Recycle The Maroon Tiger

Transcription

The Organ of Student Expression Since 1925
The
MAROON TIGER
Morehouse College • Atlanta, GA
November 17 - 23, 2010
Volume LXXXV, issue 10
Morehouse
Alumnus Brings
First Annual
Diamond Awards
Stock Image
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HBCU Graduates More Likely to
Default on Their Student Loans
Gerren K. Gaynor
Managing Editor
[email protected]
O
ne road blocker for many
college graduates is
paying back student loans.
Whether it’s the economic
downturn or rising unemployment rate, accruing debt
has become a common reality among recent graduates.
However, African Americans
in particular seem to be experiencing much strife when it
comes to paying loaned money back. A recent report finds
that graduates of Historically
Black Colleges and Universities are more than likely to
default on their student loans.
According to analyzed data
produced by CollegeMeasures.org, 42 percent of 116
colleges and universities with
a default rate of 10 percent or
higher are HBCUs. Data also
showed that eight of the top
10 colleges and universities
in the nation with the highest
student loan default rates are
HBCUs.
According to a report from
the U.S. Department of Education, the national student loan
default rate is nearly seven
percent, the highest it has been
since 1997. To put that number
in perspective, out of 105 rec-
ognized HBCUs that are either
four-year public schools, fouryear private schools, or twoyear public schools, 50 HBCUs have student loan default
rates of 10 percent or higher-higher than the national rate.
For private HBCUs, Talledega
College has the highest student loan default rate of 29.4
percent, followed by Rust College, 24.8 percent, and Benedict College, 23.9 percent. For
public HBCUs, Central State
University tops the list with
20.9 percent.
Institutions in the Atlanta
University Center are not
among the higher ranking
colleges and universities on
either of the public or private
HBCUs list. In the 93rd percentile, Morehouse College
holds a student loan default
rate of 10. 6 percent. However, both Spelman College
and Clark Atlanta University
have significantly lower student loan default rates with
6.6 percent and 7.5 percent
respectively.
The student loan default
rate isn’t the only unfavorable
marker for African Americans.
The Economic Policy Institute
(EPI) estimates that this year
the unemployment rate for
Black workers with bachelor’s
or higher degrees may possi-
bly be the highest it has been
since 1979. This year, the unemployment rate for collegeeducated Blacks is two times
the rate for college-educated
whites. Among recent college
graduates, African Americans
have the highest unemployment rate and highest studentloan debt level.
Recent graduates, however,
believe those numbers should
not be so alarming. Morehouse
graduate Robert Alexander
’10 believes that the Black unemployment rate, among other
things are direct indicators as
to why one may see such a
disparity between Blacks and
whites when it comes to paying off loans.
“I think the lack of financial
literacy may contribute. I never once had a financial literacy
or program, but that could be
because I wasn’t paying attention,” Alexander said.
“Since a lot of [Black] students are first-generation college graduates, maybe there
isn’t a history of good credit
practices.”
Kawasi Weston, another
Morehouse graduate, concurs
that African Americans are
positioned in such a way, that
makes it burdensome to pay
back student loans.
“With what we already face
in society, it makes it difficult
to begin the loan repayment
process,” Weston said.
Weston suggests that analysts research further into the
matter.
“Students usually can not afford to pay off loans because
they are fresh into the working
market.
“Proper research might
prove that college graduates
could pay off loans when they
are more stable. Repayment is
not the problem.”
Both Alexander and Weston
revealed that they left Morehouse with college debt, however, neither feels any regret.
“I definitely feel as though
college debt is worth it. The
experience we gain and the
people we meet are priceless,”
Weston said.
While Alexander believes
attending Morehouse, even
with loans, was worth it, he expressed that students, at Morehouse in particular, should understand that loaned money is
not free money.
“It’s something that should
be beaten into their heads from
the time they first enter college,” he said.
“It must be reiterated constantly that this is not free
money. It is imperative that it
is paid back.”
(Left to right) Rockmond Dunbar, Raven-Symoné, and Mark Dodd ’10
pose on the red carpet at The Diamond Awards. The event took place
Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010.
Sierra Stokes
Associate Features Editor
[email protected]
T
fulness for those in attendance
and their support throughout
the years. Dodd, who faced
personal challenges getting on
the official kidney transplant
list, made it known that this
was the first annual Diamond
Awards, and just the beginning of more to come. As the
event started, many attendees
were honored for their ongoing commitment to the foundation. The Diamond Awards
was established to honor individuals in the entertainment
and business worlds who,
through their perseverance
and success, have left a footprint on their respective industries. From donating their
time, money and influence
to philanthropic activities, to
acting as a role model or pioneer for others in their fields,
these individuals have opened
new doors and changed lives
and the world.
Actress Lynn Whitfield was
the host of the evening and
kept the crowd entertained
he Diamond Awards was
definitely a night of stars.
Celebrities could be seen
waltzing down the red carpet
in their elaborate suits and
dresses. Everyone from Raven Symone to Rockmond
Dunbar came out to show their
support for The Not Alone
Foundation’s first annual
award show. The non-profit
organization is dedicated to
providing financial assistance
and educational and medical
resources for chronic kidney
disease and end-stage renal
disease patients and their
families. Proceeds from the
award show were used toward
getting patients on the official
kidney transplant list.
The award ceremony was
held in the Greater Travelers
Rest Cathedral with applause
given to the founder of The
Not Alone Foundation. Morehouse alumnus Mark Dodd,
the founder, shared his grate- See DIAMOND, page 2
inside track
News.....................1 World & Local......3 Business & Tech......4 Features.................6 Opinions..............7 A&E...................9 Sports..................12
Keeping Up With the Caucasians
p. 7
Kanye West: The Anti-Hero
p. 8
Top 10 Hip-Hop albums of the ’90s p. 10
on the web
www.themaroontiger.com
www.twitter.com/themaroontiger
friday
64°
37°
saturday
67º
40º
sunday
69º
47º
2
NEWS
November 17 - 23, 2010
THE MAROON TIGER
Nicolas B. Aziz ’12
Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
MANAGEMENT
Gerren K. Gaynor ’11
Managing Editor
[email protected]
Jeffery Taylor II ’12
Chief Layout Editor
[email protected]
Remington Jackson ’12
Photography Editor
[email protected]
Terrence Campbell ’11
Chief Copy Editor
[email protected]
Victoria Plummer SC ’11
Associate Copy Editor
[email protected]
EDITORS
Kevin Mallory ’11
Campus News Editor
Lance Dixon ’12
Associate Campus News Editor
Paul Daniels II ’12
World & Local Editor
Dannieka Wiggins SC ’13
Associate World & Local Editor
Sescily Coney SC ’11
Business & Tech Editor
Reginald Williams ’12
Associate Bussiness & Tech Editor
Elizabeth Sawyer SC ’11
Features Editor
Sierra Stokes ’13
Associate Features Editor
Tre’vell Anderson ’13
Opinions Editor
Karen Bullock SC ’11
Associate Opinions Editor
Spencer Greene ’11
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Taylor Williams ’12
Associate A&E Editor
Jourdan Shepard ’12
Sports Editor
Charlie Williams IV ’12
Associate Sports Editor
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Spencer Greene ’11
Public Relations Director
[email protected]
CAMPUS NEWS NOTES
First annual DIAMOND
Awards Ceremony unites
celebrities to raise kidney
disease awareness
continued from front page
• Sodexo worker Valencia Smith was fired earlier this month on Nov. 8. According to Chivers Hall general manager Andrew Pierson, Smith, who was known
by most students as “Miss V.”, was fired because she “violated company policy.”
According to reports, Smith is currently fighting to get her job back by having
students sign a petition on her behalf.
• The Reverend Jesse Jackson spoke at last week’s crown forum in celebration of
Howard Thurman Day. During his speech, Jackson stressed the importance of
African-Americans being “somebody” in today’s world.
• Morehouse’s football team will be playing in their first ever NCAA Division II
playoff game this weekend. The Maroon Tigers will be playing Wingate University this Saturday (Nov. 20) at noon. A bus for the game will be leaving for
Wingate, North Carolina at 5 a.m. on Saturday morning. Contact a member of
Morehouse SGA for information regarding fees for the trip.
• 60+ students will be representing Morehouse on a “Semester at Sea” enrichment
voyage during the Christmas break. The trip will last from Dec. 15 until Jan. 5.
The ship will be stopping at 12 different ports within the 20 day period. Some of
the countries that will be visited include Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Belize.
• The 84th annual Morehouse-Spelman Christmas Carol Concert will take place
from Dec. 3 to Dec. 5. It will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 6 p.m.
on Sunday. Each show is free to the public. Friday and Sunday’s shows will take
place in the Martin Luther King International Chapel, and Saturday’s performance
will take place in Sisters Chapel located on Spelman’s campus.
