{"id":25485,"date":"2018-02-20T06:00:47","date_gmt":"2018-02-20T12:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/?p=25485"},"modified":"2018-02-19T23:50:47","modified_gmt":"2018-02-20T05:50:47","slug":"austin-peay-state-univesity-achievers-and-scholars-attend-knoxville-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/2018\/02\/20\/austin-peay-state-univesity-achievers-and-scholars-attend-knoxville-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"Austin Peay State Univesity “Achievers and Scholars” attend Knoxville conference"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AustinClarksville, TN<\/strong> – Within the Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center at Austin Peay State University, located in Clement 120, a select group of African-American undergraduate students participate in a mentoring program called the Achievers and Scholars Initiative. <\/p>\n

The purpose of this program is to ensure the academic and personal success of African-American males, while increasing the University\u2019s retention and graduation rates for this student population. <\/p>\n

\"Austin<\/a>

Austin Peay Students attend 13th Annual Black Issues Conference at the University of Tennessee.<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, 14 members of this program, accompanied by three graduate students and four mentors, went to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, for the 13th Annual Black Issues Conference.<\/p>\n

The theme of this year\u2019s conference was, \u201cA Dream Affirmed: From the Past to The Present.\u201d Angela Rye, an on-air commentator for media outlets such as CNN, BET, MSNBC, and TV One, served as the keynote speaker for the conference.<\/p>\n

The depth of her dialogue and expertise ranges from political campaigns to more complex legislation that bears long-term implications nationally and internationally. <\/p>\n

At the conference, attendees had the option to attend a number of sessions, ranging from topics of \u201cIn The Sunken Place: When You See Yourself On The Big Screen\u201d and \u201cThis Is My Campus Too: A Conversation On Black Millennial Women,\u201d to \u201cGetting In Our Own Way: The Degradation of Student Organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI sat in on the \u2018In The Sunken Place\u2019 session, and it opened my eyes to some things that I may have noticed but often overlook, particularly the idea of being the token black person of an organization or places,\u201d Deiontae\u2019 Trotter, an APSU senior, said.<\/p>\n

After the sessions, attendees convened in the auditorium to listen to the keynote speech by Rye. She spoke about her upbringing, with both of her parents being activists, as well as how that shaped her today. She discussed how African-Americans should place capital in as many black-owned banks and businesses as possible. This is to not only support but to give them the capital needed to stay afloat against their competition. Rye often referred to the \u201csunken place\u201d that one might fall into and need to escape in order to make a change and affirm the dream. <\/p>\n

The APSU students attending the conference included:<\/p>\n