ISSUE NO. 7, VOL XII * * ESTABLISHED 1963 * * FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 13, 2011

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DID YOU THINK OBAMA WAS THE ONLY BLACK PRESIDENT? Well think again!by Sanyika Patterson • Metro Editor-In-Chief

President’s Day has always been during Black History Month. This past Presidents Day took on a whole new meaning. For the third year in a row Black History Month and Presidents Day have coincided with the first black president in U.S. history being in office. The current president is a descendant of an African and an American. However, we here at Tri-C are well aware of the fact he is not the only current black president

and all presidents aren’t men. Here are Tri-C’s three black presidents:

Dr. Jerry-sue Thornton. Currently presides over all of Tri-C’s campuses and satellites. When asked what her favorite quote is she said, “My favorite quote comes from my father: “There is no elevator to the top. You have to take it one step at a time.””

When asked to name five things students did not know about her, Dr. Thornton responded:

1. Played high school basketball as a guard2. Was a cheerleader for the boys’ high school basketball

team3. Was a radio disc jockey while in college4. Love to dance5. Love to play bid whist (a card game)According to an article

by Karen Farkas of the Plain Dealer: “Thornton and Tri-C have become nationally known for innovative programs, workforce training and helping students succeed, said Ronald Abrams, president of the Ohio

Association of Community Colleges.”

Cuyahoga Community College is the first and oldest community college in Ohio. The Metro campus opened in 1966, making history. Today Metro campus is headed by Dr. Michael Schoop, the president of the metro campus.

When asked about his philosophy of life, he spoke of enlightened self interest. He said: “My Fate and your fate are intertwined. My fate as someone who discovers what I can do and who I am and how I can be fulfilled is not something I can do by myself, in isolation or just thinking about myself. So when

you ask what is my philosophy of life that is what I think about.”

He also said, “What I do here and to a degree what I do in the rest of my life is connected and bound up with the people I touch in one way or another.”

He also spoke of education saying: “Becoming educated allows you to think of the challenges we may face in the future in many different ways.”

His view of teaching can be summed up in this way, he said: “A good teacher inspires.”

He went on to explain that a good teacher can be anyone, but they are always someone who shows you your potential, and allows you to see yourself for who you are and what you have the potential to become.

Belinda Miles is the president of the Eastern campus. She told us: “I am originally from Queens, NY where I attended public schools including the City University of New York at York College. I earned master and doctorate degrees from Columbia University in New York. I moved to Cleveland with my family in 1999 and joined the College in 2000 as Assistant Dean of Liberal Arts at the Metropolitan campus.”

We asked, “What are five things students do not know about you?” She responded as follows:

1. I have a background in strategic planning which was instrumental in enabling us to put together a plan for a new era of growth when I joined the campus.

2. I support an array of

community service organizations including serving the hungry at the Cleveland Food Bank, participating in a 5k jog to raise awareness and funds for Providence House, fundraising for the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, and networking with youth aging out of the foster care system through the Center for Families and Children.

3. I learned to play golf at Tri-C Eastern campus. Rick Jaskolski is simply THE BEST instructor! I learned all aspects of the game from gripping the club, techniques for the various swings, rules, and etiquette. The game has become a “serious hobby” and a source of relaxation and socializing -- as long as I don’t take my scores too seriously!

4. I enjoy singing. I have sung with various choral groups and in theater productions through the years. “I was a vocalist in a vintage rock band, called the Casual Mondays.”

5. I am currently a member of the Tri-C Vocal Trio also featuring Tri-C Police Chief Clayton Harris and Tri-C Recording Arts and Technology (RAT) Program Manager, Tommy Wiggins. “It was an absolute thrill to open an Indians game in Progressive Field last summer.”

When Dr. Miles was asked for her favorite quote she responded, “One of my favorite quotes is an excerpt from the Langston Hughes, poem Freedom’s Plow (1943) about collective work and responsibility.”

