Our World Media Magazine (Issue: 2 Winter 2016)

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Winter 2016Issue: 2

THE BUSINESS WOMAN

GROOVIN WITH MICHAEL BOLTON

NEW YOUNG CEO 2016NNEKA ONUORAH

A NEW YEAR TO BECOME A

NEW YOU

THE BIGELEPHANT IN THE

ROOM FOR THE NFL

SOUL TRAINAWARDS ON THE RED CARPET

WOMEN MAKING A DIFFERENCE

M E D I A M A G A Z I N E UR WORLD

DEAN BAQUETA MAN OF HIS TIMES

2016 PRESIDENTIAL RACE PUZZLE

PUNDITS

2 w w w . o u r w o r l d m e d i a m a g a z i n e . c o m Winter 2016

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Winter 2016 w w w . o u r w o r l d m e d i a m a g a z i n e . c o m 3

THE BUSINESS WOMAN-WOMEN MAKING A DIFFERENCE

14 | New Young CEO 2016 - Nneka Onuorah20 | Today’s Woman Michelle Stoddart23 | Business Woman - Cynthia DiBartolo24 | On the mark, get set, Dream – Dr. Rukiya A. Jeffers26 | Ms.Marcia Production

BUSINESS28 | Dean Baquet – A Man of His Times30 | 5 Key Tip For Effective Networking

ENTERTAINMENT 32 | Soul Train Awards - On The Red Carpet36 | The 11th Anniversary of The Circle of Sisters

40| Little Anthony 44 | Groovin with Michael Bolton

WORLD NEWS46 | Professor John Aguiyi nomnated for IITRED Prize

POLITICS47 | 2016 Presidential Race Puzzle Pundits51 | From Iowa to New Hampshire

COMMUNITY54 | Getting to know Dr.Norbert Sander Jr., MD (CEO and President of The Armory Foundation)

56 | “CEO with a BIG HEART”58 | Big Apple Basketball with Jason Curry60 | Milani Malik Facts64 | The Second Annual Milani Malik Elite Basketball Clinic

HEALTH/SPORTS66 | A New Year to become a New You68 | CONCUSSIONS-The Big Elephant in the room for the NFL70 | 2016 Emblem Health Hispanic Games Recap75 | Adidas Grand Prix recap80 | Usain Bolt

CONTENT



CO-OWNERS

George Onuorah & Joseph Swift

CHAIRWOMAN

Tiffany Goode

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONSPauline Swift

EDITOR-IN CHIEF

George Onuorah

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSNicole J. Augustine, Quentin V. Mezetin, Andre Waldron

Mia Hall, Justin Gaymon, O’Neil A. Reid, Bill Joseph, Steadmon Swift, Keisha McDonald, Tamika Ryan

CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR

Joseph Swift

PHOTOGRAPHERS Kheron Sutherland, Verity Rollins Jeff Dormeus, Ajamu, Joseph Swift

PHONE: 718-699-9706 | 917-674-2219 | 917-300-5570EMAIL: [email protected]

WEBSITE: OurWorldMediaMagazine.com | OurWorldMedia.com


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Editorial Commentary by Publisher

George C. Onuorah

Our World Media Magazine LLC wishes to thank our readers for your unflinching loyalty and support. When this magazine came into existent some two years ago, we celebrated at the Langston Hughes Library in Corona. The reason was that Langston Hughes Library remains one of the towering and recognizable educational edifice in our community of Corona and New York City. Our launch also signifies how we truly and rightfully place a very high premium on education and knowledge. Knowledge is power and we want to help continue to empower folks with information and knowl-edge that remains the quintessential agent of transformation. As a second-to-none news magazine we wanted not just to be like the rest of the magazines that stay on newsstands and collect dust since very few people are buying. OWM Magazine is also online as we seek to separate ourselves from the pack. We have arguably one of the best social media and photography team any organization can boast of, led by Mr. Joseph

Swift and other contributing team staff writers. They do such an awesome job making our content stand out in the trails of social media on Facebook, Instagram, Tweeter, LinkedIn etc. Our team place high premium on news accuracy and shuns the yellow journalism of perpetuating the insensitivity of hate, crisis, and controversy. In this age of social media saturated by all types’ hype, we find the thumbs-up from our readership refreshing. It warms our heart knowing many of you our readers appreciate our deep insight, authenticity and credibility.

In this edition you will read about some very thoughtful and illuminating interviews conducted by Ms. Pauline Swift. Ms. Swift experience and skill as a journalist is inviting. From the continent of Africa to America, Africa being the earliest cradle of human civilization, we salute the Month of February for being that month when the history of all African Americans in the United States and beyond is given special attention. Inspired by that credence, we have highlighted a few stories, one about a young up and coming African America female CEO Ms. Nneka Onuorah. Nneka is truly a trail-blazer with an inspiring story about espousing for egalitarianism of groups marginalized and demonstrated through the lens from her documentary “The Same Difference”. You are also invited to read about Dr. Rukiya Jefers who competed in track last sum-mer in Europe making the United States very proud. Dr. Jefers wears many hats which you will come to find out as well.

Other equally important story we cannot overlook is about democracy American style. Every four years in America a new president is elected and sworn-in to office. The battle between Democratic and Republican Party to see who clinches the mandate of the electorate has historically been very fierce. But this presidential election 2016 has fire, fury and brimstone thrown into the heat of the contest. Little wonder why you hear the expression, those who cannot stand the heat stay out of the kitchen. This year we bring you the clash of titans with billionaire real-estate mogul Donald Trump and Jeb Bush from the Bush dynasty with other Republican candidates chasing the coveted mandate to become next president succeeding President Obama. On the Democratic side, Former First Lady, United States senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is engaged in an intense fight with a septuagenarian progressive socialist senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders to see who will be the Democratic Party flag bearer. In the end, money and machine are essentially what plays pivotal role to win an election. Instead of Smoke, Screen and mirror, I want to add orchestrated calculation of political consultants continues to play key role in catapulting candidates to election victory.

As a political science scholar, author, an astute observer of politics for more than three decades I have put together some insightful and illumination articles you cannot wait to read. So I invite you to do so in this edition of our magazine which you will find online and in other social media platforms. We also encourage you to give us your feedbacks as you read our magazine. We want to continue to improve and become better in this trade. No man is an island and so we want to continue to demonstrate the capacity to feed you with the most accurate news untainted by politics and insensitivity that has misrepresent the noble profession of journalism in recent times. Peace!

George C. Onuorah



DEAR FRIENDS,

I’d like to personally thank you for taking the time out to experience Our World Me-dia Magazine. All people no matter where they’re from, race, color, sex, height, etc. Share one thing…this world. The only difference is how we perceive it. If you want to hear all the bad negative news that 90% of all media throws out there be my guest. Come See Our World through different lens. See the creative, diverse, motivating, inspiring, dynamic, people from all over making the world better using their natural God-Given Gifts.

OWM has become the platform that for all to shine their light ranging from Successful Entrepreneurs, Honest Politicians, Community leaders, major contributors, Leading Foundations, and distinguished men and women who all contribute to making the

world a better place. While some speak that the world is full of hate and dying, we prove that statement false by continually publishing how much life, love, and freedom is still here and growing.

Now are there things in the world happening that are frowned upon, yes. Are we blind to it? Through our contributions we have made a growing impact helping those in need and as Martin Luther King stated, “Being a voice to the unheard”. Again Thank you for experience Our World Media we appreciate you making a difference in Our World

Joseph Swift

Joseph SwiftCo-Owner


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BUSINESS

Nneka Onuorah

“I can do all things through

Christ that strengthens

me.”

Photographer: @JSwiftPhotos www.swiftphotos.netMake-up by: @lipsticknpistol www.styleseat.comBarber by: @basiccelebrity

New Young CEO

2016

By: Pauline Swift

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Photo By: Joseph Swift


How does it feel to see your documentary on screen?

Man it feels so nervous and incredible to know my movie is ac-tually playing in mainstream theaters. At times it feels so unreal every time I do a screening that it’s difficult for me to watch the film instead I let everybody else watch the film. I give up my seat because as an artist you’re always critiquing your work and you always see places that it can become better and stronger. I critique my work for technical you know. I wouldn’t really be watching it so enjoy it but what is really exciting is being in those screenings and watching people’s reactions to certain parts of the movies sometimes they laughed. Sometimes I cry and other times smiling as I have different emotions watching the same difference. My movie gives me an emotional roller coaster in every city. We sold out in 19 cities I have travelled to. It goes to show my incredible hard work did not go in vein.

How long did it take for you to complete your film?

It took me a year and a half to complete my film. Documentary filmmaking specifically takes quite a while to finish people spend like 10 years sometimes working on documentaries but mine was fairly a quicker turnaround a lot of that is because of money, you know? Time is money. It takes more budget the more time you take. The more time you spend, the more money you’re spending and I did this film out-of-pocket. I said to myself I was going to do my first film mostly out of my own pocket. I saved money for six years after working as a producer at BET Network and I made my dream come true at least you know Head Start. I used my money so I think that played a part in it taking a shorter amount of time to finish but I hope that on my next film I can spend a lot more time on it and I definitely will have so much more budget to work with now that I’ve shown what I’m capable of.

As African American women, have you experienced any discrimination in the work place or at school?

As an African-American woman I haven’t received discrimination in the workplace. I was working for BET networks where people were mostly African-American lol so discrimination definitely wasn’t an issue there. My job before I got into television was in politics so when I was in politics I was also accepted as one the only black women working in my office. I got more discrimi-nation from people when I was growing up. You know being a woman in my own community who presented a masculine and feminine side of the spectrum, there was discrimination coming up with my own community regarding my sexuality

but in terms of work I’ve been very fortunate.

What inspired you to do this film?

I wanted to tell a story that had not been told in the media through my eyes. Through the way I grew up. I knew I had a

voice in media and I had influence. So I decided to tell a story about something that I dealt with growing up. I had seen peo-ple in my community (the lesbian community as well as the African-American community in general) discriminate and put each other in boxes, limit one another, and I thought we needed something to bring us all back together. Something to check ourselves. I did so through using the lesbian community. It’s important to tell different stories in mainstream media because media often silences people. I think it’s important that people see themselves reflected on television no matter if they’re men-tally ill, if their sexuality is not considered the majority, race, circumstance, not matter if they their sexuality doesn’t fit with the majority I think we should all be represented and treated as equal so I took my platform created the same difference to help build up a community that I see fall apart before my eyes. I wanted to help by being a leader instead of running away for my community. I see a lot of discrimination happening within our communities - that’s what stifles us as African-Americans. I wanted to give a voice to the voiceless and that’s what I intend to do for my generation.

What do you want people to know about you Nneka?

What do I want people to know about Nneka? I want people to know that Nneka is a child of God. I want people to know that I was put here to help facilitate some of the great things that my



generation is going to do. A lot of people want to say the younger generation is this and that but we are warriors we are fighters we are protesters we are strong we are smart we are innovative and I want to contribute to that that movement I want people to know that they are heard. I want people to know that I’m not going to stop until everyone sees themselves represented in media even if I have to create my own platforms. I want people to know and they feel that they can do anything. That’s how I feel about myself and that’s what I think of others. All of us can do anything it’s just a matter of how hard we work. It’s about not giving up. Not letting life take you out. Work ethic, a good spirit, and God will take you a long way. We are all incredible people who are here for a reason. Tap into it. Being a professional dancers, is this where your artistic side was developed?

Yes - I used to be a dancer, I think being a dancer influenced my artistic side for sure. As a dancer you tell a story through your body. When I danced I use to bring the motions to life. As a producer - Construct stories, I make them make them colorful and jarring and entertaining. I evoke emotions out of viewers. It’s like I was always meant to be a storyteller. I just know how God gave me the gift of storytelling through my body, he gave it through my words, and now he get he gave me a gift as as a director When I was a child I would have all my friends come in my living room and I would teach them dance moves and if they got them wrong I would yell at them and boss them around and construct things and it’s not until now that I realize, hey those are symptoms of a director. Life just led me to becoming a director and I finally found what I am here for. All the characteristics of how I am are a part of being a director. The story telling, facilitating how things should look, managing people, asking lots of questions. These are all things I do innately. So to be yourself for a living. What more do you need?

How are you promoting your film?

I mostly promote my film through social media. I’ve gathered a huge social media following, I’m not sure how- but over the years I’ve gotten more and more of a following so I only pro-mote my film online. It’s good to connect with people there because that is where we spend most of our time on our phones and looking at people’s lives. I get people to talk about my film on social media. A lot of people spend a lot of money on promotion but you can save a lot of money by doing it to social media it’s the most incredible tool we have. Social media allows us to take control over our careers now. Some are even making a career out of this phenomenon- think it’s fantastic

What has been the response from the public about your film?

The response to my film was incredible we sell out every city and I’m still surprised every time I go to theater. I’m like are people really going to show up? Then we pack out the whole house. It’s the most incredible feeling ever to do work and people actually are like wow we really appreciate how you really inspired us and helped us change. We learned something. It’s the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done in my life.

