Winter/Spring 2015
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A MAGAZINE WHERE BEING THE FIRST MATTERS | WINTER/SPRING 2015 ONSCIE W GOVERNMENTM NTMEDICINERELIGIONBUSIN GIONBUSINESSSPORTSMEDIAENTERT PORTSMEDIAENTERTAINMENTEDUCATIONSCIEN ERTAINMENTEDUCATIONSCIENCELAWGOVERNMENTMEDIC CATIONSCIENCELAWGOVERNMENTMEDICINERELIGIONBUSINESSSP E LAWL AW GOVERNMENTG MEDICINERELIGIONBUSINESSSPORTSMEDIAENTERTAINME CINENERELIGIONREL BUSINESSSPORTSMEDIAENTERTAINMENTEDUCATIONSCIENCELAW O RRTST S MEDIAM E ENTERTAINMENTEDUCATIONSCIENCELAWGOVERNMENTMEDICINERE N T EDUCATIONE D U C A SCIENCELAWGOVERNMENTMEDICINERELIGIONBUSINESSSPORT AWGOVERNMENTGOVE MEDICINERELIGIONBUSINESSSPORTSMEDIAENTERTAINMENTE ELIIGIONGIONBUSINESSB SPORTSMEDIAENTERTAINMENTEDUCATIONSCIENCEL E DIAD I A ENTERTAINMENTE N T EDUCATIONSCIENCELAWGOVERNMEN C ATIONAT I O N SCIENCES LAWGOVERNMENTMEDICINERE E RRNMENTN M E N T MEDICINERELIGIONBUSINES NBUSINESSBUSINE SPORTSMEDIAENT N TERTAINMENTT E RTA I ED S CIENCEC I E N C E FROM THE PRESIDENT A challenge – and an opportunity – for institutions of higher education is to fi nd creative ways to respond to the unfortunate reality that many K–12 public schools do not have the fi nancial resources to adequately prepare their students for a college experience. Many public high schools have no labs, no basic supplies, and no assistant principals and counselors, leaving principals to cover tasks associated with discipline and counseling. Other public schools, however, boast state of the art facilities and advanced educational opportunities for their students. Th ere are a number of reasons for the inequity, but one thing is certain: African American students are disproportionately relegated to the under-resourced schools. Th is issue is signifi cant because it gets to the heart of a major cause of poverty and other quality of life issues, particularly for African Americans. Studies continue to confi rm that higher levels of education result in a greater likelihood that an individual will be employed. And individuals with higher levels of education generally get higher paying jobs than individuals with less education. Much has been said in the media about the school to prison pipeline for African-American males. In addition, the media very often portrays negative and limiting stereotypes about African Americans, particularly African American males. Institutions of higher education are fi nding creative ways to stand in the gap for public school students who have been disadvantaged and to counter these negative images. For example, colleges and universities are developing dual enrollment programs with local school districts. High school students are taught by university professors, have access to university labs and facilities, and can earn both advanced high school and college credit. Lincoln University has developed programs with both the Coatesville and Philadelphia school districts. Th ese types of programs counter negative and limited images by exposing young people to a cadre of African American scholars and students. Lincoln’s faculty and staff look forward to sharing more with you about the university’s eff orts to create an eff ective pipeline, not to prison, but to college. Hail, Hail, Lincoln! Valerie I. Harrison. J.D., Ph.D. Acting President IN THIS ISSUE ON THE COVER SPECIAL 40 UNDER 40 LIST RECOGNIZES TOP YOUNG ALUMNI ACROSS VARIOUS FIELDS 8 11 13 LINCOLN COMES TO HARLEM: MEN BEHIND THE CROWN: NEW HARLEM BESAME RESTAURANT SERVES MR. LINCOLN PAGEANT SPANS NEARLY 25 YEARS UP HISTORY, CULTURE & FINE DINING by Dominique Youngblood ’15 by Eric Christopher Webb ’91 DEPARTMENTS 4 FROM THE EDITOR 5 ROAR 10 NEW FACES AT LINCOLN 10 FROM THE ALUMNI RELATIONS DIRECTOR 11 ALUM RABBLE 18 CLASS NOTES 19 LITERARY LINCOLN 21 LINCOLN IN THE LENS 23 LIONS AT REST LIONMagazine A MAGAZINE WHERE BEING THE FIRST MATTERS | WINTER/SPRING 2015 YOUNG LIONS RULE FROM THE EDITOR When one thinks of Lincoln University’s In addition, we celebrate the of culture, history and fi ne dining as list of distinguished alumni, most historic performance of our women’s one alumnus establishes a new trendy rattle off the names of historic fi gures basketball team as CIAA Tournament restaurant among Harlem’s collection of like Langston Hughes ’29, Thurgood runner-ups and its coach as CIAA chic and trendy eateries and lounges. Marshall ’30, Kwame Nkrumah ’39, Coach of The Year as well as examine As always, our departments Nnamdi Azikiwe ’30 or others who have preservation efforts at the Langston dedicated to the university and its spent nearly the last 30 years or more alumni’s contributions to literature amassing terminal degrees, professional and fi lm does not disappoint. titles, accomplishments and fortunes. This issue’s Literary Lincoln offers Rarely, do we identify and recognize us a