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During New Student Convocation for the Class of 2022, JSU President William B. Bynum Jr. urged more than 600 freshmen and transfer students to surround themselves with positive peers if they want to be academically successful.
Bynum told them that they must know their true purpose for attending Jackson State University. While most sat in chairs on the basketball court in the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center on Sunday, the incoming fall class was so large that some students were seated elsewhere in a reserved section in the arena.
Delivering his keynote address, Bynum spoke admiringly, yet assertively, to the audience like a caring father dispensing practical advice to a loved one starting a new chapter in their lives.
[dropcap]’S[/dropcap]OME people come here to extend high school. Some people come here to get away from something. You were chosen for this journey. … Understand how truly special this next four or five years will be,” he said.
“One thing I need to share with you as you start your journey and get to know your classmates is to be careful who you surround yourself with and who you call friends.”
In addition, Bynum said, “Most of us are here for great hopes, dreams and aspirations. … I hate to say that not everybody is here for that purpose. So, during the course of this week you have to discern who’s serious about getting a college education and earning that college degree.”
He urged each student to take a litmus test to determine whether or not they’re surrounding themselves with the right people.
“If you’ve got a friend and you tell them, ‘I want to be a cardiologist’ and that friend says you ain’t smart enough to be a doctor. That’s the wrong person in your circle. You need to cut that person right away.”
Bynum advised them to hang around people who can “breathe life into you.”
He gave an example: “You need people who’ll say, ‘If you want to a cardiologist and I want to be an orthopedic surgeon, why don’t we start a practice together so people can have a one-stop shop.”
[dropcap]B[/dropcap]YNUM also had a message for parents and guardians. He vowed that the urban HBCU would provide the necessary care for their “baby.”
Even when students face obstacles, Bynum urged them to press forward. He shared his humble beginnings of growing up in the projects of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, with a “praying grandmother” and “Holy Ghost-filled” mother.
“My parents separated while I was in kindergarten. My mother raised eight of us: five girls and three boys. When God Almighty delivers you from that environment and makes you a two-time university president, he deserves some praise,” Bynum said. “It’s his grace, his mercy, his favor that I get to stand before you,” said the longtime academician with 31 years in education, and 27 years of those in higher education.
Bynum was not the only one rooting for students’ success. Their peers who hold leadership positions offered sage advice, too.
Jordan Jefferson, vice president of SGA and a political science major, urged students to “take an interest in learning new things.”
Most importantly, he said, “Don’t take education for granted, and better your future so you will learn how to make a positive contribution in the world.”
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]OR his final points, he urged newcomers to “define yourself by what you love. … Be generous in your prayers. … Send thank-you cards. … Lift others up. … Use your voice wisely … and exercise.”
Mr. JSU Darrian Jackson, a senior physics major, delivered an equally upbeat message. He spoke about perseverance in the face of losses.
He urged peers coping with disappointments to turn those unfortunate experiences into lessons that would allow them to “mold you into a more confident and wise individual.” Remember, he said, “Where you start is not where you will end. So, never give up so that you can graduate.”
Miss JSU Gabrielle A. Baker, a senior mass communications major, told the young honored guests to slow down and appreciate where you are now because “in the blink of an eye you will be a senior. … Learn to live and not to just exist.”
She warned her peers to be careful of their decisions because those choices come with consequences. Yet, Baker said, “Chase your purpose because success comes to those who dedicate everything to their passion in life. … There will be bad times, but all things work together for the good of them who love God.”
Meanwhile, in continuing his message to the entire audience, Bynum humorously described two types of parents.
- Type 1: These parents are extremely ecstatic about their empty nest and can’t wait to see their child move into JSU housing. Generally, they exit campus quickly after dropping off their child. Then, they return to their home city ready to turn the now-empty bedroom into an office or gym. Finally, they celebrate because they won’t have to see their child again until the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays.
- Type 2: These parents will hang around the residential hall all day. They become emotionally distraught, cry and suffer from separation anxiety. They reluctantly leave the housing facility but do so only after making sure their child’s room is cleaned and stocked with food and appliances. Some parents even may be forcibly led off campus.