What is your next project?

I’m doing a series of 5 projects. All a part of the theme of giving a voice to the voiceless. One story is about an immigrant coming to the United States and creating the American Dream for themselves. Another nar-rative film about a young girl who enters into the Special Olympics when her family tells her she isn’t capable. There are two more that will be revealed at a later date. But I am excited to introduce some stories people may not know about.



What advice would you give a person such as yourself getting into the field of entertainment?

The advice I would give someone coming into the industry is to be tough. This industry is rough...you know? You have a lot of people who may not understand what your mission is but you have to be strong anyway. Have conviction and know who you are and be confident about who you are when you walk into the room. I think it’s important to understand that

people are not always your friend and you have to know that this is business and stick to business. You have to know that in spite of always hearing no that you always can turn it into it to yes its just about not quitting. That is what separates you from everyone else is not giving up. A lot of people give up prematurely and they are almost there at the finish line and I think that it’s important to know that when you enter into this industry you get a lot of no’s but that one yes can change your entire life . Always keep going. Focus on a goal and follow through. Execute it to your best. Keep great relationships with people but don’t mistake that for them being your family. Be aware of the deals you sign. Have a good lawyer. Hire people who are passionate and believe in you. Not people who are trying to take you. Lastly, do the career that is the thing you enjoy most that takes the least amount of effort. That is how you create longevity.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years hopefully see myself having directed three films that hopefully have impacted the generation to move the cul-ture forward. I see myself hopefully with some children and continuing to help people abroad. I want my stories to travel internationally. I want to continue helping those people who have the struggles that I’m going to now. Once I get over that hurdle I want to help people get through it because it’s defi-nitely difficult doing it by yourself, trying to figure out how to navigate the system on your own. So once I crack the code I want to share how I did that with other people. I also will be CEO of a major company.

Do you have a special quote?

My quote is “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me” I know that sounds cliché like for people who are Chris-tians but I really truly believe that I can do anything. God does things through us, and I believe that anything I accomplish is going be because of him and no one and nothing can ever stop me from doing what He says. I was ordained by Him to do his work. I’ll continue. n


BUSINESS


PAULINE SWIFT of Our World Media Speaking with Mi-chelle Stoddart the Director of Public Relations and Com-munity Development at Resort WorldCasino, Queens, NY

PAULINE - Thank you for your time! Can you tell me a lit-tle about yourself and what you do for Resort World Casino?

MICHELLE - I started with Resorts World Casino about 4 years ago as part of the opening team. My job is to commu-nicate all things great about the casino to the world and es-pecially to the community. Resorts World Casino came into this communityto build a successful business, which they have done and also be a part of this community by listening to any concerns or needs that our neighbors may have with us being here and addressing them.

It’s my job to go out and be a liaison between the commu-nity and the Casino by developing and maintaining a good relationship.

PAULINE - How did you get started doing Public Relations Work? Can you give a little bit about your background?

MICHELLE - Sure, I went to Kingsborough Community College majored in English and then went to Baruch college did English. I started working at Essence magazine also worked at a Caribbean Magazine called “Everybody’s Mag-azine”. I did marketing at the same time, but my love for Public Relations took over. I left that world and went into Economic Development at Woman’s Venture fund. There I learned how to turn small businesswoman into successful businesswoman, this experience was inspiring. From Wom-an’s Venture Fund I went to Queens Economics Develop-ment Corporation to further my work with them. In my interview,

for Director Of Woman’s Business Development, the Execu-tive Director saw a need that he could fill with not only my current skills, but with skills I

talked about from my past life. And I became Director of Marketing, for

Queens Economic Development Corporation. In that Role I really marketed the Borough itself, helped developed their Tasting Events; Th Taste ofQueens.

I also helped developed Queens Restaurant Week, and also marketed all our cultural organizations to the world. And as you know year’s later Queens is now the hot destination the next destination in New York and in the country. My Next Step was to look for something that had a broader and more international scope, and Resorts World proved to be the perfect opportunity. Allowing me to be a part of this project that Queens and the state of New York has looked forward to for over 20 years that has such a

global reach, I am very fortunate, to be here and it has been very exciting the whole ride.

PAULINE - What are Public Relations or what does being A Public Relations Entails?

MICHELLE - So that aspect of the job is to identify your client. My client is Resorts World Casino and it’s my job to get positive outcomes for Resort

World Casino, and also to explain any issues that need to be addressed. I am the person that will address it to the public and explain exactly what happened in a difficult situation, but for the most part “you are really pushing out all the positive things that happen with the property. In terms of

TODAY'S WOMAN MICHELLE STODDART



Resorts World Casino we are speaking about all the won-derful entertainment, gaming, if you are someone who likes to game meaning you like to come in and play the slots, We have the Best Location to do it, convenient parking, won-derful restaurants we have live entertainment and special performances and trade shows.

PAULINE - How do you Identify problem gamblers?

MICHELLE - One of the things we look out for is frequen-cy, any sort of change in the persons mood and demeanor. Somebody might have started coming once a week and now we are seeing them every day, with probably less monetary play. You may want to ask them is everything okay? or what is going on ? Our staff are trained to provide them with resources, such as referring them to the Center for Excellence on Problem Gambling or providing them with the num-ber 1-877 HOPE-NY which is listed on all the machines throughout the casino to encourage them to reach out.

PAULINE - Tell me some of the fun parts of your career as I know you must meet a lot of entertainers.

MICHELLE - That of course is certainly a highlight. My en-tire career, I have been fortunate to have that proximity with almost every job that I have had, I have been able to meet some of my idols, musical actors, people you look up to because of respect for their craft. Being able to take a picture with Al B Sure and putting it on your social media page, that part is really fun and then realizing that they are really great people.

PAULINE - I hear an accent, Where are you from?

MICHELLE - I am from Jamaica, West Indies, tand was born in Salvamar closest to Negril. Negril was my backyard playground. We would be at the beach every weekend that was my mall, that’s where I would go to hangout and that was really great and then my Family moved to the United States andwe have been in New York ever since.

PAULINE - What advice will you share or give a young person as your self who would want to enter this wonderful field?

MICHELLE - Definitely you would have to be very driven, Its very competitive, you are competing for access every time so you have to figure out how am I going to get the access versus somebody else. You want to befirst. You want to be

on point. You want to do the your research and always be able to speak to the needs of the person you are trying to get or the paper you are trying to get to. How does the research fulfill a need for them? And really love doing research, love knowing exactly what your subject matter is going to be about and all that you can learn about that person will help you to have a great conversation with them.

PAULINE - What haven’t you done in your career that you would like to do?

MICHELLE- Probably just more international work! If I get the opportunity to go to Europe, Asia or Africa, That would be great, to be able to say I have worked on or worked in any of those places. The extent of my career in the Caribbe-an and the United states, going oversees to Europe, Asia or Africa would be great.

PAULINE - Michelle I am so glad to have done this inter-view because I know you work behind the scenes with all the entertainers and that usually is the highlight of most peoples day to be able to interact. Which person or celebrity have you met that you been excited to see? Or somebody that you idolize that you finally got to meet?

MICHELLE - Well, it was not here but I got to meet the artist Prince. And the experience was mind blowing he was awesome it was as though a light was glowing around him so that was pretty special. And, I would love to meet Stevie Wonder in person; I think that would be really great.

PAULINE - Michelle, What is your daily life like? What is a day in your life like from the time you get up to the time you start? What is a Public Relations Directors?

MICHELLE - Sure, It’s a lot of reading, catching up on what going on, not only in the world but also within this industry. There are lot of changes in gaming going on in New York State so we are constantly following that news. And trying to figure out how it will affect us and the deci-sions we make on the property.I will start my morning at 5:30am - 6am, immediately grab my phone and start reading everything that is out there, flipping from CNN, New York1 to find the local news, reading the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, bouncing all over to see where the stories are that would be relevant to me. Then when you come in, you start on the emails, and you are going through departmental emails and external emails.



Another aspect of what I do is community relations, we get many requests for donations and sponsorships. This depart-ment also handles all the complaints from anyone that may be on the floor that may have an issue or they maybe giving us accolades to one our staff members, so I am responsible for handling all of this. You may spend the day logging all the information, getting answers if someone is saying they had a problem at the Cage or they had a problem at the Genting Rewards Booth. You have to figure out that situation and then be able to get back to them with a response.

It’s just going through all the different aspects of the job, and getting to 6-7,8 o clock hoping that nothing happens and then you can get up and go home. But it’s a full day and sometimes its goes on. I have done 48 hours on property straight, or 72 hours embroiled in situations, sometimes it is a good situation. The television show, Elementary was filmed on the property, I was the only executive here, it was exciting because they were going to blow up a car, on the property. The ex-perience was great, because they were shooting right here”, and It’s one of my favorite shows. It’s really about being flexible with your time and what you’re doing, because you never know, what is going to happen and you have to react to it.

PAULINE - I thank you for this interview, Michelle And I hope we will be able to work with together and do something again in the future,

Thank You n


Our World Media Magazine had the opportunity to sit-down with Cynthia DiBartolo who is the owner of Tigress Finical

Partners, LLC and Independent Investment Banking and Brokerage Firm. March is the month when we salute women owned businesses. Cynthia is dedicated to the principles of diversity and inclusion. Wall street is a meritocracy and we strive to complete for business based on our capacities and abilities. This has been the basis of our competitive advantage. Mrs. DiBartolo is a member of the White House Business Council

and executive board member of business and labor Coalition of New York. Mrs. DiBartolo currently serves as chairperson of the Greater NY Chamber of Commerce, an organization that provides valuable services to businesses and civic leaders who represent the backbone of the Greater New York Business Community. We solute you Mrs. Cynthia DiBartolo.

Business Woman Cynthia DiBartolo

By: Pauline Swift

BUSINESS

Dr. Rukiya A. Jeffers

“If your dreams don’t scare you,

they are not

BIGenough.”


Rukiya Jeffers doesn’t wait for her goals, opportunities, and dreams to come to her, Rukiya Jeffers runs to them and through them.

Rukiya started out as an avid runner from Queens, NY. Excelling in running took her through mastering Track, Cross Country, all the way up the ladder to representing USA at the World Masters Track and Field Championships where she became a Silver Medalist in the 4x400 meter relay.

Mastering her passion of running all across the world laid the foundation to unlocking her other passions, living out her dreams, and achieving massive success. Running taught Rukiya the mindset and discipline that one needs to stay motivated and become successful in anything you put your mind to.

It wasn’t always an easy path to run, as life would always have it. With unforeseen obstacles or setbacks which can even get scary times. However, Rukiya lives by the quote stated by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, The President of Liberia who stated, “If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not BIG enough.”

With Rukiya’s ambition, energy, and mindset for success, she ran through even more dreams, at such a young age, than most people. Rukiya always loved doing makeup, realizing her passion, she became the founder and CEO of Lavish Beauty Bridal. Last year alone the skincare industry earned, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs, an estimated over $24 Billion and is projected to grow at 7% annually. Lavish Beauty Bridal is positioned perfectly for global success.

Rukiya has mastered her education by obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Northeastern Univer-sity, Master’s Degree in Education from Lehman College and Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from CICA International University and Seminary. Rukiya is also a member of the pres-tigious Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

With Rukiya’s continued success she has a heart of gold. With her free time, she takes on responsibilities to give back. You can find Rukiya giving speeches as the President of her International Toastmasters Club, The Emerging Speakers of Elmont. Teaching other effective communication and leader-ship skills while learning at the same time. You can also find her working with the Global When in Need Foundation giving back to the community. You can also, to no surprise, find Rukiya

at the track coaching and mentoring future runners to go for the gold, run to their dreams, run through their dreams, and achieve their massive success.

Rukiya’s next goal is to take her experience and life achieve-ments to change the lives of even more people by becoming an author and motivational speaker. Rukiya is the prime example of how beautiful your life can be, and it all starts with you taking the first step. n

By: Quentin Mezetin

On the Mark, Get Set, Dream



BUSINESS

Ms. MarciaProductions

Photo By: GAR Pictures

"Nothing in life that you truly want is easy. If you

continue to work hard, stay focus, and drown out all the unnecessary madness thrown your way, you will

be able to succeed."

Born March 2, 1987, Marcia Adams, also known as Ms. Marcia, is originally from Virginia Beach, VA. In the year 2000, Ms. Marcia’s mom felt the need to move her and her sister to Georgia for hopes of a better future for her children. Growing up Ms. Marcia was diligent in her studies and was frequently known to be a top student in her class.

While attending Osborne High School, Ms. Marcia was a well-rounded student. She led as class president her sophomore year and later went on to graduate high school with honors. Upon graduation, Ms. Marcia had an urge to fuel her entre-preneurial spirit. Her daring and adventurous spirit pushed her to start her own business as a booking agent for dancers in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

With her leadership skills and strong sense of individuality, Ms. Marcia has now made her mark as a freelance photogra-pher/videographer and model with her company: Ms. Marcia Productions. She has studied and mastered her craft on and off the scenes. Ms. Marcia is bringing a completely different element to the industry with the flexibility to be able to ma-neuver in front of and behind the camera.

