The Excalibur - December 2014

Montgomery College - Takoma Park/Silver Spring - December 2014

Jack The RipperMC ShuttleMovie ReviewP3: The New FrontierMichael Brown

The Excalibur is MontgomeryCollege Takoma Park/SilverSpringʼs studen-run newspaper.All students are invited toparticipate

TheExcalibur

Dear Michael Brown,

I am really sad about what happened last night. This proved to me that they don’t really care about us. Last night’s events sent a good message to all of us: stand up and fight, not only for Michael Brown, but for all African Americans. R.I.P. Michael Brown - Abel

I am sorry. You did not deserve to die. It will not be in vain. We love you.

Your name and life will not be forgotten. Justice will be served for the robbery of your life. Maybe not today, or tomorrow or next year, but it will someday be served. We, as people will join the battle to make sure of that.

It’s time to make a change. Lord willing, we, the young generation, will put a stop to this once and for all. May you rest in peace Michael Brown. – Abdul Rahim

Your death, as well as the other brothers before you who were wrongfully killed by cops, was not in vain. I don’t know yet how I am going to make a change, but I will find a way. –Jules Tchoufong I am sorry for this unjustifiable cause of your

death has left us mourning. But, out of your death, leaders have risen. – Gaston Assoua

Only you know the truth about what happened. Rest in Paradise. – Chirstelle Mbah

You make fear for the plight of black boys and my future son. I promise to rise against racism in this nation in a way that the current system did not stand up for you. – Amie Fye

I hope you are watching us from where ever you are. We are going to need all the help we can get in fighting the injustices of the legal system. You did not die when Officer Wilson shot you six times. You died when the legal system that is here to protect us set him free. – Michael Bereida

I see in you, my Brother. I see in you, my friend. I see in you, my Uncle, and my Cousin. I see in you, my Grandfather. But, I refuse to see my Son in you because I refuse to accept this as the future for my son, or any black boy. We will not tolerate, we will not bow down. “whoso-ever of you sees evil, let him change it with his hands; and if he is not able to do so, then let him change it with his tongue; and he is not able to do so, then with his heart – and that is the weakest of faith.” (Hadith 34: Muslim) – Bushra Miller

Unfortu-nately, there was no justice.

Gone, but never forgoten

always with us

Sorry for your injustice. Hopefully, after what happened last night, people will stand up and fight for justice!

People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people. - “V”

Brother, you are not the first, and unfortunately you will not be the last to face injustice by the hands of an-other in these U.S. This alone however does not mean you do not have your own story.

Hopefully we do not forget yours or the others that have that have faced a similar premature death. Its sad to see that when situations like the one that happened to you cause anger and comradery

amongst people when in reaity everyday someone faces discrimination. But not always does it take a life. In the end real justice is served by the creator, not a system or indi-vidual that adheres to man made doctrine. Like Tupacsaid, only God can judge me, you,

us, and Mr. Wilson. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” - MLK. May you rest in peace brother brown, and may we learn to forgive like your parents, but never forget. Assalamu alaikum. - Anonymous

I am sorry that society and government has failed you this time. We will make sure it won’t happen again. We will do it for you. - Anonymous

Justice has not been served until we as ‘the people’ become individual leaders that recreate history, peace, and blessings You are not forgotten. The

case may be closed, but it just opened. You will be the one who made the new America with less racism. You will be the one who will unite African Americans, Africans, and Latinos. You will be America! - Anonymous

I’m sorry for not waking up every day to change this country’s unjustified morals. - Anonymous

I don’t

know you,

but I love

you.

After a St. Louis County grand jury decides against indicting Ferguson police officer, Darren Wilson, on November 24, 2014, Montgomery College students reflect on the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. Full story on page 11

Also pray for the

heart

and soul of

officer

Darren

Wilson

IN THIS ISSUE594911

2 December 2014

Rachelle Downs - Editor -in- ChiefSekratos Kahsay - Assistant EditorJessica Edwards - Public Relations ManagerTreven Harris - Business ManagerJose Sorto-Guevara - Layout Coordinator / Visual Art Coordinator

Writers

Richard Clarke - ReporterJason Dalle - ReporterCollin Lenegan - ReporterJessica Edwards - ReporterNome Iyayi - ReporterShervon Inglis - ReporterIsaiah Allen - ReporterJonathan Hartley - Reporter

Visual Art William Woods - PoetNyoki Malafa - PhotographerShervon Inglis - PhotographerJackie Washington - Photographer

Faculty Advisor

Professor Miriam Simon

The Excalibur is Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring’s student-run newspaper. All students are invited to participate. To become a member of the staff please attend meetings on Friday afternoons at 1:30 PM in ST219 in the Office of Student Life. If you would like to contribute an article, letter to the editor, photograph, illustration or news tip for next month’s issue, please send submissions or suggestions to [email protected].

Please recycle this paper in any of the blue bins on campus

EDITORIAL STAFF UPCOMING EVENTS By Jose Sorto-Guevara

DecemberMaryland Traditions 2014 ALTA Awards Ceremony and Concert: Featuring R&B Soul Legends The Holmes Brothers

Saturday, Decemeber 6, 2014 at 7PM

Event Description:Maryland Traditions, the Folklife Program of the Maryland State Arts Council, has announced the ALTA (Achievement in Living Tra-ditions and Arts) Award recipients for 2014. The awards recognize outstanding stewards of living traditions in the State of Maryland and will be presented to three recipients at a December 6, 2014.

ALTA awards are presented annu-ally to an individual or group, a place and a tradition that embody outstanding stewardship of living traditions and help to preserve Maryland’s cultural heritage. The 2014 ALTA Award recipients are: fly fisherman and environmental con-servationist Lefty Kreh (People), Bending Water Park (Place), and The Painted Screens of Baltimore (Tradition).

Admission Information:

The event is offered free to the public, but tickets must be reserved in advance. Reserve onine at http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/CAC/UpcomingEvents/

Location Information: Takoma Park/Silver Spring Cam-pus - Cultural Arts Center

THE EXCALIBUR

On October 2, 2014, the International Political Science Association of Mont-gomery College, Takoma Park/Silver Spring, conducted an event titled “Know your Rights” to inform students and staff of the rights they have and what they should not do when pulled over by a police officer. Dr. Brad Stewart, the Vice President and Provost of Montgom-ery College, Takoma Park/Silver Spring was the guest speaker. His main point was ‘if you get pulled over by a police officer, he is in acting in authority as the law gives him the right to do so. There-fore, you mustn’t say or do anything to

rile them because they are the law at that time. Obey all their instructions and if you feel hard done by, you can report the incident to a higher authority.’ This event is in light of the shooting of Michael Brown, a black 18-year old who was shot by Officer Darren Wilson, after Brown and his friend were allegedly stopped by the officer for walking on the road instead of the sidewalk. The young man was unarmed and protests around the world followed the shooting as people decipher whether Brown was killed based on racial bias.

IPSA: Know your rightsBy Nome Iyayi

Hello readers,

After months of intense planning, interviewing, editing, editing, and more editing, the first and last edition of the semester is finally here. The combined efforts of the newspaper staff, our faculty advisor, the student life office staff, and Montgomery College students and professors have given The Excalibur the opportunity to educate, entertain, and engage as we sought out to do.

