andrews 012315

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AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION OF COMPRINT MILITARY PUBLICATIONS AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MD. DCMILITARY.COM FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015 | VOL. 4 NO. 3 SCIENCE U.S. Naval Academy 2015 Summer STEM Program accepting applications now, Page 7 COMMUNITY AKA Chapters Host MLK Day of Service, Page 4 COMMENTARY My journey as a victim advocate, Page 2 BY AIRMAN 1ST CLASS RYAN J. SONNIER 11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS The 457th Airlift Squadron is stationed on Joint Base An- drews, Maryland, but is a part of the 375th Air Mobility Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Although they are a geo- graphically separated unit and a small squadron, their mission is essential to senior leaders and the Air Force. “Our mission is to transport leaders, primarily within the U.S., to key destinations with as little as 48-hour notice,” Lt. Col. John Borowski, 457 AS commander, said. “The unit is currently flying two missions a day.” Borowski took command in August 2014, of the only ac- tive-duty C-21 squadron in the United States. One of the first challenges he faced was the loss of two planes to budget cuts. “It was challenging when I first got here, dealing with the Air Force downsizing and man- ning,” Borowski said. “However, it’s was nice receiving great support from the 89th Airlift Wing and 11th Wing.” The unit continues to receive support from the 89th and 11th Wings such as communication, airfield support, safety and oth- er necessary support. The C-21’s, assigned to the 457th Airlift Squadron, transporting senior leaders U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS RYAN J. SONNIER 1st Lt. Jeff Morrow, 457th Air- lift Squadron pilot, inspects landing gear during a pre-flight check of a C-21 Jan. 9 on Joint Base Andrews. see LEADERS, page 7 BY BOBBY JONES STAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST The Riverdale House Mu- seum Mansion held its annual Twelfth Night Ball festivi- ties, which included ballroom dancing for approximately 50 invited guests in Riverdale Park, Jan. 17. The staff of the landmark mansion catered a lavish 18th-century party with period-inspired cuisine and refreshments in the east wing before the evening culminated with the crowning of the king and queen of the ball and their grand march. According to Samantha Fer- ris, Riverdale House Museum Mansion Education Coordina- tor, the Twelfth Night dates back 200 years ago; it was the end of the holiday season, and was much bigger than Christ- mas. “It was usually celebrated 12 days after Christmas, nor- mally, January 6, during the Catholic Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated in Eastern and Latin countries. Ferris explained that the party was a little past the Twelfth Night Ball goers trip the light fantastic PHOTO/BOBBY JONES Queen Thea Chimento is escorted by King Bill Gawne, during their Grand March ceremony. see BALL, page 5 BY 2ND LT. ESTHER WILLETT AIR FORCE DISTRICT OF WASH- INGTON PUBLIC AFFAIRS While people often know the Air Force District of Wash- ington for its Honor Guard, Air Force Band and rapid con- tingency response, they may not realize that AFDW has an operational mission support- ing Airmen around the world. Civilian and military Airmen working in embassies, joint and exchange offices, Depart- ment of Defense agencies, the Pentagon, and other unique units are administratively as- signed to AFDW. The AFDW Manpower, Per- sonnel, and Services Division staff serves approximately 51,000 military and civilian Airmen stationed in more than 3,900 elements through- out the National Capital Re- gion, across the United States, and in over 100 countries. Airmen assigned to these types of units sometimes en- counter difficulty finding help for personnel related issues. “We service customers all over the world, and we want to reach them in a more ef- fective manner,” said Captain Denise Duriga, A1 executive officer. “We have such a large and diverse worldwide mis- sion; we want to reach out and let them know we’re here to help them.” Celisa Stephens, division director, challenged her staff to develop ways to better com- municate with AFDW’s cus- tomers. One of the goals of the directorate is to help Air- men find resources regarding all facets of their career field, so AFDW Airmen are always equipped with the support they need to fly, fight and win, she said. “The establishment of an AFDW Manpower, Personnel and Services website will en- sure better support for mili- tary and civilian Airmen who may be located in small units throughout remote regions of the world,” said Stephens. The site is available at: www.afdw.af.mil/units/ manpower,personnelandserv ices.asp AFDW/A1 embraces world-wide mission: ‘We’re here to help’ BY LESLIE C. SMITH STAFF WRITER The Chesapeake Math and IT (CMIT) Academy Charter School South will open the 2015-2016 school year in a new location. Currently located in District Heights, the STEM (science, technology, engineer- ing and math) focused school will open on 9988 Fallard Drive in Upper Marlboro – just east of Joint Base Andrews. The new location will provide the oppor- tunity for growth and provide a central location for many of the attendees of the school. There are 150 openings available for the 6th grade; and parents can visit PGCPS.org and check the charter school link for an appli- cation. The deadline is Jan. 30 for the next school year. The Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation (CLF) uses a spe- cific school model to operate four schools in Maryland; three of which are in Prince George’s County CMIT Academy, CMIT Elementary and CMIT South; and CLF, open since CMIT Academy Public Charter School is set to welcome new students at new location see CMIT, page 6

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Page 1: Andrews 012315

AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION OF COMPRINTMILITARY PUBLICATIONS AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS,MD.DCMILITARY.COM FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015 | VOL. 4 NO. 3

SCIENCEU.S. Naval Academy 2015 Summer STEM Program

accepting applications now, Page 7

COMMUNITYAKA Chapters Host MLK Day

of Service, Page 4

COMMENTARYMy journey as a victim advocate,

Page 2

BY AIRMAN 1ST CLASSRYAN J. SONNIER

11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The 457th Airlift Squadronis stationed on Joint Base An-drews, Maryland, but is a partof the 375th Air Mobility Wingat Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

Although they are a geo-graphically separated unit anda small squadron, their missionis essential to senior leadersand the Air Force.