Ms. Marcia has also lured audiences with her jaw-dropping photos that have created a platform for natural, curvy models. Her work has been featured in GGurls, World Latin Star, Kurves N’ Cakes, and Kaboom Magazine. Taking a step out-side of the “vixen” stereotype, she likes to think of herself as a “chameleon translating photographic fantasies.” Her ability to be unique and create new concepts as a model/photographer has aided to her success thus far.

In the future, Ms. Marcia plans to continue to build her production company, obtain major modeling contracts, ven-ture into acting, and enhance her skills as a photographer and videographer. She would also like to share her journey with young women in hopes of becoming a positive role model and a testament to go after your dreams and never give up. n

BUSINESS

Dean BaquetA MAN OF HIS TIMES


By: Pauline Swift

What an honor speaking with the first Afri-can American editor in the history of the New York Times. A powerhouse executive at the same time a humble man, I asked Dean

Baquet throughout the years you have received numerous awards, which one you do you hold dearest to your heart and why? He stated the Pulitzer Prize for investigation reporting. In 1988 he won this award for corruption in the Chicago City Council. Dean also spoke on his life growing up in New Orleans. He stated he is the son of a well-known New Orleans restaurant owner. Baquet graduated from St. Augustine high school in 1974. He studied English at Columbia University but stopped to peruse journalism. After college Baquet worked at the Times Picayune of New Orleans and Chicago Tribune. I asked Dean Baquet, what advise would you give to inspiring young person who wants to enter the field of journalism? He stated you must have a college degree today unlike when he started and college is a must if you want to succeed in today’s world. n

Dean Baquet Executive Editor of the New York Times


BUSINESS

5 Key Tips For Effective Networking By Kayode Malomo

1. Build your business through networking

One of the key reasons for networking is to be able to take your business to the next level. In this fast paced and ever changing world, word of mouth, having an online presence or utilizing social media is simply not enough to achieve business success.

An integrated approach which combines “word of mouth”, social media and meeting people of diverse backgrounds face to face offers better results. I strongly encourage you to attend events and participate in activities outside of your existing network. Joining a local chamber of commerce close to you and attending local business associations

keeps you abreast of what is going on in your community.

2. Elevate your brand through effective networking

Networking is a great way to create awareness and elevate your brand. Engage in community activities for good causes as well. For example, support a charity organization that invests in the future of youths through education. You can do well in business by doing well! As you navigate your social media handles (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram etc.), be sure to make contributions that add value. Share articles, events and stories that are valuable and encourages people to remember you. Make sure you are known for something positive online and also take a class at your local community college. As long as you are green, you are growing. Public speaking is also an effective way to network. Make the very best use of opportunities to share your experiences and professional expertise. Mentoring young professionals also helps you to build yourself as a leader. For me, LinkedIn has become an invaluable tool to develop relationships with other professionals and people of like minds.

3. Utilize the wealth of resources within your network

Information is Power! Some of the people that will give you the best advice at no cost at all are within your network. Before you invest in a big ticket item or take a major step, be sure to speak with someone in your network who is knowledgeable and has experience navigating the challenges in what you are trying to accomplish. Having input from those you consider ‘rivals’ might in fact offer you a fresh perspective in looking at things. Effective networking might even create opportunities to collaborate on projects you might not have necessary skillset to accomplish.

4. Be a Great Connector!

During my last birthday, a group of friends hosted me to a surprise dinner at my favorite restaurant. As we had dinner, each one of them took a few minutes each to say a few words about how I had impacted them one way or the other. One thing was common in several of their short speeches. More than half of them mentioned how I had connected them to one resource or the other when they were about to start or grow their business.

Offering positive advice and connecting people with the right resources has helped me expand my network. Ensure you are connecting people to reliable and experienced resources though. You can be rest assured that they will show their appreciation



or try to reciprocate the gesture in the near future.

5. Within your network lies top talent!

It is common knowledge that most jobs these days are not even advertised. I often tap into my network before making hiring decisions or asking for recommendations. A recent article by the Wall Street Journal suggests that up to 80 percent of jobs are never advertised, either online or anywhere else. Recommendations from Professionals in your network can save you lots of time and energy you might have spent on prospecting. Tapping into your network can also help nonprofit organizations secure supporters, volunteers and advisors. Be sure to clearly communicate your needs so you can get the right kind of help! Utilize your network to attract and retain top talent. More than anything else, enjoy the experience and learn something new.

Wishing you the very best with your networking!

Kayode Malomo, MBA has over 14 years experience in business development, project management and marketing in the financial, healthcare and IT industries. Malomo holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Temple University’s Fox School of Business, Philadelphia, USA and has also completed his executive education in leadership and healthcare at the Harvard Medical School. Malomo writes business plans for startups and growing businesses, conducts financial and mar-keting workshops and connects entrepreneurs to technical assistance. Kayode loves to paint and is also the co-founder of MalomsyArt Gallery www.malomsyart.com n


http://www.malomsyart.com


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Red Carpet Rundown: Presented by Toyota

1. Erykah Badu 2. Big Tigger 3. Vivian Green 4. Tank 5. Jill Scott 6. Avant 7. Raven Goodwin



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Red Carpet Rundown: Presented by Toyota

1. Eva marcille 2. Tisha Campbell Martin 3. Debra L. Lee 4. R.Kelly 5. Jideanna 6. Felicia Walker Benson 7. Raven Goodwin 8. Wendy Raquel Robinson



SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2015 celebrated the greatest legends of soul music alongside today’s brightest new stars at the unforget-table show, which aired on CENTRIC and BET November 29, 2015. The evening was

the hippest trip led by the illest chick, Erykah Badu, who opened the night by performing a medley of her memorable hits including “Danger,” “On & On,” and “Love of My Life.”

The Weeknd led the pack of winners with Best R&B/Soul Male Artist and Album of the Year while Mark Ronson Ft. Bruno Mars also took home two awards for Video of the Year and Song of the Year for “Up-town Funk.” Artists were honored in 12 different categories and additional winners included Jidenna (Best New Artist), Kendrick Lamar (Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year), Tyrese (Centric Certified Award), and more. The full list of winners is below.

During the star-studded broadcast L.A. Reid pre-sented Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds with the Legend Award. After accepting the accolade, the celebrated producer and R&B legend performed some of his

classics with Brandy, Fantasia, surprise guest Bobby Brown, Boyz II Men and Tevin Campbell. Jill Scott was presented with the first-ever Lady of Soul Award with a special tribute video from industry’s top exec-utives and artists such as Whoopi Goldberg, Usher and more speaking to Scott’s energy and creativity. Scott blew the crowd away with a selection of her most beloved hits including “Back Together,” “Long Walk,” “It’s Love,” “Golden,” “Cross My Mind,” and “Whatever.” Additional singers that took the stage were Tyrese, Jeremih, Cameo, Lion Babe, Jazmine Sullivan, Erica Campbell, V. Bozeman, Tasha Cobbs and After 7. R&B favorite R. Kelly closed out the show with some of his hottest tracks including “Your Body’s Callin’,” “When A Woman’s Fed Up,” “Igni-tion,” “Mind’s Tellin’ Me,” “Step In…” and his brand new single “Backyard Party,” throwing his own dance party on stage to celebrate.

Alongside all the amazing performances, Erykah Badu, Chrisette Michele, K-Ci, Lalah Hathaway and Eddie Levert appeared in the first-ever Soul Train Soul Cypher.

SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2015 WINNERS• Best New Artist – Jidenna• Best R&B/Soul Male Artist – The Weeknd• Centric Certified Award – Tyrese• Video of the Year – Mark Ronson Ft. Bruno Mars –

“Uptown Funk”• Best Gospel and/or Inspirational Song – Lecrae –

“All I Need Is You”• Album of the Year – The Weeknd - “Beauty Behind

the Madness”• Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year – Kendrick Lamar –

“Alright”

• Best R&B/Soul Female Artist – Jill Scott • Song of the Year – Mark Ronson Ft. Bruno Mars –

“Uptown Funk”• The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s AwardGlory”

(From the Motion Picture “Selma”) – Written By: Lonnie Rashid Lynn, John Roger Stephens and Che Smith (Common & John Legend)

• Best Dance Performance – Silento – Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)

• Best Collaboration – Omarion Ft. Chris Brown & Jhené Aiko – “Post To Be”


ENTERTAINMENT

The 11th anniversary of The Circle of Sisters Program, held at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Attended by Enter-tainment Director Pauline Swift.

A memorable weekend spent with the Circle of Sisters, Hot 97 radio, WBLS, and WLIB. The interview room featured what’s happening in the entertainment world and business. Richard Brooks stopped by for a quick interview, co-star of Being Mary Jane, as well as Richard Roundtree. This is their third season on BET Networks. I asked what is upcoming on the new season of Being Mary Jane, Mr. Brooks responded “ More Sex”. Also in the house from the hit series Power, was Naturi Naughton along with Rotimi. The Power series is in their third season as well. We look forward to Ms. Naughton singing career take off during the new season. We also had Omar Gooding and Angell Conwell from Family Time.

Family Time chronicles the lives of the recently relocated Stallworth Family, guided by Tony (Omar Gooding), a struggling general contractor, and Lisa (Angell Canwell), an unfulfilled stay-a-home mom. These high school sweethearts lovingly quarrel with each other and their mischievous children Devin (Bentley Kyle Evans, Jr.) and Ebony (Jayla Calhoun) as they make up their own rules to love, marriage and family along the way. When they are not battling each other they are contending with a host of family, friends and battling each other, including Lisa’s feisty sisters Rachel (Tanjareen Martin) and Lori (Paula Jai Packer), all set in the tight-knit suburban community of Windsor Hills.

The Circle of Sisters Expo is known for having established entertainers under one roof. Here is just a few to name, Loni Love from The Real, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Hot 97’s Ebro, DJ Khaled and Diggy Simmons along with Donnie Simpson from BET Networks. Attending The Circle of Sisters is always a blissful experience; Our World Media Magazine is looking forward to next year’s event.

THE 11TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIRCLE OF SISTERS

Circle of Sisters Day 1

11th ANNIVERSARY CIRCLE OF SISTERSFashion Show by:Her Game 2 at Jacob Javits Convention Center

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSEPH SWIFT

11th ANNIVERSARY CIRCLE OF SISTERSGospel Explosion Concert

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSEPH SWIFT


ENTERTAINMENT

LittleAnthony



Our World Media Reporter Pauline Swift interviewed Jerome Anthony Gourdine, popularly known as “Little Anthony” of the legendary Rhythm and Blues group, “Little Anthony and the Imperials”. Mr. Gourdine was performing at the Resorts World Casino in Queens; N.Y. Pauline was able to interview him there.

Pauline - Hi, how are you?

Little Anthony - Hi Pauline, how are you?

Pauline - It’s a great honor to speak with you.

Little Anthony - Really?

Pauline - Yes it is. I’ve been watching you since I was a kid.

Little Anthony - Oh Dear, that’s not good.

Pauline - (Laughter)

Pauline - It’s a wonderful thing. You have a great legacy. One thing in particular that I wanted to ask you, How have you been able to sustain your career all of these years? You have a great record. What is your secret?

Little Anthony - I’ve been very blessed to be associated with some of the finest writers and producers that you could possibly associate with. That’s number one. They took me under their wing because they said I had a very unusual voice, they said it was very identifiable. I had an opportunity to work with a lot of wonderful people. Even as a kid at seventeen years old I worked with George Golden, President of Gordian Records which was a huge independent record company in those days. That’s where I recorded “Tears on My Pillow” and “Shimmy Shimmy CoCo Bop”as a kid. Our musical background was very broad. I love classicals and I go to operas. I also go to jazz performances, all kinds of music. So we had a pretty wide-open understanding of what music was about. Even then we were street corner singers. We went from recording stars to performing stars. A lot of our contemporaries did not evolve. A lot of their managers told them “this is what’s happening now”. They kept talking about the “good old days”. Well, these are the good old days right now. We started doing things that other groups weren’t doing. We started working the ‘Borscht circuit” up state in the Catskill Mountains in New York. We worked in resorts like the Concord, Browns and places like that. Others groups just weren’t doing that. The only other group that I knew was doing stuff like that was my idols, “The Flamingos”, Nate Nelson and his Flamingos. Terry Johnson also. They were ahead of their time too. We were looking to see what they were doing. We were getting the idea of what entertainment was. I have a book out, “My Journey, My Destiny”.

Pauline - What is it about?

Little Anthony - It’s about my journey, about all the different people I’ve met. It’s not a “me” book. I’m not just talking about me; it’s about meeting and performing with these great stars. Talking to them and having them impart some of their

knowledge and wisdom to me. I’ve had people tell me that it was so sad that certain people have passed away. I tell them that they are not dead; they are still in my heart. I was very fortunate where a lot of other artists weren’t.