"First in the heart is a dream. Then the mind starts seeking a way . . . then the hand seeks other hands

to help. A community of hands to help. Thus, the dream becomes not one man’s dream alone but our

dream. Belonging to all the hands that build. . .”

l to r: Jerry Sue Thorton

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Each year during the month of February, we celebrate Black History Month. We are often bombarded by stories of Fredrick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Martin Luther

King Jr., the abolition of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, basically black history. While all that is good and great and needed, what are we doing today that our descendants will

be proud of and have reason to celebrate?

Yeah sure, black people have come a long way since slavery and the absence of rights, but…

Continued on Page 2

WHAT WILL YOUR HISTORY BE?by Shanisha Collins • East Staff Reporter

INSIDE

Every year in February, on the third Monday, a special day is celebrated. Can you guess what it is? If you haven’t already figured it out, it’s President’s Day. President’s Day is a day for Americans to honor the legacies of all the United States presidents such as Truman, Lincoln, Obama, Roosevelt and many more. The national holiday was originally established in the 1800s for George Washington’s birthday on February 22. The holiday would also honor the 16th president Abraham Lincoln whose birthday is on the 12th of February. President’s Day is a federal holiday; schools are closed along with banks and other federal establishments. During 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill. This bill moved a lot of federal holidays to Monday in order for workers to enjoy a long weekend. The bill was opposed due to Congress wanting the holiday celebrated on the actual day. Finally in 1971, the bill went into effect. The name President’s Day became very popular due to retailers who would offer big sales at their stores.

President’s Day History

by Portia Booker Metro Associate Editor

Photo courtesy of artblart.files.wordpress.com

Photo courtesy of blackpast.org EAST CAMPUS

Huron School of Nursing Closes, Students Come to Tri-C

By Jessica Noeth

WEST CAMPUSDr. Robert D. Bullard Speaks

about Rebuilding the Gulf Coast

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Photo courtesy of ohiocommunitycolleges.org

Page 2 metrocampusvisit voiceccc.com

METRO STAFF • (216) 987-4231Editor-in-Chief: Sanyika PattersonAssociate Editor: Portia Booker & Octavia LeeOffice Assistant: Cassandra MosleyDesign Editor: Steve ThomasStaff Writers: Portia Booker, Zak Chedid, Samantha Hawkins, Christian Nieves, Jonathan Ortiz, Antwain A. Thomas & Dominique PerryAdviser: Lila Mills

EAST STAFF • (216) 987- 2344Editor-in-Chief: Jason BrillLayout Editor: Melissa JenkinsStaff Reporter: Jessica Noeth, Rashe’d Whatley, Shanisha CollinsAdviser: Sarah Szweda

THE VOICE STAFF LISTINGWEST STAFF • (216) 987-5530Editor-in-Chief: Brittany Church Associate Editor: Natalia RadicStaff Reporters: Carolyn Boyce, Kelley Notaro, & Martha G. RatkowskiPhotographer: Martha G. RatkowskiAdviser: Ginny Krouse

ISSUE NO. 7, VOL XII • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 13, 2011

Commentary on the Past, Present, and Future of Black Studies

by Dorothy Salem, PhD • Metro Contributing Writer

How many of our student readers know John O. Holly, the person honored by our Main Post Office located on Orange Avenue? A sign on the 490 freeway cites a name, Troy Lee James. Do we know who he is? We know of the Eliza Bryant Center for the Aged, the school named after Mary B. Martin, and the Zelma George shelter. Do we have any idea who these women are? I would bet that most readers could not describe the contributions of these people---and they are the ones who have received recognition through the naming process. What about all those contributors to our past who have gone unrecognized?

As I approach my retirement at the end of Spring Semester, I am looking back on what has been accomplished here and nationally for the field of Black Studies. I am a product of student activism in the 60’s, when students demanded courses reflecting their contributions. It was a heady time when the younger generation felt they could change the world. Soon universities responded and created several courses in history, literature, music, theatre, and others to reflect experiences that had been invisible to the majority. Awareness brought integration of these experiences and achievements into mainstream courses. Departments emerged with a focus on Black Studies. Awareness spurred other groups to demand similar “studies” of labor, women, and sexual orientation. Differences

were no longer looked upon as deficits. America was beginning to achieve its ideals.