“Our mission is to transportleaders, primarily within theU.S., to key destinations withas little as 48-hour notice,” Lt.Col. John Borowski, 457 AScommander, said. “The unit iscurrently flying two missions aday.”

Borowski took command inAugust 2014, of the only ac-tive-duty C-21 squadron in theUnited States.

One of the first challenges hefaced was the loss of two planesto budget cuts.

“It was challenging when Ifirst got here, dealing with theAir Force downsizing and man-ning,” Borowski said. “However,it’s was nice receiving greatsupport from the 89th AirliftWing and 11th Wing.”

The unit continues to receivesupport from the 89th and 11thWings such as communication,airfield support, safety and oth-er necessary support.

The C-21’s, assigned to the

457th Airlift Squadron,transporting senior leaders

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/AIRMAN 1ST CLASSRYAN J. SONNIER

1st Lt. Jeff Morrow, 457th Air-lift Squadron pilot, inspectslanding gear during a pre-flightcheck of a C-21 Jan. 9 on JointBase Andrews.see LEADERS, page 7

BY BOBBY JONESSTAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

The Riverdale House Mu-seum Mansion held its annualTwelfth Night Ball festivi-ties, which included ballroomdancing for approximately 50invited guests in RiverdalePark, Jan. 17. The staff of thelandmark mansion catered alavish 18th-century party withperiod-inspired cuisine andrefreshments in the east wingbefore the evening culminatedwith the crowning of the kingand queen of the ball and theirgrand march.

According to Samantha Fer-ris, Riverdale House MuseumMansion Education Coordina-tor, the Twelfth Night datesback 200 years ago; it was theend of the holiday season, andwas much bigger than Christ-mas. “It was usually celebrated12 days after Christmas, nor-mally, January 6, during theCatholic Feast of the Epiphany,celebrated in Eastern and Latincountries. Ferris explained thatthe party was a little past the

Twelfth Night Ball goerstrip the light fantastic

PHOTO/BOBBY JONES

Queen Thea Chimento is escorted by King Bill Gawne, duringtheir Grand March ceremony.see BALL, page 5

BY 2ND LT. ESTHER WILLETTAIR FORCE DISTRICT OF WASH-

INGTON PUBLIC AFFAIRS

While people often knowthe Air Force District of Wash-ington for its Honor Guard,Air Force Band and rapid con-tingency response, they maynot realize that AFDW has anoperational mission support-ing Airmen around the world.Civilian and military Airmenworking in embassies, jointand exchange offices, Depart-ment of Defense agencies, thePentagon, and other uniqueunits are administratively as-signed to AFDW.

The AFDW Manpower, Per-sonnel, and Services Divisionstaff serves approximately51,000 military and civilianAirmen stationed in morethan 3,900 elements through-out the National Capital Re-gion, across the United States,and in over 100 countries.

Airmen assigned to thesetypes of units sometimes en-counter difficulty finding helpfor personnel related issues.

“We service customers all

over the world, and we wantto reach them in a more ef-fective manner,” said CaptainDenise Duriga, A1 executiveofficer. “We have such a largeand diverse worldwide mis-sion; we want to reach outand let them know we’re hereto help them.”

Celisa Stephens, divisiondirector, challenged her staffto develop ways to better com-municate with AFDW’s cus-tomers. One of the goals ofthe directorate is to help Air-men find resources regardingall facets of their career field,so AFDW Airmen are alwaysequipped with the supportthey need to fly, fight and win,she said.

“The establishment of anAFDW Manpower, Personneland Services website will en-sure better support for mili-tary and civilian Airmen whomay be located in small unitsthroughout remote regions ofthe world,” said Stephens.

The site is availableat: www.afdw.af.mil/units/manpower,personnelandservices.asp

AFDW/A1 embracesworld-wide mission:‘We’re here to help’

BY LESLIE C. SMITHSTAFF WRITER

The Chesapeake Math andIT (CMIT) Academy CharterSchool South will open the2015-2016 school year in a newlocation. Currently located inDistrict Heights, the STEM(science, technology, engineer-ing and math) focused schoolwill open on 9988 Fallard Drivein Upper Marlboro – just eastof Joint BaseAndrews.The newlocation will provide the oppor-tunity for growth and provide acentral location for many of the

attendees of the school. Thereare 150 openings available forthe 6th grade; and parents canvisit PGCPS.org and check thecharter school link for an appli-cation. The deadline is Jan. 30for the next school year.

