Tyshaun Perryman

Many students come to colleges for different reasons.

Some come to get away from the their parents. Some because their parents made them. Some come to receive an education.

Others come to meet girls and party.

My reasons were a combination of the latter two.

I’ve come to realize, though, that the reason students are here at great ol’ N.C. Central University is to love, to live, to learn and to leave a legacy.

When I first came to NCCU I was as a fawn spit whole out of my mother’s womb. That is, not my real mother—she did the best she could to raise me right.

It was the urban mother streets of Boston that taught me how to illegally hustle, to covet and disrespect women, to hate myself for being born black and broke, and to hate my enemies. My body lacked the nutrients of love, character and integrity.

But as I began to progress in Eagleland, a metamorphosis took place.

Golden Eagles, such as Mrs. Vera Turner, my former freshman student life counselor, and alumnus Ms. Angela Mclean, my spiritual teacher and mentor, instilled in me the value of loving myself and my Creator.

Eagles, we must love ourselves and God, and in doing so, we can love one another.

I grew up on food stamps and government checks. I know how it is to look in the refrigerator and only see Mr. Baking soda.

Sometimes I used to have to wash my clothes in the bathtub. If I waited until the day before school, my pants wouldn’t be dry in the morning and I would have to try ironing them dry.

Times were rough for me. That is why I believe I am living in the greatest of times now, during my college years.

A lot of students might murmur and complain. “Oh the café food sucks,” “Oh there’s nothing to do on weekends.”

Oh! oh! oh! oh! oh!

For some of you, if it wasn’t for Central you’d probably be in jail, or with a baby on the way.

Eagles, we have to stop murmuring and complaining.

Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution!

We have to find and develop ways to make campus life better.

The main reasons why certain problems exist around campus is because students aren’t mad enough to change the problems.

A wise man said, “Never complain about what you allow to happen, and anything you can tolerate you will not change.” Be a part of the solution.

We must learn who we are as Eagles. Many times I see students trying to fit in with the crowd—trying to impress their classmates.

Listen, Eagles, we are not trying to be Eagles, we are Eagles.

Eagles fly alone. They separate themselves from the foolish nature of turkeys and buzzards.

Our job here at Central is not just to get an education, or have a college experience and then leave. We must be pave makers, paving the way for future generations to come.

Let us leave a standard of excellence, so when future Eagles read the archives they’ll have reason to be proud of their past, and prepared for their future.