After 5-10 years, however, change slowed and then, halted. Teachers were not required to take courses that reflected the diversity of America. Textbooks had to satisfy the conservative leadership within the political and social circles. Outspoken teachers were dismissed. Academic freedom received little support from the growing conservatism of the courts. Budget restrictions led to elimination of separate departments and to a lack of leaders to retain the integrity. The information, once fought for so hard, failed to be

institutionalized--- to become a regular part of history, literature and the arts. Only from a few dedicated souls do most of us still receive this information.

Today, I continue to speak about Black History to high school audiences, community groups, and teachers. I find most people under the age of thirty fairly unaware of these fields of special knowledge. Though college educated, most have had no courses in the African American experience. We have failed to integrate this information into their lives and awareness. Here in Cleveland, leaders do not use our city as an instrument of education and pride. We have history all around the Central Neighborhood, the original settlement of African Americans. Yet, we do not use this physical area to teach its children about past greatness

in institution builders, writers, political leaders, and workers. The home of Langston Hughes, the writer and poet of the Harlem Renaissance, was condemned and readied for demolition, as was the building of the Phillis Wheatley Association a few years ago. Only a few people carry the memory of the significance of these physical places and have worked for their preservation. These sites can be used as educational tools for future generations. The cemeteries, where many of these leaders rest, can become the centers, where modern griots recall the lives of fugitive slaves, suffrage leaders, political representatives, world travelers,

and soldiers. Students will not get this information through curriculum. Teachers, parents and community leaders can deliver it through active learning.

As I leave my position as professor of African American History and Women’s Studies, I hope I have planted the awareness and responsibility to preserve this heritage within my students so there will always be those few people who care enough to pass it on. For the rest of you, begin in your own backyard.

The retirement date has changed due to changes within the State Teachers Retirement Service---December 2011 instead of June. I started at CCC as a student, graduated in 1969 from Metro Campus, returned as part-time in 1973, served as a lecturer 1974 and became tenure-tract in 1975. My Ph.D. was in 1985.

"We have failed to integrate this information into their lives and awareness."- Dorothy Salem PhD

Photo courtesy of nydailynews.com

There is still slavery in America right now. There is what some call the “prison system” where the law of double jeopardy is not to be permissible. However, people are being faced with double jeopardy every day. “Multi-Jeopardy” would more accurately define what one faces.

People who have been convicted of a crime are discriminated against and end up pressured to remain caught up in the penal system and other forms of incarceration, including sickness and disease of mind, body and soul. They end up in a vicious cycle of going nowhere quickly. The prison population is rising according to figures from the Ohio Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. And some studies say as many as 50 percent of prison inmates reoffend within five years.

Various agencies look at a person’s past to deny them

a chance for a future whether they have been found guilty of a crime or not. It is legal to deny an ex-offender employment and housing.

There is more compassion for non-human life than for the one in your office, classroom, neighborhood, etc. Who can stop the doors of opportunity from being shut for the people

who would like to truly live after a life of incarceration?

It is time to go back to the drawing board. It is time to stop housing people in penitentiaries as though people are the property of other people.

Delvonte Shields was being held in the Cuyahoga County Jail in exchange for approximately $835.00.

He said, “This is under the control of Sheriff Bob Reid now. They took the law library from us? It is not here anymore….”

He stated that he wants a better life. What do you think his options are?

PRISON OR PLANTATION: A Prisoner Profile by Pamela M. Pinkney • Metro Contributing Writer

"It is time to stop housing people in penitentiaries as though people are the property of other people."

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have the fights of our ancestors been in vain? We can celebrate that Condoleezza Rice was appointed as the first black woman to hold the position of secretary of state. We rejoiced when Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American president. Without such accomplishments, we only had dreams about how such things would feel.

Now that we’ve experienced them, what else is there to dream about? Of course there

are dreams that your dreams haven’t dreamt of yet. There are opportunities that chances never knew. All it took was for these trailblazer to have a thought, a mustard seed of faith, and a whole lot of can do, and history was made.