The Chesapeake LighthouseFoundation (CLF) uses a spe-cific school model to operatefour schools in Maryland; threeof which are in Prince George’sCounty – CMIT Academy,CMIT Elementary and CMITSouth; and CLF, open since

CMIT Academy PublicCharter School is set towelcome new studentsat new location

see CMIT, page 6

Page 2: Andrews 012315

Andrews Gazette2 Friday, January 23, 2015

Andrews Gazette is published by Comprint MilitaryPublications, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg,Md., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S.Air Force or any branch of the United States military.The appearance of advertising in these publications,

including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsementby the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force orthe products and services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available forpurchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion,sex, national origin, age,martial status, physical handicap, political af-filiation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchases, user or patron.

COMPRINT MILITARY PUBLICATIONS

Maxine Minar, [email protected]

John Rives, [email protected]

Deirdre Parry, page [email protected]

Leslie Smith, [email protected]

Bobby Jones, [email protected]

January 23-24Shot in the DarkFriday, Saturday 8 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m.Bowie Playhouse,White Marsh Park, Bowie, MDPrince George’s Little Theater Inc. presents A

Shot in the Dark about a good hearted, guilelesschild of nature hauled before the magistrate on acharge of murder, having been found unconscious,nude, and clutching a gun, with her lover dead be-side her. What is most shocking to the magistrateis the complete frankness with which she describesher life as a parlor maid and her affairs with boththe dead chauffeur and her aristocratic employer.

For more information or tickets, 301-937-PGLT(7458) or [email protected]

January 23-February 28Glancing Back & Looking Forward: 100 Years of

African American Culture And History In PrinceGeorge’s County

Montpelier Arts Center, 9652 Muirkirk Rd., Lau-rel, MD 20708

This exhibition features information about thelives of selected Prince Georgians who had a va-riety of occupations and community roles throughphotographs, artifacts, and excerpts from inter-views. Everyday People Making History will conveythe personal stories of participants and highlightthe ways in which they were, and still are, a partof history in Prince George’s County. Free 301-377-7800; www.pgpparks.com

January 23-26MAGfest: 13th Annual Music & Gaming FestivalGaylord National Resort & Convention Center,

201 Waterfront St., National Harbor, MD 20745MAGFest is a four day long party dedicated to

the appreciation of video game music, gaming ofall types, and the community. The festival runs24 hours a day, and offers consoles, arcades, table-top, LAN, live video game cover bands, chiptunes,vendors, guest speakers and much more. For moreinformation, visit www.magfest.org, www.gaylord-national.com

January 23- February 1Comedy of ErrorsFriday/Saturday 8 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m.Laurel Mill Playhouse, 508 Main Street, Laurel,

MDShakespeare comedy. Production from WATCH

award-winning director Joshua McKerrow. Gener-al admission $20; students 12 and younger, activeduty military and seniors 65 and older $15. For res-ervations call 301-617-9906 and press 2. For moreinformation, visit www.laurelmillplayhouse.org.

Hot ticketsaround town

New Carts OfferedFour area commissaries are

among 40 stores offering grocerycarts designed for special-needschildren. Called “Caroline’s Cart,”it enables special-needs children– or adults under 250 pounds –to accompany shoppers insteadof pushing both a wheelchair orstroller and a grocery cart. The newcarts are available at Bolling, FortMeade, Fort Belvoir and Quantico.They have handles that swing awayto allow easy access to the seat. Aplatform below the seat serves as afootrest. With the occupant facingthe cart operator, the seat containsan adjustable harness for support.Two 8-inch wheels and four cast-ers provide maneuverability andstability. Brakes help ensure safetywhile loading or unloading the pas-senger. Carts are located near theentrance and are available on afirst-come, first-served basis.

Top Rating for VillageCharity Navigator, an indepen-

dent charity evaluator, has award-

ed the Air Force Enlisted Village atShalimar, Fla., with a 4-star ratingfor sound fiscal management prac-tices and commitment to account-ability and transparency. CharityNavigator works to help charitabledonors make informed decisions byevaluating the financial health ofover 5,000 nonprofits nationwide.

“Only one out of four earns 4stars,” said Ken Berger, presidentof Charity Navigator.

“We’re delighted,” said retiredCMSAF Jim Binnicker, Air ForceEnlisted Village president andCEO. “This rating demonstratesthat we take our fiduciary and gov-ernance responsibilities very seri-ously.”

Air Force Enlisted Village is anon-profit organization that pro-vides a home near Eglin AFB andHurlburt Field for surviving spous-es of retired enlisted military mem-bers. For more information, visitwww.afev.us.

Aid to HomelessApproximately $300 million in

VA grants will help approximate-ly 115,000 homeless and at-riskveterans and their families. Morethan 300 grants are shared in all50 states, District of Columbia,Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.Private non-profit organizationsand consumer cooperatives provideservices to low-income veteranfamilies (those making less than 50percent of the area median income)living in – or transitioning to – per-manent housing. Temporary finan-cial assistance may be available forrent payments, utility payments,security deposits and moving costs.VA committed over $1 billion in FY2014 to strengthen programs thatprevent and end homelessnessamong veterans.

