Young Alumni Reflects On The Greatest Homecoming On Earth

Homecoming, a time of great fun and excitement for students, facualty and guest.

Every year, North Carolina A&T tries to bring new flare and excitment for its homecoming. A&T is known for it's laugh out loud comedy shows, it's heart pounding step shows and its edge of your seat football games, but has it always been that way.

In an interview with LaRonda Puryear, a North Carolina A&T Alumni, she talked about Homecoming and the experiences she had their as a student.

1.What was your favorite homecoming event?

The Comedy show and game were always my favorites

2.How has homecoming changed since you were there?

No freedom on campus, the streets used to be filled with cars and people till the wee hours of the night.

3.Where the concerts as lively as they are now?

The concerts were more lively my freshman and sophomore year because there were more artists from Atlanta. I love Atlanta, so I guess that's why I enjoyed these concerts a lot more and thought they were more lively.

4.What were your fondest memories about homecoming?

Everyone coming to have a good time

5.When you visit the school do you feel or see the same amount of “Aggie Pride” there from

when you were in school?

Nope

6.Why do you think A&T students don’t have as much pride as those before them?

I disagree with the notion that A&T students don't have as much pride as those before them. I feel that Aggie Pride is alive and well. As an undergrad I participated in a lot of campus organizations and every time we had to travel to a conference or represent our school we'd exude pride in everything we did. Sometimes we didn't even have to say what school we were from, everyone could tell just by the way we carried ourselves. On a personal level, I have always had Aggie Pride and I LOVE A&T so much. There's not a day that goes by that I don't have something on that deals with A&T, whether it be a hoodie, a pen, my car, etc.

7.Do you think homecoming is still a way to strengthen the bonds between students and their
school, or has it become too commercial?

I do believe that homecoming is still a way to strengthen the bonds between students and their school. I don't think that homecoming has become too commercial. Homecoming is exactly what it says, coming home. You come home to reminisce and to reconnect to a place and to people that you may not have seen in a while. I feel that homecoming activities just enhance this and not necessarily defines it. You make your own homecoming what it is.

The Spokesman For Change Gains Nobel Prize

In his first ten months in office, President Barack Obama has faced a wide range of challenges and obsticles. Just a weeks ago, his efforts paid off as he was announced the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Obama wasn't selected for the things he had accomplished, but rather for his vision and dream that inspired the entire world at the beginning of his presidency.

"For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman," the committee said, explaining its decision.

Obama told reporters that he did not view the award as a recognition of his own accomplishments. But rather as an affirmation of American leadership. He then stated that he would accept the award as a "call to action".

Shortely after his acceptance speech, he made plans to donate the roughly $1.4 million award to charity. In further statements by the committee, they added, "Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people so much hope for a better future."

As President, Obama has created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has stimulated both disarmament and arms control negotiations and the U.S. is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the huge challenges the world is confronting, thanks to the seemingly tireless efforts of it's President.

Ask About Me

My name is Evan Summerville. I'm a junior, majoring in electronic media. Born, but not raised in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I'm an aspiring actor and cartoonist. Theater and art are huge pieces of my life. I've been doing both since i was little.

I've got an older sibling who's probably my greatest inspiration. This is my life so far, anything else you'd like to know hit me up.

Q & A Interview With Donna Bradby

North Carolina A&T's Department of Visual and Performing Arts continues to astound it's school each year with breath-taking performances.

The Department of Visual and Performing Arts comprises the Programs of Music, Theatre, Visual Arts and a Dance concentration.

Through an ongoing collaborative process, the Department develops and sustains the artistic and cultural environment of the university and the community.

The department prepares students both academically and artistically through the implementation of interdisciplinary studies for leadership roles in a diverse society.


Recently, I interviewd Director of Marketing and Publicity, Donna Bradby to get a small look into the world of theatre.


Q: How long have you been involved with theater?
A: I've personally been involved since a child, but i've been at A&T for four years acting as the
Director of Marketing and Publicity. I'm an alumni of the program.

Q: Did You perform when you were in school?
A: Yes, when i first came here i was a tech concentration and then i moved over to acting.

Q: Which do you like better, acting or tech?
A: Acting, but now i'm an arts manager, so I like arts managament better than anything.

Q: What all does your job include?

A: I do marketing and publicity for the department of vision/performing arts. We have a music

program, a dance concentration, theatre and visual arts. So I do marketing and publicity for

all four areas.

Q: What does it take to market a play?

A: Publicity and marketing for an arts event, other than visual arts, is very different because it's

nothing you can put your hands on. Take for example, if I was selling caps. You know what a

cap is, my cap is a little different from your cap, but theatre and dance is an experience. So

i'm selling an experience.

Q: How do you decide what plays to perform?
A: We have lots of goals. Our students, as they are going through the four-year program, have to
to have done a comedy, a straight play, a classical play, a childrens piece, a musical etc. They
have to have gone through the genre of theatre; even if they weren't in the play they have to
had worked on it.

Q: What's the number one rule for people looking to pursue a career in theater?
A: In the words of one of our professors, "you don't call the theatre, the theatre calls
you". You've gotta be dedicated. You have to love the work. And if you want to major in
theatre. We're an academically driven program and we're a performance program. You could
have a rehersal at ten 0'clock at night and we'd still expect you to turn in your ten page paper
in the morning.


Donna B. Bradby


North Carolina A&T State University


(336) 334-7852, Ext. 6020


NCB, rm.