Recycle The Maroon Tiger

Transcription

The Organ of Student Expression Since 1925
The
MAROON TIGER
Morehouse College • Atlanta, GA
January 18 - 24, 2012
Volume LXXXVI, issue 12
Buffett Returns Performing and Living With Passion
Image courtesy of PHILIP McCOLLUM
Christian L. Saint-Vil
Opinions Editor
[email protected]
“I
remember my dad saying, ‘If
you want to collect garbage,
I would love you just the same as if
you were a doctor,’ ” Peter Buffett,
an Emmy Award-winning musician, author, philanthropist – and
son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett – said as he recounted
living the life of a “middle class”
boy who wasn’t aware that he was
unique in his middle class neighborhood of Omaha, Neb.
One wouldn’t expect those
words to leave the mouth of an accomplished man who was speaking to his son, but Peter Buffett’s
parents always insisted that he
find what he was passionate about
and do it. For Peter Buffett, that
was his music.
Buffett’s passion has taken him
on a sojourn across the world creating music filled with wake-up
calls featuring renowned artists
such as Akon. More than a year
after his Morehouse debut on Oct.
11, 2010, he returns next Tuesday, Jan. 24, to perform his “Life
Is What You Make It: A Concert
& Conversation with Peter Buffett” for the Men of Morehouse
College. It will begin at 7 p.m. at
the Ray Charles Performing Arts
Center.
His performance and his presence at Morehouse have much
more significance than expected
for both Buffett and the Men of
Morehouse. Buffett grew up in
the 1960s in the midst of the Civil
Rights Movement watching African Americans get hosed down
on television for defending their
rights, which makes it ironic that
Buffett can now say he is supporting a Black presidential candidate.
“I hope Obama sees his second
term as a chance to go out with
both guns blazing to change how
things are run in Washington,”
Buffett said.
His mother, also very socially
conscious, was heavily involved
in civil rights during his youth,
raising him on the foundation
that every life is equal.
“Martin Luther King was my
idol when I was 6, so all these
years later, to be at [this] college,
there is nothing like it,” Buffett
said. “It’s so deep. For me to be
invited back, it is really an honor.”
Yet, the honor of having him back
is not his alone.
“We are pleased to host artist
Peter Buffett for a return visit to
campus,” said Julie Sills, Direc-
A Meeting of the Minds
Opinions Editor
[email protected]
D
ontavious Taylor, a
Junior English major
from Atlanta, serves as this
year’s Chairman for the Student Welfare and Concerns
committee of the Student
Government
Association
(SGA) Senate. He helped to
introduce a bill, originally
known as “Coffee Talk,” to
Morehouse College’s Student Senate this past October. Taylor now identifies
Coffee Talk as a “Meeting
of the Minds.” The bill was
passed by the Senate at the
end of the fall semester, and
meetings will commence
once dates and locations
have been finalized with
Resident Hall Directors.
Oftentimes students express their needs to individual Senate members, and
these concerns go undocumented and sometimes ignored. During President
town halls or SGA general
body meetings, some stu-
“
tor of Corporate and Foundation
Relations at Morehouse College.
“Students who missed his first
concert will enjoy his high-techmultimedia presentation on environmental activism, social justice
and pop culture.”
Buffett would like the Men of
Morehouse to leave his concert
knowing that they are capable
of everything and anything, and
remembering that the heart is a
thinking organ – the best indicator of where they will be happiest.
He believes that people do not
allow their passions to lead them
because we have such a narrow
definition of success, shrinking
the possibilities for adventures
and all the places one could go.
“I was undecided when he came
to Morehouse and everyone was
telling me I had to pick a major,”
said Cydney Fisher, a sophomore,
Comparative Women Studies
major at Spelman College from
Middlesex, Va. “Hearing him
speak helped me figure out that
you have to take your own time
to figure things out for yourself.”
To those who stopped chasing
their dreams in fear of not being
able to obtain a steady income
in today’s economy, Buffett said,
“Better to be safe than sorry, but
it’s worse to be safe and sorry.”
WHAT’S HAPPENING
ON CAMPUS?
Students habitually demand change, but
seldom provide possible solutions.
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Friday, Jan. 20 End of Add/Drop Period
dents feel to intimidated
to approach a microphone
and express their concerns
aloud, while others feel apathetic about the process.
Coffee Talk allows students
to meet the Committee for
Student Welfare and Concerns in an informal environment – sometimes
within their residence halls
– and an opportunity to
provide honest, much needed feedback to the SGA.
“I wouldn’t expect a person to walk down the aisle of
King Chapel and say everything on his mind in front
of 2,000 brothers,” Taylor
said. “My vision is that a
‘Meeting of the Minds’ will
allow students to feel more
comfortable
expressing
their concerns being placed
amongst their peers in an
informal yet instructive
conversation.”
Students habitually demand change, but seldom
provide possible solutions.
The committee hopes this
initiative will provide a
space for students to express
not only their concerns, but
also possible solutions to
said issues of concern.
“Oftentimes Morehouse
puts office administrators
on stage and they just talk at
students and not with students,” Taylor said. “I want
this to be a conversation.”
When individuals express
their needs to the Senate,
the Senate has no idea how
many people are affected by
this, how many people are
saying the same things. A
‘Meeting of the Minds’ allows the Senate to gauge the
number of people saying the
same thing – a survey tool if
you will.
Then, as Taylor said, “You
have an idea; it’s [the Senate’s] job to figure out how
[we] can mobilize people to
execute this idea, because
SGA has a responsibility to
its students to help organize, mobilize and execute.”
The committee would
like to see SGA be more inclusive. A “Meeting of the
Minds” could be the solution, but students must be
willing to meet with their
senators for a mature conversation.
Tuesday, Jan. 24 The Maroon Tiger General Body
Meeting
6:30 p.m.
Nabritt Mapp McBay Lecture Room
Wed., Jan. 25
Going to See the King: A Theatrical
Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.
7 p.m. King Chapel
February
Black History Month of Service
All month long; contact Bonner Office
of Community Service (Jackie Dugger)
at [email protected]
Wed, Feb. 1
Interfaith Perspectives on a Man of
Peace Panel Discussion
12:30 p.m. African American Hall of
Fame, King Chapel
February 27-March 2 – Mid-term Week
To have your event placed here, email all information to anderson.trevell@
yahoo.com by Saturday to have it printed in the following week’s issue.
inside track
News.....................1 World & Local......3 Business & Tech......4 Features.................6 Opinions..............8 A&E...................10 Sports..................12
The Fall of the European Empire
p. 4
Campus Look-a-likes
p. 6
AUC Artist Spotlight
p. 10
on the web
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NEWS
January 18 - 24, 2012
THE MAROON TIGER
Nicolas B. Aziz ’12
Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
MANAGEMENT
Lance Dixon ’12
Managing Editor
[email protected]
Jeffery Taylor II ’12
Chief Layout Editor
[email protected]
Ahmad Barber ’13
Photography Editor
[email protected]
Jourdan Shepard ’12
Chief Copy Editor
[email protected]
Charlie Williams IV ’12
Associate Copy Editor
[email protected]
Sierra Stokes SC ’13
Associate Copy Editor
[email protected]
EDITORS
Tre’vell Anderson ’13
Campus News Editor
Jordon Nesmith ’12
Associate Campus News Editor
Dannieka Wiggins SC ’13
World & Local Editor
Nicholas Bacon ’13
Associate World & Local Editor
O’Koyea Huff-Boone ’12
Business & Tech Editor
John Yates ’14
Associate Bussiness & Tech Editor
Darryl Hawkins ’12
Features Editor
Kobi Ansong ’12
Associate Features Editor
Christian Saint-Vil ’14
Opinions Editor
James Williams ’12
Associate Opinions Editor
Taylor Williams ’12
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Katryna Mahoney SC ’14
Associate A&E Editor
Curtis Jackson ’14
Sports Editor
Max Tyler ’13
Associate Sports Editor
MULTIMEDIA
O’koyea Huff Boone ’12
Webmaster
[email protected]
Spencer Greene ’12
New Media Director
[email protected]
Jihad Kheperu ’12
Tiger TV Producer
[email protected]
ADVISER
Ron Thomas
The Divine Nine and GBT
Fraternities: Options Available for
GBT-identifying Students
Tre’vell Anderson
Campus News Editor
[email protected]
A
lpha, Omega, Kappa, Sigma, and
maybe Iota. These fraternities
are often the most highly respected
organizations on a historically black
college’s campus. Droves of students
attend “Rush” each year in hopes of
showing their interest and beginning
the process of “making line.” All too
often, however, these attending students have to put on a façade in hopes
that their mask will hide the perhaps
less appealing characteristics they
possess. One of these characteristics
may be their sexuality.
