Students Ask For Release Knowing There’s More That He Require of Thee
With the tragedy that struck Haiti fresh in his mind, Trey Campbell stood before an audience, who was waiting on a release or a miracle, cloaked in faith.
Campbell, graduating senior psychology major, recalled watching CNN and hearing people praise and worship in Haiti after the earthquake hit. He said he could not see the people, however, because there was nothing but darkness. “In the midst of darkness, they’re still lifting him up knowing that blessings are about to come down.”
He said there may have been bodies to the left of those worshippers in Haiti and bodies to the right, but they chose to say, “I fear no evil.”
Hope in the heart of despair was the recurring theme of Wednesday Night Live, which was entitled “The Release Party”, held in the Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel. Testimony after testimony gave students hope that this too shall pass.
“Somebody is trying to break through right now. Somebody is struggling right now,” Campbell said.
During a skit, one of the actors, junior political science major Dorien Blythers, said, “Where was God when my dad died?” Tatiana Bien-Aime, a member of the Haitian Student Association, gave his scripted words life, when she stood before the congregation and shared her story. Her story currently has no ending because she said everyday there is something new as she and other Haitian students make contact with loved ones in Haiti and learn of another death or misfortune.
“Where is God through all of this? How can there be a God through all of this?” Bien-Aime said wrestling to find the answers. Both Bien-Aime’s and Blyther’s words caused the audience to sit in a mournful silence.
One of the actors in the skit, sophomore television production major Allen Reynolds, said, “When we have the most tragic moments, God is the biggest in our lives.” Sharing the same sentiment, senior jazz studies major Jessica Brooks performed an original song, Fantasy Jesus, with the lyrics “No one can love you like Jesus can.”
The skit ended with the words, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but God delivers us from them all.”
As more disasters occur and tragedies strike, there is still no party like a Holy Ghost party because the lessons learned at Wednesday Night Live will never stop being relevant.
January 19, 2010
Dear Howard University Community:
It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Dr. James H. Wyche as our new Provost and Chief Academic Officer, effective February 15, 2010. Dr. Wyche is a highly respected biochemist, cell biologist, researcher and renowned academic affairs professional whose distinguished career has been groundbreaking, award winning and prolific. Dr. Wyche comes to Howard University from his position at the National Science Foundation.
In a career spanning four decades, he has held numerous appointments including: Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; Vice Provost and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Biology and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Miami; Associate Provost and Professor of Medical Science, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Brown University; Adjunct Professor, Biology Department at Morgan State; and Visiting Professor and Scholar-in-Residence at other institutions. In addition, he served as Interim President of Tougaloo College in Mississippi.
With a notable commitment to addressing the underrepresentation of Blacks in the fields of mathematics and science, Dr. Wyche has lectured and written ardently about the issue and has participated in analysis and policy recommendations regarding the subject. His passion inspired him to co-found and serve as executive director of The Leadership Alliance, a consortium of 23 leading research and teaching colleges and universities (including Howard) dedicated to improving the participation of underrepresented students in STEM area graduate programs as well as the public and private sectors.
Dr. Wyche has an admirable research record of innovation. As the holder of two U.S. patents, as principal investigator (and co-principal) on dozens of grants and projects and as presenter and writer of more than one hundred professional papers and publications, he has helped define and refine his discipline. He holds an A.A.S. from Morrisville College (SUNY), a B.S. from Cornell University, an M.A. from Brown University, and a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Wyche to the Howard University family. We look forward tothe new opportunities his experience will bring and the collaborative work we will do. As I announce this selection of a new Chief Academic Officer, we applaud the leadership and extraordinary commitment of Dr. Alvin Thornton who has served as Interim Provost for nearly two years. Dr. Thornton has led our academic programs with integrity during a time of transition and has helped lay the groundwork for future developments. We thank Dr. Thornton as he continues to serve Howard University, leading the Presidential Commission on Academic Renewal and the Budget Advisory Committee.
Sincerely,
Sidney A. Ribeau
President