With the recent events in Ferguson, we felt compelled to make a last-minute change to the front page of this edition. In the wake of the St. Louis County grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson, Montgomery College students responded with words of encourage-ment and promises to perpetuate the legacy of Michael Brown and others like him (article on page 11).

As the semester comes to an end, we, the Ex-calibur staff, would like to wish everyone good luck on their finals and a safe Winter Break. For those of us who will not be returning in the spring, good luck in the next chapter of your life. For those of us who will be returning, look out for the introduction of The Excalibur’s on-line newspaper!

Happy Holidays, Rachelle DownsEditor-in-Chief

Letter from the Editor

Have an Upcoming Event on Campus?!

Let Us Know!

Email us at:

[email protected]

December 2014THE EXCALIBUR 3

YOUR AD HERE

By Richard Clarke and Dalton Salmon

The Student Leadership Retreat took place at Bar-T Mountainside on Saturday October 4th 2014. The purpose of the trip was to use various physical and mental challenges to give students opportunities of self-improvement and leadership developing skills. The first activity involved forming a team. Students were asked to form groups of four and form a straight line. From the teams of four, students were grouped into four new groups based on their position in line. As it turned out, it was a trick to get students to work in groups with random members. From there, each of the four groups was led to areas with different activities. One of the more physically challenging areas included a five-story high rock-climbing wall and a suspended wire obstacle course leading to a zip-line. The obstacle course had two paths: one with supporting wires to aid in balance. The other side provided less support; giving students a choice of difficulty. At the end of the course, students from both paths were rewarded with a five-story high zip-line ride over the trees. But it wasn’t only students who traversed this course. Director of Student Life, Kimberly Herrera was among the few faculty members who tackled this course; clearing the more difficult path shortly before the end of the trip. The rock climbing wall provided a balance of a physical and mental chal-lenge. Scaling the wall required strength from every part of the body to climb to the top. It also involved elements of strategy. Listening to advice from teammates and choosing which rocks to reach for while trying to maintain footing presented a hard-won activity. Not all the challenges were strictly individual. Bar-T Mountainside offered plenty of other exercises that required cooperation and proper teamwork. One such exercise involved students helping each other walk across two parallel wires. The wires spread out and became farther apart as students walked along. The students faced each other holding each other’s arms for balance. They relied on their balance and communication skills in order to

New director hosts leadership retreat

successfully walk across the wires with-out falling. While many of the activities included teamwork challenges, there were some that were more recreational. One of them included a high swing, but it was different from what might be found on a playground. The high swing involved a metal bar to which students were attached via harness. To raise the swing, students on the ground had to pull a rope that hoisted the bar around 30 feet into the air (earning the activity it’s name). After letting go of the rope, the students on the swing glided back and forth through the air, slowly cascading back to the ground. After a morning of various activities, teams returned to the rest area for lunch. After lunch, students were re-divided into five new groups based on where they sat in the lunch room. Groups were given a chance to prepare themselves for a court case. The case was based on the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. Each group was provided a portion of the fairy tale surrounding one of five characters: Little Red, her mother, her grandmother, a lumberjack, and The Big Bad Wolf. The purpose of the activity was to provide an imaginative experi-ence while teaching students to reflect on the elements of argument. Students were given ten minutes to read through the story and brainstorm possible scenarios that defended the actions of their respective characters. Afterwards, students headed to a stage area where a representative from each group pleaded their case while portraying the role of their respective characters. This pseudo-case taught students that there are perspectives and sides of arguments that can be easily overlooked for rea-sons of ethics and/or bias beliefs. After the case, students were given time to explore other activities before departing to the lunch area to discuss their experience throughout the day. Each student stated one word to describe their overall experience that day before retiring to the bus area and heading back to their campuses.

Mental Health Club comes “alive!”at the annual fair On Thursday, November 6, 2014, Montgomery College - Takoma Park Silver Spring Campus, hosted the Alive! Mental Health Fair. The Office of Student Life and The Mental Health Club, teamed up for the volunteer effort of running the fair alongside the staff of the lead organization, the Kristin Brooks Hope Center; a non-profit located in Washington DC. The fair is dedicated to suicide awareness and prevention, and is one of the many outreach efforts that exist because of the determination of Reese Butler, who personally joined the fair on Thursday. Reese is the founder of the Kristin Brooks Hope Center, as well as the suicide hotline, 1-800-SUICIDE, and the National Council for Suicide Preven-tion, to name just a few of his efforts. He taught a free, one hour course on what is called QPR training, short for: Question, Persuade, Refer. The training is brief and straightforward, as its name suggests, providing trainees with the education and confidence to approach a friend, loved one, co-worker, or fellow student that the trainee has concern for. Liliana Gonzalez, a student in the Mental Health Program, said that, “The

By Alexander Sussman

training was great”, and spoke of how compelling the real-world scenario that Reese used as an example, was. The main portion of the fair was conducted in the ST building, just out-side of the cafeteria. Students passing through the building could not miss the large, colorful displays and excited work of the purple-shirted volunteers. One of the most popular exhibits of the fair was the eight foot by four foot canvas with purple, stylized letters, “MC Takoma Park”, and the school’s mascot, a raptor, emblazoned across. The canvas was designed so that students could use one of the many colorful writing utensils provided to write a message of hope upon the surface. Many passers-by stopped to write their message, and within the four hours of the fair, the canvas was filled with messages of positivity and hope from more than 200 students. The Fair also featured two powerful documentaries. The first, entitled, “A Reason to Live”, depicted several at-risk individuals and their interactions with crisis counselors on a hotline. The doc-umentary also featured interviews with several people who have experienced

the difficulty of seeing a friend or loved one go through the trials of suicidal thoughts. The other documentary, “Bullies and Friends”, is about the story of Dawn Marie, a 14 year-old girl who took her own life after experiencing the extreme bullying of three girls at school. This case was the first ever, in North America, where teens were made to stand trial for bullying. Jeremy Weiner, fair volunteer and student of the Mental Health Program, commented that, “By the end of Bullies and Friends, there was not a dry eye in the room”. One of the most important edu-cational points made at the fair, was the need for the conversation about suicide to be open and active, publicly and privately. It is a conversation that is hard to have, but it saves lives. Additional features of the fair included several educational exhibits and a postsecret exhibit, where students could anonymously share a secret. Students who participated in every part of the fair were given raffle tickets to win one of many prizes including shirts, books, and more.

Mental Health Club poses for photos at the Alive! Mental Health Fair

4 December 2014 THE EXCALIBUR

STILL NO ADVICE?!

