Tennessee State University - Tennessean Yearbook (Nashville, TN)

Page 18 text:

Dorm Renovations Project Started Many residential students were greeted this fall by improved dormitory facilities. During the summer, Watson and Wilson Halls underwent renovation and asbestos materials were removed from Boyd Hall. The major renovation of Watson and Wilson was started in April at the conciusion of the spring semes- 161'. The renovation included bringing the buildings up to the required fire and safety codes; installing new doors and hardware, light fixtures, air condition fan coils, and new or reconditioned room cabinets; clean- ing and restoring brick 0n the exterior walls of Wilson Hall; repainting the entire buildings; and upgrading bathrooms and lobby areas. The asbestos abatement project in Boyd Hall in- cluded replacing materials containing asbestos used on ceilings and in ventilation, pipe and mechanical equipment insulation with asbestos-free materials. I4 Opening

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l .'t Oprah Winfrey Delivers Spring. Commencement Address Oprah Winfrey, host of the nationally syndicated ttOprah Winfrey Show and actress, delivered the spring commencement address on May 2. She was one of the 626 students whose degrees were conferred during the ceremony. Winfrey is a native of Kosiusko, Mississippi, and the daughter of veteran Metro Councilman Vernon Winfrey. She launched her career in broadcasting in Nashville when she was hired by WVQL radio after winning the uMiss Fire Prevention coutest in 1972. Winfrey then moved into television broadcasting when she became a reporterfanchor at WTVF-TV tChan- nel 5L Winfrey left Nashville to take a co-anchor position at WJ Z-TV in Baltimore, Maryland. While there, she discov- ered her talent for hosting talk shows. Moving on to Chica- go, Illinois in 1984, Winfrey became host on ttA.M. Chicago. hA.M. Chicagd' was expanded and renamed the uQprah Winfrey Show. Last September, the show was syndlcated nationally. Winfrey also gained national attention and an Oscar nomination for her role in the movie the Color Purple. The topic of Winfrey's commencement address was Let Your Life Be A Praise. Winfrey, Tennessee Legislator DeLois DeBerry and re- cently retired Vice President for Research and Develop- ment Dr. Calvin Atchison received Distinguished Service Awards during the commencement exercise.- During her address, Winfrey announced her plan to es- tablish and fund the Vernon Winfrey Scholarship in honor of her father. 16 Opening