The Retiree Activities Office isopen 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mondaythrough Friday. Visit the office inBuilding 1604 at California andColorado Avenues or call 301 981-2726. Call before your visit to ensurea volunteer is on duty. The RAO hasa website at www.andrews.af.mil.

Retiree Corner

BY STAFF SGT. MARIA BOWMAN375TH AIR MOBILITY WING

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

When I was a teenager, I sawa movie about a college studentwho was raped by her brother’sfraternity brother at a party. I re-member being saddened by whathappened to her; not only by theact of sexual assault, but by howthe school’s administrators andstudents treated her when she de-cided to come forward. The schooldidn’t want to believe her, becauseher rapist was loved by the school.Other students stared at her andjudged her behavior that night.

That movie and its messagehave stuck with me for more than15 years. I have wanted to be ableto help victims of sexual assaultfor a long time --I just wasn’t surehow.

Then, I learned about the Sex-ual Assault Prevention and Re-sponse program. After learningabout the victim advocacy pro-gram, I immediately signed upbecause I wanted to make a dif-ference.

Last year, I received a phonecall from the Sexual Assault Re-sponse Coordinator saying some-one would be coming in the nextday to fill out a report. After hang-ing up the phone, I began to praythat I would be able to provide theright amount of comfort and sup-port she would need throughoutthis entire process.

The next day, I met my firstclient. My anxiety was up, and Iwas feeling very nervous becausethis was my first time doing this

outside of a training environment.This person mattered, and I want-ed to show her empathy and com-passion during this difficult time.Her trust in another person hadbeen violated, and I was trying toshow her that she could trust me.I knew that would not be an easytask to accomplish, but it was im-portant to be there through thisvery scary time.

Even with all the training Iwent through, nothing wouldhave prepared me for that firstencounter. I was looking at some-one who had survived one of themost difficult experiences to livethrough. Feelings of anger andsadness arose within me. Wordsand thoughts flooded my brain,but I was finding it difficult tospeak them aloud.

Fortunately, I wasn’t goingthrough this alone. The SARC wasthere, being my guide and mentor,walking us both through the pro-cess. Her presence and guidancehelped put my mind and body atease, knowing I would have some-one to turn to when problems orquestions came up.

When we went to the hospital,it was the first opportunity to sitwith my new client and talk withher alone. While we waited for thenurse to come collect evidence, Istruggled to find words that wouldbegin to build her trust in me. Shedidn’t know me--why should shepossibly trust a complete strang-er? I tried to come up with theright things to say, but the onlything I tell her was that I wouldbe her rock, and that I was herefor whatever she needed on her

road to recovery.By the time we met with the

Office of Special Investigationsthe next day, I was beginning tofeel like my presence beside herwas a blessing. I started to feelhopeful, and I started to believethat my time spent advocating onher behalf would be successful.Throughout that long day of in-terviews and listening to her talkabout what had happened to her,I began to fully understand howstrong she was. I knew I needed tobe strong for her too.

When that was completed, thefocus shifted to the relationship Iwould build with her. After hear-ing her talk about herself and thestruggles she was having, I be-gan understanding her. No longernervous that I would mess thingsup, my confidence in my abilitiesgrew.

Over the next year, we wouldtalk about how her case was pro-gressing. Whenever she had aquestion I didn’t know, I felt real-ly comfortable talking it over withthe SARC or the Special VictimsCouncil. The SVC was her legaladvisor when it came to anythingconcerning her victim rights orthe upcoming court martial.

Having the SARC and the SVCas resources made it a lot easier tosuccessfully advocate for her andmake sure she was getting whatshe needed. Since the SVC was lo-cated nearby, it was easy for meto talk with her and get advice. Italso helped to build trust in her,because I could see that she re-

CommentaryMy journey as a victim advocate

see ADVOCATE, page 6

Page 3: Andrews 012315

Andrews GazetteFriday, January 23, 2015 3

BY LESLIE C. SMITHSTAFF WRITER

Have you ever served?This is the question theAmerican Academy ofNursing (AAN) has setforth as its latest initia-tive concerning Veterans’healthcare.

This initiative startedin started in 2012. TheAmerican Academy ofNursing Board of Direc-tors approved and con-vened an expert panelon military Veterans’healthcare.

“We found in thesummer of 2011 thatthere were really a lot ofhealthcare needs of vet-erans of the military thatwere not being addressed.The board approved thecreation of this expertpanel on military vet-erans healthcare wherefellows in the academycome together to developpolicy initiatives aroundthe needs of the militaryVeteran population,” saidCheryl Sullivan, CEO ofthe American Academy ofNursing.

The AAN was first ap-proached by First LadyMichelle Obama and Dr.Jill Biden’s office in theWhite House about mak-ing a commitment totheir initiative JoiningForces, which is a publicand private sector initia-tive to strengthen servicemembers, veterans, andtheir families.

“In turn we wereasked to come up withour own initiative so wecreated what we termed‘Have You Ever Servedin the Military?’ as ourinitiative to meet thepledge to Joining Forces.This, we believe, will fun-damentally change themanner in which nursesand other healthcare pro-viders conduct health as-sessments of individualswho have served in themilitary,” said Sullivan.

