Office of Multicultural Student Affairs
Volume 2, Issue 2
Spring 2008
OMSA
NEWSLETTER
Inside this issue:
Director’s Corner
Happy New Year!
Welcome new students and welcome
back returning students. I hope this
edition of the OMSA Newsletter finds
you rejuvenated from a long, restful
break and you are now ready for an
exciting spring semester. OMSA and
the Multicultural Student Organizations have a lot of great programming planned for you as well as an
addition to our office, Leon Thomas
III, our new Assistant Director (read
more about Leon inside).
I encourage you to get involved in the
many upcoming celebrations during
Black History Month and hope that
you were able to participate in the
celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr.’s birthday. As many of you are
wrapping up your USC experience, I
challenge you to use this semester as
a time of reflection upon those who
have gone before you. I hope you will
focus on the many accomplishments
of Dr. King and other great leaders so
you may continue their efforts to
change the world.
Diversity Dialogues will be offered
again this semester so you may voice
your concerns on issues such as the
advancement of minorities, respecting
others, and how to work with diverse
people in the real world. Take a look
at the rest of the newsletter for more
updates on spring celebrations, programs, and events. Stay current by
checking the OMSA event calendar at
www.sa.sc.edu/omsa .
Best wishes for a great year in 2008!
Rodrick Moore, Ph.D., Director
2007 Review
The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs is proud to announce accomplishments for the 2007 academic year:
EMPOWER, Diversity Peer Educators, were requested for and provided over 30
presentations to University 101 classes. They plan to offer this opportunity again
in Fall 2008. If you are teaching a class, you can sign up for your presentation at
http://www.sa.sc.edu/omsa/drf.htm or by calling the Office of Multicultural
Students Affairs at 777-7716.
SALA put together a very exciting Hispanic Heritage Month celebration along with
members of the Hispanic Heritage Month Committee, which included faculty,
staff and students from all over campus. SALA provided a kick-off event, cohosted by OMSA, with a DJ and delicious food from Tio’s. The annual SALA
Salsa Night was held in the Russell House Ballroom with record attendance and
catering provided SALA VP, Melissa Perez, parents’ catering company from
Greenville, SC. SALA hosted an exciting and question-filled Unity Meeting for all
OMSA organizations about the impact of Latinos on our society. Many people
said this event was a huge success as they left with a better understanding of the
culture. There was also a Diversity Dialogue with President of the South Carolina Hispanic Leadership Council, Ivan Segura.
Continued on page 3
Feature Article:
2008 Civil Rights
Tour
2
2007 Review continued
3
Welcome Leon!
3
Brandon Gates
3
Senior Recognition 4
Black History
Month
5
Department
Highlight
6
Staff
Highlight
6
Campus Climate
& Office Info
6
Special points of
interest:
 Black History Month is
February
 Women’s History Month
is March
 Eight multicultural student organizations and
two minority programs
from which to choose
exist at USC
 AAAS 40th Anniversary
Celebration is February
26
 BGLSA’s Birdcage is February 19
Civil Rights Tour 2008
by Leslie Bennett
Each year, the Civil Rights tour gives students a
glimpse into an era where the struggle for basic human
rights was a part of everyday life. The 2008 Civil Rights
tour was no exception. From January ninth to January
twelfth, students toured cities in Tennessee, Alabama,
and Georgia, where parts of the Civil Rights movement
took place. Each city visited had a particular site that
touched students’ hearts and opened their eyes.
In Memphis, TN, students toured the National Civil
Rights Museum, formerly known as the Lorraine Motel.
The motel was an ideal place to turn into a civil rights
museum because of its ties to the late Martin Luther
King, Jr. What better place could serve as a reminder of
the struggle for civil rights than the place where King
was assassinated? One of the most moving exhibits inside the museum was Room 307 and the balcony in
front of it. Room 307 was where King would share his
last meal with his colleagues. The room was set up to
look the way it did when he was killed. Every detail was
carefully done, down to the newspaper neatly folded on
the bed and blowing in the breeze of the air conditioner.
On the balcony, there was a white wreath on the railing
and a special concrete square stained with blood. The
square marked the place where King was assassinated.
Several students became misty-eyed as they reflected
on the events which took place that fateful day.
Birmingham, AL offered other scenes from the Civil
Rights movement. Kelly Ingram Park was used as a
staging ground for marches and protests, but now
bears sculptures and statues from the movement.
There was a scene where a young male and female were
huddled against a wall, trying to protect themselves
from the forceful blasts of the water hoses. There was
another scene where passerby walked between two
rows of vicious police dogs. The scene was so detailed;
one could see each sharp tooth in the dogs’ mouths,
ready to tear into the flesh of innocent protesters. Seeing those obstacles faced by the protesters brought
home the reality of the brutality those people faced on
behalf of the civil rights struggle.
In Selma, AL, the National Voting Rights Museum gave
students a glimpse of the struggle for voting rights
through photographs, memorabilia, and firsthand