Pauline - I understand.

Little Anthony - It’s like Motown, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye; all of them took that leap forward. When I started out in the late fifties I called it the “Stone Age” of Rock and Roll. We were visionaries; we didn’t know why we thought like that. We just wanted to know if we could sing a four-part harmony, could we learn to read music, do a jazz thing. We were very curious. I hope that answers your question. I know that was a very long answer.

Pauline - It does, it really does. Can you tell me little about what you’re doing presently?

Little Anthony - I’m doing an album coming out in October I hope. I just did one that was a lot of fun with the great George Benson.

Pauline -What was it like working with him?

Little Anthony - It was great. I’ve known him a long time. He would always say “One of these days we’re going to do duet together”. Finally it has happened, years later and I’m very happy about that.

Little Anthony - Explained that sometimes when a singer is labeled as the “lead” singer of a group sometimes a kind of separation occurs like Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smoky Robinson and the Miracles. Today most of the time he per-forms as just Little Anthony.

Pauline - Can you tell me who in the business today do you admire?

Little Anthony - I like Beyoncé; she’s a hard working lady. She’s the real deal. She goes out there and busts her behind every show. She gives it all she’s got. Like Sammy Davis once told me, “We all know who the phonies are”. She’s not one of them. George Benson is another one I admire, that’s a given. I came out of the Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra era. I don’t notice a lot of the performers today. I do tend to notice the female performers though, like Mariah Carey. She turned me on the first time I heard her. Whew! Of course Beyoncé. There are not many male stars today.

Pauline - No there’s not.

Little Anthony -There’s really no one for me to latch onto except those that came before me.




Pauline - What advice would you give to a young person starting out in the field of entertainment today?

Little Anthony - First and foremost I would tell them that they have to have a passion for what they’re doing. You see Michael Jordan, he has a passion. Kobe Bryant, Shaq, those people have a passion for what they are doing. Like Sammy Davis, the great ones always have this passion. That’s the gift that they have, that’s what they like to do and they pursue that. If you want to be a rapper because you think that’s one way to get out of the hood, that’s one thing, but you have to have a passion. I can tell Jay Z has a passion for what he does, I can see it. Anytime you do from “Annie” “It’s a Hard Luck Life” that’s where his passion was. It has to be something that that’s all you want to do. That’s foremost. I’m very blessed to come out of a very large family. Mom and Dad were married for fifty years. I had a lot of aunts and other people to keep me grounded. A lot of kids coming up today don’t have that.

Pauline - Are any of your children involved in music?

Little Anthony – No Even though they can sing, my son Tony is my Business Manager. He used to sing a lot. My other son Damon is a good singer but he’s in the aerodynamics business up in Seattle. He makes more money than I do. (laughs) They are all different but none of them have the passion for enter-taining. When I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn I thought New Jersey was foreign country. Singing brought me to places in the world I would have never gone to.

Pauline - I heard you grew up in the Fort Green projects in Brooklyn.

Little Anthony - Yes, that’s right.

Pauline - How did you get out?

Little Anthony - I wasn’t trying to get out. I thought that was it. I thought that was how you were supposed to live like. My Father took me to the city (Manhattan) I saw big buildings and said to myself I think I would like to live there. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, I just knew that I could sing, and I wanted to sing. As I went along I would have paid you to sing. After a while people started putting money in my hand for singing and I said to myself, “Wow, people get paid for doing this”. So now it’s a business, show business, as well as a passion.

Pauline - Is there anything that you would like to do that you haven’t done?

Little Anthony - There’s quite a few things that I would like to do. Vocally I have a lot of ideas. I want to combine the classics with me singing some of the R&B tunes. I’ve been dabbling with that. I’m trying to figure that out. It’s possible but it takes people around you with vision.

Pauline - Do you write songs?

Little Anthony - Smokey is a singer that writes. I’m a singer that sometimes writes.

Pauline - Which one of your hits is the one that you knew right away was going to be a hit?

Little Anthony - “Going out Of My Head, without a doubt. That’s in the book too. Soon as we heard, each of us in the group said “Wow”. We knew it was something special. It’s just like this song I did with George. It gave us a jolt.

Pauline - Is there something that the public doesn’t know that you would like them to know?

Little Anthony - I keep talking about my book. I’m shame-less. If I had to sit and tell you right now it would take hours.



I could talk about the ups and downs, the good the bad, the good people, the bad people, the good influences, the bad influences, the triumphs, the joys, etc. I once read an interview of Thomas Edison by one of the NY news report-ers who asked him, “How does it feel to fail in one of your experiment nine times?” He said “I didn’t fail I just learned how not to do that”.

Pauline - What experiences have you had in the past that made a mark on your life that made a difference?

Little Anthony - That’s an interesting question. I think for me, I played the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Florida where only the biggest stars performed, that impressed me. Another one was performing at Avery Hall at the Lincoln Center in New York. I was in a concert there with Dionne Warwick. We had the New York Philharmonic Orchestra playing behind us. The was an experience I’ll always remember.

Pauline - I’m looking forward to hearing your new material. Are you going to perform it tonight?

Little Anthony - It’s about Little Anthony, not about Little Anthony and the Imperials. I think the public will make up the mind about music.

Pauline - Thank you so much for this interview, I really appreciate it.

Little Anthony - Thank you. n


ENTERTAINMENT

By: Pauline Swift

Our World Media Magazine had the opportunity to see the Grammy Artist Michael Bolton perform at Roy Wilkins Park for the Groovin in The Park Concert. “What an out of site performance” from a diverse, prolific songwriter and artist. Mi-chael Bolton is a legend. For the pass thirty years he has been featured in numerous television and film soundtracks including the Occur nominated theme song “Go the distance”, also nominated for writing the title song “Tears of the Angles”. Michael Bolton is also a dedicated activist who has been honored with several humanitarian awards including the Marin Luther King Award granted by the Congress of Racial Equality. Mr. Bolton is especially proud of his initiatives carried out by his own foun-dation The Michael Bolton Charities now in its twentieth year advocating on behalf of women and children at risk. n

Groovin with Michael Bolton


WORLD NEWS

Professor John Aguiyi from the w has been nomi-nated for the International Institute for Training, Research and Economic Development (IITRED) Research Prize for 2015. The aim of the prize is

to encourage and promote the culture of research in Nigeria’s life and to reward outstanding researchers. His nomination is based on his achievement on the patented invention for the “Novel anti-snake vaccine discovery from a vegetable seed protein“.

The University of Jos is one of the Africa Centers of Excel-lence under the World Bank funded project. Professor Aguiyi is the Leader for this Center of Excellence, which focuses on Phytomedicine Research and Development. n

PROFESSOR JOHN AGUIYI NOMNATED FOR IITRED PRIZE


PROFESSOR JOHN AGUIYI NOMNATED FOR IITRED PRIZE



POLITICS

This presidential race not only puzzles but con-found pundits in more ways than one for obvious reasons. Primarily, the cast of characters run a whole gamut and covers the broad spectrum

of occupation from a neurosurgeon to billionaire real-estate developer both conservative and political outsider. For one thing, the race is not only shaping up as one with divergent personalities and billionaires declared and undeclared. However, the most troubling phenomenon is how many pundits and political prognosticators and anxious media are still unsure which the race is tilting. Certainly, the cast of characters in this election circle as divergent in their ideology and style of is one reason many have difficulty sizing up this race. On the Republican end, you have billionaire real-estate mogul Donald Trump, a well accomplished businessman with very big ego and propensity to say what he feels without mincing word or equivocation. An outsider who is not exactly a political novice although never held any elective office but understands how the game is played and arguably the best deal-maker you can find anywhere. In his new metamorphosis as a politician his slogan captures the core essence of his ideological belief. Mr. Trump wants to “Make America Great Again”. Looking at his blue print one is reminded about late President Ronald Reagan “The Gipper” who many on both sides of the political aisle acknowledge as one of the best president America has had since existence. Others who are contesting along with Mr. Trump as outsiders include Neuro-surgeon Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina former Hewlett-Packard CEO. Not to be outdone, you have those who represent the establishment such as former Florida Governor Jeb Bush from the Bush dynasty. Unfortunately, his poll numbers are disappointingly surprising especially considering he raised the most money and had better name recognition. In the establishment ranks you have a race brewing with his other peers senator Marco Rubio who he mentored and currently represents Florida in the United States senate. How about the Governor of Ohio, John Kasich who many believe will still be short-listed for VP. Especially considering his very unique situation coming from Ohio. In the history of American presidential election, no Republican candidate has ever won the presidency without capturing Ohio making Gov. Kasich position very enviable.

This is what we know now. We have two competing political parties the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Both parties have their core believes, ideologies and orientations. Based on that, there candidates as currently listed include in the Democratic Party Former Secretary of State Hilary Clin-ton, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and 2 more. Speculations is that Vice Pres-ident Joe Biden may still jump in to save the day in the event of implosion of the candidacy of Hilary Clinton. You guys are mainly dreaming or smoking something. If anyone knows how to play hardball or real politics the Clinton’s are the one. They will fight tooth and nail to clear their name or names from any trumped up charges or accusations from Benghazi to Email-gate. Approximately Ms. Clinton’s current trouble concerning using personal email server to conduct official business some would admit may not rise to high crimes and misdemeanor much less Watergate scandal as some have inferred. Troubling issue and concern nonetheless.

Conversely, the Republicans have an army of candidates shov-ing and pushing each another to get to the top. By our count, over a dozen viable candidates are fighting for the Republican nomination. Who becomes their candidate or emerges as their

standard-bearer must have been blooded, ma-ligned and wearing the scares of that battle. It will not be easy for the candidate when all is said and done. For the purpose of this piece, I will only list the main Republican Party contenders in my opinion. Out of the

Republican field of seventeen candidates, the following in my view have the political gravitas, personality, support and what it takes to cross the finish line. They are Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Donald Trump has money and can invest his own money and machinery to execute a good campaign and we have seen and are seeing how he has been able to plot his way to the frontrunner status which some political people have said will soon fizzle and another candidate charges and surges to the front of the pack. By next week or so will prove this postulation or conjecture right. Just yesterday, according major news outlets, Trump is tied in Iowa poll with Former neurosurgeon Ben Carson himself an outsider and non-pol-itician. Others in the race include Sen. Marco Rubio from a very important state of Florida that a candidate must win to

“Make America Great Again.”

2016 Presidential Race Puzzle PunditsBy: George C. Onuorah



be elected president of the United States, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Carly Farina and Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin. Like I mentioned earlier needless running through all the army of candidates who have the dream of leading a giant democracy such as the United States and the free world.

To be President of United States is not an easy task by any means. If you like ask Barack Obama who has gone through very difficult period in his effort to change mindset, prevailing notions about government and even some legislation including healthcare care and gay marriage. Since ascension to power in 2008 as the first elected president of color he has been embroiled in a fight with opposition in Congress each camp basically playing politics with governance and impeding progress and per-formance. To win an election is one thing but governance is another. When political leaders fight the people business is put aside and the theatre becomes side show. When can we have commonsense government where elected leaders throw away their often biased and self-centered-ideological core values and work to solve problems that benefit those that elected them?

Enough of that or else one will lose focus on the main theme which is election 2016 and contestants for the highest office in the land. My belief is that when all is said and done, the candidate to emerge in the present contest is the one who has the money and machine as they say in politics to surmount and eviscerate the opposition. In politics, money plays key roles. We are talking “Big Money” here. Hello, Super Pac’s. Congress can talk all they want, remember the McCain- Feingold bill that is supposed to limit the influence of Big Money in politics. Where is it today? Instead, Money interests continues to dominate politics and provides sometimes unobstructed access to power.

I suppose because the Democratic Party long ago decided in their hierarchy to have a candidate Hilary Clinton as their nominee no need to seek out another candidate hence senator Elizabeth Warren had to differ ambition for now. Yes, Bar-nie Sanders the socialist or Independent from Vermont is gaining ground on Clinton is no longer a myth but a fact with many new voters and progressive rallying to him. I suspect his candidacy will implode as Democratic electorates converge to throw their support for Hilary Clinton who despite issues facing her remain staunchly anchored as Democratic stalwart for November general election. Dreaming of her quitting the race is wishful thinking and day-dreaming. Have you guys not heard the expression “Old Soldiers Never Die”? Hilary is a Clinton and has trusted and tested handlers that has her back anytime. Conversely, we all know about the saying that a day in politics can be like an eternity. Reality is that in any sport which politics is one surprise can still beat the strongest.



Conversely, the path to victory in the Republican field is the opposite of the Democratic Party. Republicans have choices and can pick the best candidate to help them win the 2016 presidential sweepstake. One thing I have said before which comes from observing the political history of most industrial-ized democracies is this. Elections are often cyclical by that I mean parties switch election after election. Democrats having held the presidency for going to two consecutive terms with Obama election in 2008 if care is not taken the opposition Republicans will grab it. The opposition must provide voters with a compelling reason to vote for their candidate in order to knockout out Mr. Obama party. Some political observers sees another Democratic Party victory and a possible Clinton presidency as continuation of the status-quo.