Everyone has problems,

xcalibur has soultions!

mail us your prob-lems to [email protected] or to submit anonymously, leave the description of your problem in an envelope makred “ad-vice” in our mailbox! (ST219)

Election years are always exciting in the world of politics. On Tuesday, November 4, voters lined up outside of polling places to cast their votes for state governor. Democrats Anthony Brown and Kenneth Ulman teamed up against Republicans Larry Hogan and Boyd Rutherford for the seat. After more than 40 years of democratic leadership, the entire country was shocked when Larry Hogan won the 2014 gubernatori-al race with 51% of Maryland’s votes. Maryland was among four formerly democratic states that now have a republican administration in the governor’s office despite a large population of democratic voters. Both

administrations – Brown/Ulman and Hogan/Boyd – lead similar campaigns: promises of a decrease in unemploy-ment, an increase in revenue, and a stronger middle class. Hogan, of course, added a republican twist by guaran-teeing that he will lower taxes and focus on maintaining Maryland owned businesses. Both campaigns were, in some ways, predictable. Nicknamed the Campaign about Nothing, a lack of excitement in this election may have contributed to the low voter turnout. According to the Maryland Election Board’s unofficial count, there are 3.7 million eligible voters in Maryland, and only about 45% of them voted in the

general election. Although Montgomery County (38.9%), Prince George’s County (38%), and Baltimore City (35.6%) are among the counties with the heaviest democratic populations, they also turned out the least number of voters in this year’s election. Mid-shore counties, Kent (58.9), Queen Anne (57%), and Talbot (56.7%), on the other hand, lead the state in voter turnout. A general disappointment in the lack of participation among blue party voters made Hogan’s victory feel like a lesson learned for democratic voters. Similar results spanned the rest of the country as well. During the 2014 congressional and state elections, majority of the sen-

ate seats went to republican candidates. According to the New York Times, North Carolina, Colorado, Iowa, West Virginia, Arkansas, Montana and South Dakota have ‘converted’ from blue to red. Moreover the federal senate seats have been won by the republican majority for the first time since 2006. Statistics show that the stock market is in better health, the unemploy-ment rate has decreased by 2%, and consumer confidence has increased by more than 50% since President Obama took office in 2008. Yet, the Ebola virus has taken its first American victim, little executive action has been taken in regards to illegal immigrants, poverty

rates continue to rise in suburban coun-ties, and riots erupt in Ferguson in the wake of Michael Brown’s death. Despite his efforts, the Washington Post reports that President Obama’s current approval rating is at an all-time low (44%). Americans are just disappointed in its government. Feelings of uncertainty are widespread. The benefits of a thriving economy are being talked about, but the results have yet to reach the people who need the most - poverty-stricken Americans. The most effective way to counter these feelings of uncertainty, is to participate. Take an active role in state and local politics.

By Sekratos Kahsay

The dynamic directing duo, brothers Christopher and Jon-athan Nolan have teamed up to bring us yet another science fiction masterpiece. Interstellar

(November 2014) will be placed on the Nolan brothers’ top shelf alongside earlier works, Momento (2001), Incep-tion (2010), and the Batman trilogy – Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Set in the near future, this movie depicts Earth’s inevitable demise, for it is no longer able to protect itself from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. In order to escape the brutal fate of humanity, Professor Brand (played by Michael Caine) devises a plan to move Earth’s entire population to another planet. The main character, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), and a team of scientists travel by wormhole to assess the living conditions on three possible home-planets for the dying Earthlings. Intense suspension keeps viewers’ attention, while great acting, vivid cinematography, and a laudable soundtrack brought the storyline to life. After years of abuse, Mother Earth has finally given up. She has allowed the sun’s rays to ravage her crops and dry out her rich soil. Out of despera-tion, science and research have been

abandoned for a new focus – cultivat-ing genetically modified corn to feed what is left of the world’s population. NASA, after undergoing public scrutiny of the legitimacy of the Apollo landing, has become a denounced government agency. As a result, a professional ca-reer as an astronaut has been stripped of its grandeur, while obtaining a profession in agriculture has become highly revered. Much of the world belongs to one of two groups – the dreamers and the realists. The dream-ers are driven by science and the belief that life on another planet is possible and very necessary. The realists, on the other hand, are the farmers who operate under the motto, “work with what you’ve got.” This leaves former NASA pilot, Cooper (who took up farming as the need presented itself), in a constant battle between his love for science and the realities of world hunger. Ultimately, love conquers. Cooper and a team of researchers led by Professor Brand plan a trip through a wormhole near Saturn, bringing us into the plot of the movie – much of which is set in the realms of space. Obvious attention to scientific accuracy placed this movie a notch above many other galactic Sci-Fis. The director of Gravity (October 2013),

By Sekratos KahsayMovie Review: Interstellar

Anime USA back in DC!

last year’s feature galaxy film starring Sandra Bullock, Alfonso Cuarón faced quite a bit of criticism for lack of attention to major scientific details. Dr. Tyson Neil-DeGrassi, host of The Cosmos, for example, pointed out inconsistencies in the physics behind the movement of planets. To avoid such opprobrium, Mr. Nolan worked closely with theoretical physicists Dr. Kip Thorne, on details related to black holes, wormholes, and alternate dimensions. He did so successfully, as Interstellar surpassed the expectations of many mainstream scientists.

In 1999, a group of Anime fans came together to start Anime USA – A three-day convention celebrating the Japanese art of Anime cartooning. The first convention was held at Crowne Plaza in Crystal City, Virginia, and has since outgrown three different venues throughout Virginia and Maryland. The 2011 convention at the Hyatt Regency back in Crystal City was so large that they decided to bring the convention to the Washington Marriot in Wardman Park for 2012 and have been holding them there since. The 2014 convention was held on the weekend beginning Friday, October 3. Thousands of anime fans and avid cosplayers came dressed as their favorite characters.

By Jonathan Hartley

2014 Gubernatorial Election Results: Paint it Red!

FIRE ALARMSNever assume that a fire alarm is false. Follow the established fire plan and evacuation procedure for your building if an alarm should sound. If you see a fire in a build-ing, activate the nearest fire alarm pull station, evacuate the building, call 911, & alert Campus

Safety & Security at (240) 567-1600.

BACKPACKS Store your backpack and briefcase in a secure place when not in use

Don't carry cash, credit cards or other valuablesin them.

Do not leave your backpack or briefcase unattended in the library, auditoriums, conference rooms or labs, while at lunch or using the rest room

LAPTOPSDon’t leave your laptop computer unattended orin plain sight Mark or engrave your laptop comutere with your driver’s license number or other traceable number

Record the serial and model numbers of your lap top computer and keep them in a separate, secure location

