February 12, 2003

Contact:
Jennifer Meriam, Director (954) 262-5355
Mike Laderman, Associate Director, (954) 262-5354
Mara Kiffin, Coordinator, (954) 262-5350

Students at Nova Southeastern University Observe Black History Month

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL—Nova Southeastern University students will celebrate Black History Month with a variety of activities that will culminate with the American Heart Association 2003 Broward County Heart Walk and conclude with a Culture Show and Celebrate Your Heritage Bash.

NSU's Pan African Student Association (P.A.S.A.) will sponsor an Afro-Caribbean Feast on Monday, February 17 from 12-2 p.m., on the grounds in front of the Parker Building on NSU's main campus. On Tuesday, February 18, the group presents the Outstanding Floridian Award to Adora Obi Nweze, the first woman president of the Florida NAACP. The event will be held at 5:30 p.m., in room 4009 of the Library, Research, and Information Technology Center.

On Wednesday, February 19, P.A.S.A. is hosting Black History Month Games and Movie Night, 8:30 p.m., in the Flight Deck of Rosenthal Student Center. There will be a Black history knowledge bowl, a game of spades and dominoes, and a screening of the movie, Barber Shop.

P.A.S.A. invites poetry lovers to come out to enjoy Coffee House and Poetry Night on Thursday, February 20 in the Flight Deck from 6-9:00p.m. Then on Saturday, February 22, the group is helping out at the American Heart Association Heart Walk at 8:00 a.m. on NSU's main campus.

The Black History celebration will culminate on Saturday night with two final activities. P.A.S.A. is sponsoring a Culture Show, which will include a fashion show, poetry readings and talent show, from 7-9:00 p.m., in the auditorium of the Mailman building. After the Culture Show, attendees can party till they drop at the Celebrate Your Heritage Bash, which will be held in the Flight Deck from 9:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.

NSU is the number one producer of African American doctorates among traditionally white institutions (TWIs) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) combined, based on survey results published in the June 20, 2002 edition of Black Issues in Higher Education. Using data from the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) on doctorates awarded between July 1, 2000 and July 30, 2001, Black Issues in Higher Education determined that NSU ranks No. 1 for doctorates awarded to African Americans, No. 1 in African-American doctorates in education, and No. 1 in African American doctorates in business. The university also ranks No. 2 in African-American master's degrees in education.

For more information about any of the Black History Month activities, please call (954) 262-8350.