In the end, what wins election is parties nominating strong candidate who can articulate the views, vision and ideology of his or her party. In America, we know, candidates who come with a baggage usually may have to clear their name or else will fail to make it to the finish line. So while it’s too early to speculate on who may emerge or win this 2016 election, one can guess on candidates who have a solid base of support and money to get them to where they can coral the neces-sary and required delegates to be nominated by their party. In the Republican Party, Former Governor Jeb Bush in my crystal ball is solid as a rock and will make it to the eventual final round. Carly Fiorina is looking good and appears will survive the race as the Republicans take second look and would want a female VP candidate to neutralize the possible Clinton effect. Candidate Carly Fiorina some have argued will not be a Sarah Palin. Donald Trump and Ben Carson makes it to claim they have achieved the achievable. By the

way, don’t count out outsider and non-politician Ben Carson from consideration for Vice Presidential spot. He has ability to garner moderate and independent votes Republicans need to build a Rainbow quilt. Scott Walker, Den. Ted Cruz from Texas and Marco Rubio are qualifiers in the presidential race as well. Ohio Governor John Kasich is very much in this race and comes from a very important State any candidate must win to become president. So I will not be surprised to see his party select and pair him with a female candidate to boost their prospect of winning come 2016.

The pundits have a long way to go in current campaign trying to dissect and predict her outcome. Many things can happen and may happen. The media will hype up candidates, but at the end of the day the American voters make their choice and vote their conscience. While things are pretty much settled on the Democratic Party with Hilary as the obvious and only choice. Conversely, the Republicans have work to do and must sort out the field and choose from their army of more than a dozen candidates. Candidates contesting the presidency will spend money on media ad buys, payment to consultants and handlers, Super PAC’s flexing their muscles pouring millions to candidates of their choice. But millions of anxious voters just fasten your seat-belt and enjoy the ride. This presidential election originally thought may morph into a battle between two well-known political dynasties Clinton and Bush will no longer be the case as one can see. Both clans have money and machine to go the distance but we have seen that the American electorates have grown more savvy and not buying it. n

George C. Onuorah is the author of “The Political Diary of Arising Son”. Email: [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]


POLITICS

By: George C. Onuorah

FROM IOWA TO NEW HAMPSHIRE

Regardless of what the political party you belong to, Republican or Democrat, one is fascinated by the 2016 Presidential election not just by the divergent personalities contesting in the race but by the intensity of their passion. Bad a thing the nominating process is very long with insane mind-boggling amounts of money in the millions of dollars wasted by candidates on commercials and consultants. The countless so –called debates

and Town hall meeting, that are hardly interesting and sometimes boring. Some political observers nevertheless continue to follow this circus of politics, perhaps loving the occasional intrigue and suspense that is bound to surface. Some have dubbed this 2016 presidential campaign one of the ugliest-name with calling, negative advertising and with endless ‘politricks’. The press are loving it and will fan the embers of the intrigue and suspense.

But since Iowa Caucus followed by New Hampshire Primary are the first text gauging the performance and momentum of contesting candidates in the presidential beauty contest. It merits one appraising the results and outcomes to see how democracy will be impacted moving forward.

The first results from the Iowa Caucus is considered a jump-ball so New Hampshire Primary will set the tone for what will happen as this presidential election 2016 continues to unfold.

The questions that are yet to be answered include:

Will there be a clear winner Tuesday in New Hampshire? The polls appear to favor Bernie Sanders and billionaire real-es-tate mogul Donald Trump. Will the progressive forces within the Democratic Party continue to rally around septuagenarian senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders to win that very important primary contest? Mr. Sanders currently leads by a high margins in the latest polls. Bearing in mind the history of Presidential election in America, Iowa or New Hampshire winners have gone on to clinch the presidential election. But with Iowa more like a jump ball, Hilary captured 49.08% and Sanders 49.06% meaning it’s basically a jump-ball to borrow the basketball analogy.

On the Republican side: Assessing the outcome of Iowa, it’s obvious from punditry that Cruz winner of Iowa has an insurmountable task in NH therefore South Carolina is where his trajectory will be directed as he continues to seek out his



evangelical Christians and conservative tea party base. How a candidate’s victory is engineered can become a subject of controversy too. Contestants in any election should strive to play fair so politics is devoid of rancor and controversies. An-other very important question is whether “Money Can Buy an Aspirant Love in Politics?”. Well the answer will still depend on so many variables. But it goes without saying a contender with deep pocket can get propelled to the nomination if the candidate has money and machine behind him or her. Unfortunately, this election season so far, the Bush dynasty has not benefited as Jeb Bush former Governor of Florida continues to languish in the polls. But no love lost and in politics a day can be an eternity and political resurrection is still possible even for a candidate mired in deep political funk. The contenders in NH will be Trump who came second in the Hawkeye State. Marco Rubi who came third and well positioned to run the table and become the Republican Nominee or shortlist for VP. In other to be elected United States President Mr. Rubio’s home state of Florida is very crucial and pivotal, so it will be a smart move for the Republican Party hierarchy to commit that fact to memory as they grapple with the clamor by their establishment candidates for support in New Hampshire. Among the establishment candidates who despite low polling numbers are still as relevant as can be include: Jeb Bush, John Kasich -Gov. of the state of Ohio (also potential VP if not the nominee as no Republican has been elected President without winning Ohio. So if the GOP wants this election, John Kasich should be factored in their winning equation. NJ Gov. Chris Christie reportedly polling well in New Hampshire but need lots of money and support to continue to ad-vance after NH. My political intuition informs me that before Super Tuesday, immediately after South Carolina the field of candidates in the Republican Party candidates will winnow down and the race is re-set for the final lap. While it’s too early to prognosticate who will be left standing, a few of the candidates have the mojo, money and machine to grind into this final lap. The candidates I have selected are as follows: Trump, Cruz, Rubio and Bush.

On the Democratic contest, it’s all the way for candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. I don’t see Sanders dropping out for he has rock-solid support with progressives who want to continue encouraging the views he espouse -breaking of the Big Banks and Wall Street, Finance Reform of Campaigns. On the contrary, an Independent candidate such as former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg may flex his muscles but will not run. This late in the game, it will be a herculean task even with his billion dollar difficult to execute a campaign this late and win. American political his-tory with independent candidacy is really nothing to write home about. Remember another billion-aire named Ross Perot from TX. His candidacy imploded even with his deep pocket. All things being equal, I am still surprised that of all the candidates running only Mr. Trump has a slogan this campaign season “Make America Great Again”. Slogan is a good way to appeal to passion and patriotism of people. Remember the Obama slogan “Yes We Can” “Change We Can Believe In” those were rallying cries that fan the passion of many searching for alternative to the status-quo.

George Onuorah, Author “The Political Diary of the Risingson”

Chief Publisher, OUR WORLD MEDIA Magazine LLC


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COMMUNITY

We got a chance to sit and catch up with Dr. Norbert W. Sander Jr., MD CEO and Pres-ident of the Armory Foundation. He shared with us how the foundation got started, his

experience with the Armory and some great advice for the youth. Here’s what he had to say.

Our World Media (OWM) - Can you tell me what inspired you and motivated you to start this foundation?

Dr. Sander - My inspiration came from a number of directions one my own experience. I came to the Armory when I was 13 as freshman in high school, 195 a long time ago. It did a lot for me. All of the schools came here from all over NYC and I got the experience by being with a very diverse group of people. You know New York City. I was lucky to get a track scholarship for college, so that really helped me. It set the stage for me to go to medical school but my foundation was here. My coach believed in me and my fellow students and competitors. That was my personal experience. Then the Armory fell on bad times in the 1980s, when it was a homeless shelter. Little by little the shelter got bigger and they couldn’t have a track there anymore.

OWM - How did you feel about the transition of the Armory?

Dr. Sander - I wasn’t quite involved with it, I was practicing medicine. I knew about it but I didn’t come here in the early 80s to see it. Someone actually came to me around ‘89, ‘90 and said, “We need to leave the Armory.” It got out of hand, they had close to 2000 men sleeping there, no place to run, crime... Lots of trouble. Also some of the clients ended up getting tuberculosis so that frightened away a lot of people and they decided to leave. Then they asked, “Do you know anybody that can help us get back the Armory. It seemed like an impossible task at the time. I decided maybe I’ll try. I put together a group of people and formed a non-profit organi-zation. We came here many times to see it and it wasn’t easy. I took up a real campaign, put ads in the newspaper, in the streets, everywhere- just to see how valuable this is to the kids and thatcher should somehow bring back the track. It took a long time, 3 years, back and forth, up and down. Until finally,

Mayor Dinkins decided to give us the key. He gave us the key and said he’d give us 1 year and see what we can do. We took the key of course. We started with nothing.

OWM - After receiving the blessing from Mayor Dinkins to move forward with "reviving" the Armory, what was your first move?

Dr. Sander - It’s a funny story. They gave me the key downtown, Lower Manhattan at the Dept. of Homeless Services. They were leaving because Mayor Dinkins had just lost to Giuliani. Everyone had boxes. They said, “Here’s the key, good luck.” I left the building and started walking down the street. I remember saying to myself, “ Now what am I going to do?”

OWM - Were you scared?

Dr. Sander - I wasn’t really scared. I figured we’d figure our way out. I knew how good the sport was, how important it was to the kids. I went to a friend and we started looking for sponsorships, enough to get a down payment so we could go to Mondo Track to get a new track. We got a down payment of $75,000. However the track was $200,000! I said, “God will provide and find the rest.” So we started with $75,000 and a new track. People just started coming. The windows were broken, and there were no lights. The place was a mess! But we had the track. We started getting sponsorships from

Getting to know Dr.Norbert Sander Jr., MDCEO and President of The Armory FoundationBy: Pauline Swift & Keisha McDonald



running companies, New Balance, NY Road Runners and the hospital across the street. Every year we tried to make it better. Now we’re 21 years into it.

OWM - Where does your passion come from? Does it come from running here?

Dr. Sander - It came from my childhood. I went to Fordham Prep in the Bronx. My coach coached there for 40 years. He was never late. He coached 180 boys! He was so dedicated. I took his example. I get perseverance from my mother; she’s 93, but also from medical school. You’re up all night, 2 days in a row, with no sleep. That experience, training and being a doctor trains you to do this. There’s a lot of disappointment too. People say no, slam the door in your face but you gotta keep going.

OWM - Do you have a net system to catch the kids that fall between the cracks?

Dr. Sander - Our requirement is to be on the track team. It’s a commitment; you also have to keep your grades up. The kids with tougher issues we help with counseling but we don’t want to become consumed where we focus one on one and forget 10.

OWM - What’s your “Word of The Day” to the youth?

Dr. Sander - Try hard. There’s nothing wrong with trying and failing, but try. Try to work with the people around you. Obama said that! He said, “No one does it alone, no one is alone.” Bring out the best in other people and never give up.

OWM - What do you see for the Armory in the next 25 years?

Dr. Sander - We must maintain what we have, maintain it in a good state so that it’s ready to have all the meets and competitions. That’s why we’re here! They have somewhere to train, the track is good and it’s safe. We have to do that; it’s our mission. The beauty of it is that it’s an experience. We have to lift the sport up and get support for it. There’s a place for everyone in track. We want to keep that going.

The Armory Foundation oversees the premier indoor track and field center in America. It is committed to serving youth by promoting fitness, a love of sport and the pursuit of individual excellence by hosting over 100 track meets each year, maintaining the US National Track and Field Hall of Fame, operating the largest after school activities center in New York, providing college prep and academic counseling services to hundreds of underserved, New York City public high school students, and offering a variety of community support programs, all in its world class facility. n


COMMUNITY

On Saturday, Nov. 14th, You Can Go To College Committee honored several individuals who were creating significant impact in their communities at Terrace on The Park in New York.

The Founder & CEO of the When In Need Foundation, Ms Chetachi Ecton was honored with the Community Impact Award at the Nineteenth Achievement Awards & Scholarship Benefit Luncheon themed “Don’t Give Up Your Dream” geared towards encouraging students to embrace educational excellence. When In Need Foundation is dedicated to empowering and supporting the future leaders of tomorrow with educational grants to continue their education. At the event When In Need Foundation also awarded cash awards to all 6 “2015 Students of the Year” in addition to giving an educational scholarship to one of the students of the year. Special Thanks to Ms Dorita Clarke and her entire team for hosting the event, State Senator James Sanders of NY, Sen-ator Senator Leroy Comrie, NY and other celebrity guests, special honorees, students of the year and When In Need team who graced the occasion. n

By: When In Need Foundation

"CEO WITH A BIG HEART" “Don't Give

Up Your Dream”

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COMMUNITY


Pauline Swift for Our World Media Mag-azine Speaking with Jason Curry- Found-er Of Big Apple Basket Ball.

