Milwaukee Marshall High School 4141 North 64th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53216

The Gavel
The Magazine Edition Larry Farris, Principal

The Milwaukee Marshall

Whats Inside?
20162017
The 90s Gang Violence
Student of the Year
Ethnic Conflicts

Movie Reviews

The Political Athlete

Analyzing AIDS In The US and

Iran

Immigration Concerns

Tough Art:
Naija Abdullah-Easter confronts
historical depictions Black peo-
ple head-on

Should Americans Be Required

To Vote: Two Different Views

Student Empowerment

Climate Change

The Class of 2017

Yeeleng Her
A Tribute to Yeeleng Her

1
 Evaluating Milwaukees Folks nation gang conglomerate aimed to eventually control
businesses that were the arms of the economy. It was extremely

Its What
organized with its leader and visionary Larry Hoover operating
from behind bars and setting up a hierarchical structure. As with
many well-known terrorist organizations like ISIS and Aum Shin-
rikyo, the GD also had a written code of conduct and symbols

We Need! that represented core tenets and the ideologies of the group.
Intimidation, force, torture tactics, and even attrition warfare
was used as a way of expanding their area and control. The
_______________ drugs boom of the 90s provided an
By Yeeleng Her open black market to fund their
activities. Recruiting happens in the
During the 1980s and 1990s, gang inner cities where jobs have left
violence flared in the Midwest and life in the and poverty is prevalent in the
inner city was characterized by the frequent same way that terrorists are radi-
sound of gunshots and the blinking of police calized by circumstances that leave
lights. Cities were controlled by gang life that many desperate for help and en-
was reminiscent of the mafia during the Al Ca- franchisement.
pone era of the 1920s, but with an added em- The voids that are left
phasis on using violence to flex their muscle. when people are left helpless with-
The eruption of gang violence had only exacer- out economic and social support
bated an already socio-economically scarred can easily be taken advantage of.
Midwest. Faced with financial hardship and the Larry Hoover continued to lead the Gangsta Disciples Fathers leave and are unable to
during the 1990s, even while in prison.
full access to social mobility, rustbelt cities take care of their children, single
like Milwaukee and Chicago became breeding grounds for re- mothers struggle to provide for their children, and children find
cruiting gangs and the formation of the infamous Folksnation. ways to deal with the emptiness of their stomachs and of an
The formation of large-scale gang operations and their effects impoverished life.
could indeed be considered domestic terrorism, easily carrying The solution to gang activity and crime in inner city and
weight heavier than that of the collective senti- urban environments is simple, yet seemingly
ment opposing police brutality, and be reversed impossible: create access to living wage in-
with measures designed to revive the economic comes for neighborhoods and cities stricken
necessities of affected citizens. by poverty and deprived of their livelihoods.
According to a Gallup poll in December A living wage is the minimum hourly rate
2015, about 16% of Americans saw terrorism as that a person must earn in order to provide
the United States number one issue. This number for themselves, recalculated with other vari-
came after terrorist attacks in San Bernardino and ables such as the number of dependents
Paris and was a dramatic increase from 3% the they are taking care of and the cost of living.
previous month. Of course, this number was Being able to provide living wage incomes to
dwarfed by the all-time high of 46% after the areas affected by gang violence and crime
The six point GD star struck fear in the
events of 9/11, but terrorism has become a con- hearts of many during the violent 1990s. can remedy the situation because gangs and
cern of the United States ever since. Terrorism is terrorism only thrives when given footholds
defined as the unlawful use of violence or threat of violence to- to replace the roles that are empty because of absent fathers
wards a government and/or civilians to achieve a political or and apathetic, corrupt governments.
social aim. Figures like Osama Bin-Laden, Al-Qaeda, and more The correlation between living wages and crime rates is
recently ISIS, often come to mind. Terrorist groups like ISIS are obvious. In the city of Milwaukee alone, crime rates are drasti-
extremely well organized with complete hierarchies and written cally higher in the city than they are in the wealthier, outlying
codes of conduct and ideologies and use combinations of intimi- suburbs. According to a neighborhood data website, Milwaukee
dation, force, and illegal black markets to consolidate power. ranks 3rd on an index where 100 is the safest. Moreover, the
This power usually comes in the form of useable resources: man- chance of being a victim of crime in Milwaukee is 1 in 68 in a city
power, firepower, money, and territory. with a population of about 600,000.
Many of the same principles and traits of terrorism also At the same time that crime in the city is high, incomes
characterize the operation of some street gangs in this country. are low. The hourly rate that a single parent would have to make
The similar modus operandi easily brings the two side by side. to support one child would be close to a staggering $23, and
The Gangsta Disciples, or the GD that eventually became the jumps $7-$9 for each child after. This story continues on page 3

