Livingstone College

SALISBURY – There was a den of Blue Bears among the Chiefs and 49ers at Super Bowl 2020. Eleven Livingstone College sport management students served as hosts at Super Bowl LIV held Sunday in Miami, Fla. Livingstone was only one of two historically black colleges and universities selected to participate in the Super Bowl Experience. Deonna Young, Semaj Williams, Cory Jones, Antwann Abernathy, Damoni Johnson, Breanah Brown, Alfred Patrick Jr, Marcus Thompson, Precious Wood, Tianna Deberry and Daruis Gwynn were selected to attend based on academics and engagement. The students left for Miami on Jan. 29 and returned Tuesday from an unforgettable experience. Livingstone was selected for the program through an extensive application process, said Dr. Charles Crowley, department chair of sport management, hospitality management and culinary arts, who also accompanied the group. But it’s also about connections, and this wasn’t Crowley’s first rodeo of super bowls. Only in his second semester at Livingstone, Crowley worked the Super Bowl in 2000 and 2004 while working for other entities. The purpose of the program is to teach the business side of sports and to offer insight on what it’s like to run a major sporting event. Students worked the NFL Experience that featured the football players, NFL Live and served as way finders inside the stadium on game day. “They got to meet so many people, celebrities and stars,” Crowley said. “Every day, they saw someone famous.” Students had to complete application packets and background checks, and undergo online customer service …

SALISBURY – Livingstone College President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr., announced Thursday, Jan. 30, that former NFL standout Sean Gilbert will usher in the new decade for the Livingstone College Blue Bears. Gilbert graduated from Aliquippa High School in Aliquippa, Pa., in 1989 and attended the University of Pittsburgh. He left college in his true junior year to declare for the NFL Football Draft in 1992. He was drafted as the third pick in the first round to the Los Angeles Rams, and would go on to play 11 years in the NFL for several teams including the Washington Redskins, Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders. He retired in 2003. Gilbert has a passion to help others and is committed to serving his community. He and his mother, Aileen, started Nerih, a non-profit organization that helps build youth and adults through quality educational programs, and assists in developing affordable housing. Nerih partnered with local organizations to build a sports complex to provide recreational programs, and received a federal grant from the Department of Education to start a leadership and development center. Beyond question, Gilbert knows football, Jenkins said, but it was his work off the field that was most impressive and set him apart from other candidates, such as starting a nonprofit and his commitment to building character in young men. “I believe he will be a great role model for our student-athletes in particular and our entire student body in general,” Jenkins said. “Needless to say, we expect to win …

From the Division of Student Affairs: Four Livingstone College students were injured in a shooting overnight that occurred at a restaurant at the West End Plaza Shopping Center. One of the students was transferred to Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem and is listed in stable condition. Three students were transported to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center in Salisbury and have been discharged. This shooting happened off-campus and the event was not sponsored by Livingstone College.  At no time was campus safety compromised as a result of this incident, in which two other people also suffered non-gunshot injuries. The Division of Student Affairs will have counselors available to any students who were present and/or know the injured students to help manage the distress of this traumatic event and to deal with any resulting anxiety, if needed. Livingstone College is grateful that no lives were lost, and is praying for the full recovery of those injured and the well-being of those who experienced this unfortunate event.  

Livingstone CIS student, White House scholar participates in STEM research project at Indiana University SALISBURY – Livingstone College student Tenecious Underwood is charting a path to success that is uniquely his own. The senior computer information systems major began his academic year with the coveted honor of being selected as one of 44 White House HBCU Competitive Scholars in the nation, based on academic achievement, campus and civic involvement and entrepreneurial ethos. This is the highest student recognition by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities that illustrate that HBCUs produce – often against the odds – strong, impressive educational, economic and societal results that impact the communities in which they serve. Further proving his scholarly edge, Underwood, a Fayetteville native, was also recently recognized for his participation in a research project that is leapfrogging the science of frog language. Everyone knows that a frog says “ribbit,” but did you know that their calls have a deeper, more impactful meaning? Frogs are considered “canaries of the coal mine,” for their ability to indicate ecological or environmental crises before humans notice a broader impact. Frogs have permeable skin, making them vulnerable to even small changes in their aquatic environment. As a result, 32 percent of frogs are in decline due to a combination of habitat loss, disease and climate change. This statistic worries scientists, so ecologists across the nation are eager to study declining frog populations. Underwood had the distinct opportunity to participate in the Jetstream Research Experience …

The new year is off to a great start for one Livingstone College alum. NSC Behavioral Concepts Inc., owned by Dr. Nicole Sherrill-Corry, a 2003 graduate of Livingstone College, was the 2020 recipient of the Chamber Champion Small Business Award. The award was presented at the 94th annual Rowan County Chamber of Commerce Gala held Jan. 9 at the West End Plaza. NSC Behavioral Concepts began as a one-person shop in 2015, providing quality care for those living with critical mental health and substance abuse issues. The company now employs more than 50 employees and provides peer support services, substance abuse intensive outpatient services and counseling, according to its website. Livingstone President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr., said accomplishments from alumni such as Dr. Sherrill-Corry validates the mission of our institution and offers hope to students that success is attainable. Dr. Sherrill-Corry serves as a great example of leadership and business success in this community and “we are proud she is a Blue Bear,” Jenkins said.

CHARLOTTE – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the nation’s oldest historically black conference, has announced the 2020 John B. McLendon Hall of Fame Class and among inductees are basketball standout Antonio Davis of Livingstone College. One of the greatest shooters in college basketball history at any level, Davis shot 56% on two-point field goals, 53% on three-point field goals, and 94% at the free throw line for his career. He is the only known player to have finished with 50/50/90 career shooting percentages. To put those numbers into perspective, no other college player in NCAA history has ever completed even a season with 50/50/90 shooting percentages. Davis averaged 22.4 points for his career and led the nation in scoring at 35 points per game during the 1987-88 season. He also led the nation in free throw percentage three times throughout his career, shooting 90%, 94%, and 96% from the line over those seasons. Davis earned All-CIAA, All-District 26 and All-American honors while at Livingstone College and finished his career as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,800 career points. Other inductees include  Albert “A.J.” English of Virginia Union University; LeVelle Moton, N.C. Central University, men’s basketball; Leslie Speight, CIAA basketball and football official; and the 1983 women’s basketball team of Virginia Union University. The CIAA recognizes inductees for their excellence in the conference, significant contributions in the community, leadership in CIAA sports and commitment to the CIAA mission. This year’s class focuses on basketball honorees as the conference celebrates …