Pauline - Can you tell me a little about yourself and how all of this ties into your family background with music and en-tertainment?

Jason - I am a New York City product, grew up in Queens, NY, I played bas-ketball my entire life. Ever since I was little kid, I have always had a ball in my hand like a lot of the kids from the city playing in the parks growing up. At an early age, I realized that I had a pretty good talent level. I was fortunate to have parents who always put me in good situa-tions in terms of being able to send me to basketball camps and really be around a lot of people at a young age to help me hone my skills.

Pauline - What part of Queens are you from?

Jason - I am from Richmond Hill, I went to school in South Ozone Park and actually throughout my life, we lived almost all over queens. I moved to Springfield Gardens, when I was in high school. I lived in the heart of Jamaica, right on Hill-side Avenue & Merrick Boulevard, and now currently over in Briarwood, Kew Gardens. I have made my way around Queens, I know Queens like the back of my hands. I have a lot of experience in terms of my New York City High School basketball background. I attended Arch-bishop Molly High School In Queens. I actually bounced around a lot in terms of High Schools. I went to five High Schools

in five years. Started off at Archbishop Molloy. I was at Forest Hills High School, Lawrence Whitmire Academy, Hillcrest High School then finished up at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. Basketball has always been a passion for me and I start-ed Big Apple Basketball, because as an extension of who I am as a person and my overall background of wanting to be able to provide a showcase and a platform for student athletes. The same way I was

given opportunities when I was coming up. I want to be able to help these local student athletes get exposure and beyond.

Pauline - Was there anything else in life that interest you other than basketball? Did you know at a young age that this was for you?

Jason - Well yes, I definitely knew at a

young age that basketball was for me. Like everyone else from the inner city, I had dreams making it to the NBA. That’s all I thought about and probably up until I got to college, I really never knew what exactly I wanted to do outside of basketball. Once I got into college I started to have an interest and focus in broadcast media. I ended up graduating from St. Michaels College in Vermont with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. I

turned that into a ten-year ca-reer working in Television and Radio. Upon my graduation I worked as a college basketball color commentator, and side-line reporter. I also worked at various television stations in the Metro Area. Started off at an old station owned by Ca-blevision called Newsport (24 hour Sports Outlet). I worked at New York 12 Long Island, NY1 News, worked for NBA TV, CNN, then from their WNBC And Then WNABC. I have definitely been able to use my degree and transition thwis into BIG Apple Basket-ball, which is definitely label of love and my passion.

Pauline - When did you come up with that idea?

Jason - I started Big Apple Bas-ketball in 1999. Initially when I started, we were just a professional touring team. Colleges and Universities from around the country would contract us to travel around and play against their schools in exhibition games. We played against Di-vision one schools such as Columbia, The University Of Vermont, The University of Virginia, Loyola Maryland, Kappen State and VCU. We travelled a lot and




that’s where I was able to build my start up money from for Big Apple Basketball. I was able to take that money we made from our traveling team and I really did not come up with the idea of doing youth programs until about 2003. And that was by chance of just me still being actively involved in the New York City Basketball Community. I was going around the gyms, playing at YMCA’s and meeting kids who I noticed had a lot of talent and I just talk to them, general conversation and ask them where they were currently at in their lives!

I came across lot of kids who had talent but did not have the necessary exposure or leads to be able to translate that into College scholarship opportunities. I was in touch with a lot of parents. Just from my own personal background, parents would ask me for help as far as trying to help their kids and at that time, I was also working as a college basketball sideline reporter and color commentator. So I had strong relationships with a lot of college basketball coaches and athletic directors that would say “ Hey, Jason, when are you gonna get me some kids from New York"? As far as being able to recruit, I thought long and hard about something I could do to create a bridge in New York Student Athletes as far as gaining them exposure and providing a platform of colleges and college coaches to be able to see recruitable student athletes.

Pauline - Working with the youth, what would be your greatest achievement you feel that you have had in the last couple years working with the youth?

Jason - I definitely say that one of my greatest achievements while working with the youth over the past few years, is knowing that I have had a legitimate impact as far as, opening doors for kids with colleges and really outside of even the formal pro-grams that we have with Big Apple Basketball. There is a lot that I do myself in terms of getting phone calls from parents,

colleges and people who just need things, need an outlet, to help people out of basketball get into college. It is really a good feeling when I could look at kids in college, and kids that have graduated to know I was able to be a spark in their life, to help them get where their going from where they currently are. In most cases that was able to able to catapult them into various life long opportunities.

Pauline - Your program Big Apple Basketball, What would you like to do in the future that you haven’t done yet?

Jason- Oh, Boy! How much time to we have? There is a lot I would like to do with the organization, currently and primarily I have been really been operating as a “one man band” since, the inception and I have a lot of help with volunteer services. A lot of people have been volunteering, our newly built board of directors, that have been hands-on in helping me. One I would like to continue to build the program from a staffing standpoint. I say more importantly I would like to do things outside the showcases from a basketball standpoint, develop more of our mentoring to really work with kids year round. Being able to stay in touch with them, and following their progress. In terms of being able to help more college students, during the summer gain internships.

Really a lot of things in terms of my mind is really trying to come up with creative ideas in which basketball players and student athletes need services that are not currently provided. A lot of people ask me about starting St. Francis A. Youth Programs. And far as what we do at Big Apple Basketball, there is no need for that because there a lot of other organizations that do good work , as far as servicing kids, from a youth standpoint. I am always looking for ways where the market is untapped to be able to say this where people need help using basketball as that tool.



Pauline - What about the inner-city youth, just regular guys from the streets how would they know about your program, Or do they have to be college or high school?

Jason - No, no. A lot of the things that we do with kids through-out they year, probably begin at the age of ten and up. The way our calendar would work during the wintertime, height of bas-ketball season. We provide a high school basketball showcase, so in December; we do our high school basketball challenge. This features, New York City Public Schools and New York City Catholic Schools.

In January, we do a Big Apple Basketball Invitational, which

focuses on New York City High School student athletes and programs as well as high schools around the country.

During the spring, summer, and fall, we have a basketball-train-ing program, which also serves as a training program and a mentoring program. We help a lot of players especially youth develop their skills. In the summer, we also work with a lot of college and Professional Players doing training programs for them, helping them get summer jobs and summer internships. We also participate in the Nike Pro City Basketball league, which is a good outlet and extension for a lot of the Professional guys. In addition to the training, we provide but also give them a platform to play against high quality players like themselves. So that really takes us through what we do right now, as far as year round, between the youth, high school, college and the professional players. I like to consider ourselves a one-stop shop.

Pauline - Sound like you are. It was a pleasure Jason to talk with you about your program. I wish you continuous luck with everything - Pauline Swift for Our World Media Magazine. Thank you n

For More Information: visit: www.bigapplebasketball.com

Photos By: Joseph Swift/JSwiftSports


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Name: Milani Malik (meaning Love Goddess) Age: 29 From: Brooklyn, NY Family: Youngest of six siblings (4 girls, 2boys) Profession: Professional ball player, youth instructor, mentor, writer, Entrepreneur (Part time employed with Madison Square Garden for NY Knicks as Fan Development/street team, and Gym supervisor/youth instructor at the 92nd YMCA) (Working Part time events with Nike/Gameseven mktg) Hobbies: Playing cards, Bowling, Movies, Hanging with Family and friends, writing po-etry, traveling, finding new informative/interesting books to read, and listen-ing to music. Extra: Passionate about helping aid the youth through the gateway of sports and bridging the gap of Athletics and academics. Social Media: Hashtags: #MilaniMalikElite #Passionate #Fearless #MilaniMalik Instagram/Twitter: @MilaniMalik Site: www.MilaniMalik.com

Milani Malik

Facts

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COMMUNITY

The second annual Milani Malik Elite Basketball Clinic

By: Mia Hall

The second annual Milani Malik Elite Bas-ketball Clinic has united some of the city’s finest young boysand girls on and off the court, to learn, develop and grow.

A passion project for founder Milani Malik, vegan pro basketball athlete and business woman, the invite-only event was a way for Malik to give back, as she does throughout the year and is committed to doing her entire life.

Malik hand selected 50 athletes from the New York tri-state area who have good grades, are passionate about basketball and display the work ethic to progress to the next level. Malik provides students with not only instruction and encourage-ment from top trainers, coaches and players, but full Nike uniforms, bags, trophies, refreshments, SLAM Magazines, NY Knicks takeaways and more.

A few months ago, she held the “Milani Malik Happy Hour Fundraiser” in order to provide the youth with many of their takeaways. She also received help from sponsors including SLAM, Nike, Body Armor and Kenneth Cooper of Awards Depot.

City College’s amazing athletic complex offered a much larger space than the first annual clinic held in the summer of 2014 at Wadleigh High School. Their gym included four full courts and plenty of room for the young athletes to get the maximum workout possible, moving from station-to-station throughout the day and competing in games at the end of each session.

The coaching staff included the overseer, playground legend Pee Wee Kirkland and extra help from Little Pee Wee, NBA Hall of Famer Nate “Tiny” Archibald, overseas pro Monique Coker, Hofstra Hall of Famer and former NBA/overseas pro Norman Richardson.

Additional coaching staff included USA Certified Basket-ball Coach and Knicks Community Relations veteran Dayon Floyd, former St. Francis College and current X-Men Streetball player Sean Dantzler, certified strength and conditioning coach Kurt Joseph (Master’s in Exercise Science), and former UMass

basketball player and current Assistant Principal June Clarke.

Not only did each staff member take them through rigorous training, they encouraged them to push themselves harder than they thought they could, giving them tools to build their game externally and the grit they need to stay the course in their minds. Campers also learned teamwork as it was emphasized in all of the lessons and language.

From the start of the day, to the awards ceremony at the end, where MVP Jordan Nixon walked away with a 6-foot trophy, the clinic was nothing short of an amazing experience for all involved. The players also had access to photos taken by @JSwiftSports of JSwiftsports.com from the event on Malik’s website, milanimalik.com. A hashtag on Instagram (#MilaniMalikElite) was created for pics of the event as well.

It could not have been possible without the vision and work plus her family and event managers Remi Amole and Laryssa Hicks who helped everything run as smooth as a set shot. Overall, the students walked away equipped with the vision, skills, and motivation needed to continue to develop their game throughout the summer and beyond. n


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HEALTH

My name is Quentin Mezetin and I am The Mind Investor. I’ve been invested in my health and the health of others for several years. I’m happily married for 12 years and we have 4

kids together. Health be-came a necessity in my life for 2 main reasons. First, I can’t afford a sick fami-ly. Second, I’ve lost close friends, and family, includ-ing my own mother. I’m very passionate about this subject, because if I knew what I know now, I know I could of saved lives espe-cially my mothers. Enough about me, this is the NEW YEAR and the perfect time to create the NEW YOU.

Last year, is done a gone with. And unlike most people we’re going to set goals this year and actually achieve them. Whether you’re looking to lose

pounds and inches, improve performance and recovery, combat the aging process and improve overall health, or enhance your spiritual awareness and sense of fulfillment. You will have long-term health and fitness solutions for you that will improve every dimension of your life. I look forward to

assisting everyone achieve optimal health and massive body transformations. I will give you my all to become the NEW YOU THIS YEAR.

Snack Attack! How Snacking Can Hurt or Help Your Waist-line

Americans are snacking now more than ever. In fact, recent

studies have shown that for many people, typical eating habits are more like an all-day buffet rather than the classic three meals a day (1-3). With this new shift from traditional meal times to constant grazing, health researchers have wondered about the effect snacking has on weight gain as well as weight loss. Does snacking curb appetite and prevent over-eating or can it pack in extra calories? A close look at the science of snacking reveals some surprising facts: Snacking between meals can be either bad or good for your waistline, depending on your snacking choices. This article will break down the science of snacking and show how Isagenix can help you snack smartly while slimming down in the process.

Skip Late-Night Snacking

A recent study carried out by researchers at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California highlights some concerns with typical snacking habits (1). The researchers used a smartphone app to track the eating habits of more than 550 overweight adults and found that the majority of them were snacking up to 15 hours a day. The researchers also noticed

a tendency toward eating more food late in the day. The people who participated in this study ate less than 25 percent of their calories before noon, but ate more than 35 percent of their calories after 6:00 p.m. For the second phase of this study, the participants were coached to limit their eating to a 10-to 11-hour period during the day for 16 weeks without making any other changes in their eating habits. By the end of the study, the participants had not only lost weight, but also reported better sleep and more energy.

What You Eat Matters Most

Several studies have investigated the relationship between snacking and body weight. Some of the snacking habits as-

"A NEW YEAR TO BECOME A NEW YOU"The Health Investor

By: Quentin Mezetin



sociated with weight gain are not surprising. For example, one study published in the International Journal of Obesity, compared the snack choices of obese and lean individuals. The researchers found that obese individuals snacked more frequently on sweet or fatty foods, like cookies and potato chips (4).