glimpse at the newly-published those young lions on the path to rule “Selected Letters of Langston Hughes,” their respective corporate, nonprofi t a newly-released edition of Hughes’ or academic jungle. In actuality, “The Weary Blues” and a collection these alumni will ultimately win of new books by other alumni. the championships, set the trends, In Lincoln In The Lens, a journalist produce the award-winning fi lms, and documentarian offers a retelling of lead the social or artistic movements, the contentious story behind Lincoln’s establish or overturn the pivotal relationship with the priceless Barnes policies or laws, make the revolutionary Collection and its subsequent move to scientifi c discoveries, perform Philadelphia while an alumnus, whose the groundbreaking procedures, made a living doubling for one of or launch the paradigm-shifting Hollywood’s top leading men, makes companies for the next half century. Hughes Memorial Library to safeguard his own impact on the silver screen. So, this issue of LION highlights the its namesake’s bequeathed private And fi nally we close, revisiting youngest and most successful among collection and other archival documents and exploring a sensitive and pivotal the pride. Our special 40 Under 40 among its Special Collections. point in the university’s history—the cover feature showcases Lincoln’s We also revisit the history of the adoption and move to coeducation. young professionals who are Mr. Lincoln pageant since its inception thriving in their respective fi elds nearly 25 years ago and look at what Hail, Hail Lincoln! of sports, media/entertainment, motivated the fi rst as well as most education, science, law/government, recent Lincoln man to pursue and medicine, religion and business. wear the crown. We also get a taste 4 LIONMagazine LION ROAR WINTER/SPRING 2015 Acting President Dr. Valerie I. Harrison Interim Vice President for TRAVEL AND DIVERSITY: Institutional Advancement Peter A. Caputo Associate Vice President for External KATRINA SPRINGER’S Relations, Marketing & Communications Maureen O. Stokes Director of Communications & FORMULA FOR SUCCESS Public Relations/Editor By Carl Vulcain ’15 Eric Christopher Webb ’91 Director of Alumni Relations For Lincoln junior Katrina Springer, Rita Dibble a love of travel and the opportunity to Design help diversify the Foreign Services Global Design Interactive drives her activities and ambition. Contributing Writers Springer, who participated in the Shelley Mix Jason Pompey Semester At Sea (SAS) program in Fall Maureen O. Stokes 2013, is serving as an intern with the Carl Vulcain ’15 World Affairs Council in Philadelphia, Eric Christopher Webb ’91 where she works in the education and Dominique Youngblood ’15 travel department to facilitate the Junior Contributing Photographers Model United Nations. The Syracuse, New Middlebury Language Schools’ Summer Josh Hankins York native was also recently awarded an Arabic Language program. The $10,990 Maureen O. Stokes internship for this summer with the United comprehensive scholarship covered tuition States State Department in its Bureau of Correspondence and Address Changes and room and board for the two-month African Affairs in Washington, D.C. The Lincoln University program held at Middlebury’s Mills ATTN: Lion magazine “During the Semester at Sea, I met College in California. That same research 1570 Baltimore Pike current Foreign Service offi cers in almost into the Foreign Services also led her to PO Box 179 all of the sixteen countries that I visited,” Lincoln University, PA 19352-0999 the State department internship, which Springer says. “One of the things that I (484) 365-7427 she now hopes will allow her to learn noticed was that there was little female directly from some of the most experienced Email representation and almost no people of [email protected] people in the Foreign Services fi eld. color. I (see) this as a big opportunity to help “It is my hope that I can meet and Website represent the United States and its diversity.” network with people and get tips from Lincoln.edu SAS, part of the Institute for them,” she says. “I would (especially) Shipboard Education and sponsored by Lion magazine is published two times like tips on how to study for (the Foreign a year by Lincoln University and the University of Virginia, is a fl oating Services exam) and things like that.” distributed free to alumni, parents, residential college with up to 700 students While Springer looks for more friends, faculty and staff. providing a global study abroad program opportunities to be mentored, Connie from which Springer earned 15 credits. Lundy, Director of International STAY CONNECTED “Once I had an affi rmed interest in Programs and Services at Lincoln, says Foreign Services, I began to Google and she believes Springer’s