It is no secret that gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer (GBTQ) students often have to put on a heterosexual, masculine mask.
“[Our] culture has made homosexual black men feel as if we are lesser
than any other black man,” Antoine
Bates, a junior business management
major from Flint, MI, said. “As a result, in our practices, we sometimes
change ourselves to fit in with the
mass culture.”
Bates’ comment is in response to the
various rumors surrounding the Black
Greek community and what can be
termed as their deliberate exclusion
of openly non-heterosexual students.
This change to fit in with mass culture
Bates speaks of can sometimes mean
appearing heterosexual to gain access
into a fraternity that may otherwise
turn its head.
Bates believes that people, gay or
straight, will “do whatever they have to
to get into any fraternity or sorority.”
“Some people may feel they have to
leave their sexuality at the door,” Bates
said. “That is their choosing, but not
forced upon them.”
Kenneth Pass, a sophomore psychology major from Goldsboro, NC,
disagrees with Bates. He believes that
the pressure placed on black males to
be masculine forces the more feminine Greek interests to conform, even
if it is temporarily.
“Students who have to cross probably feel the pressure to hide their
sexuality,” Pass said. “I think it’s due to
fraternities, particularly black fraternities, having this representation and
mindset that they have to be extremely hyper masculine, completely macho
and there is no room for femininity
or any type of expression that would
make people think that you might be
gay. They don’t want to be labeled as
a gay fraternity because that’s seen as
somehow weaker and subordinate to a
‘straight’ fraternity.”
Pass continued citing tradition as
a possible reason why many black
fraternities may embrace such a perspective. Taking the conversation to a
more broader sense, this same tradition, Pass believes, is what has made
Morehouse College “a homophobic
environment that stifles students and
makes them want to conform to a specific type of man when there are many
forms of what being a man is.”
Many, like Pass, feel there should be
no need to hide one’s sexuality to gain
access into any group or organization,
fraternity or not. With the continued
rise of GBTQ fraternities, indentifying students can still find a brotherhood in progressive organizations like
Alpha Delta Xi, of which Bates is a cofounder, or Beta Gamma Chi Fraternity, Incorporated.
Beta Gamma Chi is a fraternity for
progressive collegiate men born out of
a tight knit friendship between Kyle
Wooten, Gerald Dessus, and their
friend, Anthony, in 2009. The organization served as a needed “paradigm
shift when it came to LGBT culture on
[the] campus [of Lincoln University].”
“The LGBT population was divided,” Wooten said of the culture on
his alma mater’s campus. “It needed a
spark and we felt the best possible way
to do so was to create a fraternal organization.”
With the pillars of brotherhood,
support, self-acceptance, and success, Beta Gamma Chi now has a total
of three chapters including its home
chapter, one at Morgan State University, and one at Florida State University.
The creation of this organization
has allowed many GBTQ identifying
males to find a brotherhood and support system they may not have found
at a historically black fraternity or
elsewhere.
“The work we do is to educate gay
men and uplift and empower them,”
Wooten explained.
“We [also] offer a safe haven to GBT
students on campus, giving them that
place where they still get the sense of
brotherhood [and can] develop their
true identity, irrespective of stereotypes,” Dessus said. “We are professional GBT men and college students.”
Wooten believes Morehouse would
benefit from having the presence of
not just Beta Gamma Chi, but any
other GBTQ fraternity on campus.
Such a presence would add “integrity
to your community and the legacy of
the campus.”
“Morehouse has been committed
to not only building, but empowering
men to create their own legacy,” Wooten said. “This works hand in hand
with our mission to create something
new, a new dynamic, a new and improved mind and spirit, building and
catering to the total man.”
Dessus agreed adding his comments
of hope for not only the Morehouse
GBTQ community, but the LGBTQ
community as a whole.
“The most that we’re trying to provide is, in a sense, equal opportunity
for LGBT college students with assistance for them to be better and stronger human beings,” Dessus said. “What
we don’t want is for LGBT Greek organizations to be looked at as model
versions of what has been in existence
for decades. We have a purpose, mission and audience to serve. We don’t
want LGBT students to be afraid or
ashamed to step out in a direction.”
To receive any information about
Beta Gamma Chi or any other LGBT
fraternity or sorority, you can visit their
website at http://www.bgchi.com/.
Spelman Students Create College
Chapter of Habitat for Humanity
Neah Morton
Contributing Writer
[email protected]
O
n the evening of Sept. 6,
2011, a meeting room in
the basement of the Camille O.
Hanks Cosby building overflowed with the energy of over
100 Spelmanites, each with a
giving spirit that was buzzing with curiosity. Those who
could not find seats stood, lining the walls as they listened
to the two young women officiating over the meeting. It
was the first meeting of the
Spelman College Chapter
of Habitat for Humanity. As
President Danielle King and
Vice President Dymon Morgan detailed the meeting’s
agenda, it was clear that there
was something wonderfully
unique about this particular
service organization. In the
semester since Spelman Habitat’s inception, that belief has
proved true.
As a subsidiary of Atlanta
Habitat for Humanity, the
Spelman chapter continues
the organization’s efforts in
providing shelter for families in need. On Oct. 1, King,
Morgan, and their executive
board took part in the chapter’s very first building project about seven miles from
the AUC. Armed with hammers, nail guns, and power
tools, the lively group of activists invested themselves
in their mission and bonded
with one another through
the unexpected accomplishments that encompassed the
entire day. The second build
on Nov. 5, the first to include
general body members, had
an equally positive outcome.
During conversations with
homeowner, Sunday Douglas-Nolley, who, like all Habitat homeowners, was building
alongside the volunteers, the
members began to realize the
gravity of participating in a
Habitat for Humanity build.
As Miss Douglas-Nolley
spoke of the time she’s spent
working on the house, or
completing her “Sweat Equity
Hours” as they’re called, and
the excitement of having her
own home, the impact of all
of the drilling, hammering,
and sawing became obvious.
The feeling of providing another person with shelter, a
need so basic, yet necessary, is
extraordinary.
Although home building
is Spelman Habitat’s ultimate
priority, the organization has
found a variety of other ways
to make a positive impact
within the Spelman community as well as outside its
gates. During the fall semester the chapter, with the help
of the McGraw Hill Textbook
Publishing Company, held a
raffle in which three people
won two textbook vouchers.
This event, one of many successful fundraising efforts to
come, placed the organization $250 closer to its goal of
raising $4,000 by the end of
the spring semester to place
toward sponsoring a Spelman
Habitat home in the next four
www.TheMaroonTiger.com
years.
The day following the raffle, the group partnered with
Jumpstart, a national early education organization, to volunteer at the Ashby Learning
Academy. The project, called
Planting with the Sprouts,
allowed members to engage
with children and teach them
about planting while beautifying their school. In conjunction with the Spelman SGA,
Habitat created a Thanksgiving basket for a family in need
and members partnered with
LEADS, a Spelman leadership
program, to host a workshop
entitled, “If the Shoe Fits,
Rock It,” to educate young
girls in the Atlanta area on
personal branding and community service.
To follow a productive first
season, Spelman Habitat has
a variety of projects planned
for the upcoming semester.
Atlanta Habitat Volunteer
Manager Matt Walenciak and
Volunteer Coordinator Tegan
Hurley attended the Spelman
chapter’s third meeting and
detailed other ways to impact Habitat for Humanity by
volunteering at the ReStore,
the organization’s consignment furniture store and the
ReStore’s loading dock. Spelman Habitat is developing the
Hits for Humanity volleyball
tournament as well as a carnival, both of which will serve
as fundraisers that will make
building possible and bring
plans for a Spelman Habitat
Home to fruition.
In the few months that the
Spelman College Chapter of
Habitat for Humanity has
been in existence, its leadership and 110 members have
revealed the organization to
be a multifaceted group with
the capacity to make a difference in the Atlanta community for years to come.
If you’re interested in participating in future events,
contact Danielle King at [email protected]
or Dymon Morgan at [email protected]
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3
WORLD & LOCAL
Has the Arab Spring led to
Democracy?