MULTIMEDIA
O’koyea Huff Boone ’12
Webmaster
[email protected]
Carl Ringgold ’11
New Media Director
[email protected]
Kenley Hargett ’12
Tiger TV Producer
[email protected]
ADVISER
Ron Thomas
with humorous jokes and
eye-catching outfit changes.
She introduced each famous
award presenter with their biographies and their relation to
the recipient of the award.
Spelman freshman Ticara
Wicks was honored to be in
the presence of such influential people. “I never thought I
would see the day that I was
sitting next to hip-hop sensation, Trina, and actress, Raven Symone. To just be in the
same room with these wonderful people is truly inspiring and unbelievable,” Wicks
said.
One fellow Atlanta University Center graduate, more
specifically of Spelman, was
honored for her commitment
to the organization and excellence in acting. Keisha
Knight-Pulliam
gracefully
accepted the award and expressed her thanks to Dodd
and all of the foundation
members. Europe Dubois,
a Spelman sophomore, was
overjoyed when her Spelman
sister was honored.
“Keisha Knight-Pulliam receiving this award just further
proves that Spelman produces
women of excellence. Keisha
is representing the school and
the AUC well,” Dubois said.
Other award recipients
were Sheryl Lee Ralph, Anthony Anderson, Bryan Cox,
and Rhodell Lewis. One of
the most famous award recipients was Chaka Khan.
Although she could not make
the event she made it a point
to send in a video expressing
her gratitude.
Jimi Hendrix was honored
last for the impact he left on
the world before his passing
in 1970. Trina presented his
award before a video played,
covering his life as a music
icon. Hendrix’s sister accepted the award on his behalf and
spoke about the commitment
her brother had for community service, using his fame to
better others.
“I love Jimi Hendrix and
the music he had to offer this
world. The Not Alone Foundation honoring him is was
a great idea on their part, because he deserved the recognition,” Dubios said.
The night ended with a song
from upcoming star, Maseye,
and Whitfield thanking everyone for their attendance at the
event.
For more information on
The Not Alone Foundation,
please contact Mark Dodd
at [email protected].
4
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
November 17 - 23, 2010
Microsoft Office Suite Keeping Move Your Feet!
Consumers’ Heads In the Cloud?
Reginauld Williams
Assoc. Bus & Tech Editor
[email protected]
Kamille Shine
Contributing Writer
[email protected]
M
icrosoft has had a lot
on its plate this year.
Currently, it has been working hard to implement new
ideas to maintain its innovative role in their industry.
The latest of its main attractions is a new Microsoft Office Suite, called Office 365,
based on the cloud. As quoted by the New York Times,
“Microsoft said this new
product was ‘the company’s
next generation in cloud productivity’ and that it ‘brings
together Microsoft Office,
SharePoint Online, Exchange
Online and Lync Online’ into
a single product that can be
used by businesses and individuals.”
Cloud computing can be
defined as web-based processing, whereby shared
resources, software, and information are provided to
computers and other devices
(such as smart phones) on
demand over the Internet.
Within Microsoft, the cloud
strives to provide the utmost
efficiency and rapid use of
company technology that
there is to offer. Businesses
will witness a rich experience
through their PC, phones, and
browsers, and they have also
been provided the option of
cost saving methods by utilizing the pay-asyou-go service
to only give
money
for
the services
used. There
are
several cloud
m o d els that
suit the
needs
o
f
differe n t
companies. With a full detailed
cloud report, buyers are able
to essentially target all of
the aspects of the company’s
needs and find out which
model is the perfect fit.
Within the information and
technology industry, various cloud applications have
been developed over the
years. Many people have experienced these services but
only understand the basics.
The hype around the cloud
distracts people from the
tremendous benefits that the
services can offer people and
businesses. Most people are
not aware that cloud technology has been around for years
and that we have been using it
without even knowing it was
cloud technology. Microsoft,
Google, Amazon, and Yahoo
have
all utilized and reinvented
cloud technologies over the
years. For instance, Google’s
Gmail has been around for
ages, and yet no one called
it a cloud technology until a
couple years ago.
The same can be said for
Hotmail for Yahoo. These
services provide consumers
with great quality, and rapid
capabilities for years for free.
Google Docs, utilized by a
majority of Spelman, Morehouse, and Clark students,
has proven to be very beneficial and efficient to successfully complete group tasks
and edit documents from various locations. The overall
goal of Microsoft’s new line
of cloud products is to further
enhance their previous
technologies and
to make it easier
for employees to
collaborate with
their coworkers
on projects without
having the hassle of
constantly installing
new software.
Cloud technology
alleviates the stress and
time constraints of updating a system and finding multiple softwares
that fit the company. Cloud
is made to essentially distinguish your company as
its own unique sector. Many
criticisms surround Microsoft’s new developments
and prominent companies
fear that sensitive documents
may be at risk and this new
software may provide security risks. On the contrary,
most businesses may just
opt for using Google Docs
which is the free alternative
for the service Microsoft is
providing. As quoted by the
New York Times, “Microsoft
hopes to entice customers
with its deep knowledge of
and history with productivity
software and its broad customer support options.” Microsoft has a well renowned
reputation and is extending
its dreams beyond the clouds
to remain the best of the best.
Unemployed Students
Demand Reimbursement
They Can’t Find Jobs After Graduating
Sescily R. Coney
Business and Tech Editor
[email protected]
D
r. Martin Luther King,
Jr. once said that our
society is sick. Apparently,
our economy is sick, too,
and in need of intensive care.
Normally, our economy afforded endless opportunities
for those who boasted bachelors, masters, or doctorate
degrees. However, recent
and soon-to-be graduates
of colleges/universities and
graduate schools are having
difficulty finding jobs. Some
schools have come up with
a solution, since desperate
times call for desperate measures. Their solution is simple: tuition reimbursements.
In 2009, it was projected
that over 2 million college
graduates were unemployed.
A survey conducted by the
National Association of Colleges and Employers that
same year predicted that
companies would hire 22
percent less graduating seniors than in previous years.
That number is expected to
increase.
Due to the nature of unemployment, many schools have
resorted to tuition reimbursements out of fear instead of
remorse. Students across the
country have begun to make
schools accountable for their
unemployment woes.
Last month, an anonymous
student at Boston College
Law School submitted a letter on the student newspaper’s site, asking the school’s
interim dean for a refund.
In the letter titled “Open
Letter to Interim Dean
Brown,” the student talks
about his dim job prospects once he completes law
school, which comes at a
troubling time because he is
expecting his first child with
his wife. The letter continues
on to describe how he will be
asked to make monthly payments on his student loans
regardless of whether he
finds a job. He concludes his
letter by asking the dean for
a full tuition refund in exchange for his dropping out
of the law school program.
The student argued that his
proposal was a win/win situation for all involved because
he would benefit monetarily
and the school wouldn’t have
to report his unemployment
at graduation to the U.S.
News & World Report.
In 2009, Trina Thompson
sued Monroe College in New
York for $72,000 – the full
cost of her tuition – due her
inability to find a job after
graduation. After graduating with a bachelor of business administration degree
in information technology,
Thompson filed suit in Bronx
Supreme Court, stating that
the “Office of Career Advancement did not help with
full-time job placement. I am
also suing them because of
the stress I have been going
through.”
In both cases, the students
were not compensated. The
institutions issued statements
that were nearly identical
to the other, stating that the
schools were interested in allotting quality education to
their students, not guaranteeing them a job. In true fashion, they blamed the economy.
So should students sue
their schools if they are not
able to find a job upon graduating? Trina Thompson
thinks so.
“It doesn’t make any
sense,” she stated in a 2009
CNN interview. “They went
to school for four years, and
then they come out working at McDonald’s and Payless. That’s not what they
planned.”
B
efore the dawn of the
technological era, people
had to do things the old fashioned way. Before there were
apps to turn off Christmas tree
lights and remotes to turn the
lights on in the house from the
driveway, these tasks got done
when someone had the chance
to physically do them. While
the apps and gadgets are
helpful, they are also making
Americans lazier by the day.
Some school systems see
that health and P.E. classes are
no longer useful, but in fact,
they are more useful than ever.
The adult and child obesity
rates have increased dramatically in the past couple decades. The fast-paced life’s of
many consumers has them opting for fast food restaurants to
avoid cooking healthier meals.
Regular exercise can help decrease obesity rates but only
paired with a balanced diet.
In recent technological development, producers have
found a way to make games
more physically interactive
and the application of this
technology could be the key
to saving America from the
slope it’s sliding down.