In another study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the aim was to describe snacking behaviors in a group of office workers and compare snack habits with diet quality and body mass index (BMI) (5). The researchers found that the most significant factor associating BMI and diet quality was the type of food people chose for snacking. On average, people who regularly ate snack foods rich in protein or fiber, such as nuts, fruits, and vegetables, had a higher diet quality and lower BMI. The opposite was true of people who snacked on desserts and sweets; these snacking habits were associated with lower diet quality and higher BMI.

Something to Chew On

When done smartly, snacking can be one of your best allies for weight-loss success. Allowing your appetite to get out of control makes the temptation of high-calorie junk foods hard to resist and can increase the likelihood of overeating during meals. Planning healthy snacks throughout the day will help keep your appetite in check (6). If you are ready to shape up your snacks, Isagenix can help. These three snacking solutions have been carefully formulated to be your secret weapon for curbing appetite:

1. Feel full longer with fiber

Fiber Snacks™ are a delicious and satisfying way to boost fiber and a great alternative to a typical sugary granola bar with only 150 calories and six grams of fiber.

Slim Cakes® are another quick, filling option that contain five grams of fiber to keep hunger at bay.

2. Power up with protein

Whey Thins™ provide a crunchy, protein-packed snack with 10 grams of protein and only 100 calories. Whey Thins are a smart alternative to other savory snacks that are high in fat and empty calories like chips.

3. Be smart about your sweets

If sugary snacks are your weakness, IsaDelight® milk or dark chocolates satisfy any sweet tooth without the guilt. These individually wrapped chocolates with green tea extract are perfectly portioned so you can still enjoy chocolate without the excess calories.

Snacking has become the new nor-mal as the increasing trend toward all-day grazing replaces the traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. The science of snacking shows that munching throughout the day can be a great tool to support your weight-loss goals, as long as you snack smartly. Whether you are craving something sweet or savory, chewy or crunchy, Isagenix has convenient, grab-and-go snacks that will help you steer clear of the vending machine so you can snack your way to success.

I will only bring you proven methods from the best sources. Contact me if you have any questions or suggestions. Our next article will introduce you to NEWSTART. Which is Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Tempest, Air, Rest, and Time with God. n

Contact me:Quentin Mezetin [email protected]: www.themindinvestor.isagenix.com


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HEALTH

As a life-long viewer of the NFL, I have had the pleasure of witnessing many un-forgettable moments. Many of us will never forget the unfortunate decision of Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll to call a passing play at the goal-line as opposed to feeding the beast known as Marshawn Lynch. As a New York Giants fan, I look forward to telling my future offspring about the night I cried tears of joy after the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 42.

Every season, passionate fans such as myself are consumed by our hopes and desires for our favorite team to lift the

Lombardi Trophy. In a culture that craves immediacy, we have made a habit of fo-cusing on short-term gains at the expense of long-term consequences. Unfortunate-ly, this is the approach that the NFL had taken for many years with regards to the concussion issue.

My introduction into the NFL’s con-cussion problem came upon reading a Newsday article several years ago on the unfortunate plight of late Hall of Famer John Mackey. John Mackey achieved leg-endary status as a tight end for the Balti-more Colts and the San Diego Chargers. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992, becoming the second

tight end ever elected at the time.

Yet, I was pained to learn that John Mackey could barely recall his glory days due to dementia. I was more disturbed to learn that he had a hard time obtaining sufficient financial assistance from the NFL. As a result of escalating health costs, his wife had no choice but to come out of retirement and obtain a job as a flight attendant.

John Mackey passed away in 2011. One year later, researchers at Boston University studied his brain tissue and found that he had chronic traumatic en-cephalopathy (CTE). Mackey was one of

Concussions: The BIG ELEPHANT in The Room for the NFLBy: Andre Waldron


http://www.nfl.com/...plays/.../Super-Bowl-Can-t-Miss-Play-The-Butler-did-it

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/a-constant-enemy-1.555613

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/8697286/boston-university-researchers-discover-28-new-cases-chronic-brain-damage-deceased-football-players

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/8697286/boston-university-researchers-discover-28-new-cases-chronic-brain-damage-deceased-football-players


Concussions: The BIG ELEPHANT in The Room for the NFL

15 players diagnosed with CTE within this study.

CTE was discovered by Dr. Benett Omalu, who was portrayed by actor Will Smith in the recently released movie “Concussion.”

While I had a better awareness of the concussion issue than most people, it was still a very sobering experience to watch “Concussion”. The movie featured the portrayal of former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster, a four time Super Bowl Champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yet, Mike Webster’s mental tur-moil after his playing days had reduced him to living out of a pickup truck up until his death in 2002. Mike Webster’s case was the original case in which CTE was discovered.

A recent study of 100 deceased NFL players by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University found that over 95% of the players tested positive for CTE. This study was concluded in September 2015.

The NFL has paid a hefty price tag for their lack of attention to this issue. Some

may say that the league’s inattentiveness was for the sake of the almighty dollar. The movie “Concussion” made that as-sertion perfectly clear. In April 2015, a federal judge finalized a 1 billion dollar settlement between the NFL and thou-sands of former players that accused the league of suppressing the fact that there was a linkage between football and long-term brain damage.

Yet, credit must be given to the NFL for recent efforts on the concussion front.

The NFL had enhanced their efforts to address this issue by requiring each team to adhere to new concussion proto-cols implemented by the league. In this manner, concussions can be diagnosed quicker on NFL sidelines. Additional-ly, the NFL has gone over, above and beyond in terms of penalizing players for helmet-to-helmet hits during games.

In 2015, the NFL expanded the role of its own independent certified athletic trainers. As opposed to merely watching out for potential concussions, these trainers were given the right to stop a game if they notice that a player has

concussion symptoms.

In a recent interview with Vibe Maga-zine, the NFL’s Senior Vice President of Health and Safety pointed out that there was a 35% decrease in concussions and a 43% decline in concussions caused by helmet-to-helmet contact over the past three years.

Nevertheless, the concussion issue will continue to be the proverbial ele-phant in the room for the NFL. One can only hope that the NFL’s current endeavors will lead to a decline of retired NFL players suffering from CTE. Too many players have paid a fatal price for giving their blood, sweat and tears for the game of football.

It is my fervent prayer that the NFL does not waver in placing significant pri-ority over the short-term and long-term safety of its players. n


http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/25/sports/mike-webster-50-dies-troubled-football-hall-of-famer.html

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25307746/study-956-percent-of-deceased-nfl-players-tested-positive-for-cte

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25307746/study-956-percent-of-deceased-nfl-players-tested-positive-for-cte

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/nfl-concussion-settlement-wins-final-approval-from-judge/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/nfl-concussion-settlement-wins-final-approval-from-judge/

http://operations.nfl.com/updates/the-game/atc-spotters-have-expanded-role-in-2015/

http://operations.nfl.com/updates/the-game/atc-spotters-have-expanded-role-in-2015/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/25/health/nfl-concussion-protocol-failure-rams-case-keenum/

http://www.vibe.com/2015/09/nfl-head-injury-safety-jeff-miller-interview/

http://www.vibe.com/2015/09/nfl-head-injury-safety-jeff-miller-interview/

SPORTS

2016 EMBLEMHEALTH HISPANIC GAMES

By Justin Gaymon // Photos by JSwiftSprorts

Girls Track Recap

Cheltenham’s Chanel Brissett earned the title of 2016 Emblem-Health Hispanic Games female track athlete of the meet. She ran 7.85 to break the 55m hurdles meet record. Paul Robeson’s Alyssa Sandy was second with 7.91 and Bay Shore’s Aviana

Goode was third with 8.00. Brissett also won a very close 55m against Norristown’s Jayana Webb. The two finished as close as it gets with 7.114 and 7.115. Before the day was done, Brissett would help her 4x200m relay team place third with 1:42.11.

Jessica Drop of Coginchaug won last month’s AT&T Hall of Fame Invitational mile in 4:55.63 and returned to win Saturday’s mile in 4:57.29. Diana Vizza of North Shore led from early on and finished second with 4:58.66. Lily Flynn of Ursuline, Abbe Goldstien of Germantown and Danae Rivers of Wilbur Cross were all under 5:02.

Pennsbury’s Hannah Molloy and Hackley’s Julia Stevenson had a close race in the 3,000m. The two began to kick with 200m to go, but Molloy was able to hold on to the slight lead that she established mid-way through the race and finish with 10:17.46 to Stevenson’s 10:17.52.

D’Jai Baker of Benjamin Cardozo reported that she “had to make up a lot of ground” after a slow start in the 400m, but was able to edge out the win in 55.11. She also ran 24.68 for third in the 200m. Penn Wood’s Agnew Mansaray finished closely behind Baker in the 400m with 55.19. Baker’s teammate, Paris Peoples, grabbed the third spot with 56.06.

Pennsbury’s Dasia Pressley ran 24.14 to win the 200m over Kouri Peace of Penn-ridge, who ran 24.55. Pressley is the returning PIAA state champion in the 200m.

Kathryn Nohilly of John Jay successfully navigated the tricky indoor mile stee-plechase to win in 5:37.98.

Paul Robeson broke the 4x200m relay meet record during the prelims with 1:38.95 and came back to win the final in a U.S. No.1 time of 1:37.80. Bishop McNamara ran a very impressive U.S. No. 2 time of 1:38.94 for second place. Paul Robeson also won the 4x400m relay by a four second margin with 3:52.00.

Bay Shore held the lead for much of the 4x800m relay and won in 9:41.58.

Uniondale controlled the sprint medley relay from start to finish, capturing the event with 4:11.46. That time currently ranks at U.S. No. 4.

Girls Field Recap

After reaching 38’ 1” in the triple jump, Robbinsville’s Bonvie Fosam was awarded the 2016 EmblemHealth Hispanic Games female field athlete of the

2016 EmblemHealth Hispanic Games Recap

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meet. Windsor’s Kenya Warner also had an impressive triple jump with 38’ .75”.

The girls long jump saw some of the best marks in the country so far this year. Asia Young of Holy Spirit won it with 18’ 4.5”. Alexis Trott was second with 18’ 4” and Shayla Broughton took third with 18’ 3.75”.

Jessica Molina won the weight throw with a meet record breaking mark of 46’. She also won the shot put with a toss of 44’ 3.5”.

Moira O’Malley of Souderton cleared 5’ 4” to win the high jump.

Boys Track Recap

Noah Lyles of T.C. Williams had a productive day to say the least. He set the 55m meet record at 6.28, 200m meet record at 21.25 and helped his 4x200m relay team to a close victory in 1:29.94 to Pennsauken’s 1:29.94. For that, Noah was awarded the 2016 EmblemHealth Hispanic Games male track athlete of the meet.

Noah came off of a triumphant junior season that included New Balance Nationals Indoor and Outdoor titles, two Pan American Junior medals and the U.S. #4 All-Time 100m (10.14) and U.S. #3 All-Time 200m (20.18).

Josephus Lyles, who is Noah’s brother, was hoping to clock 47-mid in the 400m, but was reportedly still happy with his 48.37 victory. Josephus ran 45.99 to win this past summer’s New Balance Nationals Outdoor and clocked a very fast 45.46 to take second at the World Youth Championships.

Noah Affolder of Carthage Central is feeling strong after recently winning New York State XC Championship and Footlocker North-east Regional titles. He took the early lead in the boys invitational mile on Saturday and held it for the entirety of the race. Fordham Prep’s Conor Lundy, who won this past summer’s New York State Championships 1,600m, stuck close behind. The two started to kick with around 200m to go and Affolder pulled off the win in 4:15.29 to Lundy’s 4:16.07. That race qualified Affolder for the New Balance Mile at the NYRR Millrose Games on February 20.

In just his second two mile race ever, Salesianum’s Andrew Hally

took home the win in 9:19.89. He hopes to continue the momen-tum and capture victories in Delaware’s 800m and 1,600m state championship races.

There were 225 entries in the boys 800m and Jaxson Hoey of Downingtown West was able to best them all. He ran close to an evenly split race, winning in 1:54.52. Nick Fenton of Deer Park was second with 1:56.63.

Ramses Leon of North Bergen ran a personal best of 4:55.07 to win the mile steeplechase. Sachem East’s Matt Patsy took second in 4:56.37.

Mason Weh defended his 55m hurdle title with 7.39. The Upper Darby athlete is also the returning PIAA State Champion in the 110 hurdles.

Abington crossed the line 3:21.11 to win an exciting 4x400m relay over Newburgh’s 3:22.23. Newburgh was able to pull off a 1-2 finish in the sprint medley winning in 3:35.79 and 3:36.37.

Morris Hills ran a US No. 1 time of 7:53.62 to win the 4x800m relay. West Islip and Arlington were also able to run under the eight-minute barrier with 7:54.45 and 7:59.43, respectively.