Nicholas Bacon
Associate World & Local Editor
[email protected]
E
gypt’s reform leader, Mohamed ElBaradei, withdrew from the presidential race
on Saturday and cited that democracy has
not truly found its way to Egypt. According
to ABC News, ElBaradei stated, “I had said
from the start that my conscience will not
allow me to run for president or any official
position unless there is a real democratic
framework, that upholds the essence of
democracy and not only its form.”
The same military council that was set in
place under Hosni Mubarak, former president of Egypt, has done little in regards to
Egypt’s transition towards a democratic
framework. ElBaradei has gone as far as
saying that the military council asked him
not to announce his decision to withdraw
from the race until after Jan. 25, which is
the anniversary of the revolution.
“To have total change, we must work
from outside the system,” ElBaradei said in
a video released on Jan. 14. He vows to
work to unify youth groups, reclaim the
goals of the revolution, and address social
justice, freedom, and economic development.
ElBaradei’s fears that the military council is keeping the structure of Mubarak’s
regime in place and, with the Muslim
Brotherhood poised to dominate the new
parliament, the military could increase its
executive influence in return for allowing
more leeway in writing a new constitution.
The legitimizing factor behind ElBaradei’s
fears is the Noble Prize he was awarded
for his work as head of the United Nations
nuclear watchdog. He was also pivotal in
garnering the support of youth activists
during the 18-day removal of Mubarak.
Presidential elections are significant because the ruling generals have promised to
hand over power to the winner of the upcoming elections. Observers note that the
military wants a candidate they support in
order to maintain its strong voice within
politics.
The Muslim Brotherhood continues to
say they will not officially endorse a presidential candidate, but it has emerged as the
biggest faction within the Egyptian parliament.
The end result of the ongoing power
struggle in Egypt will be pivotal in determining the effectiveness of the Arab Spring
in serving as a revolutionary era for those
who have lived under tyrants.
Oprah’s First Graduating
Class: Oprah Opens Doors in
Education from Morehouse to
South Africa
Dannieka Wiggins
World and Local News Editor
[email protected]
A
fter being deemed Morehouse College’s single largest donor by financially
supporting over 400 Morehouse men in attaining their education, Oprah Winfrey has
once again reached a peak of philanthropic
achievement. On Saturday, Winfrey watched
the first graduating class of 72 girls from the
Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy take
one step closer to college.
According to CBS News, similar to Winfrey’s endowment at Morehouse College,
building the Oprah Winfrey Leadership
Academy was a $1 million investment that
took about six years to construct.
Now, 3,000 applicants later, many of the
school’s 72 graduates have worked their
way to promising college opportunities in
the United States. CBS states that over half
a million students drop out of school before
college in South Africa, and only a quarter of
the ones who do not drop out go to college.
Winfrey has become a key figure to those
that would not have had a chance at a quality
education without her help.
CBS reported that one graduate said, “to
the world you are Oprah Winfrey, to us you
are a mother.”
“I have never been more proud,” Winfrey
said, “to know, to grow, and to call myself
‘Mom Oprah’ to you girls.”
Similarly, last year on the Oprah Winfrey
Show, Morehouse students that received
scholarship funds were asked to share Winfrey’s impact on their education. Dr. Van Adamson paralleled Winfrey’s support to that
of a parent’s as well.
“I was on the verge of being kicked out of
school because my parents were unable to
pay my tuition,” Adamson said, according to
Oprah.com. “Without the Oprah Scholarship, I would have never become a physician.”
Winfrey has not only adopted the world’s
underprivileged and invested in their academic growth, but according to WSBTV,
she has inspired many of her sons to open
doors for others as well. WSBTV reported
that Winfrey’s ‘sons’ at Morehouse raised an
estimated $400,000 in scholarship funds for
Morehouse students.
After the graduation ceremony for the students at The Oprah Winfrey Academy, Winfrey insisted that her work is ongoing and
that the students can rely on her support
well after graduation. She said confidently,
“I’m one proud momma today.”
January 18 - 24, 2012
Kansas City School District Loses
Accreditation
Devin Hursey
Contributing Writer
[email protected]
A
s of Jan.1, the Kansas City Missouri
(KCMO) School District has lost its
accreditation for the second time in 11
years. The last time the KCMO School
District lost its accreditation was in 2000
because of its failure to meet the minimal
academic performance standards of the
state. In 2002, KCMO schools were able
to make improvements to gain the district
provisional accreditation and avoid a state
takeover. According to MSNBC, the district
has maintained only this provisional accreditation for nearly a decade.
The State of Missouri assesses each district on the criteria of 14 predetermined
standards. These standards are: Mission
and Goals, Planning, Resource Allocation,
and Institutional Renewal, Institutional Resources, Leadership and Governance, Administration, Integrity, Institutional Assessment, Student Support Services, Faculty,
Educational Offerings, General Education,
Related Educational Activities, and Assessment of Student Learning. In 2010, KCMO
passed its assessment by only meeting four
of the listed criteria. According to Kansas
City News Pro, in 2011 only three of the
14 accreditation standards were met resulting in the loss of its accreditation.
“Thousands of kids [in the KCMO district] have no control over where they stay
and the people who teach them, and the
education that they’re getting,” Mislie JeanBaptiste, a Spelman student who attended
school in the KCMO school district, said.
This turn of events did not occur without warning. State Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro told the Huffington Post
that there have been “concerns” about the
district for years now. A lack of quality leadership may be to blame for this unfortunate circumstance.
“Teachers need to reassess their teaching
strategies and find away to keep students
motivated as well as have an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses,”
Jean-Baptiste said.
“Leadership instability over the years has
been an issue,” Nicastro said to the Huffington Post after the KCMO school district
lost its superintendent.
John Covington was the most recent superintendent of the KCMO school district.
During Covington’s tenure, nearly half of
the district’s schools closed and enrollment
shrunk to about 17,000. After this, it was
not a surprise when Covington resigned
weeks preceding the district’s failed assessment. He and three other cabinet chiefs
later accepted positions in a state-run district in Michigan.
Regardless of the status of the district,
the students of KCMO remain in need of
an education. State law allows students living within the boundary of an unaccredited
school district to attend school in neighboring districts. However, suburban school
districts such as Blue Springs, Independence, Raytown, North Kansas City, Lee’s
Summit, and Center oppose a massive
wave of transfers from the outside. As of
Jan. 1, students have enrolled into neighboring districts as planned, and suburban
district officials await the outcome of the
courts.
The future of the KCMO school district
is unclear. State board member Stan Archie from Kansas City remains optimistic.
“The loss of accreditation could help
boost the resources and attention paid to
its schools,” Archie said in the Huffington
Post.
The question of how soon the district
is expected to see improvements remains
unanswered. The soonest that a state takeover can be set in place is not until June
30, 2014.
4
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
January 18 - 24, 2012
The Fall of the European Empire
iPad 3
Rumors
O’Koyea Huff-Boone
Business and Tech Editor
[email protected]
W
Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany.
John Yates
Associate Bus. & Tech Editor
[email protected]
F
riday the 13th proved
to be just as horrendous
for the European economy
as its theatrical reputation
withstands. On Friday, the
S&P 500 downgraded nine
European countries with
Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese economies taking
the brunt of the hit by being downgraded two levels.
It has long been forecasted
that this downgrade would
occur not only due to the
rising debt that each of
these countries sustain, but
due to the lack of thorough
preparation and haste to
come up with a concise plan
to combat this debt.
“The downgrades were
driven by insufficient policies by European leaders
that have failed to fully address the root causes of the
crisis,” the S&P 500 formally stated.
Countries that were not
affected were given an opportunity to prepare for the
future by making changes
now. Along with the down-
grades, 14 countries were
presented with a gloomy
outlook of possible downgrades in the next three to
six months if plans do not
change.
Despite the depressing
statics, there are, however,
a small group of European
leaders that are optimistic
in the midst of this situation.
“The downgrades mean
Europe faces a long road
to regain investors’ confidence, adding that officials are now called upon
to implement the fiscal pact
quickly - without trying to
water it down everywhere,”
German Chancellor Angela
Merkel said to CNN.
The pact, which leaders
are expected to sign later
this month, would institute
budgetary oversight and
enact penalties for member
states that run large deficits.