“Nurses are health-care’s equivalent to bootson the ground and areuniquely positioned tofacilitate the change andensure vital informationis obtained and recordedas to improve the health-care provided to our vet-erans and their families.

“What we have done isdistributed nationwide asimple pocket card thatis labeled have you everserved in the militaryand leads nurses througha series of questions of:have you or someoneclose to you ever servedin the military – whendid you serve; what wasyour job in the military;did you experience enemyfire or combat; or do youknow if you were exposedto chemicals or gases de-molition of munitions orpesticides – any of thosehazardous substances.

“The idea is to en-courage nurses to askthe very simple question‘have you ever served inthe military?’ It’s not aquestion that is routinelyasked. We know that it’sonly a small percentageof individuals who re-ceive service through theVA and many more indi-vidual who have servedin the military are be-ing served by communityproviders – nurses andother healthcare provid-ers – and so it’s a way thehealthcare professionalcan document in themedical record whetheran individual had servedor not.

“Ultimately, what wewant to do is increasethe appropriate accessto healthcare servicesto individuals who haveserved; and increaseprovider awareness ofservice-connected health-care issues and increasethe number of nurses andproviders in the privatesector who are screeningfor military service sothey can complete mili-tary service histories,”Sullivan explained.

“Individuals receivebetter care, more promptcare, more efficient care,and care that is directedmore toward their mili-tary service. It’s a verysimple question but it isinteresting that this hasreally caught on aroundthe country. We have con-tacted well over 9,000nurses individually,throughout all 50 states;and those include nurseswho are chief nursing of-ficers in health systems,who are in federally

qualified health centers,those who are in mentalhealth clinics. We havecontacted nurses who arestate legislators as a wayjust to get that questionout there. We are encour-aged by the response weare receiving.”

The AAN received agrant from ChamberlainCollege of Nursing join-ing the Bob WoodruffFoundation as well asbeing recently notifiedthat the Purple HeartFoundation is planningon funding the initiativeas well.

“The bottom line is:we want to ensure thatthe individuals who haveserved our country areappropriately servedthrough the healthcarecommunity.

“The idea behind thisis to prompt that ques-tion if we could univer-sally have that questionbeing asked by all nursesacross the United States,so that the medical re-cord is documented, thatperhaps when someonepresents – say with a re-spiratory illness – thatcould lead to the ques-tion have you ever servedin the military. And per-haps they were exposedto open air burn pits inIraq or Afghanistan andperhaps this could liter-ally decrease the timebetween symptoms anddiagnosis. That is at theheart of this; to have in-dividuals that serve ourcountry receive betterhealthcare and more ef-ficiently.”

The initiative wasborn out of the State ofConnecticut, started anumber of years ago un-der Linda Schwartz, nowthe VA Assistant Secre-tary for policy and plan-ning. The idea behindthe initiative came to theAcademy when Schwartz,a fellow, shared the stateidea, Sullivan shared.

Sullivan shared thatSchwartz was able tooffer the anecdotal evi-dence of having someoneask that question, andthis was indeed some-one who had service thecountry in a particulararea, and they were ableto make a much faster di-

agnosis of what the indi-vidual had.

“Right now we havean awareness campaign;and we are trying to havepeople be encouraged,particularly nurses, toask the question. Also,we have an outreach toa number of veteran or-

ganizations. We want theservice members also tobe aware of this question.And, if their own health-care provider doesn’t askit, to have them volun-teer the information thatthey in fact did serveand this is the countryin which they served and

this is what they mayhave been exposed to orthis at least what theirjob was. It’s all aboutimproving appropriateaccess to healthcare in-dividuals and to increasethe provider awareness ofservice-connected health-care issues.”

‘Have you ever served?’A simple question with far-reaching impact

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Page 4: Andrews 012315

Andrews Gazette4 Friday, January 23, 2015

BY BOBBY JONESSTAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

The Alpha Kappa Al-pha (AKA) Sorority, In-corporated, Iota GammaOmega, Upsilon TauOmega, Psi Epsilon Ome-ga, Theta Nu and Etachapters joined hands tohost its third free Com-munity Service Fair forcounty residents at theBeltway Church of Christin Camp Springs on Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.Day Jan. 19.

Billed under thetheme, “Lifetime of Ser-vice,” the Prince George’sCounty chapters hosted apanel of local county andlaw enforcement mem-bers who addressed com-munity service-related is-sues. The panel includedPhil Lee, President ofthe Kettering Civic Fed-eration and Chairmanof the Community Pub-lic Awareness Council,Corporal J. R. Mercer,Prince George’s CountyPolice Department, Al-pha Phi Alpha FraternityInc. members, Van Rawls.Dwight Deneal and JohnGreene.

The event served asthe point discussion forpanelists, who challengedlocal organizations, the lo-cal community and youthin particular, to get moreinvolved in communityservice-related projects.

“I think Dr. King wouldbe pleased to see how farwe’ve come, but we need

to re-energize and reju-venate our communities,”said Deneal. “I believethat we are far from thedream that Dr. King real-ized.”