Back in the 90s, to make
video games more interactive,
they created steering wheels
and magnifying glasses to link
with the computer. In 2006,
Nintendo released the Wii
which comes equipped with
a wireless hand controller that
responds to motions and actions. Tennis, bowling, baseball or being a drummer in a
band are the new possibilities
gamers can explore. Wii Fit is
an exercise trainer which allows users to have a better and
more fun perspective on exercise without getting bored.
The user creates their own
schedule that can be followed
at his or her own pace.
Now in 2010, Microsoft and
Playstation have released
similar products for consumers. Playstation has released
a new system similar to the
Wii which allows games to be
played using a wireless controller that responds to motion,
called the Playstation Move.
Microsoft, still on the decline
from recent product failure,
has given a new twist to the
idea of playing games. Microsoft’s new system, the Xbox
Kinect, removes the controller
from the equation. The motion
sensor allows the people to be
the controller.
The recent surge of games
and technology has revolutionized not only the way
games are played but they can
be a great way to keep active.
The games offered are almost
limitless and can be played
by people of all ages. With
so many avenues to explore
health wise, it’s an important
thing that should be considered. Some people may not
realize it, but life only grants
a person one body, and taking
care of your temple now can
prevent a rough time later.
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6
FEATURES
November 17 - 23, 2010
Jasmine Guy
“Circle of Life”: Rejuvenating the
Education of the African-American Male Returns to Spelman
Ashlei Williams
Contributing Writer
[email protected]
“I
really didn’t feel like
going to an all-male
high school. I thought that
was pretty horrible,” Israel
Wilson, a freshman computer
science major at Morehouse
College said.
Despite Wilson’s aversion
to male institutions, he was
destined for eight years of
a male, minority education.
Forced by his father to attend
Urban Prep Academy and
persuaded by his teacher to
attend Morehouse, five years
into his fate, he is thankful for
their vision.
Wilson is a member of the
inaugural class of the nation’s
first male charter public high
school, Urban Prep Academy. Founder Tim King’s vision permeated Chicago and
the nation last year when the
school met its goal of graduating and sending 100 percent
of its students to college. “I
think Urban Prep really did
prepare me for college and
Morehouse,” Wilson confirmed. “For the most part, a
lot of the information that I
have as a freshman is something that I already went over
during my high school experience.”
Urban Prep has not hesitated to take innovative educational approaches to produce
results. Recently, they created a Fellows program to be
implemented at each of the
three Urban Prep campuses,
in Englewood, East Garfield,
and South Shore.
Urban Prep students are
grouped into Prides. A Pride
is similar to a high school
homeroom, but it is also a
class. The Fellows Program
was created to improve the
Prides. Six fellows are chosen to serve as Pride leaders.
These fellows teach a humanities-based class during one
period in addition to tutoring
and mentoring Pride students
and interacting with Pride
parents. The circular connection between Pride leader,
student, teachers and parents
fosters Urban Prep’s community culture.
The six fellows are, Jeffery
Bakkensen of Georgetown
University, Andre Bobb of
DePaul University, Jeremy
Harp of Yale University, Sian
Kieran of Brown University,
Neel Lalchandani of the University of Pennsylvania and
Ashlei Williams of Spelman
College. These individuals
were trained and equipped
to pilot the program. “We
take a variety of factors into
account when making hiring decisions.” Jake Wertz,
manager of Urban Prep confirmed. “The applicants’ past
record of academic success
and work experience, their
ability to work well as both a
leader and a teammate and, of
course, their ability to relate
to our students.”
Looking toward expansion,
Wertz and the school administration are developing new recruiting methods, specifically
for HBCUs. Wertz asserted,
“HBCUs are a natural recruiting target for us because it
is so important for us to find
educators who can reflect and
relate to our students’ own
identities.”
Samuel Adams, a 1996
Morehouse alumnus and an
English teacher at Urban
Prep, hopes that post-graduate programs will seek HBCU
graduates. “I spoke to some
individuals in TFA [Teach for
America] and that’s one of the
things that I really wish would
happen. That Morehouse,
Spelman, Clark, and more
HBCUs would have students
in TFA and would have participants seek employment at
the Urban Prep Academies.”
Urban Prep aims to recruit
at institutions like Morehouse
College and Spelman College
because of the environments
and structures. “Morehouse is
known around the country as
an all-male African-American
academic institution whose
community has a strong history and commitment to success, so the connection for us
is obvious,” Wertz noted.
Adams supports Urban
Prep and Morehouse interaction for more than the obvious
connections. “I think that the
high school and college level
are two different experiences.
They have multiple opportunities to interact with various
individuals of high moral, intellectual and social character.
That’s a great difference!”
Wilson
added,
“Even
though it is an all-male institution, it is nothing like Urban
Prep. Because it’s more co-ed
than people think.”
Wilson has every intention
of using the education he is
receiving at Morehouse to
give back to Urban Prep. “I
wish that Urban Prep offered
a computer science class or
something of the sort. So one
thing I want to do after I graduate is come back and start
some type of program and at
least speak to them and let
them know about the field.”
Urban Prep acts as a catalyst for future Morehouse networking and alumni relations.
Wertz said, “We are delighted
to have sent five young men
from our first graduating class
to Morehouse for college, and
are optimistic that we will
continue to send many students there for years to come.
Similarly, the Fellows Program is eager to recruit Morehouse grads to work with our
students.”
Darryl Hawkins
Contributing Writer
[email protected]
J
asmine Guy is best known
for playing the snooty
Whitley Gilbert on “A Different World,” a show that has
special significance here in the
AUC. On Nov. 11, Jasmine
Guy returned to her unofficial
home away from home, Spelman College, for an intimate
talk with students about her
journey from dancer to actress
and the lessons learned along
the way.
Jasmine Guy is no stranger
to the AUC. Last year she lent
her directorial talents to the
Spelman College drama and
dance department’s production of “The Bluest Eye.” The
play which was adapted from
Toni Morrison’s monumental
text and content, combined
with Guy’s direction, made
the show an absolute hit. It received rave reviews and Guy
was encouraged to return. Currently, Guy is starring in “The
Nacirema Society,” a play being showcased at the Alliance
Theatre about African-American debutantes and upper class
in the 60s.
Guy began her career in entertainment as a dancer for the
Alvin Ailey Dance Company.
She made her big move to
television after meeting Debbie Allen while auditioning for
the hit film “Fame.” As oppor-
tunities and auditions kept presenting themselves for Guy,
she began to understand how
mentally and physically taxing
it was to be an entertainer.
“I had to hustle,” she said.
“There is a gangster element
to the business.” She warned
that the entertainment industry is difficult and before you
become apart of it you should
do some soul searching within
yourself. She recalled multiple instances where she was
working with dancers whose
drug addictions began to affect
their craft. Being exposed to
that at such a young age made
Guy realize early on how easy
it is to lose oneself to the world
of entertainment.
Despite her strong
connection to Spelman and
the AUC, Guy did not attend
school here. She did not attend
college at all, a point she addressed specifically in her talk.
She strongly stated the importance of attending and completing a degree program and
expressed some regret in not
seeking a bachelor’s degree.
She told the audience that she
sometimes wishes for the networking relationships and opportunities that one can gain
by attending and institution.
The most important advice
that Guy gave, however, was
not about the importance of
college or the pitfalls in the entertainment industry, but about
the individuality of life.
7
OPINIONS
November 17 - 23, 2010
Keeping up with the Caucasians How Committed Are You
To Academic Excellence?
Anthony Galloway Jr.
Staff Writer
[email protected]
B
lack Ivy League. This
phrase must be the most
self-degrading expression any
student who attends an HBCU
can use. If you use the phrase,
or wear the shirt with this
phrase on it, please stop immediately.
The Ivy League is a conference of eight schools in the
northeastern United States
priding itself on academic excellence, highly selective admissions, and social elitism.
These schools have worldwide
prestige and are the archetype
of North American universities.
Morehouse is not one of
these eight.
However, Morehouse is one
college among more than one
hundred historically Black colleges and universities. Of these
HBCUs, seven have found their
way to be included into the colloquial phrase “The Black Ivy
League.” With this nickname
we present ourselves in a manner that indirectly casts a shade
on all Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The
phrase claims that we’re not
as good as the Ivy League, but
we’re the best of the Black so
that makes us kind of like the
Ivy League, only the Black version.
Throwing Black on the title
functions as a disclaimer. It sets
us aside and says “Hey, we’re
nowhere near as good, but
for Black people we’re doing
great,” as if it’s OK for Blacks
to have lower standards.
However, our oblivious selfdepreciation doesn’t stop there.
We are always trying to be as
good as or obtain the quality of
white people, as if they are the
standard for perfection.
There are plenty of examples
here at Morehouse. Take the
image of the Morehouse Man
and two of the Five Wells, wellspoken and well-dressed.