We had dreams before Douglass, Tubman, King and all the others we proudly celebrate during this month.

They acted on theirs. The question is—will you

act on yours?

WHAT WILL YOUR HISTORY BE? Continued from page 1

Rashe’d Whatley | Staff Reporter

Huron School of Nursing Closes, Students Come to Tri-C

Jessica Noeth | Staff Reporter

An increased number of nursing students at Tri-C is raising some

concern among Tri-C nursing students and prospective students.

When the 127-year-old Huron School of Nursing announced that it would be closing in 2011, many students worried about how to proceed with their training to become registered nurses. It was announced that an agreement had been reached with Tri-C that would allow the Huron School

of Nursing students to transfer to the Tri-C nursing program without problems.

Before the Huron nursing students were admitted to the Tri-C nursing program, there were already over 600 students enrolled in the nursing program at Tri-C. As of now, approximately 380 Huron students have been admitted, making the total number of students taking nursing classes at Tri-C well over 900, says Shirley Gmetro, a program manager of nursing at Tri-C.

But concerns from Tri-C nursing students quickly

Marc Lamont Hill’s Message on Black History Month

began to grow, producing roadblocks to their career goals and life plans. Joy Wagner, a Tri-C nursing student, was expecting to graduate from the nursing program in May of 2013. However, due to the rapid increase in the number of students enrolling in Tri-C nursing classes, she has not been able to get into the classes she needs to take in order to meet this graduation date. As a result of being “bumped out” of her required nursing classes, she will not be able to graduate until May 2014, a full year later.

The year-long delay has put strains on Wagner’s personal life and goals as well. Her wedding plans have been affected, and the purchase of her house has been postponed.

“It’s aggravating that you have to put your life on hold

because your schooling got put on hold,” she said.

Wagner reported hearing a rumor that many of the Huron nursing students were getting into the program ahead of Tri-C students who were next in line on a waiting list. Gmetro denies any truth to this rumor. She adds that Tri-C does not have a waiting list for the nursing program, but that “we have a rolling admission.”

She adds that the Tri-C nursing program has grown to have locations at three campuses: Eastern, Metro and Westshore, with most of the Huron students admitted to the Eastern campus. Tri-C has also made plans for keeping up with the rapid increase of students.

“We have hired more full-time faculty and staff to accommodate the added students,” Gmetro said.

Eastern Campus Club Visits Kids at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital

Shanisha Collins | Staff Reporter | SIFE Vice President

(L-R) Front row: Student Government Vice President Valerie Gordon-Tate, SIFE member Sarah Doolan, Metro volunteer Diedre Brooks, SIFE member Donte Foley. (L-R) Back row: SIFE Treasurer Allan Stubbs and Adviser Johnie Reed.

Photo provided by Adviser Johnie Reed.Tri-C student Allan Stubbs

didn’t know what to expect when he volunteered to spend a Saturday afternoon with patients at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital. What he found was a pair of teenage boys who shared his musical taste and wowed him with their artistic talents.

“It was a masterpiece work of art,” Stubbs said. “It was nice to see them and see things they’re accomplished in.”

 The Eastern Campus’ Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team spent a wonderful, fun-filled afternoon brightening the day of Feb. 12 for patients and their families at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital rehabilitation center.

The entrepreneurial club focuses on social responsibility, so visiting the center was a natural fit. Four members of SIFE and one Metro student volunteered for this project. 

“We assisted the children with painting picture frames and making colorful window ornaments for Valentine’s Day,” club adviser Johnie Reed said.

“We also gave the children gifts of card games and board games, including chess, checkers and backgammon, as well as heart-shaped pillows and matching blankets.”

For Valerie Gordon-Tate, SIFE member and student council vice president, the visit hit close to home. Her late grandson was also a special needs child who passed away in 2005 when he was only 18. Visiting the children at the hospital reminded her of all the ways she wanted to help.

“The person that touched my heart most was a 13-year-old little girl named Emily,” Gordon-Tate said. “Emily didn’t speak much, yet she spoke volumes. Every child I’ve ever seen in a facility like that shows such amazing courage. They always say we make their days better, well they make mine a whole lot better.”