Security Tips

Illustration by Chris B. Murray, From The New Yorker

Cosplayer’s from this year’s Anime USA

In the weeks between August 31 and November 9, 1888, British police were baffled by a shocking string of murders. During that period, the bodies of five women were found in London’s Whitechapel district - Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly. They were all slain at night on or near the weekend, in a distinctive and gruesome manner that most experts agree was the work of a single killer: Jack the Ripper, the most famous serial killer in Britain’s history. Despite a lengthy investigation, Jack was never brought to justice for his crimes. In the ensuing one-hundred-plus years, hundreds of theories have been devised as to his true identity, but it’s a mystery that has remained elusive. Last month, a bold announcement was made, Jack the Ripper has been unmasked at last. According to self-described “armchair detective” Russell Edwards, recently un-covered DNA evidence points irrefutably to Aaron Kosminski, who was a 23-old Jewish Polish immigrant at the time of these five canonical Ripper murders. As a youth, Mr. Kosminski had grown up in poverty, most likely in an urban ghetto or in a “shtetl,” or small town outside the city. By the time he reached adolescence,

he would have been painfully aware of the rising anti-Semitism that was characteristic of Poland at the time.The myth of the “Blood Libel”, for example, was revived in the region in 1878, when Mr. Kosminski was about thirteen or fourteen years old. The myth held that Jews performed ritualistic murders of Christian children to appease their God. Naturally, this kind of propaganda caused deep-seated resentment and anger within the disenfranchised Polish Jewish community, of which Mr. Kosminski was a part. Around 1881, Mr. Kosminski immigrated to England with his fam-ily to escape persecution by Poland’s Russian leaders. There he worked as a hairdresser in London’s Whitechapel district. Psychologically, he seemed to fit the profile of a sexual killer, attracting the attention of the police in the wake of the murders. In 1894, Sir Melville Macnaghten, who became Assistant Commissioner of the London Metro-politan Police, wrote of Mr. Kosminski, “he had become insane owing to many years indulgence in solitary vices. He had a great hatred of women, with strong homicidal tendencies.” By that time, however, Mr. Kosminski was already out of the picture. In 1890, he had been committed to Colney Hatch Asylum after threatening his sister with a knife. He would stay there until 1894,

when he was admitted to Leavesden Asylum, where he died, in 1919, at the age of 54, from gangrene.In 2007, Russell Edwards purchased a shawl at auction that was said to have been found at the murder scene of the Ripper’s fourth victim, Catherine Eddowes. Reportedly, the shawl had been collected at the scene of the crime by Police Sergeant Amos Simpson, who presented it to his wife as a gift.

Jack The Ripper: Finally unmasked 126 years later?

December 2014

By Collin Lenegan

However, the bloodstain horrified her, so she refused to wear it. The shawl was stored away and passed down through the generations until seven years ago when it found its way into Mr. Edwards’ hands. Mr. Edwards brought the shawl to Jari Louhelainen, an expert in molecular biology, who allegedly found traces of DNA from both Ms. Eddowes and Mr. Kosminski. This was determined by tracking down the living descendants of both of these people and performing DNA tests. The results, according to Mr. Edwards, prove that Mr. Kosminski was “definitely, categorically, and absolute-ly” guilty. “I’ve got the only piece of forensic evidence in the whole history

is looking

for

YOU

If you are interested,come to our Friday afternoon meeting

1:30 in ST 219

and/or contact

Prof. Miriam Simon at mc.excalibur.tp@

gmail.com or

[email protected]

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THE EXCALIBUR 5

“”

definitely, categorically, and absolutely guilty

of the case. I’ve spent fourteen years working on it, and we have definitively solved the mystery of who Jack the Ripper was.” While Mr. Edward’s case is compel-ling, it’s worth noting that the piece of evidence in question is only alleged to have a connection to the murder of Catherine Eddowes. Critics have claimed that, as there is no complete account of the chain of custody of the shawl, it can hardly be used as the basis for conclusive DNA evidence. Additionally, Russell’s claims were published in The Daily Mail, but have not been published in a scientific journal or been subjected to the peer-review process. According to British geneticist Alec Jeffreys, one of the pioneers of DNA fingerprinting, while Mr. Edwards presents an “inter-esting but remarkable claim…no actual evidence has yet been provided.”Due to the prominence and wealth of some of the suspects in the case, Jack the Ripper has often been imagined as a criminal mastermind of some sort. Aaron Kosminski, on the other hand, was a pathetic and wretched soul who lived in poverty and displayed obvious misogynistic and violent tendencies. If Mr. Edwards is correct in his assertion, we can be content with the knowledge that, while he may have evaded the authorities, the Ripper did not escape justice after all.


It’s an endemic that has existed since 1976 in Zaire but only became breaking news during its ongoing outbreak in West Africa. It has claimed nearly 7,000 lives in West

Africa (as of 1st December 2014) since the first confirmed death in Guinea on December 6, 2013. It is a disease that is deadly, easily spread, and difficult to contain. I am talking about the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). This widespread disease is fast becoming a nuisance to West Africa and the whole world as it is spreading to different countries. The ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa all started in a village in southeastern Guinea (Guéckédou) when a 2-year old boy died after reportedly falling ill. His death, on December 6, 2013, was quickly followed by the deaths of his mother, sister and grandmother. According to Denise Grady and Sheri Fink of the New York Times, two attendees of the grandmother’s burial unknowingly caught the virus and spread it to their respective hometowns. Then, it spread beyond Guéckédou and into neighboring countries Liberia and Sierra Leone. The cases and number of deaths for Guinea are 2,134/1,260. The disease was recognized and blamed for these widespread deaths in March 2014. By then, it had already “spiraled out of control” according to President Barrack Obama. Ebola in Liberia was

Ebola’s Journey: From West Africa to AmericaBy Nome Iyayi

first discovered in late March 2014. Two sisters (one deceased) hailing from Lofa county in Liberia had blood tests (con-ducted by Dr. Gwenigale, the Liberian health minister) showing positive for Ebola virus. It was also reported by the Daily Observer (March 31 2014) that the

surviving sister had travelled from Lofa to Margibi County in Liberia where she could possibly have spread the virus. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf closed the majority of the possible inlets into Liberia in a bid to curb the spread and declared a state of emergency, but the virus had already taken its toll. The re-ported cases and death count in Liberia are 7,068/3,016 respectively. The first reported Ebola patient in Sierra Leone was a local herbalist, who treated some Ebola victims and died of the disease herself in May 2014. The disease was spread by some women

who washed the deceased’s body as part of the burial rites. In late July, Si-erra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma declared a state of emergency and quar-antined hugely affected areas. There is also the story of physician Sheik Umar Khan who died of Ebola virus on July

29 after contacting it from his patients in Kenema, Sierra Leone. He died after he was refused treatment with ZMapp, a test drug made by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The doctors said they feared backlash if the drug killed the country’s “local hero.” His elder brother C-Ray said about his death:”If it was good enough for Americans, it should have been good enough for my brother, it’s not logical that it wasn’t used. He had nothing to lose if it hadn’t worked.” The reported cases and death count in Sierra Leone are 6,599/1,398 respectively.

