Tuesday, April 29, 2025

LLP Celebrates a Year of Success and Publications

Awards, Exhibits, and Graduating Seniors
By Dakota DiBenedetto
LLP Social Media Intern

To cap off a successful year, the Languages, Literature, and Philosophy Department hosted an End of the Year Celebration. Many students were awarded certificates for their achievements over the year. The department launched two publications, starting what will become an annual tradition of spotlighting student writing: 

  • Tigritude: A Journal of Student Writing, highlighting the best student writing in LLP classrooms and 
  • Blue Ink: A Literary Arts Journal, the first volume of a new and annual publication.
A great Wole Soyinka quote was used in the journal Tigritude stating how a tiger demonstrates its power through action symbolizing the student's literature exhibiting power through words:

 “A tiger does not proclaim his tigritude, he ounces. In other words: a tiger does not stand in the forest and say: “I am a tiger”. When you pass where the tiger has walked before, you see the skeleton of the duiker, you know that some tigritude has been emanated there.” - Wole Soyinka

Both of these journals feature LLP student writing and artwork by TSU art students. This celebration was held in The Space for New Media room in Elliot Hall,  a black box theatre with the works of LLP poets and art students on the walls. 

Awards were given to students for different accomplishments like most improved, rising star, academic achievement, and more. Accolades were also given to students graduating this spring. Professors like Dr. Zeba Shabhaaz, Dr. Heidi Williams, and Prof. Rebecca Bornac were also awarded with memorabilia for their hard work and committment to go above and beyond.

The whole program concluded with LLP's Soul Fire Poetry group performing poems from their upcoming "200 Unacceptable Words" collection.  They also gave out copies of a gorgeous Soul Fire Women's History Insert.  

This was a great way to end the year for the LLP Department while also highlighting the two new student publications. This gives students the chance to become published before leaving campus, which is a great opportunity for those looking to join the publication world. Personally, I look forward to seeing more of what LLP will do in the future.  

The Following Students Were Honored at this Year's Celebration:

  • Blakemore, Nickcolus - Excellence in Creative Writing Award (Fall 2024 Graduate)
  • Boykin, Ahlillian - Rising Star Educator (Class of 2026)
  • Childress, Caleahs - Outstanding Student Employee
  • Cole, Amiya - Promising Young Educator (Spring 2025 Graduate) 
  • DeBardelaben, Evan - Aspiring Author Award I for Demonstrated Excellence in Creative Writing  (Fall 2024 Graduate) 
  • Jackson, Madelyn - Rising Star Educator Award
  • Mathis, Aniyha - Excellence in Civic Engagement (Spring 2025 Graduate) 
  • McGuire, Brianna - Academic Achievement Award  (Spring 2025 Graduate) 
  • Rainer, Destini - Career Exploration and Innovation Award  (Spring 2025 Graduate) 
  • Stone, Eleana - Promising Young Educator (Fall 2024 Graduate)
  • Sutton, KenDasha - Most Improved Student  (Spring 2025 Graduate) 
  • Smith, Chandler - Career Exploration and Innovation Award (Class of 2026)
  • Watkins, Jasmine - Rising Star Educator Award 
  • Wilson, Chandler - Outstanding LLP Alumni Award (Class of 2018)
  • Wilson-Richardson, Tori - Excellence in Professional Writing (Spring 2025 Graduate) 

Recognition of LLP Minors

  • Anikwe, Frank - Excellence in Philosophy Studies 
  • Simmons, Kara -  Excellence in Spanish Studies 
  • Agoziri Mgbeke - Excellence in French Studies


Monday, April 21, 2025

LLP Leads Students through D&D Campaign

Community, Creativity and the Campaign!
By Dakota DiBenedetto
LLP Student Intern

Over the last year, the Departmnent of Languages, Literature, and Philosophy has led students on a fantastic quest.  Faculty adviser, Dr. Shane Gomes, initiated a Dungeons and Dragons campaign last Fall, and group has been campaigning ever since. 

Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D, is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game created and designed by Dave Gygax and Dave Arneson. A group of players tell a story, guiding players through dangerous quests such as exploring castles, defeating monsters, and discovering treasure. The popularized game has been seen on TV shows like Big Bang Theory, Stranger Things and Gravity Falls.

TSU Grad student Tarisha Moncrief is an ethusiastic D&D club member. Her alter, Mizuki, is "a sun elf


with beguiler as the race." The character specializes in manipulation, deception as the character is beautiful but not trustworthy.  Through Mizuki, and empowering imagination, Moncrief is able to explore a persona outside of her true character.  

In an interview, we spoke about the nature of D&D, how to play the game, the nerd stereotype, and the accuracy of depiction (or lack thereof) in entertainment. 

What does a typical Dungeons and Dragons game look like for the club?

 A typical campaign starts off with creating a character that classifies into race, class, and alignment. There are 9 alignments, 10 races, and 13 classes, says the 2024 update Players Handbook. Moncrief explains, “there are different types of campaigns you can go on single, multiplayer, hero, and villain quests, it all depends on what the group of players want to do.” The game master plans the campaign meaning they tell the story or journey that is taken.

What got you into playing Dungeons and Dragons?

 “I have always been interested in D&D." It all started with her interest in anime which was used as a branch that got her started in D&D later joining the club.

What is the longest Dungeons and Dragons campaign you have partook in?

 The longest campaign Moncrief has played was for six hours non-stop, although it can go longer. However, since the club meets from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. the maximum the club has played is two hours; they often have to stop and continue playing at the next meeting.

Have you been able to meet new people since joining the club?

 Majority of the people who play D&D are introverted, so this has helped people become more outspoken and come together. It is a good way to meet new people and interact with others that play the game. The game is relaxing and fun which is a good way to not be yourself during the game which is the point of the game.

Learn more about LLP's D&D campaign by reaching out to Faculty Adviser Dr. Shane Gomes.
Click here for "Full Interview with Tarisha Moncrief