Although this proposal does
not address the structural
problems that Europe faces,
it does build a foundation
for countries to make improvements as 2012 continues.
ith all of the speculation surrounding the iPad 3, it is difficult to determine what rumors are true and what
rumors are false. To combat confusion, we
have compiled a list of what you will most
likely see in Apple’s third generation iPad:
-March Release Date
-4G LTE support for functioning
on next-generation and high-speed
wireless networks
-Quad-Core Processor for ease of
multitasking, and switching of apps
-High Resolution Retina Display for
an HDTV like media experience
Bloomberg reports that Apple’s main
manufacturing partner, Foxconn Technology Group, is assembling the new iPad in
Asia. The March release date comes with
knowledge of production ramp ups, and
24-hour operations for the assembly factories.
As all Apple rumors go, everything must
be taken as just that—rumors, due to Apple’s absence of comments regarding the
talk around the iPad. However, it is safe
to assume that the iPad 3 will be a major
hit because of its track history, and that it
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6
FEATURES
January 18 - 24, 2012
Logo by Arian Hornsby, Georgia State University
Left: Spelman senior Kylie Price psychology major, management & organization minor
from Chicago, Illinois. Right: Michael Matthews economics major from Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; photo by John Marchel
Year On: One
Boy. One Year.
One World
Kobi Ansong
Associate Features Editor
[email protected]
B
randon Hill is having the
year of a lifetime. The
Stanford freshman from Eden
Prairie, Minn. just finished a
domestic exchange program
at Morehouse, and next week
he will embark on a journey
around the globe with the
University of Virginia’s Semester at Sea program.
Hill was the first student
in Morehouse history to do
a first semester domestic exchange. He was accepted into
Stanford University last year,
but opted to spend his first
semester as a Man of Morehouse.
“Morehouse gave me a
solid sense of self and identity of who I am,” Hill said
about his decision to study at
Morehouse for his first college semester. “I’ve developed
a whole new network, a whole
new swag, a whole new style,
a whole new perspective on
life.”
The AUC blessed Hill with
countless memories from
marching with the NAACP in
Jackson, Ga. for Troy Davis,
and an epic SpelHouse homecoming. But the journey is far
from over.
Semester at Sea’s spring
2012 itinerary includes Brazil, South Africa, Hong Kong,
and Japan among several other exotic locations.
“I’m still having trouble deciding if this is real life or not
because it’s almost too good
to be true,” Hill said about the
chance to tour the globe with
700 peers.
Hill will join the ranks of
a number of Morehouse students who have studied with
Semester at Sea in recent semesters. He plans on filming
his adventures for a documentary titled, “Year On,” which is
a pun that is suppose to emphasize that the four month
cruise is not a year off.
Although he will not obtain
his degree from Morehouse,
Hill holds the institution and
its principles close to his heart.
“Going to Morehouse has
been the best experience of
my life,” Hill said.
When Hill graduates he
plans to attend law school
and later work with state legislation to improve education
policy.
You can follow Brandon on
his journey around the world
and his number of community service efforts at: www.
brandonsinspiration.com
Left: R&B singer Faith Evans. Right: Late rapper Notorious B.I.G.
Campus Police Focuses on Making
Each Student a Success Story
Darryl Hawkins
Features Editor
[email protected]
W
e may not know each
one by their names, but
we recognize them by their
uniforms and their humble
greetings to us as we move
throughout the campus. Making sure students feel safe 24
hours a day on a college campus is no easy task, but the
Morehouse College Campus
Police Department take pride
in its job and understands the
responsibility.
The Campus Police Department has a staff of 50 members including Vernon Worthy,
the chief of police. He is no
stranger to law enforcement
after serving the Atlanta Police
Department for over 25 years.
During his years with the APD,
Chief Worthy served as an
Olympic Security Planner for
the 1996 Olympics. After retiring, he took his current position as chief in 1996, and has
been in this position for almost
15 years.
Chief Worthy chooses
Morehouse police officers by
three specific criteria: police
officers in standard training
(P.O.S.T) to show that the applicant is a Georgia certified
officer, officers with experience beyond P.O.S.T training,
and individuals with temperate
and tactile experience dealing
with criminals.
“Not so much enforcement,
“
I can see all of the promise that our forefathers
wanted for us, I see it in the men who walk our
campus, and I have the opportunity of working with
our future leaders.
—Campus Police Chief Vernon Worthy
but officers who can get kids
back on track,” Worthy said of
the officers’ mentality he looks
for when choosing applicants.
He mentioned that he is
aware that some students
come to Morehouse with baggage.
“We are hopeful that our
new hires, our changes in
deployment, and our understanding gives us an opportunity to continue to build on
the issues we faced in 2011,”
Worthy added.
The officers patrol four
geographical zones: the north
campus outside of Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard,
the inner campus (the Atlanta
Student Movement Boulevard
fence to Chivers Dining Hall),
the dining hall to Westview
Street, and the area that includes King Chapel, the football stadium, Ray PAC, and the
Chevron gas station.
In recent years, there have
been criminal incidents involv-
ing students at the Chevron
gas station. When asked why
students are still allowed to
travel to the gas station, Chief
Worthy said, “there are some
things that you need from time
to time.” However, he advises
students to take extreme caution when traveling to Chevron, and that they should go
there and return back to campus by way of the police booth.
“Be careful and know your
surroundings,” Worthy said.
With the spring 2012 semester in progress, the department is looking for a mechanism to communicate with
students better. An issue that
Chief Worthy finds imperative to improve is his officers
frequently checking each vehicle that enters campus. He is
aware that sometimes officers
do not typically stop every car
that enters the campus, because they may recognize the
tag, the driver, or notice the
parking permit. However, he
stresses to his officers that if
they know the driver than they
should give a courtesy nod.
“If they don’t have a [Morehouse or Spelman logo] tag or
a permit, then they need to be
stopped,” Worthy said.
Worthy and his staff strive
to provide as safe of a campus as possible to ensure the
safety of each student in the
present and to protect the
community’s future.
“I enjoy this job most because it gives me a sense of
knowing that we can be all
that our parents hoped for us
to become,” Worthy said. “I
can see all of the promise that
our forefathers wanted for us,
I see it in the men who walk
our campus, and I have the opportunity of working with our
future leaders. Now I know we
all say that, but it is real, and it is
a source of pride to be working on this side of the spectrum, watching our students
become men of the world.”
8
OPINIONS
January 18 - 24, 2012
Examining The Gentleman Theory
Garrett Ransom
Staff Writer
[email protected]
A
s a male, once you graduate from the “coodies
stage,” and begin to desire to
develop relations with the opposite sex, there are a cluster
of rules and regulations that
are implemented into your
mind by elders.
Of course, there are rules
and regulations to relations
with the opposite sex; it’s not
like women and men are the
same species, or anything.
Obviously, dealing with women entails a distinct protocol
and procedure. Through overwhelmingly extensive lectures
with your elders, you begin to
formulate a general guide in
order to impress and treat a
woman properly.
We are often taught that
women are delicate and beautiful specimens that should
be treated with the utmost respect and compassion. Sometimes we’ll even have a crazy
elder who really doesn’t mention respecting women, or
granting them compassion at
all. However, there is a general
consensus of showing every
woman that you are a “gentleman.”
I consider the gentleman
slightly chauvinistic. Subliminally, the smooth and debonair gentleman implants seeds
of his superiority through actions that would be considered by most as admirable.
In today’s America, men
and women are supposedly
considered equal. Women
fought for centuries in order
to be given the same rights
and opportunities as men. We
live in a society where many
women are in the workfield,
and even serve the mother
and father role simultaneously, which is contrary to the
customs of previous generations.
The gentleman lifestyle
was created during a generation when most women were
stay-at-home mothers, had
less education and less rights
in society. We now live in a
time when the female population is often more qualified,
skill wise, than the males. Additionally, women populate a
larger percentage of college
campuses.
In a world where women
are trading in aprons for
business suits, and replacing
a cooking book with a biology book, how do these factors affect the dating scene?
How much of the gentleman
system should become rubbish, and how much is honestly for the betterment of
women? These questions are
often ignored, but are imperative in building strong
foundations in relations with
the opposite sex.
Consider this scenario: A
man picks up a woman in
his car; as she approaches
the car door, the man opens
the door. While they attend
the restaurant, he takes the
tab and makes a majority of
the major decisions for the
entire evening. When they
leave, he walks her completely to her front door, and
says his goodbye.