sources from the struggle. One of the things which
stood out the most was the ―I Was There‖ wall. The wall
was simple, yet profound. The wall was covered with
Post-It notes from the countless people who served behind the scenes in the struggle. In his or her own handwriting, each person described what they did, whether
it was marching across Edmund Pettus Bridge on
Bloody Sunday or simply cooking meals for the protesters. Firsthand sources like those can reflect the reality
of the past in ways history books may not.
The Civil Rights tour ended in Atlanta, GA with a visit
to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent
Social Change. Outside the center, there was a reflecting pool with the memorial tomb of King and his wife,
Coretta Scott King. King and his wife were two great
leaders who dedicated their lives to the Civil Rights
movement, in their own special way. While Mrs. King
got to the see the fruit of their labor, it cost Dr. King his
life. There was an eternal flame across from the tomb. It
offered a chance to reflect on all that was seen throughout the tour and connect it to the present. Even though
the flame was barely visible, it was enough to show how
a little bit of faith can last and lead to great things. As
we look from the past to the future, remember that the
struggle is not yet over. Let us continue to take advantage of the rights gained from our ancestors’ struggle
and make history as a people who overcame numerous
obstacles to become great leaders in society.
The Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in
Montgomery, AL was more than just the place where
King preached. It was also a meeting place where King
and others planned various boycotts and protests
throughout the Civil Rights Movement. There is a mural
in the basement where church member Deacon John
Feagin painted a mural in memory of King and the civil
rights struggle. There were various scenes from the
movement, starting with the boycott stemming Rosa
Parks’ refusal to give up her seat to the outcome of
King’s dream—freedom and equality for all. It gave the
viewer a timeline of the civil rights struggle, with both
the highs and lows of the movement.
Page 2
OMSA newsletter
Voting and the College Student
by Brandon Gates
As the November presidential election rapidly approaches, America anticipates a change in government.
News mediums have provided an excess in facts and
figures on the primaries, commentaries on each candidate, and underlying issues existing between the Democratic and Republican parties. But the question remains, where does the population of college students fit
into this scenario?
As young voters, we hold more power than what is often perceived. The initial step in becoming politicallysavvy is proclaiming independence to vote and taking
responsibility for the future state of our country. A
large percentage of students did not receive the opportunity to vote in the primaries—for reasons ranging
from being distant from home to rules and regulations
set by state caucuses.
The most important thing college students should adhere to is registering to vote—because without being
properly registered your voice is then jeopardized. Once
registered, the research can begin. As our generation is
heavily dependent on the internet as a primary source
of information, opposed to use of television and radio in
previous years, the web is a great tool to use when
searching for political information.
College students should remember to analyze all information gained, ranging from ideologies of the candidates
to issues of social security and global warming. They
must examine critically with an awareness of their own
bias. Most importantly, they should be willing to engage
in informal discussions about political issues with fellow
colleagues and professors—even attending campus functions help by College Democrats, Young Republicans,
and other political advocacy groups.
Many students have been excited to watch the results of
state primaries continue through this spring semester
as a good percentage are first time voters; but we must
not become complacent as many as still unregistered
voters. We all should take some time to encourage our
colleagues to become involved in politics—even if just a
little—because the future essentially begins with our
voices.
OMSA Welcomes New Assistant Director
The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs received
great news at the end of the 2006-2007 academic year.
The office was granted funds to hire an Assistant Director to join current Director, Dr. Rodrick Moore, and Associate Director, Melissia Brannen. After a long and
careful selection process, Leon Thomas III graciously
accepted an offer for the position.
Leon started his tenure with USC on January 22. His
contributions to the office will be greatly appreciated as
he will work closely with the Minority Assistance Peer
Program, advisement of multicultural student organizations, and cultural programming.
After completing his Masters degree in Educational
Leadership at West Virginia University, Leon worked as
a Program Advisor with American University’s Office of
Student Activities where he was responsible for advising 92 student organizations and clubs! Leon has research experience as well as experience working with
TRIO programs. He is very passionate about serving
the underrepresented populations in our nation’s institutions of higher education.
Please join OMSA in welcoming Leon to the Carolina
family!
2007 Review Continued from page 1
The Bisexual, Gay, and Lesbian Student Alliance held meetings with large crowds this year and participated in