Stubbs, who is SIFE’s treasurer, believes the Tri-C students got as much out of the experience as the children they were there to help.

“I think this kind of

community service is important because children, when they’re in the hospital like that, they’re there all the time,” he said. “They don’t get to see much of the outside world. It’s important that we go and support people. It makes them feel better, and that’s important to me.”

Katie O’Toole, a recreation therapist at the hospital and a Tri-C Metro nursing student, worked with SIFE to plan the visit.

“The babies, toddlers and their parents all appreciated your kindness,” she said. “I received several comments from the kids and parents about how nice it was of all of you and what a great time they had. We appreciate you all taking time out of your busy lives and schedules to think of us.”

The team is in the process of putting together another visit in the spring.

Anyone interested in joining SIFE is welcome to attend the group’s regular meetings at 1:30 p.m. on Thursdays in EEC Room 100.

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eastcampus

Shanisha Collins, Voice Newspaper staff, and Marc Lamont Hill, Ph.D.

Photo by Metro student.

(L-R) Student Government Vice President Valerie Gordon-Tate, Student Government Secretary Sherrie McArthur, Marc Lamont Hill, Ph.D., Student Government Senator

Lanice Robinson and Student Government President Kevin Agee Sr. Photo taken by Shanisha Collins.

Marc Lamont Hill, Ph.D., associate professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and author, spoke to a diverse audience on Feb. 9 in the ELA Auditorium at Tri-C East. He regularly appears on FOX News with Bill O’Reilly and hosts a show on the TV One network. Hill travels around America speaking to mostly black audiences about the struggles of modern black youth in hostile environments. Tri-C invited him to speak about Black History Month and the legacy of black civil rights pioneers whose struggle isn’t complete.

Hill allowed questions to be asked after his hour of speaking on many subjects. Many high school students were present and learned much about how the odds are often against black Americans but that they can rise above the statistics. He spoke about the epidemic of crime and the rise in populations of black men in American prisons. Also, that much has been accomplished by blacks and women in the struggle for civil rights since the 1960s.

Many white faculty and

students were also in attendance from Tri-C, but the focus was on black youth in the audience. Last semester another engaging speaker, Basher Jones, spoke about similar problems and solutions to the conflicts among America’s blacks and the Hip-Hop generation. Both events drew about the same number of people, but this event was more formal. Black History Month honors what blacks continue to achieve based on what blacks fought for in the past. Hill’s main message was about not being a statistic and to be active in being beneficial to society.

What’s Coming Up on the West Campus?

Check out these fun clubs for exciting events you may be missing out on.

The Extreme Wellness Club is hosting open volleyball on Mondays @ 10am in the gym. Interested students can contact Christine Phillips at Christine.Phillips@tri-c.edu.

The men’s baseball team will open the 2011 season in Wilkesboro, North Carolina on Saturday Feb 19 and Feb 20 versus Wilkes Community College, NC and Burlington Community College, MD. Then on Saturday, March 5 they will head off to Youngwood, PA to face off against West Moreland Community College and on Sunday, March 6 they will take on OSU Mansfield at 1 pm in Masnfield, OH. The team will then be spending March 11–16 in St. Petersburg, FL.

The women’s fast pitch softball team will also be heading to Florida March 14-18.

The Philosophy Club meets every Wednesday from 1:30-2:30 in the conference room of the student life office located in WHCS-A-100. They are currently discussing political philosophy in general and Thomas Hobbes in particular. They plan to move on from Hobbes to John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau for the next few meetings. They also occasionally discuss hot-button topics in local and global news as they arise. All new members are welcome. Contact the Club Advisor, Assistant Professor Samuel LiPuma (x5651 samuel.lipuma@tri-c.edu) for more information.

Are You Getting Enough?

Destination, Spring Break!Kelley Notaro | Staff Reporter Spring break is just around

the corner, and here are some ways to relax and take your mind off the cold weather.

There are a lot of fun places to go for spring break to relax and get away from the ice and snow. A lot of people plan to go to Panama City, Florida. It’s a non-stop party where you can meet new friends and let loose. The beach, the sun and the surf make it an enjoyable spot to have fun and catch a tan.

