Prairie View Today for February 24, 2008

The Black in History Observance programs are winding down in the city and at Prairie View A&M University. Events scheduled at the university, beginning Feb. 21 include the Taste of Soul Food” Sponsored by Sodexho Food Service from 11:00 am – 1:30 pm in the W. A. Tempton MSC Dining Hall; Cultural Workshop-A World of Culture hosted by the African Students Association, Multicultural Affairs and the Office of Special Programs Cultural Series in the Tempton MSC Lounge at 3:00 pm-6:00 pm; Concert - A little Jazz/Evaluation Mixed Tape: Volume I: Choreopoem, with dinner at 5:00 pm and concert and play beginning at 6:00 pm in the in Hobart Taylor Recital Hall; on February 24, the 2008 Gospel Extravaganza sponsored by Students In Free Enterprise and the Office of Special Programs/Cultural Series at 6:30 pm in the Opal Johnson Smith Auditorium. Log onto www.pvamu.edu for the full calendar.

On Feb. 23^rd, more than 3,000 high schools students are expected to participate in Pantherland Day on the Hill: “Carnival on "The Hill" Step Right Up . . . to Greatness!” The event, sponsored by the Office of Recruitment – Student and Enrollment Management will be in Billy J. Nicks Field House and the W. A. Tempton Memorial Center Ballroom from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. The students will have the chance to meet with the respective college personnel, check on financial aid to include scholarships, etc. For information contact: Pam Freeman at 936-261-5905

Feb. 5 began the Season of Lent for most Christians. Lent is a forty-day period before Easter and begins with Ash Wednesday. It is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock and rededication. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. Lent runs through March 23, Easter Day. The folks at St. Francis of Assisi in Prairie View are sponsoring “A Lenten Journey” on Saturdays from Feb. 22 through March 15 from 3:00 to 4:30 pm at the church on 204 Dooley Street. The public is invited to share in the discovery series during this period of reflection.

The folks at Sodexho Dining Services at PVAMU held another successful Valentine's Night Out on Feb. 14. The Red Hat Ladies came out in full force along with other special guests including Mayor Frank and Come on out and celebrate with your special one this Valentine's Day. For reservations contact Deborah Webster at (936) 261-1763.

The Prairie View Retired Teachers Association, Anne Preston Unit will hold its regular meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 1 p.m. All retirees in the community are invited to join and attend the meeting with this spirited group of seasoned seniors, Gwendolyn Carter is the president. The Prairie View Chamber of Commerce will hold its Feb. 28 meeting at 6 p.m. in the George E. Higgs National Alumni Association Building, George Higgs is the president.

Campaign watch: Well, the countdown is on for the primaries for the presidential nominees of both the Democratic and Republican parties. At press time there were no clear winners on the Democratic side, eventhough Sen. Obama won all eight state primaries on Feb. 12. Sens. Barak Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton are running the tightest race in American politics. Obama leads in delegate count 1276 to Clintons 1,220. The showdown in Texas is more a reality now than ever before. Both candidates are courting the Texans with visits to the major cities. Senator Obama was featured with a SRO capacity in Houston’s Toyota Center, while the presumed Republican Nominee Senator John McCain picked up the endorsement of former president George H. W. Bush. Senators Obama and Clinton will square off in a debate at the University of Texas tonight as they wait on the March 4 primary and possible crowning moment.

Unlike the Democrats, Republican John McCain continues to solidify his front runner status over rivals Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul. The Feb. 12 primary should be quite interesting for all the candidates. Early voting in Waller County begins on Feb. 19. Come out and make your vote count.

The countdown is on for the 2008 Texas council of Alpha Chapters District Convention, set for Feb. 21-24 and hosted by the Epsilon Tau Lambda and Eta Gamma Chapters in Prairie View and Prairie View A&M University, respectively. The 3-day event will be held at the Omni Hotel, I-10 Houston, and is chaired by Dr. Tau Gamba Kadhi.

A VIEW FROM THE HILL: As the saying goes “the more things change the more they remain the same” and this axiomatic truth is evident as the students of PVAMU continue the fight for Voting Rights! On Feb. 19, the students and other supporters took to the streets and marched to the Waller County Courthouse for early voting. The students were not afforded an early voting place on the campus as were the case in past elections. “Our voices will be heard,” said Andre’ Evans, Student Government President.