National Coming Out Day on October 11 as well as the annual Pride March in Columbia, SC. BGLSA also hosted
a packed ballroom this past spring for the annual Birdcage event.
The Minority Assistance Peer Program had a great turnout for MAPP Counselors this past year, accepting 67 of the
applicants to mentor USC’s newest minority freshmen during fall semester. These students worked diligently to
plan and facilitate the Minority Student Welcome during 2007 Welcome Week and the MAPP Kick-Off event where
they met their mentees.
AAAS co-hosted an eventful kick-off to Black History Month with OMSA and held many well-attended events with
the assistance of other multicultural student organizations and campus partners. Black History Month events
included the Elite Male Showcase, presentation by Auntie Karen, and other festivities during the annual AAAS
Cultural Awareness Week with the eye-opening Chamber of Oppression.
Other OMSA multicultural student organizations including BOND, SAVVY, and NAACP shared special events with
the USC campus. Among these events were BOND’s Field Day and Black History Quiz Bowl, the annual Heritage
Gala with guest speaker and activist, Mrs. DeLee.
Page 3
OMSA newsletter
Multicultural Student Organization Leader Highlights
By Brandon Gates
Name: Amber Guyton
Major: Advertising
1. Describe your first
encounter with the Office of Multicultural
Student Affairs.
As a freshman in August 2004, I was a member of MAPP
and was mentored by Jamie Downs. I
commend this organization for acclimating me to the university and other
OMSA organizations. During USC Welcome Week, I attended the AAAS Welcome Back Cookout and became a
AAAS member under the provision of
then President, Ada Owens.
2. What leadership positions have you
held in organizations under the OMSA
umbrella?
2004-2005 AAAS Freshmen Council
Secretary, 2005-2006: AAAS Secretary,
2006-2007 AAAS Vice President, and
2007-2008 AAAS President.
3. What has been your most memorable experience with the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs?
My most memorable moment was arriving on USC's campus in 2004 and
being introduced to USC's Black Student Union through its black student
organizations and OMSA events. After
attending a predominately black high
school, I thought that things would be
much different at USC. I had no idea
how many African-American students
attended the university and it was then
that I realized that I was not alone and
no longer a number. OMSA organizations and programs allow minorities to
unite and progress at this university.
4. How has being affiliated with OMSA
prepared you for pursuing future endeavors?
Attending USC and being involved with
OMSA has made me realize how diversity is the key to success in any field or
career. We are living in an everchanging, growing, diverse world.
Building relationships with students of
and not of my race prepares me for the
REAL world and workforce.
Volume 2, Issue 2
5. What is something you would like
to see OMSA implement or improve
in the future?
Name: Crystal Felima
Major: African-American
Studies
Unity, especially in the USC AfricanAmerican community, is a must. Organizations such as AAAS can only
do but so much as student leaders.
The university and OMSA can better
assist black student organizations in
this effort.
1. Describe
your first encounter
with
the Office of
Multicultural
Student
Affairs.
My First encounter with
O.M.S.A was the Minority Student Welcome Freshman year.
Name: Quintin Lewis
Major: Criminal Justice
1. Describe your
first encounter with
the Office of Multicultural
Student
Affairs.
My First encounter
with O.M.S.A was meeting Dr. Moore.
Prior to meeting him, I was not aware
of OMSA.
2. What leadership positions have
you held in organizations that fall
under the OMSA umbrella?
I have been Programming Chair, VP,
and President of NAACP.
3. What has been your most memorable experience with the Office of
Multicultural Student Affairs?
Civil Rights Tour. I would go every
year if I could.
4. How has being affiliated with
OMSA prepared you for pursuing
future endeavors?
It has taught me how to work with
people while encompassing their personality and allowing them to produce.
5. What is something you would like
to see OMSA implement or improve
on in the future?
I’d like to see the numbers increase
and have people more aware of
OMSA.
2.
What leadership positions have you held in organizations that fall under the
OMSA umbrella?
I have been a M.A.P.P. Counselor and both the Treasurer
and President of SAVVY.
3.
What has been your most
memorable experience with the
Office of Multicultural Student
Affairs?
Participating in the 2008 Black
History Month Kick-Off NPHC
Stroll Competition.
4.
How has being affiliated
with OMSA prepared you for
pursuing future endeavors?
I have been able to pursue
leadership skills through positions that will aid me in transitioning to studying from an
undergraduate level to a graduate level.
People will forget what you
said. People will forget what
you did. But people will
never forget how you make
them feel."
~ Bonnie Jean Wasmund
Page 4
A bit of history...
Why is February, the shortest month of the year, Black History Month? You can thank Dr. Carter Goodson,
graduate of Harvard College, for organizing and implementing ―Negro History Week‖ back in 1926. He also is to
thank for the evolution that has led to today’s Black History Month.
Still, why February? The celebration originally occurred the second week in February to mark the birthdays of
Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, both monumental figures in Black history.
Famous African Americans