Due to lack of education and
finances, we can be certain that
our enslaved African American
ancestors were not eloquent in
tongue, nor did they sport tailored formal wear.
So from whom did we get
the idea that there was a correct
and proper way to speak and
dress?
I’m not saying we should return to rags and rusty rhetoric;
however, I believe that our
perception of what it means to
be well dressed and well spoken stems from an old idea of
“white is right.”
Another Morehouse example
is the Glee Club. Although
their talent is of, perhaps the
highest quality, on what rubric do we grade such quality?
When looking at the history of
African American musicians,
specifically in the church, there
was a certain degree of culture
in it. A special, soulful sound;
a unique timbre that told the
entire story of the African Diaspora.
But obviously, this sound
was not accepted nor appreciated by everyone. So, Black
musicians altered their natural
style of musical art to please
and appeal to such a crowd,
gaining their approval and a
sense of pride. Our Glee Club
continues the tradition of singing in this supposed proper
manner by singing, not Negro
spirituals, but what are called
arranged spirituals, Negro spirituals sung “correctly.”
Our idea of the archetypal
Black man is simply a dark reflection of the white America.
We always make a habit of
evaluating the quality of our
lives by comparing them to a
scale based upon the success of
white Americans.
Take, for example, the popular desire to live in a predominantly white neighborhood, or
the preference some have to
shop at malls and stores frequented by whites. It’s not so
much as people striving to be
like white people, as it is Black
people trying to escape the
plight or negativity of the Black
environment. However, the
stigma still stands that “Black
is whack and white is all right.”
It seems that our source of
validation or pride comes from
our ability to duplicate the actions of white America. I understand the desire to achieve the
goals that we couldn’t before,
but when will we stop trying
to measure up to white people,
and create our own standard of
success?
Anthony Galloway Jr. is a
sophomore at Morehouse College. Majoring in studio art,
Galloway aspires to become an
architect after graduate school.
He currently serves as the
Freshmen Class Coordinator
for the Bonner Office of Community Service.
LGBTQIQ...A? Where Are the
Allies in the Gay Community?
Gabrielle J. Horton
ginalized populations, regardContributing Writer
less of sexual orientation, was
[email protected] also confronted. Was it really
that shocking that a hetero“Are you a lesbian?”
sexual Spelman student like
“Has anyone tried you?
myself would even muster the
“They’re going to think energy to attend an Afrekete
you’re a lesbian lol tonight event, let alone three in a row?
needs to be your last event”
I began to ask myself, where
These were the questions are the allies? Why have we
and text messages that caused subconsciously, or consciousme to wonder: Where are the ly labeled Afrekete or Safe
allies for our LGBTQIQ col- Space as “for gays only?”
lege peers?
Perhaps family socializaFor those of you probably tion, religious and moral bewondering what this long liefs prohibit many in our
acronym stands for, LG- community to inquire about
BTQIQA refers to Lesbian, the experiences of our LGGay, Bisexual, Transgender/ BTQIQ peers. Or perhaps we
Transsexual, Queer, Inter- are fearful that by frequenting
sex, Questioning, and Ally. Afrekete events, or chatting
A community solidified by with its members, others will
Morehouse’s Safe Space and automatically label us as anySpelman’s Afrekete.
thing other than heterosexual.
After hearing announce- Clearly that was not my conments and seeing flyers of cern as I participated in Pride
Afrekete’s 2nd Annual PRIDE Week, and I would hope that
Week, I decided that I would they are not yours either. But
add a few of the events to my have we truly reached the
calendar. No, I was not there point where heterosexual stuto snag free food, nor was I dents of the AUC cannot even
receiving extra credit for any interact and engage in dynamof my five academic courses, ic dialogue with members of
nor did I have this article in the LGBTQIQ community? I
mind. I was genuinely drawn hope not. If you’re an ally for
to the topics up for discussion the promotion of intellectual
and guest speakers. Surprise. diversity, an ally for expandIt was at the events I attending your worldview; an ally
ed during Pride Week that my for social justice, be just that,
identity as a heterosexual fe- an ally. As Afrekete’s Vice
male was not only called into President, sophomore Riann
question but my identity as an Lippe said, “As an ally, you
ally for oppressed and mar- have to be okay with sym-
pathizing with the plight that
we go through. We can’t do
it alone. We need people to
understand that we aren’t asking you to question or change
your sexuality. We are just
asking for your support.”
This support can just be
your presence, your eagerness
and willingness to learn and
to understand a perspective
different from your own. Your
support does not automatically signify your sexuality,
nor does it reflect your views
toward the VIBE Magazine
“Mean Girls” article or samesex marriage. Your support
is simply a way of embracing your title as a Morehouse
brother or Spelman sister.
If we are unable to interact
with members of the LGBTQIQ community on an intellectual and personal level,
how meaningful will our impact on the global community
be in the future? We cannot
“Go Global” nor can we produce Renaissance Men when
we refuse to embrace the diversity of thought and opinion
right here in our community.
Here in our historically Black
college setting, we have the
privilege to educate ourselves
on individuals and groups
who come from all different
walks of life, ethnic backgrounds, religious faiths, and
sexual orientations. Is this not
what college is all about?
Jaleel Johnson
Contributing Writer
[email protected]
A
s I sat in my Survey of Visual Arts class, the professor’s voice waned and the
introspection of my own voice
grew.
“What am I doing in this
class?” I asked myself. “How
did I come to stress over a
course I won’t remember next
year?”
“Oh, Survey of Visual Arts?
Yeah take it; it’s an easy A,” my
friend advised.
Oh, how he lied to me.
There’s nothing easy about
the course, or any course, here
at Morehouse College. I had to
look deep within myself and
tap into a source of motivation
to will me through it.
I found scholarship.
Some
walk
arrogantly
around town with one, two,
maybe even three under their
name in our beloved Gloster
Hall. They are blessed with
scholarships.
Others work hard to embody
the principles and employ the
practices of those who are eager to become intelligent, contributing members of society.
They are blessed with scholarship.
I’m not talking about the
guy in Alpha Lambda Delta or
the one who graduated Summa
Cum Laude. Nor am I describing the square with the 4.2 GPA
and the pocket protectors.
I’m talking about the dude
who studies to learn, not to regurgitate. The kid who’s taking an elective course because
he chose it, not because it appeared to be the easiest on the
list. The Man of Morehouse
who reads, writes and researches irrespective of an evaluation.
He is blessed with scholarship.
Scholarship, to me, is the
honest pursuit of the entire intellect one can accrue; reaching
one’s full capacity for thought
and going the extra mile. This
internal flame has long been
flickering and extinguished
by our vain pursuance of accolades, recognition and ranking. People are more concerned
with getting A’s for the reception that society gives them
rather than what they actually
represent.
An A is the king of kings, the
crème de la crème. And if you
earn an A, it means that you
have mastered the discipline at
hand.
Over time, however, the focus has shifted to appearing as
though you know it all, instead
of actually knowing it all. No
content is retained and nothing is learned. Information is
crammed nights before the test,
recited and forgotten.
The core curriculum consists
of 53 semester hours of required coursework in the humanities, mathematics, natural
sciences and social sciences.
Truthfully, all of those classes
are not going to motivate us
emotionally and mentally, but
does that mean it is permissible
to waste the money you spend?
The college implemented all
these requirements to foster the
fermentation and development
of the well rounded Renaissance Man. If you decide to cut
corners and cheat the system,
how legitimate will your diploma be?
Clearly, there will be a discrepancy between the effort we
put into these elective courses
and our major ones. But every
grade is a reflection of our focus, our drive and our dedication to academics.
All too often we walk around
with scholarships in our back
pockets and none in our ethics.
In the worst examples, these
West End residents cheat and
assume their places next to
those academically honest patrons of the college. By twisting
included and omitted diction
from the Morehouse Academic
Policies and Procedures declaration, students manipulate the
system and cut corners to reach
that coveted 90 percent mark.
At the end of the day, you,
[state your name], have to look
yourself in the mirror and be
the critic. For one second, forget that you attend Morehouse
College and are charged with
growing to wear crowns and
taking over the world.
At the end of the day, you
have to ask yourself if you can
respect the GPA you boast and
the exemplary student you have
become – unless it is all a fraud.
Brothers, let us not forget the
Truth and Academic Excellence pillars of this college.
Jaleel Johnson is a sophomore at Morehouse College.
Hailing from Gaithersburg,
Md., Johnson majors in Spanish and serves as a senator for
the Spanish Club.