This scenario has elements
of a typical date. Many of the
actions taken by the men can
be considered very gentleman-like. The problem with
this scenario is that during
the night, the woman wasn’t
given much say in decisions
for the night, nor an opportunity to open a door, which
she was completely capable of
opening.
The gentleman system
revolves around an expectancy of dependence on the
male, which in today’s society isn’t always the case.
The woman in the relationship may be more qualified
to make decisions and able
to take care of herself better
than the man.
Next time somebody says,
“treat her like a lady,” consider
the connotations behind the
statement. This is not an article saying that women are not
entitled to great treatment; it’s
simply a call for changes in
societal relations. Treat your
woman right, but, most importantly, treat her as your
equal.
Garrett Ransom is a freshman Business Administration
Major with a concentration
in Finance at Morehouse College, from Antioch, California. His enjoys writing and
one day aspires to become an
entrepreneur.
20
Food Stamps Back?!
Newt Gingrich demands more
paychecks and less food stamps for
blacks
Kadeem Dunwell
Contributing Writer
[email protected]
W
hile you were out …
Newt Gingrich recently stated at a political
event in New Hampshire,
“And so I’m prepared if
the NAACP invites me, I’ll
go to their convention and
talk about why the African-American community
should demand paychecks
and not be satisfied with
food stamps,” causing a stir
among Gingrich supporters
and foes.
This isn’t the first comment of its kind from Mr.
Gingrich, who repeatedly
refers to President Obama
as the “Food Stamp” president because of the increase
of supplemental nutrition
assistance users the nation
has seen during his tenure
as Commander-In-Chief.
Many responded by saying Gingrich’s comments,
and even he, was “racist.”
Gingrich defended himself by saying he was only
extending his hand to the
African-American community. Members of his campaign pointed to Gingrich’s
book “Real Change,” where
he was critical of George
Bush’s failure to address the
NAACP. This is why he says
more
African-Americans
did not favor Bush, because
of his “clear signal to the African American community
that Republicans did not see
them as worthy of engagement in dialogue.”
It puzzles me when I hear
candidates, such as Newt
Gingrich, attempt to extend a hand to the most influential culture in America (black people) and the
quickest option they can
find is to call him racist.
Are black people on food
stamps? Yes…. Do black
people need jobs? Yes …..
Aren’t you tired of your
friend not being able to get
in the club because they
don’t have money for gas,
admission and a few shots
from the bar ___________??
It sickens me further to
only believe that the REAL
problem black people have
with his comment is Newt
Gingrich, a white man, is
attempting to solve what is
perceived in the AfricanAmerican community to be
a “black problem.” Largely
because most blacks aren’t
aware that of the 46 million
people that use SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), the majority are WHITE Americans
and the elderly.
Bottom line, because of
an unwritten history, food
stamps are something black
people are ashamed of.
Food stamps aren’t just a
BLACK problem, they are
an AMERICAN problem,
which gives Gingrich free
reign to reach out to whatever letter in this “alphabet
soup” we call America he
sees fit.
If Obama would’ve said,
“NAACP, WE’RE going to
get OUR people off food
stamps !!” in a similar setting as Gingrich, Tavis Smiley and Cornel West would
be hosting a one-hour special just to help Obama relay the message. BET would
be bidding for TV time and
any scheduled showings of
“Let’s Stay Together” would
be postponed until next
month, just so Obama could
show his face after Derwin
scored a touchdown every
Tuesday night.
It’s time to go to work. For
the past five years, largely
because of the recession,
Americans have accepted
more handouts than working to gain a hand up in
our society. For Gingrich
to purposely call out the
QUESTIONS
Chyneece Buffet
World Renowned Dumpling Eater
[email protected]
1. Were you a victim of the PURGE?
2. Did you see the pic of the student who got the Morehouse emblem tatted
on his chest?
3. Does he go that HARD for the HOUSE?
4. Did you have to retweet EVERY “happy founders day” tweet for the Ks?
5. Is it true you joined a frat only so you could become friends with the
Greek girls?
6. Does that explain all the RETWEETS?
7. Who’s the girl who tore her ACL twerking?
8. Did senior party tickets really sell that fast?
9. Or was that just a MARKETING ploy?
10. How many girls in the party had on THAT dress?
11. Were you in ARCHER Wednesday night?
12. Which frat will be this semester’s WINNER?
13. Is STEPPING really back?
14. How long before GRAVES takes it too far again?
15. Do you really know anything about SOPA or PIPA?
16. Or are you just hopping on the bandwagon like everybody else?
17. Did you CENSOR your twitter avatar yet?
18. Do you think you really Need to wear your line jacket in tHe club?
19. Did a student really get robbed in the middle of CAMPUS?
20. So all these new cops can bench press an automobile, but can’t keep the
campus safe?
Got questions? Submit them anonymously to [email protected]
See GINGRICH, page 9
OPINIONS
“I Got My Brother’s Back...” Yeah Right
Moriba Cummings
Staff Writer
[email protected]
F
or generations and generations,
it has become a Morehouse staple to promote the ideal of brotherhood and brotherly fellowship.
Beginning as early as New Student
Orientation (NSO), the infamous
chant of “I got my brother’s back!”
can be heard emanating from the
mouths of each Freshman as he
holds on to the back of the young
man before him, who will soon be
given the title of ‘brother,” not by
him, but by tradition.
As a result of this, the question
then arises, “Is this genuine, or is it
a fad created to positively promote
the idealistic photograph that is
Morehouse College?”
With the idea of brotherhood being preached, taught, and some may
even say, shoved down our throats,
it inspires one to ask, “Who is my
brother?” and “Does he really have
my back?” For many young men
here at “The House,” this is a question that, unfortunately, is still going unanswered; many of us do not
even know our “brother” from the
next stranger who walks past us on
Brown Street.
Is this idea of ‘brotherhood’ real,
or is it a well fabricated advertisement created in hopes of boosting
the college’s application rate and
maintaining a tradition that lasted
centuries? Frankly, it is all a lie; The
whole image of brotherhood that is
immensely and overtly advertised
here at Morehouse can be perceived
as a facade.
Brotherhood, here at “The House”
is most intensely implemented in
order to feed into administration’s
plan to prevent Morehouse’s image
of “brotherly love” from being tarnished.
What is ‘brotherhood’ anyway?
Is your definition of ‘brotherhood’
synonymous to mine? This is a dilemma that commonly tends to rub
some in the Morehouse Community the wrong way.
We are constantly being taught
about the essentiality of brotherhood, but, naturally, coming from
various walks of life and from differing regions of the world, our
views on this seemingly basic subject may differ drastically. Therefore, should this once sacred tradition be forced upon us if we are not
thoroughly certain on what its universal meaning entails?
Also, as many can attest to, with
many great Men of Morehouse
comes an even greater ego; it’s often
a package deal. As a result of this,
the problem that arises for many is
having a “brother” who is utterly
nothing like him. In many cases,
this creates a hiccup, as moral and
lifestyle differences may come into
play.
Many of us can attest to overhearing our supposed “brothers”
express disappointment and rejection by discriminating against
other Men of Morehouse in regards
to their sexual orientation, intelligence, outward appearance and social skills, to name a few. After this
declaration of dismissal, we then
falsely link palms and sing, “So to
bind each son the other, into ties
more brotherly,” then scatter without even glancing over our shoulders to see who we linked hands
with.
What could be the cause of this
nonchalant attitude we possess?
In the days of Martin Luther King
Jr. and Howard Thurman, the fraternity of brotherhood was a more
sacred underlying addition to the
Morehouse experience that did not
have to be constantly reminded to
the students. Today, it seems as a
large fraction of its divinity has
been lost.
The initiative of genuine brotherhood will be successfully achieved
when the heterosexual man can call
the homosexual/bisexual man his
brother, when the ‘big man on campus’ can call the socially awkward
man his brother and when the fashionable debonair can call the simplistic white-tee and jeans wearing
man his brother.
Although it may seem unpopular
to admit, it may be unfortunately
concluded that no man genuinely
has his brother’s back if this attitude of superiority continues to be
adopted. What should be promoted
with the same or even a high level
of importance is the beauty Morehouse’s diversity. There is no other
institution on the planet where men
of African descent can all come
together, from differing lifestyles,
sexual orientations, living backgrounds, cultures and beliefs and
join together with a common goal
to help each other understand the
multi-dimensional creature that is
the “Black Man.”