2
 1990s Gang Crisis
Continued from page 2 A Living wage would, without a doubt, change lives in
The average income in 2014, according to a Journal Sentinel arti- areas like Milwaukee, Chicago, and Detroit where reliable factory
cle, in Milwaukee County alone was about $43,000, far below the jobs have left communities broken and without support. Coupled
$53,000 line where a single parent would be able to support 2 or with an unending history of mistreatment and institutionalized
more children and much farther below the $68,000 line where a racism, and the lack of outside support, African-American com-
single parent would be able to support 3 children. A single parent munities and communities without fathers will only suffer more
with one child would from poverty and the
barely pass the line, after effects of a gang
at $41,000. At the empire as the inflation
same time, there are rate rises. Police bru-
about 14,000 African- tality towards minori-
American males ties, though not com-
missing from the pletely irrelevant,
daily life of their chil- takes a backburner in
dren, according to an the face of socio-
online article from economic hardship in
Wisconsin Public Ra- areas scarred by dec-
dio. This equates to ades of violence and
about 17 percent of no recovery. Without
the whole African- being able to provide
American population high-level educations
in Milwaukee that or training to create
furthermore compris- jobs that are able to
This chart shows that African Americans in Milwaukee are 5 times more likely Whites in pay $53,000 salaries or
es about 69.4 percent of Milwaukee to live in poverty
Wisconsins total Afri- $23 an hour, single par-
can-American popula- ents and even married
tion. These numbers do couples and households
not even account for the in impoverished areas
number of missing Cauca- and areas hit hard by
sian fathers. This means the effects of 90s gang
that at least the same violence will suffer.
number of households and When living
more are missing fathers, wage incomes are avail-
sons, and brothers, and able and accessible, fa-
could possibly be suffering thers stay and support
from poverty. children, mothers can
By contrast, provide for children, and
Waukesha Countys medi- children stay in school
an income in 2014 was and off the streets with
about $76,000, even after a This graph shows that employment opportunities for African Americans declined the proper emotional
7.1 percent drop. That number
significantly by the 1990s, creating a void that was filled by gang activity. and financial support.
is far beyond the living wage Political and current
number for single adults raising 1-3 children. The poverty rate in issues in the public media will continue to exist until proper
Waukesha is about 6 percent according to the government cen- methods have been applied to assuage the pain of decades of
sus website, while Milwaukees is a staggering 22 percent, mean- starving, deprived, and desperate families.
ing about 1 out of every 5 persons in Milwaukee is living in pov- Gang violence is a domestic terrorism that has resulted
erty. That number is about 1 for every twenty in Waukesha Coun- in broken families and households because of the absence of
ty. In regards to crime, Waukesha City is 43 on the same index as living wages and the subsequent absence of fathers in homes and
used before, and the chances of being a victim are 1 in 737, in a children in safe places. Cities where the GD and Folks nation op-
population about a tenth of that in Milwaukee. Newspaper arti- erated have seen the effects of gang operations and how de-
cles and online data on missing fathers in Waukesha is virtually prived and impoverished conditions gives domestic terrorism
non-existent, though the absence of fathers most certainly has room to take control of the lives of people living in those cities.
effects on whatever household it challenges. The numbers and The implementation of living wages could easily and instantly
comparisons are undeniable. relieve regions of unrest.