Ebola then made a little “cameo” appearance in Nigeria and Senegal. It first made waves when the Late Patrick Sawyer, an ECOWAS delegate travelled to Lagos, Nigeria from Liberia aboard a Togolese Sky Airlines. His sister had died of the virus on July 8, and he travelled to Nigeria on the 25th after attending her burial. He died after collapsing on arrival, and the Nigerian doctor who treated him was diagnosed with Ebola. As a result, 40 people who may have had contact with Mr. Sawyer were quarantined and some airlines instituted travel restrictions within the region. After 2 months of rigorous con-tainment, The Nigeria Health Minister said: “Presently, there is no single case of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria – none.” In Senegal, a University student from Guinea travelled to Senegal from Guinea despite the Senegalese southern border with Guinea being closed. He was diagnosed with Ebola virus on August 27, 2014. However, Senegal and Nigeria have passed the 21-day incubation period for Ebola and a WHO statement says: “On the whole, the outbreaks in Senegal and Nigeria are pretty much contained.” Both countries were declared Ebola-free by the 20th of October. On September 20th, Thomas Eric Duncan travelled from Liberia to Texas, bringing the Ebola virus with him. He

was treated by two female nurses, Nina Pham and Amber Vinson, who both con-tracted the virus. Nina was transferred to an NIH facility in Maryland while Amber Vinson was sent to Georgia for treatment. While the two nurses were re-ceiving treatment, New Yorker, Dr. Craig Spencer tested positive for Ebola at Man-hattan’s Mount Sinai Hospital emergen-cy room on October 23rd after showing symptoms since returning from working with MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) in West Africa. With the cooperation of Dr. Spencer, and his family and friends, a team of 200 doctors and epidemiolo-gists were able to track his every move since his return from Guinea. He was declared Ebola-free on November 10, 2014. More recently, Ebola claimed the life of Dr. Martin Salia (44). He died at the University of Nebraska medical cen-ter on Monday, November 15. The Sierra Leonean surgeon contracted the disease while treating patients in his country of birth. His funeral was held November 29th in Landover Hills, Maryland. Although America has lost one citizen’s life to Ebola, and has yet to be declared Ebola-free, both nurses and Dr. Spencer have been cured. The World Health Organization (WHO), in the meantime, tries to contain the disease as the death toll reaches 7,000, and the list of patients climbs to 16,000.

More recently, Ebola claimed the life of Dr. Martin Salia (44). He died at the University of Nebraska medical center on Monday, November 15

“

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Researchers hope to administer Ebola vaccine by January 2015

“ ”D

uring the White House daily press briefing on October 24, Ebola was mentioned 92 times. Less than a month later, it was mentioned only once

in the same setting (November 19). In the meantime, rioters reeked havoc on the streets of Ferguson, Republicans stole the house in a nationwide upset, and New York doctor Craig Spencer was declared Ebola free. As the media turn their focus to race relations and police brutality, the number of Ebola-related deaths in West Africa has reached 7,000. Despite the inconsistent media cover-age, researchers have been working relentlessly at developing a vaccine, and the Obama administration continues to urge lawmakers to approve government funding. The National Institute of Health

(NIH) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services responsible for biomedical and health-related research based in Bethesda, Maryland. Within NIH is the National Institute of Allergy and Infec-tious Diseases (NIAID), which paired up with British pharmaceutical superpower, GlaxoSmithKline, in September to begin research on an Ebola vaccine. After years of testing various vaccines on an-imals, Anthony Facui, director of NIAID, has confirmed a breakthrough – the first human trials have been successful thus far. Twenty healthyadult volunteers (18-50) were tested in two groups (each group received the same vaccine at different doses). The vaccine was tested against two different strands of

the virus found in Sudan and Zaire. Each volunteer was injected with a Chimpanzee cold virus that does not harm humans in hopes that the immune system would create antibodies to ward off infection. Those same antibodies are crucial in preventing infections caused by the Ebola virus. Within twenty-four hours, only two of the twenty volunteers developed a brief fever; the rest showed no serious side effects. Volunteers had their blood tested for antibodies at two weeks and again at four weeks. Every single volunteer tested positive for the antibodies after 4 weeks. Although America’s newest Ebola patient, Dr. Martin Salia, has been pro-nounced dead, and no new cases have been confirmed, the disease continues to ravage through West Africa. Now that the vaccine has passed the initial human trials, NIAID and GlaxoSmithKline await approval from the World Health Organization to continue trials on a larger scale in West African countries.

Upon approval, the vaccine will first be administered to high-risk health workers and burial servicemen in January 2015. Until then, the Obama administration continues to lobby for billions in govern-

ment funding for global action. On Tuesday, December 2nd, President Barack Obama visited the NIH facilities in Bethesda, Maryland. After a tour of the research labs, he delivered a speech focusing on the importance of extinguishing the virus in Africa and protecting the U.S. against the spread of the disease. He is requesting $6.2 billion in emergency spending to be

distributed as needed among various government agencies – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIH, FDA, USAID, the State Department, and the Department of Defense – towards

the anti-Ebola efforts. Until lawmakers make the call, infected countries are making due with what they have. Ron Klaine, America’s Ebola Response Coordinator, along with 200 civilians, 3,000 troops, and teams of Doctors Without Borders continue to aid locals in treating Ebola patients and preventing further deaths.

By Rachelle Downs

The number of Ebola-relat-ed deaths in West Africa has reached 7,000.


The semester in pictures!


Kimberly Herrera: The new face of Student Life Kimberly Herrera, the new Student Life Director at Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring is taking her position by storm. Determined to develop on some of former director James Walters’ leadership programs, Kimberly Herrera has already hosted a leadership retreat for Montgomery College students. Ms. Herrera has also brought some of her own flair to campus with student-faculty relationship builders such as the dodgeball game hosted earlier this semester. In the same way that Ms. Herrera is learning the ins and outs of student life; students are getting to know Ms. Herrera. She was born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents, Billy and Nancy Herrera. She has two siblings, siblings’ names, and a 6-year-old daughter named Kay-la. After graduating from high school, she attended Stony Brook University, New York, receiving a Bachelor of Arts, and went on to receive her Master of Arts from The University of Vermont, Vermont. After receiving her Masters,

she moved to Maryland eight years ago and has yet to look back. Dir. Herrera is no newbie to the world of Student Life. Having received a degree from the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA) and won the 2012 Patsy Morley Outstanding Programmer Award from AACC, she is already a seasoned director. She has previously worked at American University, D.C. as the program advisor to 100 – 200 student organizations, and Anne Arundel Community College as their coordinator of Student Life for five years. She describes her job as “my dream job that I feel called to do” but she also says she likes the way community colleges are set up, especially in Student Life, to help students achieve their dream regardless of anything that may be holding them back. That was why she was in tears when she had to leave Anne Arundel after 5 pleasant years with them. She cited the importance of opening another door and exploring a new chapter of

her life as her reasons for moving to Montgomery College. She said; “When I had my first interview, I felt that I liked the job. But when I met the students on the second one, I fell in love with the school and knew that this was where I had to be!” Having previously worked in somewhat diverse schools, Takoma Park/ Silver Spring’s international student body was comforting for her. Now, she has set out to collaborate with these students to ensure that their immediate needs are being taken care of. She encourages students of all races to speak up and voice their opinions and ideas for change through her programs, workshops and interactive orientation sessions. She has also implemented a new online student orientation program, allowing new students to learn all they need to know about being a first-year student at Montgomery College student from home. Our student handbook and student life website have been updated to keep students in the know about the new rules implemented regarding

student organizations. In addition to that, she says that in the near future, she hopes to be able to: increase the amount of interactive programs in place, see clubs collaborate more and organize something for one of the national days like π day. It doesn’t take a genius to see that Kimberly Herrera loves her job as a student director. She is always grinning, always gleaming and ever-ready to listen to suggestions and ideas from students and staff. The heavy workload of a student director could easily weigh anyone down, but not Ms. Herrera; she dispatches her daily duties with aplomb. Student life in Montgomery College is visibly growing and a lot of that is due to the work of Ms. Herrera. She is easily accessible as her office is at ST 224. Students with positive suggestions can also reach her by email.