Mayor of a major U.S. city: Carl Stokes,
Cleveland, Ohio, 1967-1971. Sharon Pratt
Dixon Kelly, Washington, DC, 1991-1995,
was the first black woman to serve as mayor.
U.S. Representative: Joseph Rainey became
a Congressman from South Carolina in 1870
and was reelected four more times. Shirley
Chisholm, Congresswoman from New York,
1969–1983 was the first black female U.S.
Representative.
College president: Daniel A. Payne, 1856,
Wilberforce University, Ohio.

Published Poet: Phillis Wheatley, 1773, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.
Considered he founder of African-American
literature.

Jackie Robinson
Network television show host: Nat King
Cole, 1956, "The Nat King Cole Show"; Oprah
Winfrey became the first black woman television
host in 1986, "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

U.S. Supreme Court Justice: Thurgood
Marshall, 1967–1991. Clarence Thomas became the second African American to serve
on the Court in 1991.
Nobel Peace Prize winner: Ralph J. Bunche
received the prize in 1950 for mediating the
Arab-Israeli truce. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
became the second African-American Peace
Prize winner in 1964.

Inventor of the blood bank: Dr. Charles
Drew, 1940.

College graduate (B.A.): Alexander Lucius
Twilight, 1823, Middlebury College; first
black woman to receive a B.A. degree: Mary
Jane Patterson, 1862, Oberlin College.
First Oscar: Hattie McDaniel, 1940, supporting actress, Gone with the Wind.

Major league baseball player: Jackie Robinson, 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers.

Oprah Winfrey
Millionaire: Madame C. J. Walker, early1900’s, creator of African-American hair straightening products.

Miss America: Vanessa Williams, 1984, representing New York. When Williams resigned,
Suzette Charles representing New Jersey, the
runner-up and also an African American, assumed the title. Three additional African Americans have been Miss Americas: Debbye Turner
(1990), Marjorie Vincent (1991), and Kimberly
Aiken of South Carolina (1994).

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Did you know?

February 5,1990, Columbia University graduate and Harvard University law student Barack Obabma became
the first African American named president of the Harvard Law Review.

June 18, 1862, slavery is abolished in U.S. territories.

June 18, 1899, W.H. Richardson patents baby buggy.