3
 MOVIE REVIEWS
whites who were killed by the group of slaves during the revolt.
The Birth of a Nation The whites said they would only stop the random murders once
Review Nat Turner was caught. Nat Turner was caught on October 30th
and hanged on November 11th during the year 1831.
Although Nat Turners rebellion was somewhat justi-
fied, it was not successful. Slavery still went on for another 30
years and more blacks than whites were harmed during the re-
volt. About 60 white people were murdered followed by more
than 120 blacks who were murdered following the rebellion. The
rebellion only caused a very bad backfire, honestly. Nat Turner is
a heroic figure in some ways. He stood up for what he believed
in, the best way he knew how. He is like a founding father be-
_____________ cause of the tactics he used. Both Turner and George Washing-
Zaria Taft ton used violence to try and gain freedom..
The Birth of a Nation was a 2016 film that explored The Birth of a Nation is a form of propaganda that was
the life of Nat Turner and the rebellion he led to end slavery. successful because it showed what slaves experienced. Moreo-
The movie began by showing marks on Turners chest which ver, the film presented an angle that is different from most
pointed to him as the chosen one. Later, the film showed filmsit showed historically accurate examples of slaves fighting
Turners father killing a White man after being caught stealing for their liberation. One weakness of the film, however, is its
food. His father was forced to run away, never to return home. failure to show all the ugly truths of 1831 slavery, including the
When Nat was a child, he played with his slave masters killing of women and children.
son, whose mother taught him how to read. When Nat grew up,
he preached sermons to other Blacks. Over the years he realized
how bad slave owners treated their slaves and he grew a hatred The Atrocities of the
for slave owners. One night, Nat gathered a group of slaves in
the woods and they went from farm to farm killing white slave
Australian Government
owners and their families. About 60 whites were killed before
_______________
Turner was captured. In response to Turners rebellion more
By Maxwell Lollis
blacks (freed or slaves, women or children) than whites were
killed as a warning for blacks not to revolt again. Turner was
later caught was hanged, which ended the rebellion. The Birth of Rabbit Proof Fence is a movie about
a Nation (2016) was propaganda, but it accurately captured the oppression of Australian aborigines, and the forced ethnic
Turners revolt and put into perspective why some slaves would cleansing that they were exposed to. The movie is centered
chose to kill their masters. around 3 girls, Gracie, Daisy, and Molly, who are sent to the
The film was set in 1831. At that time, an antislavery Moore River Sanctuary, a border
newspaper was being published. Also, an injunction requested school like facility, to be cleansed of
by a Cherokee nation claiming that they were being annihilated their previous culture and taught the
as a political society was denied. In 1831, there was still slavery correct values of the Europeans. The
because the Civil War did not come until 1861. The relationships girls eventually escape, and were
between blacks and whites was that whites were treated as su- hunted across the country, and suc-
perior and blacks could be bought and sold as property. There cessfully they reached their home
were also, of course, laws against the uprising of blacks against after walking 1200 miles. One girl,
slavery. Gracie, was recaptured and died be-
Nat Turners rebellion in 1831 was somewhat justified. fore reuniting with her family. Later,
He wanted whites to know that slavery was not right and that Molly is recaptured with her children,
blacks needed to stand up for themselves. He felt as though he but escaped once again and was able
was a prophet and was born to do something important, that to grow old together with her sister,
God had chosen him to revolt against slavery. He killed white Daisy. The laws Australian Aborigines
men, women, and children (although not depicted in the movie). like Molly, Gracie, and Daisy had to follow literally tore Aborigine
Killing, however, is not right under any circumstance, but one families apart. These girls represented a small number of peo-
can understand how a person could feel as though they had no ple who were able to make it back and reunite with their fami-
other choice. lies. This movie is an amazing depiction of the struggles the op-
Southern whites responded to the rebellion by killing pressed aborigines had to go through.
random blacks, freed and enslaved. They killed more blacks than
4 Continued on the next page
 Story continued from page 4
When Britain originally claimed Australia, they intro- riginal people were doing fine, and had adapted to their sur-
duced plagues of illness to the native people and killed off a lot of roundings. Of course one major thing was they had no access to
them with diseases the Aborigine people had never been ex- medicine, but they wouldnt need medicine if the British hadnt
posed to. Once Australia became brought their new diseases.
an independent nation in 1901, Happiness is a matter of per-
they began developing more spe- spective, and you cant tell
cific policies targeted at the Aus- someone their life is horrible if
tralian Aborigine. For one, the they think that its great.
Australian government appointed The Aborigines of Aus-
A.O Neville as the Chief Protector tralia and the Native Americans
of all aborigines, meaning he was of this country are very similar
essentially a father to the many in that white people came to
people in the country. He was their country and ethnically
more of an abusive father than cleansed them by force. They
anything. Australian culture was were both exposed to the
forcibly diffused onto the Aborigi- harmful foreign diseases of the
ne people, they brought many In this scene, Molly, Daisy, and Gracie are being removed from their home. new settlers, and both eventu-
new things, and many new ail- ally became integrated into
ments. They also tried to ethnically cleanse the people already society. Australian aborigines were not killed and enslaved, but
living there. A.O Neville would have children removed from their the basic human rights of both were infringed on, although the
families and sent to sanctuaries which would make them forget Native Americans were treated worse. Native Americans lost
about their culture, and learn the their land, fought an uphill war,
values of European culture, Christi- were enslaved, and lost about
anity, English, etc. There were so 90% of their population. What
many white settlers that Australia is interesting, is that both na-
was considered a white colony, even tives were ethnically cleansed
by the natives themselves. with the peaceful method of
When aboriginal children forcing them to forget their
were removed from their home and culture and learn new values,
taken to sanctuaries, many never which eventually stopped in
saw their birth family again. A.O both countries.
Nevilles plan was to force them to Aborigines were very
learn European culture and breed damaged, the population will
out the native traits. He discovered never be the same, and the
This is a camp were Aborigine children were taken.
that after about three generations of interference that was caused
aboriginal breeding (with white people) most aboriginal traits by the white settlers cannot be undone. No apology from the
were gone, including their skin tone and Australian government will make
other prominent physical features. Ne- things better. The pain and suffering
ville would generally handpick the aborig- these people had to go through in the
ines he wanted to integrate and have name of nationalism is one of the
them hunted down by police officers and many atrocities caused by bad people.
they would take them to a sanctuary. It We must never let something like this
was a very terrible process, but it worked to happen again, that goes the same
if you had patience. Eventually the abo- for slavery, and mass genocide. We as
riginal traits would be bred out and the a people seem to have risen above
new generation probably wouldnt have much of our past mistakes, but there
any idea about their previous culture. are still people out there who wish to
A.O Neville showed that you didnt have see democracy fall and crush minori-
Australians gather to watch Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
to kill the people who practice the cul- apologize to Aboriginal Australians .
ties under the harsh boot that has
ture, but simply force them into learning only recently been lifted. We do not
your own and improving their life. have slavery, but minorities in many countries, including our own
A.O Neville believed that he was improving the life of are still oppressed, that will never fully change because there will
the aboriginal people, and used this to justify his actions. He stat- always be racists, neo-Nazis, and fascists
ed that the natives didnt understand that they need to be All in all, this was an amazing movie that showed us a
helped, implying that they were so low, so primitive, that they small glimpse into the struggles of thousands of aboriginal peo-
simply couldnt comprehend the value of his actions. Of course, ple. This movie and many others serve as a warning and docu-
technically, in terms of access to healthcare, food, and housing, mentation of previous acts of cruelty that we as a people, as a
the Australian government did improve the life of the aborigi- species, must learn from, and believe that love will always rise
nes, but you should never strip ones culture to do so. The abo- above hate.
5
 The Central Park Five
the attack took place, but they shouldn't have been kept there
_________________________ after initially being released. When being interrogated for hours
By Naija Abdullah-Easter by the police about the women who was raped in the park, the
boys agreed to make a confession because the police lied to
The film, The Central Park Five, was based an inci- them and told them that if they gave a confession, they could
dent that occurred on April 19th 1989 in New York City. At the go home.
time, New York was a very dangerous city to live in. The crime The tactics the police used wore the boys down. The
level was really high with around six people murdered each police told them what to say in their confessions, lied to them
day this was very different from what New York City is today, about going home earlier, didnt inform them of their rights,
with fewer than one person being killed each day. held them for hours without seeing their parents, and did not
At the time of the incident, many white New Yorkers provide an opportunity for the boys to rest.
felt threatened by blacks and believed that the police couldn't The police acted this way because they were under a
protect them, so they carried weapons to protect themselves. lot of pressure to find who did the crime, given the media atten-
This was also the time when people referred to black men as, tion this case received. The police did not act responsibly be-
the most endangered species in America, a recognition of the cause they knew the boys were innocent but they made up a
dangers black men faced everyday in America. The media por- whole lie with no evidence. These officers should have been
trayal of black and white relations during that time also had a punished for accusing these innocent kids of something the po-
huge impact on how people in each race perceived the other. lice knew the boy did not do. The race, income level, and age of
The incident that occurred on April 19, 1989 and that is the boys made them extremely vulnerable to the police because
at the center of the film, The Central Park Five, was the brutal they were uneducated about their rights . They were only chil-
rape of Trisha Meile, a white woman dren and they should have been
who was left for dead in Central Park. accompanied by their parents and
In fact, the Central Park Jogger, as she lawyers during the entire time they
is known, was beaten so badly that the were questioned by the police.
only way her friends could identify her The parents of the five boys
was by the ring that she wore on her stayed at the police station and wait-
finger (This fact is reminiscent of Em- ed for their kids. Most of the parents
mett Tills brutal murder 35 years earli- were just as unaware of their rights
er.) as their children. Instead of just
The attack on the Central Park sitting there and allowing their chil-
Jogger was the most covered news The Central Park Five: Korey Wise, Kevin Richardson, Ray- dren to be questioned by the police,
event during its time, with many me- mond Santana, Yusef Salaam, and Antron McCray the parents of Antron, Raymond,
dia calling it, the crime of the centu- Kevin, and Korey should have
ry. The race, gender, and social status of the victim had a lot to stopped the interviews and requested a lawyer. Antron
do with the amount of media attention involved with her case. McCrays father left him and his mother while everything was
The fact that she was white, wealthy, and raped caused many in going because it was overwhelming. Yusefs mother, on the oth-
this country to feel more sympathetic towards her, far more so er hand, stopped the interview, got him a lawyer, and told him
than had she been a poor black woman. In fact, there was a sto- not to admit to anything he didn't do. But by this time the testi-
ry in the back pages of the NY Times earlier that week about a mony from the other boys were used to tie Yusef to the rape
pregnant black woman who was sexually assaulted and thrown and beating of Triesha Meile.
off the roof of her apartment. Virtually no one knows this wom- The boys civil liberties were denied in several ways.
ans story nor her name. First, neither the DNA collected from Triesha Meile after the
The young men who were accused of attacking the rape nor any other evidence from the crime scene matched the
Central Park Jogger were Antron McCray, Korey Wise, Kevin boys, a fact revealed during the trialsthe case should have
Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Yusef Sallam. All of these been dismissed. In addition, the stories the boys were forced to
boys are African American except Raymond Santana, who is tell did not match, and in some cases contradicted each other.
Hispanic. The boys were between the ages of fourteen and six- Moreover, the boys were lied to and not given a lawyer during
teen. All of the boys, except Yuself and Korey, were arrested the questioning, so their confessions should have been excluded
because they were in Central Park near where the attack took from the trial.
place. The police later came to Yusefs apartment building look- In the end, however, some justice was done. Not only
ing for him. Korey was with him at the time and they both went were the convictions for each young man overturned, but each
to the police station together. As the boys were about to be victim was awarded $1 million dollars for each year they were
released to go home the police got a call from detective and was wrongly imprisoned. Moreover, the real rapist and serial killer
told to keep the boys there. The boys except, Yusef and Korey, was found and his DNA confirmed his guilt.
should have been arrested because they were at a place where
6
The Lovings and Miscegenation
_______________________________ or sent out of
By Oluwadamilola Akindele-Obe the state.
The
Miscegenation is marriage or cohabitation between Lovings were
two people from different racial groups, especially, in the an interracial
U.S., between a black person and a white person. It is also couple. Rich-
sexual relations between two people from different racial ard and Mil-
backgrounds that results in the conception of a mixed-race dred Loving fell
child. Centuries before the same-sex marriage movement, in love and
the U.S. government, its many states, and the colonies before were married in
them tackled 1958. They
the contro- grew up in Cen-
versial issue tral Point, a
of miscege- small town in
nation: race- Virginia that
mixing. It's was more integrated than surrounding areas in the American
widely known South. Yet it was the state of Virginia, where they were mak-
that the Deep ing their home and starting a family, that first jailed and then
South banished them. Richard and Mildred relocated with their chil-
banned inter- dren to the inner city of Washington, D.C., but the family ulti-
racial mar- mately tried to find a way back to Virginia. The Lovings were
riages until married on July 11, 1958, and were arrested five weeks later
1967, but less when the county sheriff and two deputies burst into their
widely known bedroom in the early morning hours. The officers reportedly
that many acted on an anonymous tip, and when Mildred Loving told
other states them she was his wife.
did the same As this ad shows, the idea of free black men marrying The Lovings challenged Virginias anti-miscegenation
(California white women has long been a fear in American society. law using the equal protection and due process clauses of the
until 1948, Fourteenth Amendment of the US constitution. The Court
for example) -- or that three brazen attempts were made to ruled in the Lovings favor. The courts ruling made a great
ban interracial marriages nationally by amending the U.S. impact by banning anti-miscegenation laws in the United
Constitution. States. The Court ruling was a right one for
Anti- the Southern States who opposed interra-
miscegenation laws cial marriages. States should not be al-
were first introduced lowed to come up with their own marriage
to North America laws because they infringe individual citi-
beginning the late zens rights through the process of regu-
seventeenth century lating marriages
by several of the thir- Anti-miscegenation laws or misce-
teen colonies and genation laws were laws that enforced
later by US states and racial segregation at the level of marriage
US territories and and intimate relationships by criminalizing
remained in force interracial marriages and sometimes also
until 1967. These anti sex between members of different races.
-miscegenation laws The laws were created to preserve or re-
prevented white peo- The real-life couple, Mildred and Richard Loving, defeated miscegenation tain the purity of races. The laws were
ple from marrying eliminated on the basis of the 14th amend-
black people. The law applied to all races, it is the prevention ment. I agree with the Supreme Courts decision because it
of race mixing. Black men who married white women were should be left to individuals to decide who to marry or have
punished more harshly than white men who married black sex with.
women. The violators of this law were bound to go to prison
7
 Analyzing Apartheid the injustice of Apartheid. The most famous person who fought
against apartheid was Nelson Mandela, who joined the African
Sarafina National Congress and spent 27 years in prison because of his
efforts to end apartheid.
The movie, Sarafina, showed how black students in
Essay Review South Africa attempted to confront apartheid. The students
used violence, including burning down schools they thought
were not teaching them about their history, throwing rocks and
firebombs at police who were attacking and beating them, and
__________________ even killing people they believed wanted them dead.
By Timberlyn Horton The authorities in South Africa responded to student
protests by beating them, and many students were killed. The
Apartheid was a sys- students were doing what they thought was right. They were
tem of institutionalized racial taking a stand for what they believed in. They were getting de-
segregation and discrimination. nied basic rights and they wanted to do something about it.
It existed in South Africa be- They weren't wrong but they could have gone about gaining
tween 1948-1991. During that their rights in another way. In the end, the students were not
time people were separated that successful because they got in trouble with the law and
into four groups according to some were brutally beaten and even killed.
the color of their skin and kept My opinion of the film is that its like any other segrega-
away from each other by the tion or discrimination film. It was made to create a message. It
law. Whites believed they need- informed the public on how life really was back then for people
ed to implement apartheid so of color and how it was similar to what was happening in the US
that black people would stay South during Jim Crow segregation. I believe Sarafina did effec-
out of certain areas. The laws were also made to keep black and tively inform the public about apartheid.
whites from marrying each other, and to keep blacks from own- Apartheid was South Africas segregation between
ing land and voting. blacks and whites. It was a system that was similar to what Afri-
Blacks lived as outsiders during the days of apartheid. can Americans experienced in this country, but far worse. In
There were public toilets that only whites could South Africa, black people
use. When taking road trips, Blacks in South Africa were more than 85% of
would have to drive continuously because hotels the population and whites
were only of service to white people and Blacks were les than 15%, yet
had to bring their own food because stores were whites control South Afri-
only for whites as well. In addition, Blacks weren't ca and dominated Black
called blacks and whites weren't called whites. people during Apartheid.
Black people were referred to as Kaffirs and white The laws in that country
people were called Boers. If you were white you did not simply separate
had more benefits such as good health care, the blacks and white, they
right to live where you wanted, and your children stripped black people of
could attend quality schools. their homeland and hu-
The most notable apartheid policies was Students in South Africa often led efforts against apartheid manity.
residential apartheid. All blacks in South Africa were literally Apartheid was, of
removed from their homes and relocated to lands called town- course, not fair because I believe in equality. Everyone should be
ships, the most famous of which was SOWETO, or Southwestern treated equally and that clearly wasn't happening then and
Township. As a result of being forced into townships, blacks there. The students anti apartheid actions were justified be-
were officially stripped of their South African citizenship and cause they were doing what they thought was right, but in the
were required to have a pass when they travelled outside of end, unsuccessful. Their action were not effective because they
their township. were brutally beaten, and hurt. These students are heroes be-
Some black South Africans chose to organize and pro- cause they stood up for what they believed in and they did what
test against Apartheid. Most protests were not confrontational other students or people were afraid to do. I think that the laws
and similar to non-violent methods in this country during Jim should have been different. Everyone should have a right to edu-
Crow segregation. They included boycotting white owned busi- cation and a good one at that.
nesses, and marching in the streets to bring world attention to