[email protected] to reach her for sugges-tions, comments, or appointments!

by Nome Iyayi

Gunning While Still AliveWhy can’t I walk?

Why do I have to be another victim?Why can’t I express myself?

I am success, I am a dream, I am changeOr have I become a victim?

Is my town looting? Because of my shootingNow there Ferguson fires

All I wanted to do is reach higherMy town wants justice

Protestors and babies marching like soldiersThrowing their hands up

All awhile, I’m bringing my hands downFrom the cloud

To reach for peace for my town, FergusonIs this how it felt

When MLK said, “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”

Or Otis Redding as he sings “change is going to come”When will it change? When will it come?

Would we ever break out of the chain?Or would we keep living in pain…?

Visiting the Career Services Center on the Montgomery College Takoma Park/ Silver Spring Campus is a must for all students. There are about 5 different people that can help students with different things. The main focus of the Career Services Center is to help students find jobs in their field of study, complete professional resumes, get information on transferring to other universities, and to be ready for any job opportunity. Mr. Joseph O’Hare, Rolf Barber, Tessie Simmons, Laurie Williams, and Angela Rice Beemer help students get to where they want to be. Mr. Joseph O’Hare is the Job Opportunity Coordinator. He specializes in helping students with building professional resumes and helping students get jobs on campus through e jobs (an electronic database that is made for the Montgomery College). These jobs include security, librarians, front desk, or cashier. Mr. Barber also helps students get internships or jobs related to their major through a program called the Co-op. Through the Co-op programs students can receive 3 credit hours while gaining

work experience and receiving $8-$13 an hour. His office is located in the Resource Center (RC205). All of the members in the career service are physically located on the Takoma Park/Silver Spring but are able to serve students college-wide. Ms. Simmons is the administrative assistant. If you have any questions about career service-related topics, Ms. Simmons is easily contacted by phone, email, or in person at the office. Ms. Beemer is the Director of the Office of Cooperative Edu-cation and Internships. She helps students get internships and jobs in their field of study. Ms. Williams is the Career Transfer Assistant. She helps people transfer out of Montgomery College through online databases that track credits earned and compare them to course requirements at 4-year institutions. Especially in a 2-year program like the College’s, internships and preparation are vital to any student’s success. Advisors in the Career Services Center can help you find your starting point.

Career Services at Takoma Park/Montgomery CollegeBy Jason Dalle

Kimberly Herrera, director of Student Life TP/SS

By William Woods


Being a first year student at Mont-gomery College (MC) is exciting. I have experienced numerous aspects of college life – from choosing my class schedule, to meeting new people. One experience that I have yet to try at MC is riding the shuttle bus that transports students from the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus to the Rockville Campus. On Wednesday, September 24, 2014 I had the pleasure to interview Mr. Mark Pace, who is a member of the Montgom-ery College Parking and Transportation Team. We talked about the new shuttle pilot program at MC that takes students and teachers to the Rockville Campus. Below are questions and some informa-tion that he shared about the shuttle pilot program during our talk.

How long is the Montgomery College shuttle pilot going to continue?

At this point with the trial, I’m sure that we will run the pilot again during the spring semester. We are basically benchmarking the ridership data verses the cost of operation. Fortunately with the MC shuttle bus being co-logo (with Reston Limos) there is some advertising value that the school will get, but it really depends on ridership as far as how long the shuttle will last.

How and why was the company selected for the pilot?

Basically, I researched companies to determine which company had the best contract within the capital region so that MC would not have to bid out the contract. I had a past relationship with George Mason University (who also uses Reston Limousine Services), and I knew that Reston Limos would be the best company choice for the MC trial.

What does the Office of Parking and Trans-portation hope the students gain from using the shuttle?

Well the school tried the shuttle in the past. There was a lot of interest in starting the shuttle program again, so we got the okay and started it. We chose the route between Takoma Park and Rockville because it could have the most impact to reduce the length of time it takes to get to each campus. The students gain the ability to travel from the two campuses, the shut-tle is free to MC students, and there is less time spent travelling. The shuttle allows the students time to do their assignments, study, and sleep if they are tired.

How many students have ridden the shuttle in the past four weeks?

Campus to CampusBy Camille Lee

By Isaiah Allen

The first week on average 45 people rode the shuttle. The second week 55 people rode the shuttle. The third week 111 people rode the shuttle and on the fourth week 148 people rode the shuttle. So as you can see people are using the shuttle and the numbers are increasing.

Is the shuttle handicap accessible?

Yes

Why isn’t the shuttle available at the Germantown Campus?

The MC shuttle is a trial project at this point. The travelling times on public transportation between Rockville and Ger-mantown is much shorter than between Rockville and Takoma Park. The decision was made to run the initial trial between Rockville and Takoma Park and evaluate the possible expansion and/or continua-tion of the future shuttle.

Last fall, Montgomery College fall athletes all saw post-season play. This was a year of great success and there should be no doubt that they can do it again. Women’s volleyball sailed all the way to 17-13 and the NJCAA National Tournament after a shaky 4-8 start. Unfortunately, their run was cut short by the undefeated Northampton Community College Spartans. The 2014 season brings almost a whole new cast of players with six freshmen coming onto the team. Currently on a win streak at 13 wins 9 losses and 0 ties, it looks like the team is digging their way out of another rut.

MC Raptors: Show me the champ!

Playoff potential is very much present. The latest play against their former 2013 NJCAA District G opponents, Loraine Community College, MC Raptors lost 3 to none, just a learning lesson with wins there are losses. However, next season is postulated to be the best like last year’s deep run, which was indeed possible, then there’s no reason to think the MC volleyball team won’t give another bite of the NJCAA Championship. After going 19-1 and roaring into the playoffs in 2013, the Raptors men’s soccer team is back on track for another postsea-son appearance. With a record of 19-3-1,

the raptors swiped the 2014 Region XX Championship with a win of 4 to 1 against Bunker Hill CC in the Herkimer soccer stadium in New York. The win was as expected since the team started in a blaze in a 3 to 1 finish against Howard CC. Their relentlessness deemed them a champi-onship with a win streak of 19 victories. Since their last win in 2013, it is may be that the MC Raptors are going for a clean slate of Championships until a challenging rivalry will emerge; now none seems to have declared that opposing throne.

