Chuck D challenges students to take control of life

By Grant Merritt
Assistant News Editor
Oct. 15, 2009

Photo by Nick Faulkner

Hip-Hop artist Chuck D speaks to UNCP students about the importance of education. An estimated 300 to 400 students attended the event.

Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, most famously known as Chuck D, spoke at GPAC as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series. He was the second speaker at UNCP for the 2009/2010 academic year. Chuck D was on campus on Sept. 29 and took part in an interview in Old Main, a dinner in the UC Annex and presentation in the GPAC.

Chuck D spoke about a variety of issues in the United States concerning college students and mass media influences. He challenged students to take control of their own life and take advantage of education as well as the education of their friends.

“If your friends have different majors and are learning new things, why not get that information from your friends,” Chuck D said. “You learn from your own classes and then learn what your friends do in their classes. It's like getting a second free education.”

He said that he has spoken to college campuses for 18 years. He did not like referring to his speech as a lecture.

“They are vibe sessions and conversations,” Chuck D said.

Chuck D said that we listen to enough lectures in our classes. He didn't want to bore us with a lecture.

“Americans are kinda short on geography and history,” Chuck D said. He challenged students to change this pattern and learn from their mistakes.

Another big part of his presentation was about taking pride in our roots as well as our current state of life.

“Because that's a very important thing to stand proud of: where you're from,” he said.

“If you start appreciate where you're at, you appreciate where you're from,” he said.

Chuck D said that many people are afraid to leave their hometowns and venture out. He said that the Internet has impacted our lives so greatly that we don't have to leave our house to stay connected with the rest of the world.

Other advice he gave the audience was “attention is the cheapest price to pay.” He challenged the audience to pay attention to their surroundings, their studies and their lives.

Indianhead Yearbook Editor Tiffany Schmidt said that she enjoyed what he had to say.

“A lot of people should have heard what he had to say about tv and how it dumbs people down,” Schmidt said.

“I felt it. He did not give us a rehearsed speech. He was real,” Maynor Honors College student Sierra Edwards said.

The presentation started at 7:30 p.m. and ended at 9:30 with a question and answer session and autograph session afterward. Between 300 and 400 students attended the presentation.

The Distinguished Speaker Series is a program set up by the Office of Student Life and is headed by Director Mike Severy.

The next distinguished speaker is Valerie Plame Wilson and is scheduled for Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m.