BSU Men Honored for Service at Awards Ceremony

By Ashonda Bethea-Ruth

Bowie State University students and staff gathered for the 2010 Male Appreciation Awards Ceremony on Feb. 17 in CLT 102 presented by Mr. BSU and court and BSU President Mickey L. Burnim's Male Initiative.

            Mr. BSU Bryant Stewart hosted the spectacular event that recognized BSU men for their accomplishments both on and off campus. The program began with a panel of four black men answering questions from Stewart regarding their personal opinions and insights on a variety of issues.

            Panelists included Wayne Bryant, a senior executive with more than two decades' experience in technology and multicultural marketing; Tarek Stevens, an entrepreneur in the entertainment industry; Mathew Riley, a BSU student leader; and metro D.C. radio personality Antonio "The Cuban Cigar Smoker."

             The panel discussed a wide-range of topics including President Obama's promise for change, the relevance of HBCUs in modern society, the Haiti Earthquake and its personal effect on each panel member, and the media in the black community.

 With the discussion on Obama's promise for change, specifically asking if he has kept his promise, many of the men on the panel believed that the president did bring change, though Bryant stated that though the president has done some change, he still has three years in office and the full outcome of his promise cannot be answered entirely just yet.

            "I related to a lot of what they [panel members] said," said audience member Brandon Bobin. Regarding Obama, he said, "I don't want to give him too much credit just because he's black."

            However, it was not the panel but the awards that were the main focus of the event. The awards were given out my Mr. BSU and fellow members of his court. Stewart said that BSU men's week offers an opportunity to "show what Bowie men are really made of," he said, adding that it gives the university's men a chance to "broadcast themselves in a positive light."

            There were nine categories that BSU students and faculty voted for on the school's Student Government Association website.

            The award categories were-Fraternity of the year, Alpha Phi Alpha; Fraternity Man of the Year, Emery Rudolph; Man of the Year, Yusuf Dorman-el; Service Award, Brandon McDonald; Male Faculty Member of the Year, Dean Robert Batten; SGA Man of the Year, Kevin Thomas; University King of the Year, Dejaun Patterson; Rookie of the Year, Brandon Woolfolk, and Athlete of the Year, Terrence Peete.

            Rudolph, winner of fraternity man of the year, stated that he didn't expect to get the award, but that he couldn't have done it without his brothers. When asked if he enjoyed the event, Rudolph stated, "I enjoyed it a lot, especially the panel. They had words of wisdom."

            Stewart said that he believes the men at BSU show great leadership, and that "there are a lot of diamonds in the rough that people don't know about."