Clips
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Here is a collection of my top clips from Virginia Commonwealth University's student newspaper "The Commonwealth Times," the VCU Public Relations Office and other publications.
![The latest cypher sensation on YouTube, Twitter and other platforms is by a group of Virginia
Commonwealth University students rapping about their majors in the medical 鍖eld. Over the
past month, the groups breakout video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJGifLjjsaY) has
been watched more than 37 million times and received national attention.
Donning dapper suits and ties, 鍖rst-year students Jonathan Brooks and twin brothers Terrence
and Terry Everett were the participants in the 30-second video. Schyler Landrum, who lives on
the same dormitory 鍖oor, recorded the cypher on a smartphone.
We were just sitting around in the dorm, and we didnt really have anything to do. So we were
like, Lets bust a rhyme really quick for Twitter. We didnt expect it to blow [up] like this but it
did, and thats a blessing, Terry Everett said in an interview with a local culture blog, Rich City.
The students posted the video on Twitter on Martin Luther King Day with the hashtag
#BlackExcellence shorthand for looking smart and being smart. Within days, the video
exploded all over social media. It was reposted on numerous social media sites, amassing a
combined 37 million views. Since then, the young men have added two more videos
(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX4h8iTxHTIUOaggKs_eONw) to the Black Excellence
series.
The original video has received an outpouring of support from social media blogs, celebrities
and the local community. Sway Calloway, host of the popular satellite talk show Sway In The
Morning, has asked to feature the students on his show.
The #BlackExcellence video was in part an answer to the Geeked Up Challenges raps
circulating on social media that often include explicit content about sex, drugs and violence.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/sterlinggiles-clips-160427174044/85/Clips-9-320.jpg)
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- 1. Home Print Edition News Teaching residency program helps revitalize Richmond public schools Teaching residency program helps revitalize Richmond public schools September 29, 2014 Sterling Giles THIS WEEKS PRINT EDITION Click to see more THE COMMONWEALTH TIMES THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PRESS AT VCU | SINCE 1969 Best All Around Non-Daily (Region 2) -SPJ Mark of Excellence awards NEWS SPORTS SPECTRUM OPINION COMICS VIDEO ABOUT US SUBMIT A TIP ADVERTISE " SEARCH
- 2. On Friday, T.C. Boushall Middle School hosted U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, VCU President Michael Rao and Richmond public schools superintendent Dana Bedden to discuss and observe VCUs Richmond Teaching Residency graduate program. Photo by Miranda Leung. Matt Leonard Contributing Writer Online Content Editor VCU President Michael Rao and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine visited T.C. Boushall Middle School to observe the Richmond Teachers Residence graduate program on Friday. RTR is a four-year residency program that provides aspiring teachers with training and field experience in the classroom while awarding university credit. The program requires enrollment in a one-year residency and obligation to teach a minimum of three years in a difficult area within the Richmond Public School system in an effort to revitalize systems chronically low performance. The visit to T.C. Boushall began in Samantha Martins eighth grade physical science class. Students were working on a lab FROM THE OPINION READ MORE VCU falls short during battle of the Rams Malinka Walters Contributing Writer Baseball struggled to get momentum going this weekend in their series against the Rams of Rhode Island University at Bill Feck Field. Game 1 The Rams competed in a three-game series READ Womens lax records inaugural A-10 victory Sophia Belletti Staff Writer The assista coaches for womens lacrosse were ask coach the team in its road matchup ag Bonaventure as head coach Jen OBrie maternity leave. The girls defeated
- 3. where they observed the rate of diffusion for food coloring in beakers containing hot and cold water. Martin is a clinical residence coach (CRC) for the program. This means she mentors a graduate student who is in the residency program. The graduate student Martin is mentoring is Christal Corey. Kaine spoke with Corey briefly about how she became involved with the program before she took over the class and began talking to the students about molecules and their movement through water. Kaine and Rao walked back to the We the People room at T.C. Boushall where they had a discussion about RTR with people involved in the program including Dana Bedden, superintendent of Richmond Public Schools; Christine Walther-Thomas, the dean of VCUs school of education; and Wildad Abed, the principal of T.C. Boushall. The day before this meeting the RTR program learned they had received a $7.5 million Teacher Quality Enhancement Program grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Walther-Thomas said this would fund the program for 5 years. A $5.8 million grant started and has maintained the program for the last five years. Residents have the ability to choose from either the SE (special/exceptional education) or secondary track. The secondary track is designed to teach core subjects such as biology, English and math. The program was developed in 2010 in response to the needs of the RPS. There was a need for strong, dedicated core teachers, said Kristi Harris, an SE-track resident. Thats how the program SECTION ART & CULTURE
- 4. started. The SE track was introduced this year and was developed in response to the growing desire for special education teachers in the Richmond metro area. Residents complete specialized three-month training courses led by the CRCs over the summer. When the school year begins, the residents typically teach four days a week and participate in seminars on Fridays. In the classroom, the CRCs take the lead during lessons, but the residents gradually receive more teaching time as the year continues under observation and critique by their mentor. I have been provided with a little bit of extra breathing room for me to try out new, engaging and innovative lessons and teaching practices with the students, said Gregory Palmer, a secondary track math resident. Palmer was enthusiastic about this structural aspect of the program, because he said it allows him to incorporate creative methods in his lessons. Its a safety net, Harris said regarding the convenience the program provides. Its great to have someone there so everything doesnt fall on you. Harris and Palmer both agreed the residency program is far more effective than the prior training they received as substitute and volunteer teachers. These programs would only consist of a six to eight week training period after which participants were immediately thrust into the school system with no further assistance. READ MORE Music an hour in the making April 11, 2016 Jesse Adcock Contributing Writer Local electronic artists gathered at the Camel last Tuesday for the Richmond Electronic Collectives monthly Beat Cypher One-Hour Challenge to flex their creative muscles. For the challenge, artists are given a Richmond pop-up shows allow artists to connect April 11, 2016 Logic delivers Incredible show in Richmond " "