January 23, 1964 The 24th Amendment to the US Constitution is ratified. It abolishes poll tax, which was
used as a means of preventing African Americans from voting.
http://www.blackfacts.com
Page 5
OMSA newsletter
Department Highlight
In this issue of the OMSA Newsletter,
we would like to highlight a department that recognizes many on campus,
but rarely gets recognized themselves.
The Office of Student Involvement and
Leadership offers a myriad of programs
and events including the Emerging
Leaders Program, T.O.A.S.T. Breakfast,
the Gamecock Leadership Society, and
the annual LEAD Retreat to name a
few. They also host the annual Student Leadership and Diversity Conference.
This year the Office of Leadership Programs collaborated with OMSA to host
the 22nd annual Student Leadership
and Diversity Conference (SLDC) on
Saturday, February 2, 2008. Dr. Clay
Bolton along with graduate assistant,
Amy Spurlock, HESA practicum student, Kelly McDowell, and members of
the Gamecock Leadership Society
worked day and night with OMSA staff
and members of the EMPOWER student organization to provide USC with
a phenomenal program.
SLDC, formerly known as the Student
Leadership Training Conference, has
been around for 22 years and recently
made the move to make diversity a major component of the conference. This
year was the second year OMSA
worked Student Involvement and Leadership to provide sessions and a keynote speaker on diversity.
Terry Dozier, former Gamecock and
NBA all-star, opened the conference as
the Leadership Keynote speaker and
was followed by Vernon A. Wall, consultant, lecturer and author, during
lunch for the Diversity Keynote address. This year more than 450 people
attended the conference from about 20
surrounding institutions of higher education and from the University of
South Carolina.
OMSA appreciates the opportunity to
work with the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership and would
like to thank all those involved with
SLDC for a job well done!
Office of Multicultural Student Affairs
"Celebrating our Differences…Exploring our Commonalities”
In order to produce positive effects on multicultural student retention
and success, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs offers a myriad of Cultural Support Services, Diversity Education Initiatives, and
Multicultural Programming. These programs, services, and initiatives
focus on the development of all students at the University of South
Carolina. The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs’ goal is to help
promote an accepting environment, and to assist in fostering an appreciation for each of our unique human differences.
Office Staff
Director:
Rodrick Moore, Ph.D.
Associate Director:
Melissia Brannen
Assistant Director:
Leon Thomas, III
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to
justice everywhere.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Student Assistants:
Brandon Gates
Administrative Assistant:
Marguerite Drayton
Harrelle Porter
University of South Carolina
RHUU Suite 115
Columbia, SC 29208
Phone: 803-777-7716
Fax: 803-777-4874
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.sa.sc.edu/omsa
Staff Highlights
OMSA would like to brag a little on
the most recent accomplishments
of our office staff:
 Brandon Gates has graciously
accepted the responsibility as
co-editor of the OMSA Newsletter!
Students can contact
Brandon to get your article
published in future issues.
 Dr. Rodrick Moore was nominated as and elected to serve
as the Black Faculty and Staff
Association President.
 Heidi Neely and Melissia Brannen presented at Furman University for the SCCPA Annual
Drive-In.
 Melissia Brannen accepted an
SLDC 2009 will be Saturday,
February 7, in the Russell House
Graduate Assistants:
Charissa Minnis
Heidi Neely
Rex Nobles
invitation to join the Provost’s
Advisory Council for Women’s
Issues.
 Dr. Rodrick Moore, Melissia
Brannen and Heidi Neely presented at the 22nd annual
Student Leadership and Diversity Conference.
Our University seal quotes the Latin poet Ovid,
"Emollit Mores Nec Sinit Esse Feros," which is
translated, "Learning humanizes character and
does not permit it to be cruel."
Campus Climate
The Office of Multicultural Student
Affairs completed a campus climate
survey late last spring and has since
chosen an organization to help lead
USC in a Train-the-Trainers Program
on May 21-23. Through this program
university faculty, staff and students
will gain tools needed to create a more
welcoming environment for all in the
Carolina Community. There are limited
spots for the training program to take
place in late May, but do not let that
discourage you.
Following the May
training, participants will be given all
the tools necessary to train their fellow
colleagues and organizations.
If you would like more information in
regards to this program or the Campus
Climate Survey, please contact Dr.
Rodrick Moore at 803-777-7716.