CHEYNEY, PA — On Monday, February 25, 2013, during Black History Month, eleven high-performing students at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania were inducted into the university’s new Collegiate 100 Chapter by the president of 100 Black Men of Philadelphia, Inc. The students were selected on the basis of their prior community service, engagement in positive extracurricular activity and academic accomplishments. The students will be given opportunities for advanced leadership by the parent organization through involvement in unusual development opportunities on campus and in other cities in the coming year.
As he conducted the installation ceremony, Mr. Frederick L. Whiten, president of the 100 Black Men of Philadelphia, commented,As Collegiate 100 students develop their knowledge, leadership, and professional skills, they are also encouraged to perform service projects that benefit others on campus and in the Philadelphia area to improve the quality of life for minorities. This outstanding group of candidates at Cheyney is particularly impressive. They have already distinguished themselves as leaders.?
The candidates inducted into the Collegiate 100 chapter at Cheyney University include Maurice Polite, Darius Hines, Thomas McRae, Yuhanna Muhammed, Desmond King, Anthony Towns, Chloe Fontenot, Amos Williams, Rashad Buckson, Rashad Washington, and Ahn-Yea Graham, President of the SGCA. The ceremony took place in the new Residence Hall Tech Classroom on campus and included a presentation of lapel pins and certificates and a reception hosted by Metz Dining Services.
According to Collegiate 100 Coordinator for the region, Geri Vital, Cheyney University is proud to host the first chapter of the Collegiate 100 in Pennsylvania. Its mission will be to support the sponsoring chapter of 100 Black Men of America in their efforts to nurture and enhance the growth, development and opportunities for young African American males. This organization will also empower the black community through the “Four for the Future” plan of Mentoring, Education, Health and Wellness, and Economic Development.
Vital began his affiliation with 100 Black Men 10 years ago in the Raleigh North Carolina chapter and has been active since. “The Cheyney University student participants have already taken the African American History Challenge in Philadelphia and two teams will attend the national Collegiate 100 conference this June. The objective is to convince these young people that being smart is cool. They are rewarded for academic achievement and are mentored across a lifetime from Middle School to College to Career,” says Vital.
To date the Cheyney University Collegiate 100 organization has sponsored events on the campus including the College Students and the Law seminar (Sept. 2012), the Malcolm X Lecture Series, and seminars and panel discussions addressing the “Occupy America” movement, Troy Davis, and what it means to be Black in America. Future topics will include Women and Relationships, The American Justice System and African Americans, and sessions about dress, grooming, and manners. Upcoming activities involve individual and group projects. The group will visit Washington DC this spring and visit the MLK Memorial on the Mall, tour the Smithsonian Institution’s African Art Museum and attend a luncheon hosted by CU Alumnus Craig Wellburn who will share advice on how to achieve success.
Collegiate 100 chapters play an important role in the powerful concept of ‘Mentoring Across a Lifetime’, and the international impact of the 100 Black Men, Inc. network of leaders. Joining a Collegiate 100 organization requires that members assume a responsible, productive, and visible role in the progress of the campus community and in their community. The 100 Collegiate organizations serve as a critical young adult component in the growing ‘cradle-to-career’ pipeline which replaces the negative ‘cradle-to-career’ pipeline that challenge minority Americans.
Collegiate 100 service projects are designed to facilitate awareness and development of members? character and leadership qualities, and create a supportive bond among students. Each year at the beginning of the school term, a Collegiate Leadership Day is planned with guest speakers discussing particular youth-related issues. The service projects include food and clothing collections for charitable organizations, adopt-a-school projects, peer-to-peer mentoring, assembly of care packages for enlisted men and women, hosting Collegiate 100 Events, and sponsoring and promoting a ‘unity week.’ Activities such as these are designed to help members and their peers become more thoughtful adults in addition to embracing responsibility and improving the lives of others.
Nationally, Collegiate 100 members will be offered scholarship opportunities and the means to meet and be mentored by any of the thousands of professionals in the international network of the 100 Black Men of America, Inc., its corporate sponsors, legislators, celebrities, and community leaders. Collegiate 100 chapters play an important role in the powerful concept of ?Mentoring Across a Lifetime,? and the international impact of the 100 Black Men, Inc. network of leaders.
Joining a Collegiate 100 organization requires that members assume a responsible, productive, and visible role in the progress of the campus community and in their community. The Collegiate 100 organizations serve as a critical young adult component in the growing ‘cradle-to-career’ pipeline which replaces the negative ‘cradle-to-career’ pipeline that challenge minority Americans.
The Collegiate 100 is not fraternal in nature and does not include pledging or hazing to gain affiliation. Its intent is to offer career-building experiences, connections, and guidance in exchange for volunteering to support the 100 Black Men of America?s mission. Membership in the Collegiate 100 is drawn primarily from minority male and female college students through chapters on campuses across America. Members of the many chapters assist the local 100 chapters with the development of social, physical, educational, and career development programs for youth who may have few or no positive black role models.
To be eligible for membership in a Collegiate 100 Chapter, a prospective candidate must be enrolled as a current full-time student at an accredited college or university with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale), be recommended by community leaders and faculty members, have a record of positive extracurricular activities and community involvement, and commit to perform at least 3 hours of service per month. For more information about the Collegiate 100 and coming events, please contact: Geri R. Vital, M.A., Membership Chair and Collegiate Coordinator [email protected] 100 Black Men of Philadelphia, Inc. P. O. Box 38939 Philadelphia, PA 19104 Phone: 877-461-6013 (fax also) Visit the Philly 100 Chapter online at: www.100blackmenphilly.org
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