Even though we are grown, Disney World never gets old. If you want to go all out, book a week at a resort. You can choose to stay at any number of different places, such as villas, luxury hotels, and enjoy the beautiful outdoors on the Disney campgrounds. Hotels provide free transportation to and from the amusement parks, where you can visit Cinderella’s Castle, a Haunted Mansion, take a Jungle Cruise, or spend some quality time at the Laugh Floor, with the characters from Monsters Inc. The dining

lounges, at the resorts, offer a lot of great food; you can eat fast and cheap at ABC Commissary, or have fine dining at Bistro de Paris. And there are many activities to do during your stay, like playing golf, or going to see Cirque de Soleil.

If you are feeling really bold, you could always head to Cancun. The hot spring break spot has everything: fun, sun, and contests galore. The crystal clear blue ocean and white sand at Oasis, Palm, or Le Meridian beaches seems to be a pretty good way to spend the week off from tests, homework and teachers. There are many different places to stay, like adult only resorts, spa hotels, or romance hotels. Cancun also has some of the most famous nightclubs around, like Cocobango and The City. Or you can choose to watch a bullfight or go parasailing. And also be sure to check out the Mayan Ruins at El Rey, if you’re a history buff!

For many of us, money is tight. So if you can’t afford to venture out of state or even the country for spring break,

don’t worry, there are still fun things to do around town.

Get a hotel for a few days and pamper yourself with room service. Not having to lift a finger while someone else brings you food and does your laundry seems like a pretty good deal to me. Cuyahoga County has many great hotels that you can find in Parma, Strongsville, and Broadview Heights, to name a few. Or, even cheaper, Pearl Road is lined with motels that you could stay at, just to get away from it all.

Head over to Kalahari or Great Wolf Lodge and enjoy the indoor water parks. The scenic style suites and rooms make the trip more than a great time. There are restaurants, spas and fun things to do around the resort.

Whatever you find to do during your week off from school, make it fun! It doesn’t matter if you are just staying home and renting a bunch of movies and having the week to yourself, or if you are traveling to visit sites around the state. Make your week enjoyable to you!Cancun, Mexico.

Photograph from www.sxc.hu

Brittany Church | Editor-in-ChiefWhat is the one thing most

people always want more of? If you guessed time then you are correct, but where are they going to get it? The answer is again easy to guess. They don’t get enough sleep. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 29% of U.S. adults sleep less than 7 hours a night and that is not stipulating parents of small children. They also found that women are more likely to not get enough sleep than men, and that 50-70 million U.S. adults have some kind of chronic sleep disorder. However, most people wouldn’t consider lack of sleep a disease would they?

In fact, sleep deprivation is one of the most commonly undiagnosed diseases in the U.S. mainly because people just accept is as a necessary way of life and don’t believe it has a significant effect on their daily ability to function properly. The National Sleep foundation states that the average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep each night and suggests that people have a regular sleep schedule in a dark and quiet room. They should also avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol as well as being hungry or doing anything stimulating within two hours of going to bed. For some people, one or several of these things are unavoidable, but taking a moment to evaluate your own sleeping habits may have a profound effect on your life.

The effects of sleep deprivation are in some cases subtle and surprising. The list

of possible side effects include:• moodinessand

irritability• bodyaches• confusionand

memory loss• depression• hallucinations• handtremors• headaches• obesity• increasedstress

hormone levels and blood pressure

• increasedriskofdiabetes and fibromyalgia

Sleep deprivation also has a significant effect on the brain’s ability to function thus lessening the ability to perform simple verbal tasks and limiting

memory retention and focus. It can also exacerbate existing conditions such as heart disease and mental illness. Lack of sleep can prevent the brain from interpreting emotional events accurately and may interfere with the ability to make rational decisions.

