet you will not expend similar energy addressing the following at Howard University: 1) The dismal state of the library; 2) the prison like food students eat in the cafeteria; 3) the privatization of various services at the university at the expense of Black employees; 4) why the entire campus is still not wireless in 2010 even though students pay for this service in their "technonolgy fee; or 5) why is the iLab is never fully operational and functional and woefully lacks various standard software applications "other" educational institutions have.

Finally, until you start addressing these issues, you're only maintaining the "status quo" by emphasizing this "falsification of Black consciousness."

Auf Wiedersehen

Leona D. Willis

Wed Mar 3 2010 19:03

As a Howard University alumna I too find it disheartening to see the coverage of the University's Greek life biased at best. When you cover a beat, you cover the beat. Our University was well represented in a National Step Competition, but The Hilltop failed to tell the whole story. Hilltop do better.

To Anon poster, SIGN YOUR NAME...your lack of integrity is showing. In the meantime, if you need verification of the win, go to the Sprite Step Off website. The details are posted there.

Anonymous

Fri Feb 26 2010 13:27

...if you guys made it so far, why didn't you step on Saturday?...we were looking for you, and were surprised not to see you!!!

Perspective: Fair Coverage?

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