2
RIF
Fall 2010
5:30pm-6:30pm
Every Monday & Wednesday
Archer Hall
Dates:
Shiekgo Carter
Phone: (404) 653-7781
E-mail:[email protected]
September:20,22,27,29
October: 4,6,11,13,25,27
November: 1,3,8,10,15,17
December: TBA
8
OPINIONS
November 17 - 23, 2010
A Toast to the A&%, Kanye West: The Anti-Hero
Gerren K. Gaynor
Managing Editor
[email protected]
O
ver the years, rapper
Kanye West has assumed many monikers for his
impact on music and popular
culture. Some say he is a musical genius, others say he’s a
trendsetter. However, many
occurrences suggest that West
is far more than a glorified
musician. Through observation of his many public antics,
another motif comes to mind:
the African-American antihero. The African American
anti-hero is one who strays
from the ideals of progressivists who eradicated ill-stereotypes of Black men.
Morehouse routinely fosters positive images of the
Black male, which are intended to deviate from the threatening machismo depictions
commonly affirmed in the
media – one who is feared,
aggressive and uncultured.
Here, we Men of Morehouse
prove those negative images
wrong, day in and day out.
Unfortunately, the oft-revered
West (by many brothers at
Morehouse) completely diverges from that vocation.
We are the heroes who save
the Black male archetype
from a world that incessantly
projects us as hyper-masculine and antagonistic. West,
however, is the villain who
expunges those feats, reaffirming the images we so of-
ten seek to expel. Whether
throwing temper tantrums because he didn’t win an award
or blatantly calling George
W. Bush a racist, West has
made many contributions to
the deterioration of the Black
male’s image.
Lets not forget the media
spectacle that plunged the
hip-hop star into national
headlines, in which he interrupted country-pop singer
Taylor Swift’s acceptance
speech during the 2009 MTV
Music Awards. While West
thought his intrusion was
merited, (defending Beyonce,
whom he thought was more
worthy of the award) media
portrayals characterized him
as the big Black wolf attacking the poor little white riding
hood.
West’s “angry Black man”
antics could be interpreted,
by mainstream America, as an
extremist movement to revolt
against anything and everything white-dominated. While
that is probably not the case,
West’s behavior could be
misunderstood as something
racial, and in turn, cause nonBlacks to associate his behavior with the entire Black race.
Inadvertently or not, West
deferred the Black male’s
progress by reaffirming him
as menacing, as something to
fear.
But his destructive behavior didn’t stop there. Recently, West appeared on “The Today Show” with Matt Lauer,
where he was supposed to
express remorse for the Swift
incident and his sensational
comment regarding Bush.
However, in true Kanye fashion, things went completely
awry. The hip-hop demigod,
as many stans (extremist fans)
would suggest, demanded the
production crew, in the middle of an interview, to “be
quiet.”
They could have been doing their job. When answering
questions regarding the Swift
fiasco, production played the
video in the background, in
which West asserted, “How
am I supposed to talk if
you’re gonna run this thing
in the middle while I’m talking? Please don’t let that happen again. That’s ridiculous.”
He did so in a very aggressive
manner.
Every TV novice knows
that running a tape or audio
during an interview is stan-
dard protocol. West, who has
participated in hundreds of interviews, should know that. In
a nutshell, the interview was,
as a Black man, embarrassing
and uncomfortable to watch.
Yet again, West embodied the
irate Black male, on a mission
to wreak havoc on the innocent white man.
West had the opportunity to
cleanse himself of his media
transgressions through the
portrayal of the remorseful,
nonthreatening Black male.
Instead, he dug himself in
a deeper hole. West oftentimes presents himself as
pompous, insensitive and
extremely pugnacious; all
the wrong ingredients for a
healthy and forthcoming image of the Black male.
Now of course, one must
not disregard West’s favorable contributions; crossing racial barriers with his
music, and even providing
alternative, non-normative
styles of dress. It is also important to note the traumatic
experiences of nearly dying
in a car accident and, years
later, losing his mother who
died from surgical complications.
However,
footnoting
West’s accomplishments and
traumatic experiences does
not nullify his anti-heroic
behavior. Despite his track
record, fans have praised
West for his music and celebrity, catapulting him to
iconic status. But, as he says
in “Power:” “No one man
should have all that power.”
Acknowledging his talent
is permissible, but the detriments he provides to the
Black male stature should
not be taken lightly. Unfortunately, it appears that fans
will salute West no matter
what he does. So in honor
of West and his detrimental
ways, let’s have a toast to
the douche bag, and all the
ones that we know.
Morehouse, Education & the Lack of Social Conscience
Carlton Collins
Contributing Writer
[email protected]
M
orehouse College was
designed for the purpose of creating ministers and
educators, both highly coveted positions in post-bondage communities. Our focus,
however, went from the investment in community leaders to that of world-class businessmen. An example of this
is with the college’s career
planning counselors. There
is one counselor for business
majors and also one counselor for the 17 non-business
majors offered by the college.
This, at the very least, limits
the effectiveness of career
services for the masses.
Our forebears understood
the gravity of being able to
teach religious doctrine and
the facilitation of knowledge
for our people.
According to the Journal of
Negro History, with the inception of Brown v. Board
of Education (1954) approximately 93 percent of
all African-American teachers and administrators were
fired, dismissed, or demoted.
Therefore, we’ve entrusted
our children to Anglo-Saxon
instructors with the belief
that they would educate our
children as they do their own.
This has led to the fundamental destruction of AfricanAmerican youth and their
prospect for future success
in this country. The Schott 50
State Report on Public Education and Black Males 2010
found that only 47 percent of
Black males graduated from
high school in the 2007-2008
school year. This equates
to just 29 percent of HBCU
males complete a bachelor’s
degree within six years, the
AP found.
The pivotal question that
has risen is “what do we need
to do to fix our communities?” A plausible solution is
to provide a great education
by exemplary African-American educators.
But first, we must dispel a
few of the myths that currently exist in education.
1. Entering the field of education does not necessarily mean as a teacher; current
U.S. Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan has no formal
teaching experience.
2. Teacher salaries are
based on a nine-month work
calendar including paid vacation days; the average salary
is $52,000 plus.
3. Two percent of all American teachers are AfricanAmerican males; high demand and unique insight into
educating African-American
youth create unprecedented
advancement opportunities.
CNN’s Fareed Zakaria did a
report examining the recession crisis and possible solutions, interviewing sev-
eral Fortune 500 executives
including Google’s Eric
Schmidt. The consensus was
that America does not educate
its children, especially those
in urban areas.
“A social conscience is the
living voice of social justice
that informs us of what is
right and good and true for
society, not simply individuals.” These words came from
Dr. Franklin’s inaugural address delivered almost three
years ago. America sits patiently waiting and in need of
the actualization of our Renaissance claim.
The absence of Black men
in our classrooms has direct
effects on how Black boys are
socialized. This is particular-
ly damaging with the dismal
rates of African-American fathers living outside the home.
Thus, Morehouse College is
not protecting its most important resource: African-American men.
Morehouse College claims
producing “leaders with a social conscience.” But a reasonable question is why have
we strayed from the education
of our own people? Benjamin
Franklin declared, “Without
continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” This
too applies for social consciousness. I ask forgiveness
for my agreement.
Reasons Why Obama Should Not Come to Morehouse … Now
Derrick Reed
Contributing Writer
[email protected]
L
ast week’s front-page article in The Maroon Tiger depicted student efforts
and desires to bring President
Barack Obama to Morehouse
as the 2011 commencement
speaker. This brings excitement to the campus for obvious reasons, primarily that
America’s first Black president could be speaking at
America’s finest institution
for Black men. It appears to
be a perfect fit, which explains
why students and administrators alike have attempted to
place him here for such a special occasion.
Realistically, it’s more than
difficult to have a President,
current or former, to speak at
any college or university. The
main factors in achieving an
opportunity like this are networking, fortunate circumstances, cooperation, and of
course, money. When these
factors coalesce to attract a
President to a college, the
result is a memorable experience for the graduating class.
However, I am disappointed with those who desire to
have President Obama speak
here solely for a memorable
experience. The reality is that
having a former or current
American president speak
at your school is a one-time
thing. Once Obama speaks
here at Morehouse, it will
likely be the last, or one of
very few visits.
As such, if you knew that
President Obama would only
speak at your institution once
in his lifetime, at what time
would you rather he do it?
What would you rather he
speak about, the arbitrary
needs of the country or kernels of wisdom to specifically
further your success in life?
The Class of 2011’s prospective choice to have
Obama as their commencement speaker is a potential
waste of Obama’s only visit
to the school. Instead of an
unforgettable speech filled
with indispensable wisdom,
Obama’s visit will be full of
promises and vague statements that have become a
staple of wary political figures who wish to remain on a
plateau of neutrality.
The speech we might hear
in 2011 won’t be specifically
dedicated to the needs and experiences facing graduating
Men of Morehouse. Instead,
the speech will likely be dedicated to the people of America. It will be a Presidential
speech addressing the gains
he has made in his administration, the struggles ahead,
the money granted to Black
colleges, etc.