8
 Ethnic Conflict in Canada Liberation du Quebec preached violence as a way to achieve
their political goals, and advocated vandalism as a mean of pro-
testing. They attacked by putting bombs in mailboxes of three
federal armories. Over the years, the FLQ planted more than 200
bombs around Quebec injuring many, and killing a few. They
wanted to destroy all influences and symbols of English colonial-
ism.
The use of violence only increased tension because
many people demanded separation from Canada. The violent
__________________ attacks from the FLQ became overbearing for many. Violent
By Monet Thomas crimes, such as kidnapping, occurred. The Front de Liberation du
Quebec kidnapped two leaders of Quebec; James Cross and
Pierre Laporte. They killed both men which sparked much ten-
There is an on- This map of Canada shows
sion and controversy.
going ethnic conflict in French speaking Quebec in red
With violence and tension came discrimination against
Quebec, which is in the
the French who could not speak or read English. They were
Eastern part of Canada, between French and English speaking
looked down upon, but because of the large number of non-
Canadians. The conflict has been both regional and local. It is
English speaking French people, the discrimination did not last
regional because laws designate French as the main language on
long because they stood up for themselves.
signs in the region of Quebec, even though Quebec is still part of
The ethnic tension in Canada began in the 1760s when
Canada, where the dominant language is English. In 1977, the
Britain took control of what is today Canada, including the areas
Ethnic conflict came local when French parents were forced by
that was previously controlled by Francecurrent day Quebec.
local Canadian officials to enroll their kids in French-speaking
As Canada developed and became more independent from Brit-
schools only.
ain, they retained a mostly British culture. In 1848, for instance,
The root of the conflict in Quebec was between the Eng-
an amendment was proposed in the Canadian Parliament that
lish speaking Canadians and the French speaking Canadians. The
made it legal to speak French in court and parliament. In 1890,
English speaking people in Quebec held economic power and
the Manitoba Act was passed that made Manitoba no longer
excluded the French, however, the French speakers were still
bilingual. Later in 1912, Regulation 17 was established that lim-
expected to know English. French Canadians desired to be recog-
ited the use of French as the lan-
nized as one of the
guage of instruction in schools
founding people of
throughout Quebec.
Canada. Most non-
There were many events
Quebec Canadian
that happened during the ethnic
people did not
conflict between the French speak-
want to give the
ing Canadians and the English
French any recog-
speaking Canadians. While the con-
nition, which an-
flict in Canada between the English
gered French
and French speakers continues, it is
speakers in Que-
not nearly as intense as it once
bec.
was.
Moreo-
The ethnic conflict in
ver, a conflict
French Canada caused many citi-
arose in 1982
zens to move away from the vio-
when Quebec re- Ethnic unrest in Canada turned violent during the 1970s
lent activities. They did not want
fused to approve
any affiliation with the two ethnic groups in fear of being killed.
Canadas new constitution. The French speakers in Quebec were
More than 82% of the population was affected by the violence.
concerned that their culture would be lost in a more centralized
They fled to different areas as refugees and immigrants.
Canada. The French developed a group called the Front de Liber-
No one wanted to live in French Canada due to the war
ation, which consisted of separatists and the Marxist-Leninist
and violence. They lived in harsh conditions and fear because of
paramilitary group of Quebec. They promoted the separation of
the bombs, gunshots, protests, and fights that broke at different
Quebec from Canada, and kidnapped and murdered Canadian
periods. They moved into other parts of Canada and border
leaders. They also attacked the cities in Quebec by bombing, in-
countries in hope of better living conditions. Some had to learn a
juring, and killing innocent people.
new language and adapt to new ways of life, which was challeng-
From there the violence became worse. The Front de
ing.

