[OMIK] HBCUs on the air?

Wed Sep 4 09:42:15 EDT 2024

There are always value adds - scholarships, ARISS, publicity doing public
good.

This can be the pitch.

Ria

On Wed, Sep 4, 2024 at 9:39 AM jesse Alexander <wb2ifs at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks as always for your support, Ria!
>
> What the best way to do HBCUs on the air (HOTA!) and connect it with
> the STEM/STEAM/STEMM programs at the schools? As others have said, I'd
> like HOTA to be more than hams showing up on HBCU quads and calling
> "CQ HOTA" making QSOs and leaving. Besides with all the bomb threats,
> harassment, and cyberattacks against HBCUs/MSIs going on now I think
> security would raise more than a single eyebrow if some hams show up
> unannounced with radios and start hanging wires from trees on campus!
> ;)
>
> At the same time, I'm (painfully) familiar with the slow walk of
> approval to do anything on campus if we're perceived as an outside
> group. We will need alumni and faculty support at the schools to get
> this project off the ground and if we want to have a lasting effect.
>
> Perhaps it better to stick with 3-4 schools at first and make the
> others jealous ;) and ask "why can't have this at our school?" What
> say y'all?
>
> I think if we should select a single day of significance in history as
> a gathering day for the special event activation--emancipation day,
> Juneteenth, an educators birthday, etc. Okay OMIK hive-mind: ACTIVATE!
>
> I'll continue to dig. I've noticed that there were a lot of clubs
> during the heyday of shortwave--back in the 1960s. I'm searching old
> callbooks using the names of the the HBCUs I know and then using
> general terms like "university", "institute", and "college" . This is
> how I found Texas Southern University.
>
> Interestingly I found 4 hams in the 1960 callbook who used Hampton
> Institute as an address, but I couldn't find a club callsign for
> Hampton. Here are the hams I found.  Are the names of callsigns
> familiar to anyone?:
> W4DJV BURTON W. LEWIS, PO BOX 847
> WN5MYE LLOYD A. WALLS, PO BOX 641 (novice...hmmmm)
> K4PXR THOMAS R. AGNEW SR. BOX 1212
> K4ZWU EDWARD J. LOWE PO BOX 803
>
> On Tue, Sep 3, 2024 at 11:41 PM Ria Jairam <rjairam at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Jesse
> >
> > The expired calls are unfortunate. Seems like a lot of clubs just
> vaporize after a while.
> >
> > What is the next step for outreach and perhaps reviving these clubs?
> >
> > I would like to help in any way I can.
> >
> > Ria
> > N2RJ
> >
> > On Thu, Aug 22, 2024 at 9:56 AM jesse Alexander via OMIK <
> omik at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> >>
> >> I've just started a spreadsheet with a list of clubs/stations at HBCU
> >> that I know about here: https://sites.google.com/view/hbucs-on-the-air
> >>
> >> Thanks Reggie for the NCA&T entry. Are there another others?
> >>
> >> Hampton is interesting. It looks like they had a club and it went
> >> inactive. The callsign has expired.
> >>
> >> 73s de wb2ifs
> >>
> >> On Tue, Aug 13, 2024 at 1:24 PM jesse Alexander <wb2ifs at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > I also have a contact at FAMU's NSBE Jr. project. They also have
> >> > multiple irons in the fire.
> >> > They responded positively to the this story about first year ham radio
> >> > classes:
> https://news.pantheon.cmu.edu/stories/archives/2024/june/amateur-radio-for-aspiring-professionals
> >> > and said that they would get back to me.
> >> >
> >> > I think "HBCUs on the Air" can be a boon to HBCUs/MSIs at a time when
> >> > too many engineering schools are eliminating Electro-magnetics
> >> > courses. I spoke with a professor during the HamSCI.org 2024 Workshop
> >> > that said exactly that his college is eliminating EMag. I was
> >> > horrified. Wireless is seen as a "known" thing--just buy the RF
> >> > module, plug it in, done. I think HBCUs are getting big $ to do
> >> > research in AI and other "hot" technologies--but not for RF active
> >> > devices, transmission line theory, etc.
> >> > SMH.
> >> >
> >> > On Tue, Aug 13, 2024 at 12:03 PM jesse Alexander <wb2ifs at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > Hey folks I just sent an email to Dr. Geddis and one of the students
> >> > > from my project NRAO ham radio project over at Hampton University
> (the
> >> > > other HU 😉) to get his impressions of this idea. Hampton has also
> >> > > received funding from the ARDC. (You can read more about their
> project
> >> > > here:
> https://jbhe.com/2022/08/higher-education-grants-or-gifts-of-interest-to-african-americans-284/
> )
> >> > >
> >> > > I have 4 contacts at my alma mater, the Real HU 😉, Dr. Marcus
> Alfred
> >> > > KC3JNF and 3 students from my project. I've also reached out to
> them,
> >> > > but they're crazy busy. I'll keep y'all updated with any progress
> >> > > here.
> >> > >
> >> > > --
> >> > > TNX ES 73,
> >> > > Jesse Alexander, WB2IFS/3
> >> > > OMIK Amateur Radio Association, Inc.
> >> > > Prince George's County ARES/RACES
> >> > > SKYWARN #PG116
> >> > > twitter @wb2ifs
> >> > > wb2ifs at arrl.net
> >> > > QTH: FM18ns
> >> > > Cell:201-247-0831
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > TNX ES 73,
> >> > Jesse Alexander, WB2IFS/3
> >> > OMIK Amateur Radio Association, Inc.
> >> > Prince George's County ARES/RACES
> >> > SKYWARN #PG116
> >> > twitter @wb2ifs
> >> > wb2ifs at arrl.net
> >> > QTH: FM18ns
> >> > Cell:201-247-0831
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> TNX ES 73,
> >> Jesse Alexander, WB2IFS/3
> >> OMIK Amateur Radio Association, Inc.
> >> Prince George's County ARES/RACES
> >> SKYWARN #PG116
> >> twitter @wb2ifs
> >> wb2ifs at arrl.net
> >> QTH: FM18ns
> >> Cell:201-247-0831
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>
>
> --
> TNX ES 73,
> Jesse Alexander, WB2IFS/3
> OMIK Amateur Radio Association, Inc.
> Prince George's County ARES/RACES
> SKYWARN #PG116
> twitter @wb2ifs
> wb2ifs at arrl.net
> QTH: FM18ns
> Cell:201-247-0831
>