Van Rawls stated, “Ibelieve if Dr. King werealive today, he would askwhy there was only 17percent voter turnout re-cently. I believe that inorder to reinvigorate our-selves we need to thinkabout what it really costto earn the right to voteand once we reflect onhow we came to earn thisright, and talk about in

our schools and our com-munities. Only then willI believe we will begin tounderstand what it is tobe a servant in the com-munity and become in-vigorated again.”

Ingrid M. Turner, ser-vice moderator commend-ed the panel for partici-pating in the discussionand took an audience pollof how many youth donat-ed their service and timeto their communities.

“All of you have volun-teered at least two hoursin community pleasestand,” said Turner, join-ing the audience in a vig-orous applaud for a sig-nificant amount of youngmale and female volun-teers standing.

Wanting to see howmany young volunteerswould still remain stand-ing, she repeated askedthose who have volun-teered more than 20hours remain standing.Still further challengingthe number of young vol-unteer records, Turner fi-nally asked if there’s any-one that has volunteeredmore than 130 hours,the volunteers beganto sit down. In the end,

two young ladies wouldremain standing with acombined number of 877community service hoursbetween them.

Da’ Jon Pegres, an18-year-old student atPotomac High School do-nated a total of 240 hours,while Roxanne Richards,a 21-year-old WashingtonAdventist University stu-dent was the last personstanding with a total of637 community servicehours.

Turner commendedthem for their commit-ment, inviting the selflessvolunteers to the stage tocongratulate them per-sonally and award themwith gift certificates.“Thank you for what youdo for your communityand thank you for whatyou continue to do.”

After, the young mem-bers and the audience at-tended individual work-shops relating to varioussubjects that would chal-lenge them to come upwith community serviceprojects in commemora-tion of Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr. Day.

At the conclusion ofthe fair, the hosting so-

rorities presented dona-tions to the Veterans For-ever Soldiers, Court Ap-pointed Special AdvocateAssociation, and Tangle-wood Regional School inClinton for children withspecial needs and dis-abilities.

“What a grand totalwe have received in do-nations,” said Nicola F.Kennedy, Psi EpsilonOmega Vice President.“We collected a total of

$855 in gift cards, morethan 600 seasonal itemsincluding clothes, coats,scarves hats and socks,and we collected over5,000 items in diapers,baby wipes and tissues,”said Kennedy. “And wecollected for these threeorganizations to let ev-eryone know this is a nota day off, but a day on tobetter serve those whoneed help in the commu-nity.”

Prince George’s County Maryland AKA Chapters Host MLK Day of Service

Winchester Smith, Army veteran and Veterans For-ever Soldiers founder, talks with Dianne Hines, AKAmember about his organization. His organizationwas among several in attendance at the event.

Amanda Odorimah, law student and communityvolunteer, questions teenagers about what role thesocial media plays in their generation and how itcould best be used to support a community serviceproject in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.holiday day of service during a work shop.

PHOTOS/BOBBY JONES

Left to right: Robin Long, Tanglewood Regional School; Tia Belton, Vice President,Upsilon Tau Omega; Winchester Smith, Veterans Forever Soldiers founder, Vet-eran’s group; Shawn Jackson Wilson, President, Psi Epsilon Omega; Deidre N.Jackson, Vice President, Iota Gamma Omega; Danaeka Spear, President, UpsilonTau Omega; CASA rep; Penny Gerber, Court Appointed Special Advocate Asso-ciation, Saran T. Baker, President, Iota Gamma Omega; and Nicola F. Kennedy,Vice President, Psi Epsilon Omega.

Dwight Deneal, left, addresses an audience mem-ber’s question during a panel discussion at a MartinLuther King Jr. Day of Service program at the BeltwayChurch of Christ, in Camp Springs, Md. Jan. 19. AlphaPhi Alpha Fraternity Inc. members, Van Rawls andJohn Greene.

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Andrews GazetteFriday, January 23, 2015 5

normal celebration time-framebecause there was a bicenten-nial reenactment down in NewOrleans for the Battle of 1812.“Quite a few of our re-enactorsand our dance masters wereinvolved in that celebration, sowe decided to push this eventback until now.”

Party-goers were welcomedby Katherine Spivey, who por-trayed the Lady of the House,Mrs. Rosalie Calvert, origi-nal owner of the mansion.As guests arrived dressed inthe best period attire, Spiveygreeted and engaged themin conversation, never oncebreaking character of the lateMrs. Calvert, wife of GeorgeCalvert, grandson of CharlesCalvert, 5th Lord of Baltimore.

Spivey noted in reference tothe Twelfth Day, the Christmasholiday is not just the one day;it encompasses twelve days offeasting, which is an old cus-tom, dating back to Romantimes.

“So in those days, when thewinter set in and the days weredreary and cold, the peopletook the opportunity to visitand feast, entertain with mu-sic, jokes, merry making andan aurora of festivities to re-mind them that winter wouldcome to an end by the dawn ofspring,” said Spivey.