The men's and women's basketball teams of Prairie View A&M University saw double action this past weekend. The Lady Panthers (16-8, 11-1 SWAC), lost a heartbreaker to Jackson State Tigers on Feb. 16, which sidetracked its undefeated record but rebounded with a victory as they handily defeated the Grambling Tigers on Feb. 18. The Men’s team won back to back victories over the Tigers of Jackson State and Grambling State University (88-78). The PVAMU/Grambling match-up was broadcast live on ESPN. Congratulations to Coaches Cynthia Cooper and Byron Rimm II, the team and the staff, as they continue to make history in Athletics at PVAMU. The Panthers will return to the court on February 23rd as they travel to Pine Bluff, Arkansas to take on the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions.

February is Entrepreneurs’ Month and the Students In Free Enterprise Team at Prairie View A&M University is gearing up for its weeklong activities on February 26 – 29. The team will host a How to Start a Business Seminar on Feb. 26 and the 3rd Annual PVAMU Student Entrepreneurs Expo on Feb. 28. The team will sponsor other events including The Gospel Explosion on Feb. 24. For information on the programs contact Andrew Williams, the team's president at (936) 261-3579.

Congratulations to Mayor Frank D. Jackson on the release of his book "A History of the City of Prairie View.” The book reflects on the history of the land and the people, which is inextricably part of Texas’ history. It also addresses its unique link within the shadow of Prairie View A&M University, the state’s 1890 Land Grant University, as they constantly find themselves at the point, on the frontiers of change. Patrons can secure their copy online at https://stores.lulu.com/FrankJackson. Other expected outlets in PVAMU University Bookstore, Amistad Bookplace, amazon.com and barnesnoble.com. For more information, call Elaine Jackson @ 936-857-5550.

Please continue your prayers for Mrs. Mary Kemp, Mr. Griff Kendrick, Mrs. Willie Smith and Mrs. Douglas Woolfolk, who stand in the need of prayer. May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge of God, through Jesus Christ!

The Prairie View Community lost another pillar with the passing of Mr. Griff W. Kendrick on Feb. 18, 2008 in Houston, Texas. Mr. Kendrick served the Prairie View A&M University and Prairie View community in various capacities including Vice President for Fiscal Affairs and Manager of the Prairie View Federal Credit Union. Funeral service is set for 10:00 am February 23 at Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Hempstead. A wake is tentatively set along with the Omega Service, sponsored by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at 7:00 pm. Our condolences to Mrs. Irma Kendrick and family on the passing of Mr. Kendrick.

Mark Your Calendar for Monday, Feb. 25, when ABC’s World Premiere Movie Event: A Raisin in the Sun" has screened at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in January. "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the story of a family living and struggling on Chicago's South Side in the 1950s. The play was written by Lorraine Hansberry, the first play by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway. It premiered in 1959 with a cast that included Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, Ruby Dee and Louis Gossett Jr. The critically acclaimed work was honored with the 1959 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for best American play. The cast includes Sean Combs, who reprises the role of Walter Lee, Jr. along with the Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, and Sanaa Lathan. Tune into ABC/13 at 7:00 pm CST. View the trailer at www.sonypictures.com/tv/araisininthesun.

HAPPY February Birthday Greetings to: Alice Cotton (17), Darryl Kemp (17), Brian Clem Jr. (18), Sherylle Fuller (18), Everett Fredholm (18), Juanita Pennywell (20),Dianne Thomas (20), Mary Ann Palmer Spring (21), Irene Wallace (21), George E. Higgs (22), Mogongwa Nnana (22), Johnson Ezeoka Jr. (22), Deynese Kirkpatrick (24), Luther Francis (24), James Kent Tompkins (25) and Wyiatta Freeman (26). HAPPY FEBRUARY ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS TO: Herbert and Dianne Thomas (20), Happy 25^th Anniversary to Carol and Leonard Campbell and Happy 40^th to James and Norma Tompkins (24).

On A Cultural Note, I am sure you knew that on Feb. 19, 1919 - W. E. B. DuBois organized the first Pan African Congress which opened in Paris, France to address the issue of Africans participating in government; 2/21/65 - Malcolm X was assassinated in Harlem, N.Y.; 2/19/19 - W. E. B. DuBois organized the first Pan African Congress which opened in Paris, France to address the issue of Africans participating in government; 2/21/36 - Barbara Jordan is born in Houston and became the first African American state senator in Texas since 1883; 2/23/79 - Frank E. Peterson becomes the first Black American general in the U.S. Marine Corps; 2/23/1868 - WEB DuBois, author and historian was born in Great Barrington, Mass.; 2/23/90 - Comer Cottrell, president of Pro-Line Corporation in Dallas, pays $1.5 Million for the Bishop College Campus, now home for Paul Quinn College.

Until next week, as Elisabeth Kubler-Ross puts it "People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.” Send your news, achievements, and recognitions to fax 936-857-5352, phone 936-857-3272, prairieviewtoday@iwon.com, or P. O. Box 2906, Prairie View, Texas 77446.