Do the right thing

The General Student Assembly held Wednesday, Sept. 9, in the William “Billy” J. Nicks building focused on encouraging students to do what’s right, with the popular theme from Spike Lee’s hit 1980s film, “Do the Right Thing.”
Alzo Slade, a 1998 graduate of Prairie View, was the speaker.
Slade got the attention of the students when he began to address other issues such as sagging and the use of vulgar language. He challenged students and stressed the importance of priorities.
“You are here to graduate and become a man or woman once you leave here, get your priorities together,” said Slade.
He thanked Mayor Frank Jackson for his help and assistance on the Prairie View campus.
Slade used his personal experiences at Prairie View to motivate students to be better.
He described how in his freshman year, he was always telling jokes and just wanted to have fun.
“I was always trying to make people laugh. My grades dropped my first year because I was caught up in having too much fun, just wanting to get by,” said Slade. “As I went on to my sophomore and junior years, I realized I needed to straighten up.”
He closed his speech by saying, “Use the resources you have on campus and use them to your advantage.”
Miss Prairie View Chelsee Hill was the mistress of ceremonies, and introduced “Do the Right Thing: Quality Without Compromise” as the university’s motto for the school year.
The assembly began with a welcome and invocation by Michael Love, Mr. Prairie View, and Trent Johnson, vice president of SGA.
Dr. E. Joahanne Thomas-Smith, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, spoke to students about doing the right thing and striving to do their best.
“We want you to leave inspired. Do the right things that are necessary in order to succeed,” Thomas-Smith said.
The PVAMU cheerleaders along with the Marching Storm performed and Andria Green, a senior health education major, sang a solo.
Freshman criminal justice major Lateria Robinson said, “The speaker was very real about every point he made. He caught our attention and gave good points on how to live our life in college, as well as the company we keep.