The brain requires a certain amount of what is called non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) which allows it to “power-down” and let neurotransmitters rest and repair themselves so that they can better regulate moods, mental state, weight, immune and digestive systems, reactions to stress, libido, decision making and reaction time. The inability to react quickly enough can be the

difference between life and death especially while driving. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has reported statistics that 80,000 drivers fall asleep at the wheel every day and that the number of sleep related accidents may be as high as 250,000 per year.

Most commonly people try to counteract the effects of sleep deprivation with stimulants like caffeine however such methods tend to lose their potency after repeated use. The only proven way to overcome and prevent the effects of sleep deprivation is to ensure that you get a full night of sleep on a regular basis. And after reviewing the various effects sleep deprivation can cause a few extra hours of sleep doesn’t seem like a small sacrifice.

Has this ever happened to you?Photograph from www.sxc.hu.

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Your Photo HereThe Voice wants to see your best photos!

Submit your work for the chance towin $250 and be published in Issue 8.

Send submissions to: tricwestvoice@gmail.com by 3pm on March 2nd

All entries will be posted on The Voice’s facebook page and our website www.voiceccc.com

Dr. Robert Bullard Speaks on Rebuilding After KatrinaCarolyn Boyce | Staff Reporter

Martha G. Ratkowski | Staff Reporter

Natalia Radic | Associate Editor

Dr. Robert D. Bullard expounded upon his insightful, and sometimes ironic, presentation “Race, Place and Environmental Justice after Hurricane Katrina: Struggles to Reclaim, Rebuild and Revitalize New Orleans and the Gulf Coast,” at all the Tri-C campuses, February 9th and 10th. The environmental issue is a public health issue, and unhealthy environmental conditions are not unusual for marginalized people.

A sociologist is referred to as the “Father of Environmental Justice,” because of his work to expose and reduce environmental racism. Bullard promised that his presentation would connect the dots between health, race, economics, infrastructure and environmental conditions.

In the days following, Hurricane Katrina’s wrath on New Orleans, attention turned to the catastrophic conditions in which people were left to fend for themselves. The local, state and national governments all blamed one another for failing to aid the residents left behind. Unfortunately, the urban conditions in New Orleans that contributed to the environmental and social disaster after Katrina are not uncommon. Inadequate regional public transportation, infrastructure decay and lack of basic local neighborhood amenities, such as grocery stores, are familiar to many inner-city dwellers. These conditions are often perpetuated and worsened by corporate pollution and landfill operations that are located near these neighborhoods.

“There are some communities that are physically on the wrong side of the tracks,” Bullard said. One New Orleans neighborhood was literally living on top of environmental injustice. After discovering that their homes were built on a toxic landfill, which included debris left from Hurricane Betsy in 1965, the residents of Agricultural Street, in the Saint Roch neighborhood, fought the EPA for 13 years to be relocated. They eventually got their relocation – after Katrina. Bullard said that even after Katrina, the cleanup of toxins was deficient. Only one major soil cleanup was conducted -- by a horse racetrack owner. Yet, arsenic could still be found in the soil of school playgrounds.

“There was no major cleanup, no governmental cleanup of the poison that was left in the ground after the flood – the sediment, the arsenic, the lead, and all the other kinds of toxic materials,” Bullard said.

Environmental injustice is widespread throughout the United States. Community awareness and participation are crucial to keeping our inner cities strong, which will keep entire regions strong.

“Every social movement has involved students, young people,” Bullard said. “We need your involvement.”

To find out more about environmental justice issues in Cleveland, visit OhioCitizenAction.org. To find out more about community planning and sustainability in Cleveland, visit Planning.City.Cleveland.Oh.Us, or contact your local Economic Development Corporation.

Dr. Robert D. Bullard Speaking at the West Campus.Photograph by Martha G. Ratkowski

Revamp for Digital Media and Digital Cinema Groups

Tri-C students have re-vamped two of its most fascinating groups: Digital Media Group and Digital Cinema Group. These interactive media groups help to draw out the creativity of Tri-C students by creating their own work and seeing the work of others.