When the popularity and richness of tradition of Morehouse are
set aside, and the dignity and authenticity of the Morehouse Mystique are put on the front burner,
then, and only then, will the idea of
brotherhood be deemed a genuine
and sacred bonus to the 2012 Morehouse experience.
The Maroon Tiger will be holding a general body
meeting Tuesday, January 24, 2012 in Nabrit-MappMcBay. Be sure to attend for more information
about joining the staff!
An Income or a Dream?
Opinions Editor
[email protected]
T
he first week of school is
always a difficult time for
me, not necessarily because
of the coursework or even
getting back into the hang of
things, but because of introductions. It’s really routine
actually. Student sits down,
professor introduces him or
herself, then asks the student
to introduce himself.
In one of my many introductions I was asked to provide a career goal. Without
hesitation, I said to my professor, “My name is Christian Saint-Vil and I am a
Sophomore, English major
from Queens, New York and
I want to go to law school.”
She wanted more information so she asked, “What
kind of lawyer do you want
to be?”
I responded, “A corporate
attorney.”
Then she asked me,
“Why?”
This question actually
made me think for a minute
– to be honest, for a three-day
weekend. Since childhood,
I wanted to be an attorney.
I envisioned myself in the
courtroom in front of a judge
passionately defending those
who were wrongly accused. I
would watch “Carilito’s Way”
as a child, and thought to myself, “I’m going to be a better
lawyer than the one in the
film.” Now as somewhat of an
adult, I wanted to be a corporate attorney – still do, but
my reasons for wanting to be
a corporate attorney are not
as romantic or eloquent as the
world would like it to be.
I’m not sure who answered
first, but to her question, I
had no real response other
than money. If I allowed my
heart to choose, I would be
a criminal defense attorney,
but that doesn’t necessarily pay, and with the debt I
9
January 18 - 24, 2012
am subject to obtain for my
education that isn’t the wisest decision. Yet, my professor looked somewhat disappointed in my answer being
that everyone else had given
her elaborate reasons for
wanting to join their prospective professions and
mine was simply, money.
It made me feel somewhat
guilty, like I needed to
do some reflecting – soul
searching if you will. Putting
up a defense, I immediately
thought that she was just being as Elton John would say
“a dreamer.”
Is money not a good
enough reason to pursue a
career?
I know plenty of college
graduates who choose a career based off of the potential
salary. They aren’t necessarily
the happiest, but nevertheless, it is commonplace to
choose a career off of salary.
Many families try to eschew
their children from thoughts
of pursuing careers that do
not “pay.” I too, not yet a parent, but an older cousin found
myself giving my younger
cousin advice to stop dreaming and start planning. Oftentimes our economic backgrounds force us to drop our
dreams to obtain an income
that will provide not only for
ourselves, but our less unfortunate families.
However, are we cheating
ourselves by not pursuing our
dreams? In taking a path that
isn’t guaranteeing success
we take a risk of never truly
making it, but if you look at
any celebrity, or well off person they all followed their
GINGRICH
wants blacks
to work for
possessions
continued from previous page
African-American
Community and say he wants
to put paychecks instead of
food stamps in their hand
is a sign that MAYBE he
sees the African-American
culture as a pivotal force in
the time we’re in today. Especially since blacks are the
TOP (#1, Uno, T-O-P) consuming ethnic group in our
country, you would think
ANY potential candidate
with the mindset of turning our piss poor economy
around would be thinking
of more ways to put money
in the hands of those who
spend it the most!?
Suggestion being, don’t
be so quick to pull the race
card before you hear what
ANY candidate has to say.
I’m not defending Gingrich,
he’s a Republican, and as all
of us know, they have their
own underlining agendas
and they can’t be trusted.
But I’m interested in hearing what he and other candidates have to say now that
ALL Americans are hurting and the only true way
to get Lady Liberty back on
her feet is to not just help
yourself win an election,
but help those who got you
there as well.
dreams and I’m sure they all
received a few side eyes in the
process.
Sometimes in life it is necessary to question your actions. Ask yourself “why?”
If the answer is not good
enough for you, then maybe
you should consider another
route. Like many American
college students I am torn between my dream career and
the career that guarantees
me and my family stability.
The choice to follow a dream
isn’t wrong and neither is the
choice to ensure your security, but you have to ask yourself this question, “Will you
be happy knowing that you
never attempted to pursue
your dream?”
The Maroon Tiger is published weekly
during the academic year at Morehouse
College. Our goal is to maintain an
independent editorial policy. Opinions
expressed in The Maroon Tiger are solely
the views of its staff and do not necessarily
reflect the opinion of Morehouse College,
its administration, or The Maroon Tiger
advisors. Commentaries solely represent the
views of the author and are not necessarily
the opinion of The Maroon Tiger. We believe
all advertising to be correct but cannot
guarantee its accuracy or be responsible for
its outcome.
The Maroon Tiger welcomes your views on
any public issue. We routinely edit letters
for space and correct errors in spelling and
punctuation. Letters as well as commentaries
must be 300 words or less, typed, signed and
should include a full address and telephone
number.
10
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
January 18 - 24, 2012
AUC
Spotlight:
Kendal
“Kyndale”
Smith
Katryna Mahoney
Associate A&E Editor
[email protected]
The Maroon Tiger: How did you come up with the name
Kyndale?
Kyndale: I’ve always been the person to gravitate towards
natural things, and the name Kendal is not an artist’s
name. So the girl I was talking to at the time always called
me “Kyndale,” for some reason, so I changed the letters
and just stuck with it.
MT: When did you first get into music? What was your
earliest inspiration?
Kyndale: My earliest inspiration is a guy named, Jermaine
Manor. He’s a big brother to me, but he taught me what
I know. I started singing when I was around 11, and I
realized I could sing when I was seven. I was really shy
around everyone, but I sang around my big brother. He
told me to take a stab at it.
MT: What was the first song you remember singing?
Kyndale: My fist solo was actually in church. My first song
I sang in front of an audience was “I Believe I Can Fly” by
R. Kelly. I was shy, but it was my coming out to the world.
After singing at church I got multiple solos, like every
Sunday.
MT: Who are some artists that you have worked with?
Kyndale: I recently wrote a couple records for Torion, who
just got signed to YMCMB (Young Money Cash Money
Billionaires). He’s like 15 years old. Producers I’ve worked
with are S1 (Symbolic One) who produced “Best Thing I
Never Had” by Beyonce. He also produced the “Murder”
portion on “Murder to Excellence” by Kanye West and
Jay-Z.I also worked with Kevin McCall. He sent me some
tracks over Twitter and it fell through because he took
off, but he produced a couple of my singles called, “Crash
Landing” and “Tidal Wave.”
MT: What current artists do you compare yourself to?
Kyndale: I try to keep it as original as possible, but if I had
to compare my music it would be along the lines of Tank,
Chris Brown and Kevin McCall. Chris Brown and Tank
are my favorite two singers ever. And also a female named
Kim Burrell.
Where’s the Beef?
COLUMN
Spencer Greene
New Media Director
[email protected]
D
o you remember when
KRS-One dropped “The
Bridge is Over?” Of course
not, none of us were born
yet. How about when Jay-Z
opened up his classic album,
“The Blueprint,” with “Takeover” and aimed to take shots
at nearly everyone? That song
started the infamous battle
between Jay-Z and Nas, which
lead to the classic diss record,
“Ether.” Nas was pretty bold to
start a song off with “F**k JayZ.” Where is that boldness in
hip-hop today?
All is safe in the world of hiphop today with pop-inspired
hip-hop dance tracks at an alltime high. The same rapper
who once said, “The Block is
Hot,” is now teaching people
“How to Love” in jeggings,
and the rapper with the hardest diss record out is the same
person who just finished reciting poetry at the White House.
That isn’t to say Common is
soft at all; he’s also the same
person who went head to head
with Ice Cube and Mack 10.
But something is wrong when,
“diss me and you’ll never hear
a reply to it,” seems to be the
mindset of everyone. Someone
needs to reply.
And no, a clever subliminal
line in a song is not a reply,
that’s a subtweet. Dr. Dre getting an actor to dress as Eazy
E in a video and make fun of
him is a reply. Today we give
side-eye treatment to the artist who makes their problem
with another artist explicit as
if battling hasn’t always been a
part of hip-hop.