The Class of 2011’s commencement speech would be
leveraged as political strategy and will be, of course,
user friendly. But why waste
such an historic opportunity,
just so your graduation can be
memorable?
Let’s make Obama’s visit to
Morehouse a reflection of the
struggle that Black men face,
not a “Yes We Can” speech.
Let’s make Obama’s visit to
Morehouse one of the first
moments in which Obama
can comfortably provide
commentary on the issues
relevant to the Black man.
We’ve heard enough speeches
about promising futures, upturning economies, etc. How
legendary would it be to place
Morehouse beside Obama,
in a captivating and eloquent
speech on what it truly means
to be a Black man holding the
top position in the country?
If we have to wait some
time to attain the maximum
quality, then we should be
willing to do so for the sake
of the school.
But if the Class of 2011 desires to squander an opportunity to place the ultimate
Black male experience with
the ultimate Black male institution, I question their desire
to hear an actually encouraging, meaningful, and relevant speech. Please believe,
if Obama comes here in May
2011, it will be a long time
until he comes back. Ask Jimmy Carter.
Derrick Reed is a junior at
Morehouse College born in
Philadelphia, Pa.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
9
November 17 - 23, 2010
Afrekete and Safe Space Host New Giovanni Compilation
Brings Famous Black Poems
Annual Drag Fashion Show
Gerren K. Gaynor
Managing Editor
[email protected]
P
etite girls sauntering down
in sagged pants, sporting
fitted caps and mustaches; men
sashaying in heels, full-faced
makeup, and wearing synthetic wigs, were just a few of the
looks showcased at Afrekete
and Safe Space’s second annual
“Werk: Re-Defining the Norm”
fashion show.
Afrekete, Spelman College’s
lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, queer and questioning
women (LBGTQ) organization,
partnered with Morehouse College’s gay-straight alliance, Safe
Space, to put on a show geared
toward breaking down sexual
orientation barriers in the AUC.
The event was held at Spelman’s Cosby Center lobby. In
true N.Y. Fashion Week style,
spectators looked on as the two
tolerant-for-all organizations
put on a show intended to push
the envelope on what is deemed
“normal” in a traditional society. The show mirrored a deviant environment, where men
and women could dress without
constrictions to the gender normative.
The fashion show’s opening
scene “Work v. Werk!” set up
the overall theme of gender expression. Scene one presented
masked models in traditional
business attire. White masquerade masks, representing the
conscious decision to hide behind the typical style of dress,
concealed the models’ faces.
A maskless model, dressed in
drag, walked between them
representing one who may feel
boxed in by traditional ideals,
but rejects them. Other maskless models walked the runway;
a male model wearing a Morehouse blazer and red pumps;
female models clothed in pant
suits.
But the show didn’t solely focus on the complexity of gender
expression through dress. There
were musical and poetic performances that sought to uplift
struggling LBGTQ persons, and
enlighten others who share that
same struggle as well. Poet Teresa Davis, Creative Loafing’s
“Best Gay Poet” professed,
“Sticks and stones will break
bone, but words dig deeper.”
Another poet, Red Summer,
empowered females proclaiming that she’s “not a loose woman” but “a woman on the loose”
to be free. Other poets and musical guests provided positive
messages as well.
In light of national occurrences of gay bullying and suicides,
a slideshow of victims flashed
across a screen projector as
Spelman senior and upcoming
artist, Marian Mereba, sang an
original piece. Spectators attentively watched and listened
as Mereba’s voice transfixed
them with poignant lyrics. One
slide read, “How many more
20
?
questions
?
?
?
?
?
?
madness as well?
14. Is strolling his way of forgetting that he shouldn’t
even be here right now?
15. Do those D.U.R.T.E.E. and D.A.N.G.E.R.U.S. DAWGS
appreciate him teaching his freshman frat hall
their hops?
16. How long did it take him to copy “The Joker’s”
moves off of YouTube?
17. Is that the closest he’ll ever get to being greek?
18. Speaking of da BRUHZ, didn’t they run the yard
last year?
19. Now aren’t they no more than a bloody SIGH?
20. Speaking of greek life, is two weekend retreats all
it takes to be ICE COLD these days?
*BONUS*
1. Why were they learning how to GORILLA hop in
the parking deck?
2. Why did all the future PRETTY GIRLS have to wear
black and gold on Tuesday?
3. Are they trying to be obvious?
4. Will they have a probate or a “pinning ceremony”
this weekend?
5. Will all the PINK ELEPHANTS who wanted to be
pretty feel any remorse when they come out?
??
Together
Lance Dixon
Associate News Editor
[email protected]
Ghost Writer
Free-Spirit
[email protected]
1. Could anybody understand the REVEREND at
crown forum?
2. Is he the closest we will get to having a black
PRESIDENT speak here?
3. How many letters will he ACTUALLY read on
Christmas morning?
4. Since we’ve been back, hasn’t she been a Beat
Princess?
5. Isn’t it a shame we can’t say the same about the
girls who actually won?
6. Did you know the sixth pretty boy isn’t being
very DISCREET?
7. Did you know he thinks their “meetings” aren’t
sh$%?
8. Why did you choose to use the night they give
you off to dance like a COON at the family fail
feud?
9. Are you ready to get a slice of their Pi on
December 1st?
10. Did we reveal too much TRUTH about you last
week?
11. D you think walking around campus with your
“girlfriend” will make people think differently of
you?
12. Why is the brawl starter walking around campus
feeling so DeJected?
13. Wasn’t there a fifth year senior involved in the
?
lives...?”
The show returned to its vivacious ambiance as scene two,
“Will Werk for Love,” showcased varied expressions of intimacy. The scene’s intent was
to deconstruct the idea that the
aesthetic of love was exclusive
to man and woman. Same sex
couples, as well as traditionally
opposite sex couples, strutted
down the runway in a variety of
gender expressive styles. Morehouse’s own, Sci-Fli, contributed to the scene, as many of their
popularly designed pins were
worn by models.
The third and final scene
“Werk!” was the big finale. Men
and women of all sexual orientations and gender identifications
came together to represent a holistic view of fashion. Women
wore men’s clothing (button up
shirts, top hats and motorcycle
boots), and men wore women’s
clothing (leggings, drip earrings
and high heels). The crowd was
spellbound by the unorthodox
attire.
Models were styled by local
clothing stores, Hearts and
Butterflies Collection vintage
boutique, Poor Little Rich Girl
vintage shop, Kuhmeeleeuhn
boutique, and makeup was done
by Fab and GlamHer Production. For more on sponsorships,
email Afrekete president, JeShawna Wholley, at [email protected].
?
Got questions? Submit them to mtiger20questions@
gmail.com
N
ikki Giovanni has held
many titles in her great
career, from professor, to
poet, to Grammy nominee
and also mother. In her latest
book, “The 100 Best AfricanAmerican Poems,” she can
now add editor and curator to
her list of accomplishments.
This book reads like a museum of African-American
poetry as it spans the gamut,
featuring the classic poets like
Giovanni herself, Langston
Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks,
Countee Cullen and more to
modern poets like Kwame
Alexander, Amiri Baraka and
even Tupac Shakur.
Giovanni’s classic poems
“Nikki-Rosa” and “Ego Tripping (There May Be A Reason
Why)” are on display in this
compilation and are just as
vibrant and relevant as ever.
Other classic poems include
www.TheMaroonTiger.com
Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “We
Wear the Mask,” Langston
Hughes’s “Harlem,” and
Gwendolyn Brooks’s “We
Real Cool.” The modern poetry, while lesser known,
is actually very emotional,
touching and vivid as Giovanni selects poems that truly encompass the African-American experience.
The poems are not ordered
in a ranking system but rather
bunched together so that they
are cohesive, but occasionally dichotomous, to keep the
reader constantly guessing
and engaged. There are also
two suites, the Harlem Suite
and the Jazz Suite, where the
poems encompass the themes
of these two iconic points of
Black history in America.
The book includes an audio CD, which has a collection of great thinkers and
many of the poets themselves
reading select poems from
the collection. The most notable among these readers is
actress Ruby Dee, who is as
energetic as ever and reads
three works by Gwendolyn
Brooks. Sadly, the CD only
contains 35 of the poems in
the collection, but it is a welcome bonus and really gives
life to a poem like “The Creation,” by James Weldon
Johnson.
Giovanni decided to play
one trick on her readers;
there are actually more than
100 poems in this book, a lot
more. She often combines
multiple poems into one
number entry and admits in
a note after the title that she
cheated. Small touches like
these add to the artistry and
natural humor of Giovanni
and her book does not disappoint. Whether you’re a budding writer, a poetry-lover, or
just in search of a good read,
this definitive collection of
African-American poetry is
highly recommended.