9
 Ethnic Conflict in Sudan
Timeline
1983 2003 2004 2005 2006 2011
Beginning of Darfur black Afri- Eastern Front North and South reli- End of oil ethnic Establishment of Southern
religious cans rebel against Ethnic war gious war came to an Eastern Front Sudan as a sovereign state.
civil war the Muslim gov- against Suda- end war
ernment nese govern-
ment
a region in Western Sudan. The con-
flict in Sudan extends to Chad and Eri-
trea due to their alleged support be-
cause both of those nations are help-
ing rebel groups within Chad fight
against the government of Sudan.
The conflict in Sudan started
in 2003, and is an ongoing conflict.
There have been many disagreements
dealing with land, oil, and most im-
portantly, religion. Religious conflict
__________________
centered around Sudans adoption of
By Danielle Rockett
Sharia (Islamic) law. Sudanese in the
South, who were mostly Christians,
The Sudan suffered both a
were oppressed and discriminated
difficult colonial history and a series
against. Although the north and south
of governments that have held pow-
were always in disagreement, they
er by utilizing Sudans religious and
finally ended the war in 2005. In 2007,
ethnic diversity. Sudan has been at
peace organizations were brought to
war for most of its history and is in-
the area of conflict in attempt to re-
volved in an ongoing conflict. The countrys most notable con-
solve some issues. The religious conflict was resolved after the
flicts have been between the south and north. In addition to the
people in the south formed their own country, South Sudan,
conflict between the north and south, since 2003 there has been
which retained a majority Christian population.
a genocide taking place in Darfur. Inequality in education, lim-
Currently in North Sudan, an estimated 44.8 % of the
ited access to health care, clean water, sanitation, resources and
population lives beneath poverty lines, with poverty rates higher
income has also impacted poverty in the country, especially in
in rural areas (55%) than in urban areas (28%). More than 2 mil-
North Sudan triggering
lion people have left their homes to live in camps near Darfur as
extended conflict.
a direct result of the ongoing Civil War. There has also been a
Oil fuels the
shocking number, more than 200,000 people, fleeing to Chad for
conflict between the
a better life. About 300,000 people have also died due to hun-
north and south of
ger, war, and disease in Sudan. In 2014 Darfur experienced the
Sudan. The central
highest levels of violence and displacement since 2004. Nearly
government in Khar-
half a million more people were displaced in 2014. According to
toum was committed
the UN, around 6.9 million people are in need of civilian assis-
to controlling the oil
tance in Sudan. Ethnic conflict in Sudan has impacted many civil-
fields from the outset,
ians causing continuous violence in Darfur/Sudan. Despite all
and created the Unity
efforts by the UN and even the division of the country, ethnic
Province in 1980. This creation excluded the oil regions from
conflict remains an ongoing concern in the country.
southern control and incorporated them into the north.
The Majority of the conflict is located in Darfur, which is