By Shervon InglesP3: A new frontier The Takoma Park/Silver Spring cam-pus that we recognize today began as just a few buildings located on the east side of campus. Just before the 1970s, Mont-gomery College and the administration began to answer the demand for student enrollment by expanding their space. According to Montgomery College at Fifty: A History Since 1971 by R. Thomas Walker, Ph.D., MC had plans to purchase a 7.9 acre residential block called “Block 69” which is bordered by Chicago, Phila-delphia, Takoma and New York Avenues. Within Block 69, nineteen proper-ties received a letter from the college expressing interest in purchasing their homes. Unfortunately, sometimes asking nicely is just not enough. Sixteen out of the nineteen families were reluctant to sell and claimed never to have received a letter. The cost of compliance was pretty high for the residents as they were facing condemnation if they refused to sell to the college. The very threat of condemnation was the trigger for the neighbors of MC to take action. The residents of Block 69 formed various committees in protest, including a sit-in on one of the properties that was proposed to be demolished. After two years of dispute and disagreements, the College and the neighbors came to a consensus. MC would purchase a little under half of all of the properties on Block 69, while taking into consideration of the remaining residents while new buildings were designed. By 1974, eight of the purchased residences then became learning pavilions one, two, and three (P1, P2, P3). Since

then, Montgomery College had a feasible of renovations. Because of that, we are reflected as a multi-city campus due to our expansion into Silver Spring territory. The most recent renovations brought us back to Block 69 for the remodeling of P3. Today, Ms. Lisa Thomas-Kaonohi is leading the Pavilion Three construction. And this time around, the college was sure enough to consider the neighbors in the design process. Unlike the 60’s, there was virtually no resistance from neighbors, as Montgomery College worked closely with the neighborhood representatives to accommodate desired preferences of the building, including the general exterior, roof slopes and building size. In an interview, Ms. Thomas-Kaonohi stated that the project costs about $6 million dollars split into two phases. Demolition and side work will cost the college about $1.1 million and an additional $5 million for restructuring. Ultimately, Ms. Thomas-Kaonohi desires an entirely new building with retained framework and floor slabs. An elevator tower will be implemented as well as a glass canopy entrance to put the English department back on track. LEED (Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design) has worked with the college to equip P3 with various resource saving features that will contribute to efficient heating and cooling mechanisms. The college also had signed another contract with Hess, which is the same company that renovated pavilion four in Summer 2013. The new P3 is set to be open in time for English professors to utilize them by the Fall 2015 semester.

P3 building as of November 2014

Have more questions? Visit us at montgomerycollege.edu where you can find more information about the Shuttle.Simply type MC Shuttle Bus on the search bar.

Here you will also find the complete bus schedule!

Montgomery College campus shuttle awaiting the arrival of students


By Jessica Edwards

By Rachelle Downs

Are you having troubles finding a quiet place to study? Many students tend to only visit the buildings that they have classes in. They don’t realize that there are numerous great places to study on campus and in local neighbor-hoods. One of the most obvious places to study is the Library, located on the first and second floors of the Resource Cen-ter. In addition to a plethora of books, there are computers for student use, and an army of staff that are willing to help in any way. Although most students have visited the library, they do not know about the other services that the Resource Center provides. The Writing Center, for example, is a place where students can get help for any writing assignment. Just behind the Resource Center is the Catherine F. Scott Commons Build-ing, one of my personal favorite places to study. This building is peppered with great spots for studying, enjoying a quiet lunch, or just relaxing. There is a small study lounge just beyond the main entrance on the second floor. In the neighboring room, there are vend-ing machines with your option of Pepsi products or other tasty snacks. If snacks aren’t for you, there is a microwave where you can heat up your food from home. In this building there are quiet

Study sanctuariesrooms with chairs, couches, and tables where you can study and do homework in silence and in the comfort of heat or air conditioning. Nearly every student on campus passes through the Student Services Center. Although the ST building is most-ly recognized for administrative services (counseling, financial aid, cashier) and social gatherings (student life, cafeteria), there are a couple of rooms in this building that are perfect for studying and completing assignments. The computer lab on the third floor, for example, is a study sanctuary. It’s quiet, comfortable, and just for MC students. With a student ID, you will have access to one of many computers and printers. Even our art majors can finish some of their work on this side of campus. The computer lab has Macs equipped with Adobe Photoshop, In-Design, and more. Speaking of art majors, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundations Art Center is another great place to visit for a study session. Just outside of the Book Store, there are tables and chairs set up for student use. For those who might need a more secluded place to study, there is a library located in this building as well. The library is located down the hall to the right of the south entrance. It is a small and quaint room that is perfect for getting work done.

If you prefer the outdoors, there are plenty of picnic tables scattered around campus. There are three neighborhood parks surrounding the campus. Each of which have tables, fresh air, and plenty of sunshine – the perfect place for finishing that last chapter before a big test. Jessup Blair Park is my personal favorite, located just beyond the bridge on the west side of campus. Though this park seems to be in the middle of the hustle and bustle, when you enter it, there is a serenity there that is perfect for studying, or just being in solitude. For those who enjoy studying while eating, Silver Spring and Takoma Park are filled with restaurants and cafes that offer free wifi and great food. The Zed’s café on Georgia Avenue serves warm beverages and deli snacks. The living room-style décor makes guests feel at home. Not too far from Zed’s is the Tastee Diner. A historic part of Silver Spring’s edible history, the Tastee Diner is open 24-hours and fairly priced. Perfect for a night owl on a budget. On the other side of Takoma Metro, is Old Town Takoma Park – a small historic neighborhood with a couple of cute bistros. Bread & Chocolate and Capital City Cheesecake are located on opposite ends of Carroll Avenue. They’re both open early and laptop friendly.

Montgomery College students hard at work in the study lounge on the second floor of the Student Services Building.

Last week, photos from Kim Kardashian-West’s nude photo shoot for Paper Magazine ended up on nearly every news feed and timeline across the country; virtually breaking the internet as she had sought out to do. There were three pictures, two of which exposed Mrs. Kardashian-West’s entire front and back sides. Although it did not attract the most immediate attention, the third photo is, perhaps, the most controversial. Not long after the Paper Magazine photos leaked, older photos by the same French photographer, Jean-Paul Goude, surfaced. This photo, like the others, featured the side view of a woman bal-ancing a wine glass on the arch of her lower back. Unlike Ms. Kardashian-West in the replica, however, Carolina Beaumont (who posed for Jean-Paul Goude’s collection of works titled Jungle Fever in 1976) was completely naked. Both photos, though, are rooted in some of the more racist segments of Europe’s history. Early in the 19th century, Saartjie Baartman (pronounced Sar-Key) left her job as a housemaid in South Africa in search of fortune in Europe. She was born in the Gamtoos River Valley to the Khoikhoi tribe. Renamed Hottentots by the Dutch, the women of the Khoikhoi tribe typically have large butts and elongated labia. Ms. Baartman arrived in London during the imperial century; when English and French scientists were drafting ‘scientific’ theories about the inferiorities of non-whites. Europeans heard travelers’ accounts of members of the Khoikhoi tribe, but most had never met any of them. With persuasion from her significant other and his brother, Ms. Baartman was the star of a freak show, on stage before hundreds of white spectators, gawking and poking at her