Guests were drawn by themusic into the Gallery room.Dance Master, James Wass,led the anxious group in per-forming the intricate detailsof personally-tailored dancelessons from songs of the 1700and 1800’s, while accompaniedby musical professionals, Kar-en Ashbrook, playing the ham-mered dulcimer; her husband,Paul Oorts, on harp guitar; andAndrea Hoag on fiddle.

“I’ve been coming here andteaching dance lessons for thepast 15 years,” noted Wass.“The dances date back to the1670’s to as late as 1804, butthe dances are reasonably au-

thentic, certainly the Kent’sWaltz, which was danced dur-ing that period. I enjoy danc-ing and teaching and thisevent puts them together,” saidWass, a professional squaredance caller and dance teacherof 25 years. “So this event givesme a way of talking to peopleabout several different stylesof dance.”

At the conclusion of the eve-ning, Katherine Spivey, a.k.a.Rosalie Calvert announced themost coveted recognition of theevening – Thea Chimento’sselection as queen, and BillGawne king during the tradi-tional crowning ceremony, giv-

ing them bragging rights forthe year.

Dance Master Wass calledthe room to order and led thenew king and queen during theopening dance of their grandmarch.

Riversdale House MuseumHistory/Museum specialist,Ann Wass, Ph.D., summarizedthe historical significance ofthe annual event.

“The winter holidays werea time of entertaining both lo-cal and out-of-town guests inthe early 19th century. Hostswelcomed their guests withfine dining and dancing, andTwelfth Night marked the endof the holiday season. The Riv-ersdale Ball gives guests an op-portunity to step back in timein the elegant home of the Cal-

vert’s, one of the elite familiesof Maryland,” noted Wass.

“Participants enjoy period-inspired music and dances, anelegant ball supper preparedfrom historic recipes, the tra-ditional crowning of the kingand queen of the evening, andthe welcoming presence of Mrs.Calvert herself in her periodfinery.”

Riversdale is a nationalhistoric landmark that is arestored, five-part, stucco-covered brick plantation homebuilt between 1801 and 1807.The museum is open to thepublic for docent-guided toursand for a variety of specialevents, Fridays and Sundays,noon to 3:30 pm, and othertimes by appointment.

BALL, from page 1

PHOTOS/BOBBY JONES

Dance Master James Wass, left, leads a group of dance partici-pants during an 1800-period dance lessons.

Thea Chimento, newly selected Queen of the Ball, Dance MasterJames Wass, center observe as Bill Gawne, receives crowningas King of the Ball during a traditional ceremony at the TwelfthNight Ball held at the historic Riverdale House Museum Mansionin Riverdale, Md. Jan. 17.

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Andrews Gazette6 Friday, January 23, 2015

ally cared about helping myclient in whatever way shecould.

Then the court martial be-gan. I knew I had to be emo-tionally ready to take careof my client through a verystressful time in her recovery.While I sat in silence duringother people’s testimony, mymind was working hard tostay focused and not get up-set.

When my client took thestand to talk about what hadhappened to her, an array ofemotion came flooding in, butmostly, I felt proud. I knewher hard times over the pastyear had paid off, and she wasstanding up for herself, say-ing what had happened to herwas not right.

When the trial concluded,and I heard the verdict, myonly concern was for my cli-ent. This was another chapterin her life, and it was closing.The stress of the pretrialhearings and the court mar-tial were over. Now, I knewshe would be able to continuedown her path toward beinga survivor.

Throughout my experi-ence this past year, I havefelt thankful for the people Ihave worked with. The SARC

and the SVC were alwaysavailable and willing to talkme through any questions Ihad. They always made suremy needs were being takencare of, too. The commandersand first sergeants I met withtook our concerns or needsvery seriously and workedhard to make sure they weremet. The legal office alwaystook time to discuss the casein great detail, so we wouldknow what to expect in thecourtroom.

Because of what I wentthrough last year, and know-ing the people and resourcesavailable to me and my client,I have faith in our SARC’soffice and the VA’s who vol-unteer to make a differencein someone’s life. They havechanged me and given meconfidence in my abilities,which helped me reach outwhen my client needed some-one to be in her corner andbelieve her story.

I know my client is a survi-vor, and I have faith that shewill continue to thrive evenafter she is standing on herown. I am proud to have beena part of this organization. Ifeel good about helping some-one during a difficult time inher life--we are both stron-ger today because of what wewent through together.

ADVOCATE, from page 2

2005, operates the ChesapeakeScience Point in Anne ArundelCounty.

With more than 100,000square-feet for a high school andmiddle school; the new schoolwill open in two phases witheverything ready for the middleschool when the new school yearstarts – ready to accommodate6th, 7th, and 8th graders.

This school will include afew additional amenities, in-cluding an indoor soccer field;250-person auditorium to holdspecial assemblies or activities;and several labs – science, phys-ics, and robotics to include un-derwater robotics.

Many of the extracurricularactivities, such as music anddrama, are offered in club formwith many of them specific toSTEM activities.

The model for startup is tostart with the middle school andadd a grade each year.

“One thing specific to ourschool model is we put kids onthe path to college in 6th grade.They are taking high schoolcredits in 6th grade,” SarahBlair, Public Relations and Out-reach Coordinator, noted.