10
 Cote d Ivoires (The Ivory Coast)
workers and traders all make ten percent of the proceeds com-
The Delicious bined. This is 5% less than processors, 30% less than manufac-
turers and 25% less than retailers. Ivorian farmers are being tak-
en advantage of, considering that they produce the main ingre-
Taste of Chocolate dient for chocolate and work through harsh conditions to do so.
Cocoa Beans and related production is also destroying
the Ivorian flora and fauna in Ivory Coast. The West African for-
ests are nearly gone, the monkeys that they once contained and
_________________ several other species are critically endangered. According to
By Amaree Moore document D, a significant portion of the Ivory Coasts protected
forests have been chopped down over the past few years in or-
Chocolate is a sweet, blissful, indulgent treat that is der to make room for illegal cocoa farms. More than 74% of the
desired by many all over the world. From the United States to protected forests have been taken over by cocoa farms. With
Switzerland, chocolate is well loved. When one is given a box of a large amount of deforestation it is also affecting the animals
chocolate on Valentines day or just casually purchase a Her- and species that inhabit these areas. Five of twenty-three pro-
sheys bar, it might be tected areas that were
easy to forget that surveyed have lost approxi-
someone, some- mately half of their primate
where, is growing the species. But over the past
cocoa which happens four years, a community-
to be the main ingre- based bio-monitoring pro-
dient of this world- gram set up by the O.S.U
loved pleasure. converts former poachers
The African and farmers into wildlife
country of Cote dIv- guardians to help protect
oires is one of the and replenish Cote dIv-
worlds largest cocoa oires wildlife.
growers and has been Although cocoa
very successful for production has not been
the Ivorian economy, good for the Ivorian farm-
given that cocoa ers, children, or wildlife, it
beans and related has been working in the
products are their economys favor. In coun-
leading exports. But tries like Switzerland, Nor-
just because it is good way, and the United States
for the economy does demand for cocoa is very
not necessarily mean that it is good for the country in its entire- high, according to document A. These high demands are what is
ty. helping the Ivorian economy strive. Cote dIvoires total GDP is
The growth of cocoa trees and the industry is sweetly $34.253,610,000. Though this may not seem like a lot, especially
satisfying for places like Switzerland, Germany and the UK, who compared to the United States GDP of $17,419,000,000,000, it is
all highly demand chocolate, but it is extremely distasteful for a lot for that country and the production of cocoa is to thank.
cocoa growers, farmers, and especially children. According to According to document B, 31% of the Ivory Coasts exports is
document E in the DBQ we examined in class, some children from Cocoa beans and related products and is the leading export
begin at a young age working on cocoa farms to help support for the West African country. Ivorians are very dependent on
their impoverished families and other children are sold to this export, because without it, the economy would fail dramati-
traffickers or farm owners by their own relatives. This should be cally. With the money coming in from these productions, it is
viewed as a form of slavery that increases the chance of damag- helping Cote dIvoire rebuild the economy which is a slight strug-
ing Ivory Coast children, both internally and externally. The chil- gle for them after their civil war as well as funding for the chil-
dren who are sold and work on these farms face horrid condi- drens education.
tions. They work from as early as six in the morning until the end Chocolate is a bittersweet treat loved all around the
of every evening, often scaring themselves because of chainsaws world. Although this is really blissful for the economy, it is ex-
and machetes they use to clear the forests and cut down the tremely distasteful for the country in its entirety. It is harming
bean pods. The farmers in Cote dIvoire rarely benefit from the the children both internally and externally, barely benefitting
production of chocolate. According to document C, growers, farmers, and it is also destroying the West African environment.