- 5. The SE mentor coordinator, Cecilia Batalo, Ph.D., said she thinks the secondary tract has had much success among its residents and school system and is similarly enthusiastic about the future of the newer SE path. The program is evolving nicely and the students are all doing well in their placements, Batalo said. This is showing the same with our SE residents even though they are just beginning their year of residency, she added. A recurring theme within the RTR program is establishing residents as effective and accessible resources for their students. Harris stressed the importance of building relationships with the students. An example of this is when last week, the residents visited some of the low-income neighborhoods their students inhabit to better understanding their home environment. I think its the same whether youre teaching general education or special education but the key is you have to learn your kids, Harris said. Meet them where they are to bring them where they need to be. RTR is not the only VCU program dedicated to better serving the citys education system. The Institute for Education Sciences, IES, a sect of the U.S. Department of Education, offered a different grant to VCU professors Bryce McLeod and Kevin Sutherland to research behavioral problems in local preschool children. The four- year grant totaled up to $1.6 million. For the last seven years, Sutherland, a professor in VCUs School of Education, has been working on developing early intervention programs for preschools in the Richmond area April 11, 2016 Ram Reverb: Babymetal April 11, 2016 Richmond Talent and Musical Tributes Highlight 23rd James River Film Festival April 11, 2016 " " "
- 6. after finding that there is a correlation between poverty and behavioral problems. We know that 18 to 25 percent of students that show up from preschool show problem behaviors, he said. The objective of the programs was to develop measures to assess the practices teachers were using in the classroom to deal with children with behavioral problems. Sutherlands programs differ from prior research because his work explores methods of intervention executed by the teachers in the classroom opposed to focusing solely on emotionally supportive classrooms and teachers. He stressed that the key to implementing effective intervention programs is to detect the signs sooner than later. Examples of early signs of behavioral problems in students include having difficulty sitting still in the classroom and being incompatible with their classmates and teachers. You have a young child that has a problem behavior and when we dont help that child to be more successful in school, over time those things get magnified, Sutherland said. As he delved further into his research, however, Sutherland realized he would require more funding. He teamed up with VCU psychology professor Bryce McLeod and developed a grant proposal that would be sent to IES. The process of being accepted proved to be incredibly competitive for the duo because of the depleted available funds resulting from federal budget cuts. With much persistence, the team was awarded the grant money with their third attempted proposal submission.
- 7. AT-RISK STUDENTS BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH GRADUATE STUDENT GRANT MATT LEONARD MICHAEL RAO PRESCHOOL PUBLIC EDUCATION RESIDENCY PROGRAM RICHMOND PUBLIC SCHOOLS RICHMOND TEACHER RESIDENCY SCHOOL STERLING GILES STUDENT TEACHER T.C. BOUSHALL MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM TIM KAINE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Presently, the two are planning to continue developing intervention programs for schools in the Richmond area. Despite the relativity of the RTR program and the duos study, the two are not working in unison. However, Sutherland was involved in the RTR program over the summer where he served as a CRC for SE residents. Harris was one of Sutherlands trainees during the summer. The (residents) are bright, they are motivated, and they are enthusiastic, Sutherland said. They have all these traits you would hope for teachers that I would like to have teach my own children. 1 TRACKBACKS & PINGBACKS Teaching residency program helps revitalize Richmond public schools (The Commonwealth Times) | Sterling News # $
- 8. VCU students #BlackExcellence video goes viral Sterling Giles, Capital News Service Published: February 23, 2016, 10:57 am VCU students (left to right): Schyler Landrum, Terry Everret,Terrence Everett and Jonathan Brooks RICHMOND Rap cyphers started in the early days of hip-hop on urban playgrounds and in concert halls. But recently, they have garnered notable attention on social media. Zip Code Get a Quote
- 9. The latest cypher sensation on YouTube, Twitter and other platforms is by a group of Virginia Commonwealth University students rapping about their majors in the medical 鍖eld. Over the past month, the groups breakout video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJGifLjjsaY) has been watched more than 37 million times and received national attention. Donning dapper suits and ties, 鍖rst-year students Jonathan Brooks and twin brothers Terrence and Terry Everett were the participants in the 30-second video. Schyler Landrum, who lives on the same dormitory 鍖oor, recorded the cypher on a smartphone. We were just sitting around in the dorm, and we didnt really have anything to do. So we were like, Lets bust a rhyme really quick for Twitter. We didnt expect it to blow [up] like this but it did, and thats a blessing, Terry Everett said in an interview with a local culture blog, Rich City. The students posted the video on Twitter on Martin Luther King Day with the hashtag #BlackExcellence shorthand for looking smart and being smart. Within days, the video exploded all over social media. It was reposted on numerous social media sites, amassing a combined 37 million views. Since then, the young men have added two more videos (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX4h8iTxHTIUOaggKs_eONw) to the Black Excellence series. The original video has received an outpouring of support from social media blogs, celebrities and the local community. Sway Calloway, host of the popular satellite talk show Sway In The Morning, has asked to feature the students on his show. The #BlackExcellence video was in part an answer to the Geeked Up Challenges raps circulating on social media that often include explicit content about sex, drugs and violence.