Boys Field Recap

Windsor’s Tyler Coyle won the high jump and 2016 Emblem-Health Hispanic Games male field athlete of the meet honors. Coyle drew the Armory crowd into his performance and equaled his own U.S. #1 height of 6’ 10’ that he jumped during the North Shore Invitational in December.

William Henderson’s mark of 23’ 8.5” was good enough to take the U.S. No. 3 spot in the long jump. Brenton Nelson of DeMatha Catholic reached 23’ .5”.

Iona Preps’ Andre Cannistraci won the shot put with a mark of 56’ 3.75”.

Cameron Thompson of Lakeland/Panas won the weight throw with 63’ 5.5” and is currently undefeated this season in the event. n

SPORTS

2015 Adidas Grand Prix Recap

After setting his first 100m world record of 9.72 seconds at Icahn Stadium, New York in May 2008, Usain Bolt returned to this venue on June 13 to compete at the 2015 Adidas Grand Prix (New York Diamond League) in the hope of turning around his sub-par 2015 season. Bolt opted to run the 200m and was upbeat and confident of his training and conditioning in his pre-race press conferences. Bolt, the 200m world record holder (19.19) entered Saturday’s Adidas Grand Prix with season best of 20.13 seconds in the 200m.

However, Bolt ran a poorly-executed race and ended up winning in a pedestrian time of 20.29 seconds (-2.8mps), the slowest time he had completed the 200m in several years. Despite the victory, Bolt, who was very unhappy with his time and perfor-mance, said in his post-race press conference that he knew that the time would be lousy once he got to the curve (100m mark). Bolt seemed to have turned off the burners in the home stretch but accelerated in the final 20m just enough to hold off a fast finishing Zharnel Hughes (20.32), with Jamaica’s Julian Forte (20.46) in third.

Bolt admits that he is not in the best shape right now and in his post-race interview, Bolt said that based on his 20.29 seconds performance, he may need to compete at the Jamaican National Trials as he tries to run himself back into shape. So far this season, Bolt has failed to crack the sub-10 and sub-20 mark in both the 100m and 200m respectively. Bolt is the reigning 100 and 200m world champion and has an automatic bye for the 2015 Beijing world championship to be held from August 22-30, 2015.

TYSON GAY IS BACK

American 100m record-holder Tyson Gay took the men’s 100m event in a time of 10.12 seconds (-1.7 mps) ahead of Jamaica’s Nesta Carter (10.15) and South Africa’s Akani Simbine (10.18). Trinidad and Tobago’s Keston “Blazing” Bledman, who com-mitted a false-start infraction and was disqualified, however, was able to run under protest. This season, Gay has returned to the track after a brief suspension and has posted a season best time of 9.88 seconds in the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic on May 30, 2015.

Commenting on his 10.12-second performance, Tyson said, “I feel good [about my race]. I always feel good with a victory and I am glad that I won. I just wanted to come out with a victory. I wanted to execute my start, but of course it didn’t go as well.

Usain Bolt, 200m winner (20.29)

English Gardner, 100m winner (11.00)

Tayson Gay, 100m winner (10.12)

Francena Mccorory, 400m winner(49.86)

By: O’Neil A. Reid (edited by Raymond Byfield)


But I will continue to work on it and go from there; [tactically] this was not a great race for me; but I always compete with a lot of heart and I am happy for the victory.” Up next for Tyson Gay is the USA National Trials scheduled for the end of June.

GARDNER FASTEST OVER 100M

Former NCAA sprint champ and New Jersey native, English Gardner, captured the women’s 100m race in 11.00 seconds (+0.04 mps), ahead of Jamaica’s Samantha Henry-Robinson (11.08) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste (11.19). Gardner, who has injury problems over the past few seasons, has returned to the track this season in grand fashion, running a season best of 10.84 seconds at the Prefontaine Classics on May 30. Gardner, the former Oregon Duck, will now turn her attention to the USA Trials in the hope of making the USA team to Beijing.

RUDISHA TAKES THE 800M

After sustaining a minor injury on May 27, 2015 at a meet in Ostrava, 800m world-record holder Kenya’s David Rudisha returned to the track on Saturday and was victorious in the men’s 800m in a time of 1:43.58 seconds. Second was American Boris Berian (1:43.84), with third going to France’s Pierre Bosse (1:43.88). Rudisha’s performance signaled his return to top form and indicates that he is ready to challenge his main rival, Ethiopia’s Mohammed Aman, for the men’s 800m world title. Rudisha, the reigning Olympic champion who has the world record time of 1:40.91, is seeking to be atop the podium at the 2015 Beijing World Championship after injury had kept him out of the 2013 Moscow World Championship.

FRANCENA MCCORORY SETS 400M WORLD-LEAD

“I feel great. I feel really blessed and I am extremely excited,” said Francena McCorory after winning the women’s 400m at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York this afternoon. McCorory won her pet event in convincing fashion in a world leading time of 49.86 seconds. Bahamas’s Shaunae Miller was second in 50.66 seconds, followed by Jamaica’s Stephanie Ann McPherson (50.84). McCorory, the Hampton University graduate, ran a well-executed race and used the stretch run to put daylight be-tween her and the rest of the field. “It was a bit windy, but I tried not to focus on the elements. I just focus on my race today and I finished strong.”

“Training is going well and I am in the best shape I have ever been in. I am more focused and I just feel blessed.” In terms of the upcoming USA Trials, McCorory continues “I feel very confident and I just want to continue to work on my race to get better and better. Training is going great. My coach and me have been working on a few things. I will be ready for the Trials.”

AJEE WILSON PROVING SHE IS TOP IN THE 2-LAP EVENT

Neptune, New Jersey product, Ajee Wilson, continues to exercise her dominance in the women’s 800m. The 21 year-old Wilson posted a time of 1:58.83 to take a comfortable victory over Kenya’s Janeth Busienei (1:59.37) and American Chanelle Price (1:59.47). Wilson’s time of 1:58.83 is the 4th fastest time in the world this year - at just under one second slower than her season’s best 1:57.87 performance at the Prefontaine Classics on May 30, 2015.

When asked how she felt about her performance, Wilson said, “I am real happy to get a win. I don’t take it for granted. I am real happy that I was able to do what I had to do to win the race.” When asked how she felt about being a top 800m contender this year, Wilson responded, “just thinking where I was two years ago, when I first signed [to go pro], it’s definitely a blessing. I am grateful to be where I am [right now].”

Last season, Wilson led the world in the women’s 800m ranking, posting a time of 1:57.67 in Monaco in July 2014. Wilson continues to show improvement in the women’s two-lap and credits her coach Derrick Thompson for her improvements. Wilson, who has the ability to run from the front or from the back, said she has no preference and that the race itself usually dictates her strategy. Wilson is expected to make the USA team and should be in medal contention at the World Champi-onship in Beijing.

OTHER MEN’S WINNERS



American 110m hurdles champion, David Oliver, won the sprint hurdles race in a time of 13.19 (-1.2mps) ahead of coun-tryman Jason Richardson (13.26) and France’s Garfield Darien (13.32). Oliver, the defending world champion in the event, was visibly happy with his performance but was undecided about competing at the USA Trials. Oliver, who ran a season best time of 13.14 seconds (3rd fastest time in the world) in Eugene on May 30, said that he is ready to defend his title in Beijing.

Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson took the men’s 400m hurdles race in 48.48 seconds ahead of South Africa’s LJ van Zyl (48.78), Bahamas’s Jeffery Gibson (48.97) and Jamaica’s national champion Roxroy Cato (48.97). Reigning 400m hurdles world champion Trinidad and Tobago’s Jehue Gordon was 6th in 49.34 seconds.

OTHER WOMEN WINNERS

American Torie Bowie continues to display her fine form and quality in the 2015 season, when she captured the women’s 200m in a relative fast time of 22.23 (-2.8 mps) ahead Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare (22.67) and Jamaica’s Sherone Simpson (22.69). Torie’s time of 22.23 represents the 5th fastest time in the world so far this year and what was very impressive was that she had to contend with a head-wind of 2.8 mps.

Deedee Trotter took the women’s 400m B race in 51.96 seconds ahead of Britain’s Shana Cox (52.62) and Jamaica’s Anastasia Le-Roy (52.80). In her post-race interview, the injury-plagued Deedee expressed relief for her victory, “I am not sure what’s being going on. I have been doing everything in my power to get healthy and I just wasn’t making a lot of grounds. I have been asking people for prayers, but today God showed how powerful he is and I was able to go out and have an improved and victorious race. That [race today] allowed me to gain confidence in my last 200m.” Deedee has her eyes set on the USA Trials at the end of June in the hope of making the USA World Championship team.

Other winners include American Erin Donohue (2:37.42) in the 1000m, Ethiopia’s Hiwot Ayalew (9:25.26) in the 3000m and American Sharika Nelvis (12.65) in the 100m hurdles.

In the women’s long jump, Canada’s Christabel Nettey was victorious with a leap of 6.92m over American Tianna Bartoletta (6.89m) and Britain’s Shara Proctor (6.72M)

US Virgin Islands’s Levern Spencer was third in the women’s high jump with a leap of 1.91m, finishing behind winner, Spain’s Ruth Beitia (1.97m) and Croatia’s Blanka Vlasic (1.97m). n

Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic won the women’s discus event with a throw of 68.44m. “mps” = meters per second

CANDACE HILL-DREAM 100m WINNER (11.21) GRANT FISHER-DREAM MILE WINNER (4:01.73) JONAH GOREVIC-YOUTH BOYS MILE WINNER (4:51.85)


SPORTS

Photo By: Joseph Swift/JSwiftSports


By: O’Neil A. Reid (edited by Raymond Byfield)

Usain Bolt 100m world record under threat

When Usain Bolt ran 9.58 seconds in the 100m at the 2009 Berlin World Championship, to set the world record, fans across the globe thought that this mark would be imprint-ed in the record books for a long time. Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter who also holds the world record of 19.19 seconds in the 200m, which he also set in Berlin, had gradually build himself to getting the two records. He burst on the scene in 2008, running 10.03 and 9.76 seconds in Kingston, Jamaica before running 9.72 seconds on May 31, at Icahn Stadium in New York to break the 100m world record. Bolt went on to lower the record at the Beijing Olympics (9.69) and a year later set the current mark of 9.58 seconds.

It’s been over 6 years since that 9.58 seconds has been on the books and Bolt has struggled with injuries, misfortune, desire, motivation and lack of competition. Whatever the case, Bolt has been unable to replicate or lower his record. Fast-forward to Justin Gatlin’s 9.74 seconds performance at the Doha Diamond yesterday (May 15) that has the track and field world whispering with giddy anticipation that the 33 year-old American sprinter is now a viable threat, by season’s end to dethrone and replace Usain Bolt as the fastest man on the planet.

Gatlin a legitimate threat Should we be surprised by Gatlin’s 9.74 performance in

Doha yesterday? No, not at all. Gatlin is coming off a superb and dominating 2014 season in which he was undefeated in the 100m, setting a personal best 9.77 seconds along the way and claiming the 100m Diamond league crown. Despite his questionable past in being reprimanded and serving sus-pensions for performance-enhancing drug violations, Gatlin has made his intention known that he was on a mission to regain the sprinting title. And he has a legitimate chance to accomplishing that feat. Here is why.

Early season performance is sometimes an indication of things to come. In 2008, when Bolt first set his world record of 9.72 seconds on May 31 in New York, he had run 9.76 seconds a few weeks earlier on May 3 at a meet in Kingston. Bolt highlighted his season by lowering his time to 9.69 seconds at the Olympics taking the time to beat his chest as he crossed the finished line. This shows that Bolt could have won in even faster time.

Gatlin ran 9.74 (+0.9) seconds on May 15, which is relative-ly early in the season. As in 2008, 2015 is a championship or Olympic year where it is all about peaking at the right time. The world championship is scheduled for Beijing, China from August 22-30, 2015. Coaches and athletes will always say that they use the first race of the season to see where the athletes are. What they need to work on and fine-tune for the national trials and the major championship. Gatlin 9.74 second run on May 15 indicates that he can go faster by season’s end.

Party-crasherAt age 28, Bolt seems to be on the decline, as his recent

injuries indicate. But he is still young by track and field stan-dards. We have not seen the best of him in recent years. But 2015 is a championship year and Bolt seems to enjoy collecting goal medals. On the other hand, Justin is 33 years old and is getting stronger and faster with age. These two men are on a collision course that could play-out in China this summer. Bolt’s world record 9.58 seconds could become a casualty of this encounter.

In 2008, The Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing was the site where Usain won his first Olympic goal medals in world record fashion and introduced himself not just to track fans, but to the world as the fastest man on the planet. Seven years later, Bolt’s encore Beijing performance may be upstaged by an older Gatlin, who has made it his life mission to become the fastest man on the planet. n

O’Neil is the author of the book “Banned for Life, The Steve Mullings Story” and is the host of “The Sport Zone with the Professor Show” that is aired on Sunday afternoons at www.JamminzRadio.com from 12:00 noon to 2:00pm. O’Neil can be reached at [email protected]



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