11
What Is Fueling the Syrian Civil War?
civil war is that an extremist group called ISIS popped up and
swiftly took over Northern Syria, making tensions and the vio-
lence even worse. ISIS is and has been dangerous from their
start. It is a group with an international profile and an extremist
view of Islamic rule. Like many Syrians, they want to get rid of
the government that is controlled by President Assad. However,
unlike most Syrians, ISIS has created a government based on an
extreme version of Islamic law. In addition, ISIS has shown its
readiness to take on any Syrian it doesnt like ( Document E).
_____________ They do not have a problem decapitating innocent Syrian citi-
By Najah Kingsby zens, and doing so live on the internet, nor setting off bombs in
order to kill dozens of innocent people in public places like thea-
For the past five years Syria has been involved in a civil ters, restaurants, and even mosques. These actions by ISIS are
war that has captured the attention of millions around the violent, indiscriminate, and makes Syria a scarier place to live. In
world. In 2011 there was a democratic uprising because the fact, the violence created by ISIS has also led to the mass migra-
government captured and tortured a group of teens who wrote tion of millions of people from Syria and helped create a refugee
anti-government graffiti on a wall. crisis throughout the Middle East and even in
When the people began to peacefully Europe.
protest, because they were tired of this A third and final factor that has add-
type of treatment from the govern- ed matches and gasoline to fire of violence in
ment, the government of Bashar Al- Syria is the support competing sides in the
Assad attacked the people of Syria in Syrian Civil War are getting from other coun-
the streets. In fact, in 2013 the Syrian tries around the world. The most dangerous
government went as far as to use part of this is that Russia is supporting the
chemical weapons to attack Syrians Assad Regime and has taken upon itself to
citizens who were protesting. That Syria has been devastated by 6 years of civil war. launch airstrikes against their enemy the
attack alone is believed to have killed over 1,400 people, 426 of Jabhat al- Nusra group and other rebel groups in Syria. Russia
whom were children. In 2014 ISIS arose and claimed its own has one of the largest and most powerful militaries in the world
Islamic state. In 2016 the United Nations attempted for the third and their decision to support Assad means that more deadly
time to end the violence. So the real question is ,what has kept weapons are now being used against the Syrian people. The US
the violence going in Syria: has it been the Assads govern- has also become involved in the Syrian Civil War. Our country
ments cruel actions towards the citizens of Syria, the uprising took that as a cue from Russia and conducted airstrikes in Syria
led by ISIS and their extremist views, or has the ongoing vio- ISIS ( Map at the top of the page Document G). The fact that
lence in Syria been caused by other countries outside of Syria other countries are bringing more ammunition to the war in
supporting and fueling the different sides of the war? different ways is bringing more violence and terror to Syria. The
The most important factor that has fueled the violence US and its allies are not just fighting ISIS in Syria, this country is
in Syria has been the actions of the Syrian government. Presi- also sending arms and military advisors to aid rebel groups in
dent Bashar al- Assad should not have lashed out and respond- Syria. The more the US and other countries aid the rebels, the
ed so violently and mercilessly when Syrian citizens were peace- more the Assad governments will ask Russia for help. In some
fully protesting. Later, the government acted even more irre- ways, the way in Syria, might become a war between US weap-
sponsibly when it used chemical weapons to kill its people. In ons and Russian weaponsthe two countries with the most
response to these actions, millions of Syrians fled their homes dangerous weapons in the world.
and became refugees, The Syrian Refugee Crisis (Map on the Although the Syrian Civil War has been going for five
bottom right of page 527 Document A). Moreover, if the Syrian years now, it is never too late for everyone to stop fighting,
government had not acted so violently against it own people, starting with the Syrian government, and begin taking responsi-
civilians in Syria would not have felt the need to form militias to bility for their part. If the peace treaty by the United Nations
protect themselves. Thousands of Syrians have united across was finally signed there would be time for the dust to settle and
the country to defeat the government and removed President everyone to truly see what damage has been done in Syria. The
Assad from office. So what was once the Syrian government innocent lives that have been both lost and ruined; not to men-
attacking a group of protesters is now a full fledge civil war in- tion the extreme damage done to the country by the bombs and
volving the use of tanks, heavy bombs, and even chemical weap- millions of people leaving. The violence needs to be stopped so
ons. Moreover, at least 100,000 Syrians have been killed in this that the people of Syria can rebuild themselves and the country
civil war. that they all once called home.
The second most important factor fueling the Syrian
12
 NORTHERN IRELAND thought the