Break the Internet to build racial tension

unfamiliar shape as she balanced odds and ends on the arch of her back (sound familiar?). After a two-year break, Ms. Baartman restarted her career with a public move to Paris, France where she continued the same act until her death in 1815. Less than 24 hours after her death, her body was illegally preserved and set on display in the National Museum of Natural History until 2002 when South African activists fought to bring her home. Jean-Paul Goude is an artist. His collections are rooted in controversy. The very title of his 1976 book Jungle Fever has racist origins. He has been quoted saying that he himself has jun-gle fever. Instead of flattering, though, his obsession with women of color is derogatory. Much like the ring leader of a freak show, Jean-Paul Goude put his ‘specimens’ (Ms. Kardashian-West and Ms. Beaumont) on display for the world to gawk and poke at. Since the release of the photos, Mr. Goude has turned down all interviews. Like a true artist, he has left the world to come to its own conclusions about the photo. With the given information, it is easy to point fingers at Goude for exploiting Ms. Kardashian-West and Ms. Beaumont the same way that Europeans exploited Ms. Baartman. However, it is important to know that these women posed and performed voluntarily. Despite the difference in time period, the motivation for their decisions remains the same – fortune. To these women, they were just doing their jobs. Saartjie Baartman: out of desperation, and, most recently, Kim Kardashian-West: out of greed. Oh! Let’s not forget about the publishers. Paper Magazine had a clearly stated goal – to break the Internet. A little bit of racism is sure to get the job done. Right?

(Top) Carolina Beaumont, (Middle) Saartijie Baartman, (Bottom) Kim Kardashian, all photos are as credited to those whom took them.


St. Louis County grand Jury decides against in-dicting officer Darren WilsonBy Rachelle Downs

Photo below shows Ferguson demonstra-tors expressing support for Michael Brown earlier in August, photo credit goes to NBC News

Saturday, August 9, 2014

11:52am – A dispatcher alerts Ferguson police that Ferguson Market and Liquor (9101 W. Florissant Ave, Ferguson, MO) had been robbed by two black men, one wearing a red hat and yellow socks. According to a witness, the suspects were headed towards the Quik Trip (9420 W. Florissant Ave).

In a matter of ten minutes, Darren Wilson managed to shoot and kill unarmed Michael Brown on Canfield Ave in Ferguson, Missouri. On the night following his death,

a candlelight vigil turned violent, and the streets of Ferguson, Missouri resembled those of Los Angeles during the race riots. Police responded with military force. The Ferguson community responded back with peaceful protests by day and violent protests by night – burning and looting police cars and local shops. Each night ended in tear gas, rubber bullets, and multiple

arrests. This cycle continued until the following Thursday when Governor Jay Nixon called on Captain Ron Johnson, a Ferguson native, to lead Missouri Highway Patrol in securing the city during the days of protesting. Captain Johnson managed to subdue the community for one night of peaceful protests in Ferguson. On Friday morning, however, Darren Wilson was identified as the officer who killed Michael Brown. Despite urges from Brown’s family, Ferguson police, and various black leaders, to remain peaceful, protests grew violent, and continued into Saturday morning. At that point, Mike Brown had been dead for a week; Governor Nixon had issued a state of emergency for Ferguson; and tensions between the people and the police increased. Nightly riots continued. On August 20, a St. Louis County grand jury began their investigation on the incident in Ferguson. They were tasked with deciding whether or not officer Darren Wilson acted within his rights during the exchange with Michael Brown.

After a month-long investigation, St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch answers with the grand jury’s decision not to indict Darren Wilson for the death of Michael Brown – an outcome that is all to familiar to members of America’s black communities. As expected, protests (both peaceful and violent) broke out all across the nation; social media timelines are slammed with photos, videos, and reading material to remind us of our prejudice history; and scads of new in-formation surface by the hour. Although the grand jury has made their decision, the Federal government is conducting separate investigations as well: 1. Whether or not Michael Brown’s Civil Rights were violated. 2. Whether there is a pattern of racial bias in Ferguson Police Department operations. According to the Washington Post, “civil rights charges against Wilson are unlikely.” The latter, however, addresses pressing issues that have existed in America’s criminal justice system since its begin-nings – the targeting of minorities and use of excessive force by police officers.

There is a clear and present disparity between the rates at which blacks and non-blacks are arrested in America. According to USA Today, the Ferguson Police Department arrests blacks at almost three times the rate of non-blacks (2012). Those statistics are common throughout the country. Although fewer arrests are made per 1000 residents in Montgomery County than St. Louis County, the local police department (Montgomery County Police Department) arrests blacks at nearly four times the rate of non-blacks. While this in no way proves that all police are racist, it does suggest that some level of discrimination exists in our criminal justice system. After the killing of the late Edward Garner (1985) by Memphis cop Elton Hymon, the Supreme Court ruled that an officer can use “objectively reason-able” deadly force if, and only if, they have “probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat” to the officer or others. The loophole lies in the “objective reasonableness” and “significant threat”. Innocent until

proven guilty, due process, and the right to a fair trial are the epitome of the American justice system. With the loose definition of what is objectively reason-able, the police become the judged, the jury, and in some cases, the executioner. In the split second that Officer Darren Wilson decided that Michael Brown was a “significant threat,” all of these rights were taken away. The suspect, became the criminal, became the victim. In 1966, The Black Panther Party released The Ten-Point Program, out-lining their goals to end “capitalism, imperialism, and racism”. The seventh point: “We Want An Immediate End To Police Brutality And Murder Of Black People.” More than 40 years later, the same cry is heard in the wake of the death of Michael Brown. “Hands Up! Don’t Shoot!” shout protestors as they march down the streets in honor of Mike Brown’s legacy.

The AwardTwo scholarship awards of $250.00 (one scholarship per student) will be granted towards students’ college registrar accounts.

EligibilityAll students who are enrolled in at least one course in Fall 2014 at the Montgomery College-Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus.

Submission GuidelinesAll eligible applicants are required to submit the following:A 500-Word Personal Statement (Typed, Double-Spaced) with Cover Page, including:

• Title of Essay • Full Name• MC ID Number

Personal Statement Students must select one of the topics below and write an essay on how their education will be used to impact their lives, as well as the life of the community and society at large. Students are required to choose ONE of the following topics or themes:

• The abandonment of all forms of prejudice• Equality between men and women in all spheres of society• The elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth• The realization of universal education• Coherence between material and spiritual aspects of life • Unity in diversity

DeadlinePersonal statements must be emailed to Dr. Sadi Sahbazian([email protected]) by 11:59 p.m., EST on Monday, December 1, 2014.

“Light Upon Light” Scholarship

Sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Silver Spring

Two $250 Scholarship Awards!!!

UMBC ranks #5 on U.S. News and World Report’s

Best Colleges Guide’s list of schools with an

“unusually strong commitment to undergraduate

teaching”—ahead of Yale, Brown, and Stanford—

and is recognized for prioritizing intensive

undergraduate research and creative work.

We Invite You to Visit CampusBLACK AND GOLD TOURSWeekdays and many Saturdays

umbc.edu/undergraduate/visit

LEARN MORE:umbc.edu/transfer or 410-455-2292

SPRING ADMISSION DEADLINERegular Decision: December 15facebook.com/UMBCadmissions @UMBCadmissions

Documents

The Excalibur - December 2014