The Digital Media Group’s mission is to bring together designers, photographers, and other visual artists and create a sense of community. The group helps promote the members in a “mutually beneficial” environment. “This group strives to provide numerous opportunities for its members to display their work for the public while building meaningful relationships with

members of the community,” says President Nicholas Wojciak. “Throughout my time at Tri-C, I have met some fantastic student photographers and Digital Media Group is a great way to connect with them all,” he adds. “We are at the beginning of something great; the Digital Media Group will go above and beyond what people expect from a student run club.”

Digital Cinema Group is geared towards film, video and cinematic students. In this group, students watch and discuss the components of a movie. Classic films are shown every other Thursday at Metro Campus theatre with discussion afterwards. “If you want to be a filmmaker,

you have to watch movies, all kinds of movies and a lot of them,” states digital video and film teacher, Professor Alex Klymko.

Being part of these groups is not only a fun way to enjoy your craft but also looks great on a résumé. So much of digital media is reliant upon experience, but how do you get experience without working in the industry? These groups are a perfect opportunity to explore what these occupations have to offer.

If you are interested in joining the Digital Media Group, contact Professor Wayne at Jonathan.Wayne@tri-c.edu. For information on the Digital Cinema Group, contact Professor Klymko at Alex.Klymko@tri-c.edu.

Correction: In the Gabrielle Giffords article of Issue 6, it was

inaccurately stated that in 1981 during the attempted assassination of President

Ronald Reagan, Press Secretary Jim Brady was killed. He was, however,

paralyzed and though in a wheelchair, he continues to fight on gun control issues. The West staff is very sorry

for the error.

Redefining Rape: H. R. 3In 1973, the controversial

court decision, Roe V. Wade, granted women in the United States the right to abortion. Though many supporters say the landmark decision was a crucial point in advancing the women’s equal rights movement, opposing activists (some of which are women) have set out to overturn the decision. Special interests groups on both sides of the issue continue to lobby Congress for their approval. But a new bill was introduced to Congress this year, whose questionable language contends to redefine rape, and a rape survivor’s right to abortion.

H. R. 3, or “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” had pro-choice activists and anti-violence and rape groups in an uproar this past month for its explicit use of language. The bill that seeks to end federal funding for abortion stated that no taxpayer funds could be used for abortion unless the pregnancy was caused by “forcible” rape or incest. This ambiguous use of language seems to challenge the

definition of rape, indicating that abortion cannot be used unless violence was associated with the rape. After public opposition to the language, cosponsors of the bill took out the word in question. Nonetheless, the damage has been done.

Provisions of the bill not only include cutting off federal funding for abortion, but also seek to prohibit said funds being used to purchase insurance with abortion coverage. This extends to both small businesses and individual families, especially those looking to lower their health insurance expenses with the use of federal funding. Other details of the bill include allowing hospitals the right to refuse patients who want or need abortions, even when the mother’s life is put in jeopardy by the pregnancy. It also limits the age of those that are granted the right to an abortion with federal coverage in incidents of incest to 18 years old.

Support and opposition is widespread for the bill, but funding for candidates

on both sides of the issue is not proportionate. Pro-Life groups were last reported to have given about $458,988 to supporters of the bill, whereas Pro-Choice groups were recorded to have given about 161% more, about $1,197,114, to their constituents in Congress. But over the past few years abortion support among Americans has been dropping. Many political analysts say that the bill could go either way. However, the American public has spoken: it’s not going anywhere with any kind of controversial language in the equation.

Page 5westcampusvisit voiceccc.com

Page 6 eastcampusvisit voiceccc.com

Ursuline College Accelerated Program (UCAP)

ursuline.edu/ucap440 684 6130

• Accounting • Business Management• Health Care Administration• Health Care Informatics – new

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• Psychology • PR & Marketing Communications

One evening or Saturday a week.Most courses meet for five weeks. Convenient hybrid/online options.

complete your ba or bsn degree with ucap.

Please join us for not a number nights March 16 & April 13, 5:30 – 8 pm.Experience the Ursuline difference and get the personal attention you deserve. Discuss your educational plans, apply for admission (application fees will be waived), have your transcripts evaluated and learn about options for financing your education. Call Barb McMahon at 440 646 8115 to RSVP or visit us online at www.ursuline.edu/ucap.