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•Online articles
•Archives
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10
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
November 17 - 23, 2010
Top 10 Hip-Hop albums
of the 1990s:
The Maroon Tiger Edition
1
Taylor Williams
Associate Arts & Entertainment Editor
[email protected]
F
or many, the ’90s are considered the golden era of hip-hop. An era where
artists like Jay-Z, 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., Oukast, and others made their
debut CDs—many of them considered to be classic albums. After the release of our top 10 artists of the ’00s, we decided to come back to create
another ranking. After two hours of intense deliberation, arguing, and blow-ups,
a list was compiled. The criteria by which the albums were judged on are below.
Album Artwork
• Some of these albums have iconic album covers
Singles/memorable tracks
Production
• Who produced it/how well it was produced
Cohesiveness
• How well the album flows/can you listen to it in one setting
Versatility
• Content/lyrical flow/ guest artists
Cultural Impact/ Influence
1. Nas - Illmatic (’94) – The debut
album from the Queens rapper is
heralded as one of the best albums
of all time, regardless of genre. A
staple in New York hip-hop.
2
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the
Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
(’93)- The RZA, the GZA, Ol’
Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck,
Raekwon the Chef, U-God,
Ghostface Killah, and Method
Man took the hip-hop world
by storm with this album.
3
Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die (’94) – The
debut album from one of the most talented
artists of all time. Included is arguably the best
hip-hop song of all time, “Juicy.”
5
7
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders (’93)
– Featuring their biggest hit to date, “Award Tour,”
Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad
created a classic.
4
Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death (’97) – Released
two weeks after his death, this is one of the biggest
albums in hip-hop history. It sold over 10 million
albums to date and is one of three hip-hop albums
to do this.
8
6
Jay- Z - Reasonable Doubt (’96) – The debut
album from Jay-Z, considered by many to be his
best album.
9
Outkast - Atliens (’96) – The second album from
the duo, features the hits “Elevators (Me and You),”
“Atliens,” and “Jazzy Belle.”
Outkast - Aquemini (’98) – The breakout album
from the Atlanta duo, consisting of Andre 3000
and Big Boi. This album brought much attention
to Southern hip-hop. Its hits include “Rosa
Parks,” “SpottieOttieDopalicious,” and “Da Art
of Storytellin’ Part I.”
2 Pac - Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (’93) – With hits
“I Get Around,” and ‘Keep ya Head Up,’ considered
as his best album by many of his fans.
10
Common - Resurrection (’94) – Featuring the
classic hip-hop song “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” this
album put Common and Midwest hip-hop on the
map.
SPORTS
11
November 17 - 23, 2010
NBA’s MVP Award Race
between Elite Guards
1. Chris Paul, Point Guard, New Orleans Hornets
College football and the NBA have nearly nothing in common, yet what holds
true for the Heisman also does for the NBA MVP. The best player on the only
undefeated team, or the team with the best record, is often the frontrunner for
the MVP award. (Sadly, this simple logic is also how Steve Nash beat Kobe Bryant in 2005 and 2006.)
At any length, Paul is that player, averaging 18 points, five rebounds and 10 assists while only turning the ball over twice a game, at the helm of a New Orleans
Hornets team with a record of 7-0. The resurgence of the Hornets is for real.
2. Deron Williams, Point Guard, Utah Jazz
Believed to be the best point guard in the league by many, Paul being his only
competition, Williams and his Utah Jazz are still working out the kinks in head
coach Jerry Sloan’s schemes. Al Jefferson replacing Carlos Boozer hasn’t been
an easy adjustment, not until they get into rhythm.
Utah’s last five games all were come-from-behind wins against formidable
opponents, after double-digit deficits. Williams, seeking to find a comfortable
median between a budding Paul Millsap and the most fundamentally sound post
player in the league, “Big Al”, is doing something right, averaging 22 points, 10
assists and five rebounds with a team record of 6-3.
Intramural vs. Intercollegiate
Jonathan Skinner
Staff Writer
[email protected]
O
n a misty evening this
past February, two
basketball teams took the
court in Morehouse College’s Archer Hall. The gym
was packed and the raucous
crowd only got louder as the
game progressed. The environment felt like a big-time
NCAA basketball game,
even though it was only a
game between two intramural teams, not the Maroon
Tigers basketball team.
Intramural team sports
have played an enormous
role in developing a sense of
brotherhood and excitement
among the student body. In
past years, the increased
success of intramural competition, especially intramural basketball, has led to the
question of which athletic
activity is more important to
the student body, intramural
or intercollegiate athletics?
Yusuf Davis has served as
the sports information director for Morehouse College
for the past decade and believes that though intercollegiate athletics are more
important to the school, they
have seen a lack of support
from alumni and students,
especially basketball.
“I have seen at some of the
intramural playoff games
there would be more people
4. Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant, Power Forward and Shooting Guard, Los
Angeles Lakers
Yes, it must seem a bit odd that in a race of five MVP candidates we have
six, but it’s our belief that neither of these players occupies a larger role on the
Lakers than the other. Both the Spaniard and the Black Mamba boast a tripledouble this season, 20 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for Gasol, and 30,
12 and 10 for Bryant respectively. With combined averages of 48 points, 17
rebounds, and nine assists, and the Lakers with an 8-1 record, this tandem deserves to be here.
5. Derrick Rose, Point Guard, Chicago Bulls
We’re splitting hairs by placing Rose above both Kevin Durant and Monta Ellis.
But in all honesty, Durant just came out of a shooting slump, Ellis plays on a team
with Stephen Curry and David Lee, and Rose still doesn’t have Boozer. Furthermore, Rose has been on a tear, averaging 24 points and 10 assists.
Outside looking in … Durant, Ellis, Dwight Howard.
teams aren’t successful,”
Jessie said.
That statement troubles
Yusuf Davis. Davis remembers times when Morehouse
sports were thriving yet the
crowds were still minute.
Davis stated that Morehouse
games did not have a high
enough entertainment value,
which could possibly make
up for the student disconnects with the teams.
However, some Morehouse players share a different opinion. Former
Morehouse College football
player Dontavius Logan believes that the football team
has plenty of entertainment.
“We have the band, cheerleaders, and homecoming,”
Logan said. He does agree
that the basketball team
could use more help. “I’m
not that big fan of the basketball team. There’s a lack
of entertainment other than
the cheerleaders.”
So will there ever be a
time when Morehouse intercollegiate athletics garner
the high crowd levels and
excitement that intramural
sports receive? According
to Davis, it’s up to the student body.
“The students have to
want to do it, and I really
wish there was some sort
of way to see what students
want.”
In some ways, the student
body has already spoken.
Undeserving BCS Bids
Lance Dixon
Associate News Editor
[email protected]
T
3. Rajon Rondo (above), Point Guard, Boston Celtics
The only reason Rondo is this low in the race is that we don’t believe it’s nearly
as difficult for Rondo managing the Celtics as it is for the aforementioned players and their fairly new squads. Nonetheless Rondo, with averages of 11 points,
15 assists, five rebounds and three steals, is shattering point guard records, and
has established the Celts (7-2) atop the East.
than at a Morehouse College
basketball game,” Davis
said.
Perhaps one reason for the
difference in interest between intercollegiate and intramural sports is the sense
of familiarity fans have with
the people playing. Intramurals involve different campus organizations, fraternities, and basically the rest of
the student body.
This sense of family connection is the reason why
intramurals are so popular
and why the Morehouse vs.
Clark Atlanta game is the
most well-attended game
of the year, while games
against less known opponents, like Lane College,
draw such small numbers.
Most intramural players
echo this sentiment. Juniors
Darius Jessie and Ryan Davis play intramural basketball for Team Christian
Youth Fellowship. Both have
played intramural sports all
three years, both basketball
and football for Jessie.
“People are motivated to
go to intramural games because it’s more personal; in
intercollegiate sports they
don’t know the other schools
at all,” Ryan Davis said.
“The incentive is greater at
intramurals for the student
body because of that bond.”
Jessie blamed the lack of
attendance on the collective programs’ history. “The
he Bowl Championship
Series is among the most
controversial playoff systems
in all of major sports. It has
been in place since 1998 and
has made its goal to reward
teams who have played well
in BCS Conferences.
The automatic bid qualifying conferences are
currently the ACC, Pac10, Big 10, Big 12, Big
East and SEC. However, in a down year for
the ACC and the Big
East it begs the question of their eventual
champions being deserving of a BCS bowl
game spot.
The Big East is sort
of the odd man out, because it gets placed in a
bowl game arbitrarily.
There are still a few
conference games left
to be played, but overall
its top teams have been
less than stellar. Big East conference leader, the Pittsburgh
Panthers have earned a 3-1
conference record, but their
overall record is 5-4. The No.