I remember when I was in
middle school and I bought a
five-dollar mixtape from the
bootleg man on the corner
called, “Street Wars.” It had
all the diss records out at the
moment on it. Beanie Sigel
and Jadakiss were battling. 50
Cent constantly took shots at
Ja Rule and the entire RocA-Fella roster had individual
beefs with outside rappers. It
was electrifying. It was amusing. It brought excitement to
hip-hop. There’s a reason why
“Freestyle Friday” remains the
most popular day in the world
of 106 & Park.
It takes a certain level of ingenuity and wit to hold your
own in a battle. It takes ambition and skill to come out of
a hip-hop beef the champion.
It’s the type of thing that distinguishes an emcee from a
rapper. The battle has always
and should always be an important part of hip-hop culture. LL Cool J vs. Canibus, LL
Cool J vs. Kool Moe Dee, Kool
Moe Dee vs. Busy Bee; beef is
nothing new to hip-hop and
shouldn’t be surprising when
it comes around.
Yes, it can get out of hand
sometimes as the East CoastWest Coast war is the result of
the Biggie and Tupac beef. But
as long as it stays on a record,
it’s good. 50 Cent skyrocketed to super stardom after his
beef with Ja Rule. Rule not responding to beef nearly ended
his career.
A hip-hop beef revived the
career of Nas. A hip-hop beef
is what started the career of
the legendary KRS-One. KRS
is probably somewhere disgusted at the lack of audacity in hip-hop today. There’s
nothing wrong with melodic,
radio-friendly rap songs and
“get money” anthems. But we
can’t lose the heart of the battle. Hip-hop heads can only
watch the Serius Jones vs.
Murda Mook and other Fight
Klub battles so many times on
YouTube.
Rappers, go diss that rapper
you don’t like. Don’t worry
about hurting their feelings,
just look at it as sharpening
their skills as an emcee.
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MT: Tell me three words that describe music.
Kyndale: Depending on the song, I think music should
be fun, emotional and inspirational. I think those are the
three things people go to when they look for music. When
you want to turn it up you look for artists such as Future.
As humans we are emotional, that’s why we have r&b and
heavy rock and rap. Inspiration is behind lyrical content.
You look for music to inspire you when you’re going
through hard times, such as gospel and neo-soul – they
inspire you to be better.
SHIBUYA CROSSING, TOKYO
FROM SHIBUYA EXCEL HOTEL TOKYU
MT: How do you multitask between school and music?
Kyndale: It’s definitely a challenge. I wouldn’t say I’m
failing, but I could be better at managing the two. I just
have to keep my priorities in order. But it’s definitely a
challenge – when music is your passion, but you still have
to go to school. I definitely encourage people to do both
though; it makes you stronger and better at what you do.
MT: When do you release your music?
Kyndale: Right now I’m mainly focused on the
songwriting portion of my career, but I release music of
my own probably once a month. Sometimes I’ll do a cover
on YouTube. I’m under Kreemo Sounds, so there’ll be a lot
more in the future to look forward to. You can check out
my Twitter at @Kyndale, Reverbnation at Reverbnation.
com/Kyndale, and YouTube.com/Kyndale251.
MT: What advice would u give to any aspiring artist?
Kyndale: Keep God first. If you got God you got
everything else and remain humble.
Kyndale is a sophomore, English major at Morehouse
College from Mobile, Ala.
11
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
January 18 - 24, 2012
THREE DUBSTEP ARTISTS
YOU SHOULD KNOW
Kevin Webb
Contributing writer
[email protected]
If you don’t know what dubstep is, chances are you’ve heard it before without realizing. The bass heavy genre of electronic music is
continuing its invasion of the mainstream, which started just last year. As popular music strays more and more into the realm of digital and electronic sounds, we are exposed to the pioneers of those styles.
R
emember
the
deep
quaking
sound of “Who Gon’
Stop Me” off “Watch
the Throne?” That
track was sampled
from leading dubstep producer Flux
Pavilion of Circus
One records, the
first dubstep artist you should know.
Tracks like the original “I Can’t Stop” and
“Bass Cannon” feature the filthy bass lines
that define the genre.
Hailing from Northamptonshire, located in
the very heart of England, Flux Pavilion was
nominated to the British Broadcasting Company’s Sound of 2012 poll. The BBC’s nominations are decided by top music industry
figureheads and critics, and award the top
up-and-coming artists worldwide. Artists
such as Adele, 50 Cent, Kid Cudi, The Game,
and Corrine Bailey Rae have been nominated in the past.
Flux plans to drop his first full album this
year, promising an evolution of the unique
sound that has set him apart from his peers.
His most recent track is the super-stylized
“Superbad,” which will send you back to the
days of ‘70s superheroes like Black Dynamite.
T
he second dubstep artist you
should know shares
his name with a super villain, going
simply by Joker. A
veteran in the UK’s
dubstep scene, Joker released his first
full album in 2011, titled “The Vision.” After hearing the track
“The Vision,” I was
instantly a fan, and
the track was later named Radio 1’s “Hottest
Track in the World.”
The black British DJ and producer uses
a blend of dubstep and other electronic genres that are infused with hip-hop to
create his hybrid style. Unlike many other
dubstep artists, Joker will often feature full
vocals on his tracks, including English rappers and r&b vocalists. Fans who think R&B
is dead may want to listen to “On My Mind”
featuring William Cartwright before they lay
the genre to death.
Joker showcases the performance side of
his craft as one of England’s most popular
DJs. Like almost all genres of electronic music, dubstep finds its home to be in the club
scene, where even the most high profile
producers are expected to mix live on the
tables. The week before Thanksgiving, Joker
was featured on “BBC Radio’s Essential Mix,”
a two hour block of commercial free music
hosted by a chosen artist. A quick Google
search of Joker’s essential mix will reveal
just a piece of what a live dubstep show is
like.
T
he third artist you
should know is
likely the most popular dubstep artist in the world and
the only American
on this list, Skrillex.
Raised in Los Angeles, Sonny Moore
started his musical
career as the lead
singer for an emo/
post-hardcore band,
From First to Last, in
2004. In 2008, he re-emerged as a producer
under the name of Skrillex and released the
EP “My Name is Skrillex” in 2010.
It was in 2011 that Skrillex’s fame spread
into our homes by participating in several
high profile projects. He released a track
with Nu Metal giants, Korn, and had music
featured in commercials for two of the year’s
best-selling video games, “Mortal Kombat”
and “Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.” The
music video for his song “First of the Year
(Equinox)” was featured in the first episode
of the new season of “Beavis and Butthead”
as well.
This year should only be bigger for Skrillex after he was named MTV’s Electronic
Dance Music Artist of the Year. He will also
be featured in the musical documentary,
“Re:Generation,” which is due for release on
Feb. 16. Recently, he released his newest EP,
“Bangarang” on Dec. 23. The title track features the high-energy sound that launched
him into the spotlight.
Dubstep is just one of many upcoming electronic genres, and any fan of music owes it to their self to explore what these new styles
of music have to offer. At least this way you won’t be wondering why every commercial is just playing random noise in the background these days.
12
SPORTS
January 18 - 24, 2012
Grading Matt Ryan
Quincy Young
Staff writer
[email protected]
W
ithout question, David Carter is
one of the best running backs in
Morehouse College football history. As
a junior, he has more touchdowns and
points than any other player to ever grace
the field at B.T. Harvey Stadium, with 35
touchdowns. Carter broke the single season touchdown record formerly held by
the son of Denzel Washington and former NFL player, John David Washington. Washington scored 13 touchdowns
in 2005, but was bested by Carter when
he scored 19 this past season. With all
the accolades attached to his name, Carter remains humble and steadfast with a
will to win.
“The coaches kept telling me ‘you
broke this record, you broke that record.’
But, all I want to do is win,” said Carter.
“It’s an honor to be able to play; I didn’t
even think I would play college football,”
Carter added.
As great as Carter is now, there was a
time when coaches did not see the potential for him to play at the college foot-
ball level. He did not receive any athletic
scholarships offers coming out of high
school and was on his way to play baseball at Kennesaw State University. Fortunately, he changed his mind and made
the decision to work hard and walk on to
the Morehouse football team.
In his first game as a freshman, Carter rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns. From then on people realized a
star was born.