- 10. We just wanted to take something negative and turn it positive and to show kids how attractive intelligence can be, Terrence Everett said in the Rich City interview. For their e鍖orts, the aspiring doctors have received branding opportunities from necktie companies and invitations to speaking engagements. Family members helped out by creating a website, www.bthemovement.com (http://www.bthemovement.com/). It accepts donations and sells Black Excellence wristbands, with all proceeds going toward the students tuition. Last week, the Everett brothers and Brooks collaborated with a local producer and released their 鍖rst full-length track, Black Excellence Movement Be the Movement. It is available for free on SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/user-211838429/black-excellence-movement-be- the-movement-1). If we join hands together and touch youth of all colors, we can be a movement that personi鍖es excellence of children of all colors, the group said on its website. Dr. Martin Luther King had a dream that one day we would all join together for a greater good. We embody his philosophy and are doing our part to make our nation greater. Editors note: CNS reporter Sterling Giles is a writer and social media representative for Rich City, a blog about art, music and culture in Richmond.
- 11. VCU NEWS Wednesday, April 13, 2016 Students shine at local underground music festival By Sterling Giles University Public Affairs Friday, Aug. 21, 2015 Music festivals occur all over the globe but few feature underground artists exclusively. Richmond is home to one of those few Epic Fest, an annual music festival hosted by Slapdash, a local music promotion agency. Virginia Commonwealth University senior Marques M.arques B.erry Berry, an English major, and sophomore Jake Barkley, a creative advertising major, made their Epic Fest debuts this summer. Recalling the emphatic crowds at the venues as well as the uniqueness and talent of the other artists, both agreed the experience was a blast. They also appreciated Slapdashs hard work in organizing the festival and making sure it ran smoothly. I loved the energy that was there, Barkley said. You could really feel the vibe that something special was going on. Thats what the organizers had intended. Richmond natives Derail Cain McCoy Hampton, a VCU alumnus, and Robert Octavion X Markum founded Slapdash in 2009 to provide venues for local artists. The first Epic Fest, in 2010, originally consisted of a single-day event in which artists performed at a local venue. Now in its fifth year, the festival lasts an entire week, taking place at several venues. This years Epic Fest, held in late June, featured more than 50 graphic and performing artists from the city and beyond.
- 12. Jake Barkley performing at Epic Fest.
- 13. All of the artists on the bill are bubbling so essentially we are breaking artists to you guys that you normally wouldnt hear about, Hampton said. This years first event, Epic Art Battle, took place at Gallery 5 and featured performances from local musicians as well as showcases from graphic artists. Barkley and Berry performed a set together. Despite their differences in rap flows, they said they had one of the best sets of the evening. I feel we stood out from the rest of the performers our set meshed really well, Barkley said. Berry and Barkley plan to pursue careers as performing artists after graduation. However, as students, they constantly battle with balancing school and their respective crafts. Berry said the balance can prove difficult, but he believes ultimately his academic studies are strengthening his artistic pursuits. Barkley feels the same way. This is my mentality take what you learn from your formal education and apply it to your life, he said. Slapdash founders and Richmond natives Robert Octavion X Markum (left) and Derail Cain McCoy Hampton, a VCU alumnus. This is my mentality take what you learn from your formal education and apply it to your life.
- 14. Subscribe to the weekly VCU News email newsletter at http://newsletter.news.vcu.edu/ and receive a selection of stories, videos, photos, news clips and event listings in your inbox every Thursday. ques M.arques B.erry Berry at Epic Fest. RELATED STORIES
- 15. Virginia Commonwealth University Division of University Relations University Public Affairs Contact us Updated: 8/21/2015 Created by VCU University Relations Students tread the boards in production of American Idiot 7/22/2015 SPARC sparks new music education class 8/3/2015 Global Summer Institute of Music delves into the language without borders 8/21/2015