“We like to see kids to exceland that’s why we teach up; wedon’t make everyone take thesame courses. If we see theyare capable of taking a higherlevel course, then they take a

higher level course. Once theyare in the higher grades thereare some opportunities to takeadvance courses online.” Blairshared that they’ve even had aneighth-grader take pre-calculusand students taking geometryin middle school.

“Many of our students areput on a path to potentiallygraduate with an associate de-gree. We have an extensive re-lationship with Prince George’s

County Community College andmany students maintain dualenrollment, which is paid forby CLF” said Principal TreesaElam-Respass

“We get them to thinkingabout this level of education ata very young age; so they knowthey are going to college as ear-ly as kindergarten,” Blair com-mented.

Noting the Lego room, Re-spass noted, “A lot of time inSTEM learning often miss engi-neering piece in the designing,so the students are learningthat at an early age to design,”said Respass. More than play,Legos are part of a lesson planwith learning objectives. Theschool uses a number of hands-on activities to teach students,as well as, put forth an effort tobring technology into every as-pect of education in every class.

When noting the dedicationof the staff, Blair shared, “It’snot unusual for the teachersto spend their weekends in theschool adding to their class-rooms. They want to keep going;and to motivate the kids.”

“All the principals haveworked hard to find those teach-ers that are going to go aboveand beyond. When we look atthe job they’ve done in CMITSouth, it’s so impressive withteachers and staff – and theparents are amazing as well.They’ve already created, in oneyear, that feeling of family,”Blair added.

CMIT, from page 1

PHOTO/LESLIE C. SMITH

Principal Treesa Elam-Respassand Sarah Blair, Public Rela-tions and outreach Coordina-tor, pictured in the lobby theChesapeake Lighthouse Foun-dation Guidance and AlumniCenter. The center offers manyclubs and opportunities for thestudents of CMIT.

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Andrews GazetteFriday, January 23, 2015 7

BY LIEUTENANTTENG K. OOI

PHD, USNA/NAVAIR RESERVE

Program Applicationsfor the 2015 Naval Acad-emy Science, Technology,Engineering, and Math-ematics (STEM) SummerProgram are now open atwww.usna.edu/admis-sions/STEM.

Session dates includeJune 1-6 for rising ninthgraders; June 8-13 forrising 10th graders; andJune 15-19 for rising11th graders.

This annual summerprogram is designed toexpose young peopleto STEM concepts andtechnologies and to en-courage ninth-11th grad-ers to pursue a course ofstudy in engineering andtechnology throughouthigh school, college andbeyond.

The aim is to inte-grate STEM-focused con-cepts across the curricu-

lum and pave the way forstudents to succeed aca-demically in mathemat-ics and science and helpput them on a path to-wards successful STEMcareers. An effective andpractical way to stimu-late student interest in

STEM is to show howmathematics and scienceare applied to create ex-citing technologies.

The 2015 STEM pro-gram will showcase thelatest in technologicaladvances in a wide vari-ety of science and engi-

neering topics to includeenergy and light, infra-structure, transporta-tion, cybersecurity, en-vironmental challenges,flight and fluids, auto-mation, simulation andmodeling, biometrics androbotics.

Students participatein project-based modulesusing a hands-on, real-world approach to solv-ing design and analysisproblems at the NavalAcademy’s world-classlaboratory facilities. Thisunique learning environ-ment promotes engi-neering “habits of mind”such as critical thinking,optimization, innova-tion, creativity, and teamwork. It exposes studentsto a problem-based envi-ronment outside the tra-ditional classroom.

The 2015 SummerSTEM Program looks tooffer a great start to astudent’s career in sci-ence and engineering.

U.S. Naval Academy 2015 Summer STEMProgram accepting applications now

PHOTO COURTESY OF USNA

STEM students participate in a variety of hands-onScience, Technology, Engineering and Mathematicsactivities, and have the opportunity to interact withNaval Academy faculty and midshipmen, who serveas role models and mentors for the students.

457 AS, are one of the smallest jets in the U.S..military, having a maximum load of eight passen-gers and two crewmembers. Having a crew of twohas come as a big change for some pilots.

“One of the biggest adjustments from flyingC-130s is that I have no crew,” Capt. Danny Sam-son, 457 AS pilot. “It is just the co-pilot and I.”

Samson, like all pilots, has faced multiplechallenges he had to overcome during a mission.

“In December 2014, I was on a mission whenthe plane’s avionics system stopped workingproperly, causing us to resort to raw navigationaland magnetic aids,” Samson said. “When we land-ed, we switched planes. During the next flight,we received a bleed air leak notification, causingus to dump fuel and make an emergency landing.”

For Samson, that mission was his most chal-lenging flight. Usually, if challenges arise, theyare every day issues from maintaining the agingplanes to dealing with the weather.

Despite challenges the unit constantly faces,the 457 AS continues to overcome and showcasetheir expertise while airlifting the nation’s lead-ers, Borowski said.

“Since my arrival, I’ve only come more im-pressed by morale, commitment and pride thatthe unit has for the mission and each other,” hesaid.

LEADERS, from page 1

For more news from other bases around the Washington, D.C. area,

visit www.dcmilitary.com.

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