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]NE of JSU’s new students has parents who fall into both categories. The mother is Type 1, and father is Type 2.
Carolyn Haley, a registered nurse from New Orleans, is excited for son Caleb. However, she said, “I want you grown and gone. My husband is Type 2. He would be here the entire weekend if he could.”
Father Charles Haley is not bashful about being so sensitive. “I know I will cry when I leave campus,” he said.
Also, the Type 2 dad, said, “I’m so glad Caleb made this choice. I’ve never attended a new student convocation, and I also appreciate the Sunday service held earlier. I know my son will get a good education here. And, I’m going to like coming to the games during football and basketball seasons.
Before her son’s decision to attend the urban HBCU, Carolyn conducted her own research and had a mouthful to say about the history of JSU.
“I’m so impressed with Jackson State to the degree of amazement.”
She said it was the first college that accepted Caleb even though he submitted applications to other colleges and was accepted. However, the final decision came down to JSU, she said.
“Caleb and I talked about what he wanted for his future and what kind of support he would need. The academic/curriculum portion was similar to other universities, but the type of support and encouragement that I felt he needed was not a component at those other institutions.”
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]URTHERMORE, Carolyn said, “I don’t think other places even considered the emotional and social support. I’m a graduate of Dillard University and Xavier University. Even with that background they still did not compare to JSU. The major element that really put the peg in for me was the freshman convocation. Basically, you’re allowing students to see the end of the college experience at the very beginning.”
She said she was particularly impressed from a “scriptural standpoint, and I love the president because he’s giving new students the foundation. One of the other parents and I were talking about the importance of the foundation. You have to dig out stuff: the rocks, the gravel, even dirt to really get to a solid foundation.”
She said Bynum does just that and won her over.
“The president is not ashamed and is able to articulate what so many of us believe but are not willing to say for fear of repercussions for embracing God. We’ve been told that we can’t proclaim God due to separation of church and state. In fact, that is the foundation that all of us need, particularly African-Americans. Our spirituality is what has brought us to this point.”
[pullquote align=”right”]”You’re allowing students to see the end of the college experience at the very beginning.” — Carolyn Haley of New Orleans, mother of freshman JSU football player Caleb Haley[/pullquote]She said forefathers who established JSU would be so proud and happy that it continues to be what they envisioned. Over 100 years ago they envisioned a God institution that would train people and their minds. I’m excited about what the future holds. I’m excited there is a place that’s interested in the whole man: spirit, soul and body. JSU wants you to academically succeed, but it also wants you to be a person of integrity, character, to love God and make your community what it needs to be.”
While his mother had a lot to say, Caleb was a bit laconic.
He simply wanted to locate a school with a solid sports management program and a “nice place to meet new people and learn more about the history of the campus.”
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]THER incoming students were equally enthralled by JSU’s warm welcome:
David Arrington IV, 18, is one of JSU’s newest football recruits as a defensive back. The industrial technology major from Montgomery, Alabama, said, “I enjoyed convocation. I hope JSU will make me a better person, help me find a good job and help continue my growth.
Cedric Dunbar, 17, is a biology major from Natchez, Mississippi, who also has joined JSU football as a center and tackle. He described convocation as “a great ceremony where a lot of people came out.” As for 2022, he said, “I’m looking forward to graduation and learning a lot. … JSU is a wonderful campus. I love the atmosphere.”
Jada Causey, 18, will study physical therapy. She’s from the Delta in Hollandale, Mississippi. “I’ve been going to Jackson State since I was small. Half of my family went here. This is like home. JSU cares about your education. It has a very good program, and a great president. He cares about our education. … I aim to meet new people and get involved in activities.”
As he prepared to wrap up his remarks, Bynum asked the audience to reflect on one of his favorite quotes from author Marianne Williamson:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.”
Bynum then recited his standard admonition to the audience to help out whenever it needs a compass for guidance.
“Look back and thank God; look forward and trust God; look around and serve God; look within and find God. … When those praises go up those blessings come down,” he said.