Free Voice

Lady Firebirds Remain Focused Despite Obstacles

BY moussa traore

Washington, D.C. - The University of the District of Columbia’s (UDC) women’s basketball team may be facing a slew of obstacles such as the departure of their winning coach, their top scorer and their all conference team members; however, the Lady Firebirds basketball team do not seem to be deterred.

Expectations were low when new head coach DeWayne Burrough stepped in in 2015 after Coach Lester Butler, Jr, (who took the team to the East Coast Conference during 2013-2014 season) left for his alma mater Virginia Union University. In addition, key players such as Denikka Brent (top scorer) and all conference first team Telisha Turner graduated.

Regardless of such changes, the team remained focused because they knew the tough task they had on their hands. “We’ve been playing UDC basketball. We are working hard every day to play to our standard. Our defense, rebounding and stamina keeps us going,” says senior forward Tatyana Calhoun.

Playing under a new coach can be difficult at times, but the transition has been helped by similarities between the former and current coaches’ style. “Coach Burrough’s coaching style isn’t any different than Coach Butler," says senior Guard Tajruba Baldwin-Kallore. “They both put huge emphasis on things such as boxing out, playing good defense and limiting turnovers.”

For a team to be successful, you need everyone to buy and believe that you can win every game on any given day. That’s what the lady Firebirds have been doing, using these games in preparation for March tournaments when it really counts.

“If we keep playing the way we’re playing right now, we can make a lot of noise come March," said Calhoun. “We work hard and our hard work is showing.

Believing is everything, we made it to the NCAA tournament two years ago and now we’re trying to do the same.”

 

Minority Women Engineers Find Support in Program

BY osiris rebollo

Washington, D.C. - They may be under-represented in the field, but the members of the University of the District of Columbia’s (UDC) chapter of the Society of Women Engineers are nurtured in the classroom and beyond.

Erika Spangler, president of the chapter is thankful. “I have never felt under estimated for being a minority woman in the UDC engineering department. I realize I don’t know everything and I’m learning and that is the most exciting part of this process.”

Spangler and her peers are benefiting from a 2012 initiative created by the engineering program’s Dr. Kate Klein, which helps minority women engineering students to overcome many of the issues that arise from being a minority in the field.

“We have worked to form a support network for our female engineering students and combat issues such as imposter syndrome that plagues minorities in high-stakes fields such as engineering. Since UDC is an HBCU, many of our black female students get a double-dose of self-doubt. Through SWE we have worked to mentor the students, engage them in outreach, and form a strong network of support and job opportunities,” Dr. Klein explains.

And the women will need support. Though women now make up 18 to 20 percent of new engineering students, a review by the Society of Women Engineers SWE reveals that women retention rates in engineering programs are still much lower than for their male counter part. Furthermore, in the work force they make up only 14 percent of the total engineering pool.

Eva Mutunga, a Kenyan UDC mechanical engineer graduate and current doctorate student at the University of Tennessee says that after leaving UDC she has dealt with self-doubt and impostor syndrome, a disorder affecting highly achieved individuals which produces a persistent fear of being a fraud. She says her professors and male peers have doubted her competency, making her second-guess herself. Recalling her first experience with this phenomenon after being asked to double check her results, she says, “My first reaction was to doubt myself, and so I asked someone else to double-check the result; no surprise there, they came up with the same answer.”

Mutunga says she doesn’t know the source of that doubt. “I cannot honestly say that I know the reason for why they doubted my ability to measure a trivial length. Was it because I am a woman and I am black? But this experience really broke my heart. I felt an enormous burden to prove myself to everyone else, which quickly took a toll on me.” The experience has caused Mutunga to check her priorities when it comes to her love for science and her fear of feeling inadequate based on the perceptions of others.

Meanwhile, Dr. Klein underscores the importance of finding female support in school and in the workforce. “Personally, I seek out the support of other women. When I was a postdoc at NIST, we had a lunch group of other female postdocs. We developed a network and discussed day-to-day issues, job opportunities, and celebrated each other’s successes. I have tried to create such a community at UDC for engineering students where they can feel welcome and develop a sense of community. I think peer encouragement and mentorship are the two of the best ways to combat insecurity.”

Honors program Helps Students Explore

BY Melvin bogard

Washington, D.C. - The 30 students in the University of the District of Columbia’s (UDC) Honors Program get together at least once a month. Sometimes it’s for events focusing on important contemporary social and academic issues with faculty and invited experts, for others it’s to give students the opportunity to present their research. Equally important, through these exchanges, students learn what it means to be intellectual activists in a variety of fields.

"The goal is to ensure that the graduates are as well prepared as any in the nation for the next step in their educational and/or professional lives," said Dr. Alexander Howe who runs the program and takes pride in developing and challenging students to live up to their full potential as future leaders.

“We produce scholars, service leaders, and activists,” he said of the select, close-knit community for the university's top students.  

Tiffany Bridgett, a senior in the mass media program and 2015 Homecoming queen, feels she embodies the spirit of the organization. “Being a member of this program is a privilege. Honors has given me the ability to not only be a role model on campus,” she said.

To become a member of this group of achievers, students must have a minimum 3.5 GPA, be ready to participate in the community, and be willing to challenge themselves academically by taking advanced courses to help build critical and creative thinking and writing skills.

For Kia Ray, senior class vice president, being a part of the program has also meant greater connection with her peers. “Honors is important to me because it offers a forum to connect with Firebirds of diverse backgrounds and majors whom I may not have taken the time to know…it has added a different dimension to my academic experience,” she explained.

Over the next five years Howe said he would love to guarantee a number of scholarships and also get funding for study abroad opportunities.  Additionally, he hopes to increase the program’s visibility, particularly as a service organization on campus and in the community.

For now Howe noted, “I am happiest seeing the best students from across the university come together and discuss ideas and issues that are of urgent importance to us all as human beings.”

If you are interested in becoming a member visit UDC Honors or email Professor Howe at ahowe@udc.edu.