2 team, the Syracuse Orangemen, “boast” a 6-3 record
and 3-2 in conference. When
compared to the WAC and
Mountain West conferences,
the Big East does not have
the same record in and out of
conference play.
The ACC, like the Big East,
has seen its share of struggle
this year as a conference, es-
pecially after a very rough
start in its out-of-conference
schedule for the top teams.
Florida State leads the Atlantic division with a 6-3 record
and 4-2 in conference. Virginia Tech leads the Coastal
division with a 7-2 record and
is undefeated in conference
play. Virginia Tech is also the
only ACC team in the BCS
top 25.
The Big East has not had
any of its top teams ranked
in the BCS standings since it
started in Week 8, but will ultimately earn a spot in a BCS
game. Typical conference favorites like Rutgers and Cincinnati, who represented the
Big East last year, and West
Virginia are at the bottom of
the conference. Meanwhile,
the Mountain West has two
teams in the top 15 of the
BCS standings, Utah and undefeated TCU.
The WAC lays claim to undefeated Boise State and even
though teams like Hawaii and
Nevada are BCS unranked
they have 7-2 and 8-1 records,
respectively. The BCS will
have very unique decisions
to make this bowl season.
Tradition shows that the Big
East and ACC are deserving
of their bids, despite the Big
East nearly losing its bid after
the conference was restructured. But does tradition supersede the moment?
No one can truly claim to
know what the BCS will determine. Especially, considering their rule that states nonBCS conferences can only
have one representative from
their conference in BCS bowl
games. When considering the
play of the old reliable teams,
it may be time for a shakeup
in the structure of the BCS
automatic bids.
12
SPORTS
November 17 - 23, 2010
Trouble Brewing in Lebron James’ Miami Paradise?
Stock Image
Dante’ Miles
Staff Writer
[email protected]
O
ver the summer, basketball fans across the globe
were anxiously awaiting the
decision by the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player,
LeBron James.
James’ signature was supposed to make one franchise
an immediate title contender
and change the entire NBA
landscape.
Sitting alongside veteran
sportscaster Jim Gray, James
sent shock waves throughout the entire league when
he announced these infamous
words, “I’ma take my talents
to South Beach and um, join
the Miami Heat.”
By leaving the Cleveland
Cavaliers, the Akron, Ohio,
native
created
“Miami
Thrice” by joining fellow
All-Stars Dwayne Wade and
Chris Bosh. Immediately after James told the world of his
future plans, the world began
painting targets on the entire
franchise.
After his decision, analysts
all over the country were
prepared to crown the newly
formed trio as the next great
dynasty. Former head coach
and current NBA analyst
Jeff Van Gundy even took it
a step further, saying, “They
will break the single-season
win record [of 72], and I
think they have a legit shot
at the Lakers’ 33-game win-
LeBron James (above) left the Cleveland Cavaliers in July 2010, but his signature with the Miami Heat hasn’t spelled immediate victory.
ning streak as well...They
will never lose two games in
a row this year.”
I found it astonishing that
before James, Bosh and
Wade ever played a single
minute together in a Heat
uniform that the media had
already begun to hail them
as the next “Big Three.” As
countless fans and members
of the media like Van Gundy
began to jump on the Heat
bandwagon, I sat back and
thought to myself, “Who else
is on the team?”
The Heat would go on to introduce their new players in
dramatic fashion, putting on a
show that would have led you
to believe they had already
won the championship. During this introduction, Wade
went on to call this trio the
greatest ever assembled by
one team.
Through their first nine
games the Heat have been
dominant at times, while
looking extremely average
at others en route to a 5-4
record.
The “Big Three” have been
more like the Big 2.5, with
Bosh reminding you of a high
school freshman who was
moved up to varsity prematurely.
James has complained of
playing too many minutes,
while Wade has been a nonfactor in games versus the
reigning Eastern Conference
champions, the Boston Celtics.
However, is it too early to
call the Miami Heat a bust?
Of course, but it is not too
early to show concern with
no true point guard and a total lack of a defensive presence in the post since Joel
Anthony and Bosh intimidate no one. Just ask Celtics
point guard Rajon Rondo.
If the playoffs began today,
the Heat would not be able
to last in a series against
Boston, let alone the NBA
Champion Los Angeles Lakers.
The Heat will rack up victories against sub-par teams,
but if they continue to struggle against playoff caliber
teams expect head coach Erik
Spoelstra to take the fall. This
would clear the way for the
return of the legend, Pat Riley, who took over the Heat
in 2006 and led them to their
only championship in franchise history.
In fact, don’t be surprised if
you see Riley on the floor
in the Staples Center come
Christmas Day.
The 2010 Season: Disaster In Dallas Turning Over a
Stock Image
Andrew McNeil
Staff Writer
[email protected]
T
he Dallas Cowboys had
lofty goals for the 20102011 season. They wanted to
not only play in Super Bowl
XLV, but also be the first team
ever to play the Super Bowl
in their home stadium. Neither of those things will be
happening this season.
The first half of Dallas’ season has been pretty much the
antonym of successful, competent and picturesque and
the prime example of it was a
45-7 annihilation at the hands
of the Green Bay Packers.
With Cowboys owner Jerry
Jones’ discountenance with
the performance of “America’s team” at an all-time high,
he decided a change had to be
made. Jones fired head coach
Wade Phillips, which many
people had been pushing for
for over a year. But is this
truly the answer to the plethora of issues facing the Cowboys? I think not.
Jones truly is the biggest
problem since he has turned
them into a spectacle rather
than focusing on turning them
into a successful franchise.
The fact that Jones is both
owner and general manager
does not bode well for the
Cowboys’ future.
Always trying to keep his
team in the spotlight, Jones
the owner made his desire
to have the Cowboys play in
the 2011 Super Bowl public.
New Leaf: End of
Fall Season
Arshon Howard
Staff Writer
[email protected]
T
Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys.
He also has been a constant
fixture alongside the team’s
sidelines, which is something
many NFL owners hesitate to
do. He always seems to be a
distraction to his team.
However, Jones as general
manager might be a bigger
problem for the Cowboys. He
has made numerous questionable personnel decisions in
recent years with no one to
police him. He passed up stud
running back Chris Johnson in
the 2008 draft for Felix Jones
and in October 2008 he traded first, third and sixth-round
picks in the 2009 NFL Draft
for Roy Williams. Jones then
signed Williams to a new con-
tract through the 2014 season
worth $54 million, $26 million guaranteed. Neither has
worked out as planned.
Jones has had success with
the Cowboys when he had
head coaches who were
not only strong disciplinarians, but were in charge of
personnel decisions. These
men were Bill Parcells and
Jimmy Johnson, both Super
Bowl-winning coaches. Parcells consistently challenged
Jones’ authority and even
banned him from the locker
room prior to and for sometime after games.
Johnson always made
strong personnel decisions.
In a trade that is the polar opposite in terms of success to
the Williams trade, Johnson
traded Herschel Walker to
the Minnesota Vikings in the
largest trade in NFL history. It
included 18 players and picks
and was the building block
for Dallas’ success in the
early 1990s. If it were not for
Johnson, Emmitt Smith and
Darren Woodson may have
never called Dallas home.
Ultimately, for the Cowboys to become dominant
again in the NFL they must either get a coach that will challenge Jones or Jones, himself,
will have to relinquish some
managerial duties.
his past Nov. 6-7, the
Morehouse Golf team
placed third in their final
tournament of the fall season at the Browns Mill golf
course.
The golf team faced opponents from FAMU,
Jackson State University,
Tennessee State University, Winston- Salem State
University,
Fayetteville
State University and host
Savannah State University,
just to name a few. Despite
a poor first day, the Maroon Tigers fought all the
way back from 15 strokes
behind to take the lead.
Unfortunately, inclement
weather ended the tournament early by a decisive
two holes. The tournament’s abrupt end caused
the team to place third, because officials were forced
to count the first day’s
scores.
“We had a terrible first
day,” Bryan McElderry
stated. “We were just playing bad and were down to
Fayetteville and Winston
Salem…We battled all the
way until the end and unfortunately it did not turn
out as expected, but other
teams received a taste of
what the Morehouse golf
team has to offer.”
The golf team has won
one tournament and placed
third in two other tournaments during the fall season and plans to use these
experiences as motivation
for its next tournament in
Columbia, SC, in February
against Benedict and Paine.
“I’m confident that we
will
bounce
back,”
McElderry said. “No one
knows what could’ve happened with those two
holes, but I’m pretty confident we could’ve pulled it
out. When the spring season comes around we will
be ready. It is against our
conference rivals Benedict
and Paine and we are ready
to defend our titles in our
tournament,
conference
and nationals.”

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