“Finally, opportunity arrived and I
took it. It’s been all uphill from there,”
Carter said.
In the first half against Fort Valley State
last season, Carter rushed for 251 yards
and four touchdowns. This performance
was an NCAA Division-II first half rushing record, and a Morehouse single-game
rushing record. Carter barely played in
the third quarter, and did not play in the
fourth otherwise he would have been on
pace to break the NCAA Division-II fullgame rushing record of 419 yards.
“I use to go to Fort Valley as a child.
Both my parents are from there, so it felt
like a homecoming. Everything was going right that day. My offensive line executed blocks, and the receivers made
Image courtesy of YUSUF DAVIS
2011 MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
DAVID CARTER
some nice blocks down field. As a team
our goal is to play faster, harder, smarter than our opponents in every game,”
Carter said.
He broke his own Morehouse singleseason rushing record from 2010 of 1,347
with 1,495 yards on the ground in 2011.
“After last year my coaches told me
I had good feet, but I didn’t have that
breakaway speed,” Carter said.
This criticism fueled a work ethic in
Carter that is unmatched by his competitors. In 2010, after ending the season
weighting 240 lbs, Carter entered the
2011 season at a slim and sleek 215 lbs.
In the Nation’s Classic, he took the opportunity to show that he had breakaway
speed when he sprinted 79 yards for a
touchdown against a Division I defense,
Howard University.
Carter holds nearly every major offensive record a running back can attain
at Morehouse except the career rushing
record, which he is approximately 350
yards away from. The only thing between
Carter, that record, and a potential NFL
career is his much-anticipated senior
season.
Playoff System Needed
Curtis D. Jackson III
Sports Editor
[email protected]
I
f the Nov. 5 matchup between the LSU Tigers and
the Alabama Crimson Tide
was not enough to convince
you that Division I-A college
football needs a playoff system, then the Jan. 9 rematch
should have been the deciding factor.
The end of the college football regular season once again
resulted with several top
ranked teams with one loss.
LSU, a team thought by many
people as capable of going undefeated and pulling off one of
the most fantastic seasons in
college football history, fell to
the genius of Alabama’s football coach, Nick Saban, 21-0.
Although many believe the
two best teams played in the
national championship, there
are some that would have
liked to see Oklahoma State
(OSU) get a crack at LSU.
“No question Oklahoma
State should be No. 2,” OSU
head football coach Mike
Gundy told reporters after their regular season win
against Oklahoma. “They (Alabama) had their shot, now
give us ours.”
Gundy has a great point.
During the regular season,
LSU beat the Rose Bowl
champions, the Oregon
Ducks, the Outback Bowl loser, the Georgia Bulldogs, the
Orange Bowl champions, the
West Virginia Mountaineers,
and the BCS national champs
in the regular season. The
Cowboys should have been
given the opportunity to test
their luck against those once
unstoppable Bayou Bengals.
OSU’s lone loss was against
the Iowa State Cyclones (6-4).
However, the loss happened
when the entire university
was mourning the loss of the
head coach of their women’s
basketball team, Kurt Budke,
along with others in their athletic community to a plane
crash. A playoff system would
have given the Cowboys a
chance to redeem that loss,
and show the nation they
could compete for a national
championship.
With a playoff system, LSU
fans could not have a legitimate complaint for why they
should still be considered national champs. A playoff system would not have given Saban a month or more to plan
against a coach who thought
he could run option plays
against the best defense in
the nation. A playoff system
would have actually given
teams like Houston and Boise
State a chance at a title.
Please BCS leaders, hear the
fans cry and award us a playoff system.
COLUMN
Max Tyler
Associate Sports Editor
[email protected]
M
any Atlanta sports
fans detest Rob Parker’s opinion in his recent
column on ESPN.com, “City
of Atlanta Doesn’t Deserve
to Win.” But it would be
cowardly to ignore the undeniable facts put forth by
Parker. Plain and simple, in
Atlanta, we don’t support
our sports teams with the
same passion as the fans in
other cities.
Now that that’s out of the
way, I want to talk about
another piece of the Atlanta
sports culture. It is something that has taken me almost four years to fully recognize and confirm. What
I’ve observed, and what I
think more and more Atlanta Falcons fans are beginning to realize is that Matt
Ryan really isn’t anything
special. What has he actually
done since he came into the
league, and why should he be
placed among the NFL’s elite
quarterbacks, as some are so
quick to categorize him?
Now I wouldn’t advocate
letting go of Ryan at this
point, but what I am saying is that for the past four
years, Ryan has been, how
do I put this? Consistently,
pretty good.
Over the span of his career,
Ryan’s level of play has been
hardly above average. I’ve
never really understood the
hype surrounding the Atlanta quarterback. He has never
won a postseason game, he
has thrown for over 4,000
yards just once, he has yet
to throw for 30 touchdowns
in a season, and in the three
times that he has appeared
on Monday Night Football
the Falcons have lost every
time - all of them to their rival, the New Orleans Saints.
Now that’s frustrating. After
being drafted so high, you
could argue that that alone
has been his greatest NFL
accomplishment.
With all of that being said,
it seems as though he’s still
regarded as being among
the top quarterbacks in the
NFL. I don’t understand
why. What’s irritating is that
strong portions of Falcons
fans see nothing wrong with
his level of productivity over
the past four years. Yes, he’s
won a lot of regular season
games, but what does that
really amount to?
Here’s what I think has
happened: Matt Ryan has
become comfortable with
his current state. I know that
he wants to win, every quarterback does, but I feel as
though there’s not much driving him. There’s no pressure
for him to step up his level
of play. Maybe the Falcons
should draft a quarterback in
April just to light a fire in his
belly, because at this point in
his career you’d better believe
that if he were playing in a
city like New York or Chicago he’d be chastised from all
different angles, if not traded
by now. But here in Atlanta,
that’s something he doesn’t
have to worry about. He plays
well enough to keep our disinterested fans satisfied.
He’s just as content as the
fans that watch him play.
Matt Ryan is a perfect microcosm of the Atlanta
sports culture. He’s just good
enough nothing more, nothing less.
What 2 Watch 4
Wednesday, Jan. 18
NCAAB - 7:00 p.m. Cincinnati at UConn – ESPN2
NBA - 8:00 p.m. Portland Trail Blazers at Atlanta Hawks – ESPN (Philips Arena)
NCAAB - 9:00 p.m. Texas at Kansas State – ESPN2
NBA - 10:30 p.m. Dallas Mavericks at L.A. Clippers – ESPN
Thursday, Jan. 19
NCAAB - 7:00 p.m. Wake Forest at Duke – ESPN
NCAAB - 7:30 p.m. Morehouse College at Stillman College – Tuscaloosa, Ala.
NBA - 8:00 p.m. LA Lakers at Miami Heat – TNT
NCAAB - 9:00 p.m. North Carolina at Virginia Tech – ESPN
NBA - 10:30 p.m. Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz – TNT
Friday, Jan. 20
NBA - 8:00 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Orlando Magic – ESPN
NBA - 10:30 p.m. Minnesota Timberwolves at L.A. Clippers ESPN
Saturday, Jan. 21
NCAAB - 12:00 p.m. Alabama at Kentucky – CBS
NCAAB - 12:00 p.m. Purdue at Michigan State - ESPN
NCAAB - 2:00 p.m. Missouri at Baylor – ESPN
NCAAB - 4:00 p.m. Florida State at Duke – ESPN
NCAAB - 7:00 p.m. Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks – Philips Arena
NCAAB - 7:30 p.m. Morehouse College at Tuskegee University – Tuskegee, Ala.
NCAAB - 9:00 p.m. Louisville at Pittsburgh – ESPN
Sunday, Jan. 22
NFL – 3:00 p.m. Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots – CBS
NFL – 6:30 p.m. New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers - FOX
Monday, Jan. 23
NCAAB - 7:00 p.m. Syracuse at Cincinnati – ESPN
NCAAB - 9:00 p.m. Texas A&M at Kansas - ESPN
Tuesday, Jan. 24
NCAAB - 7:00 p.m. Michigan at Purdue – ESPN
NCAAB - 9:00 p.m. Kentucky at Georgia – ESPN
Wednesday, Jan. 25
NCAAB - 7:00 p.m.Villanova at Louisville – ESPN
NCAAB - 9:00 p.m. Duke at Maryland – ESPN

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