The Troubles government

should not con-
trol the two
religious par-
ties. Finally,
religious con-
flict often
arose because
of how evenly
divided North-
ern Ireland is, This is a site in Northern Ireland after an IRA bombing
with approxi-
mately 43% of the territory belonging to the Catholic faith and
Northern Irish fighters often masked themselves during attacks 43% being Protestant.
When the Republic of Ireland decided to secede from
___________ Britain, it created tension because Northern Ireland stayed loyal
By Zaria Taft to Britain. In 1969, Catholic civil rights marches and counter-
protests by Protestant loyalists turned into violent unrest. British
The ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland was troops were sent but met by the Provisional Irish Republican
called the Troubles, the Guerrilla War, and the Northern Ireland Army. Loyalist paramilitary groups then became violent because
conflict. It lasted for 30 years, only recently ending in 1998. Alt- of the difference in religion and being super attached to their
hough most of the conflict happened in Northern Ireland, it religion. The Irish Republican Army then carried out bomb and
sometimes spilled into parts of the Republic of Ireland and gun attacks in Northern Ireland while loyalists targeted Catholics
Great Britain. Northern every time the Protestants acted. The Catholic mi-
Ireland is Protestant and nority was also discriminated against with police
the Republic of Ireland harassment, not being included in public service
is Catholic. appointments, and the rejection of Catholic repre-
Northern Ire- sentation in parliament.
land is a territory of six The Londonderry Civil Rights March in
counties that is part of October 1968, started The Troubles. It was fol-
the United Kingdom, lowed by open fires, bombings, the killing of inno-
which includes England. cent people, discrimination, riots, protests, and the
The Republic of Ireland, terrible things that give this period its name. By the
on the other hand, is an time a peace treaty was signed, more than 5,000
independent nation people had been killed and tens of thousands in-
made up of the 23 jured. In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was
counties, including the signed which gave self-governance to Northern
three counties in Ulster. Ireland and ended the war.
These two territories Leaders on both sides fought hard for peace.
There is still tension in Northern Ireland to
together make up an island this day. Many neighborhoods are separated by 30-foot high
in the North Atlantic with an area of 32,595 square miles. walls and education institutional are still divided along religious
Since the 12th century, constant rebellions challenged line. There have been times people have tried to bring Catholics
the cruel British power over Ireland. Twenty-six southern coun- and Protestants together, but little progress has been made in
ties seceded from the six northern counties that stayed with the that area.
United Kingdom. It has political and religious roots that have The Troubles War has made Ireland a very
gone on for centuries between Protestants and Catholics. different place. What was once Ireland, is now Northern Ireland,
The conflict had many ways of manifesting itself. The which is controlled by the United Kingdom, and the Republic of
nationalistic manifestations of the conflict were illustrated when Ireland, which is an independent nation. The 30 year war also
the people in Northern Ireland took pride in being British and divided Northern Ireland into Catholic and Protestant zones that
called themselves British and the constant bombings and still affects Irish life to this day. Although there are struggles to
shootings that were aimed Northern Ireland becoming an inde- find peace, the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland will
pendent nation, free from British rule. The political manifesta- hopefully be able make progress some day soon.
tion of the conflict existed because Catholics in Northern Ireland
13
 The Political Athlete
Movement. Ali also had an impact on former president Barack
_______________ Obama. Obama admitted to having a picture of Ali in the Oval
By Devin Lewis Officethe picture shows Ali standing over Liston after knocking
Liston out. Obama said that this motivated him to fight against
adversity. Obama was the first African American President in the
Should athletes be encouraged to ex- United States, and he believed if Ali could stand up and make a
press their political views? This is a question difference then he could do that also. Alis most infamous mo-
that is being asked a lot. Some believe that ath- ment came in 1967 when he was arrested and stripped of his
letes should stick to what they know best, which is sports, and boxing title because he refused to be drafted into the army dur-
leave political issues to the intelligent people. On the other ing the Vietnam War. Ali said he refused to fight in a war for a
hand, there are people who country that hated him because of his skin
support the idea of athletes color, and kill people who did nothing to him.
being able to express their po- When asked exactly why he would not go to
litical views. These people ask war he replied, "They never called me nigger,
why cant athletes articulate they never lynched me, they didn't put no
their political views? Athletes dogs on me, they didn't rob me of my nation-
are Americans too and they ality, rape or kill my mother and father. ...
have rights just like everybody How can I shoot them poor people? Just take
else in this country. It is offen- me to jail."
sive when people like Jeff In July of 2016, four of the biggest
Follmer, Union Chief of the NBA stars: Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony,
Cleveland Police Depart- Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade took to center
ment, say ignorant things like, Colin Kaepernick refuses to stand during the pledge stage at the ESPYS to urge their fellow ath-
Its pathetic when athletes letes to get involved socially. Chris Paul, play-
think they know the law. Mr. Follmer said this when Andrew er for the Los Angeles Clippers, said "generations ago, legends
Hawkins, former Cleveland Brown player, wore a shirt protesting like Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, John Carlos
the death of two young minorities who are killed by police offic- and Tommie Smith, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Brown, Billie Jean
ers in Cleveland. King, Arthur Ashe and countless others, set a model for what
Athletes should have the right to exercise their political athletes should stand for so we choose to follow their steps.
beliefs. They are citizens of the United States, and with that Lebron James, followed up by saying "Tonight we're honoring
comes the First Amendment and the freedom of speech. When Muhammad Ali, the GOAT...But to do his legacy any justice, let's
people criticize athletes for taking a stand on political issues it is use this moment as a call to action to all professional athletes to
pretty ludicrous. Also, athletes can influence a huge number of educate ourselves, explore these issues, speak up, use our influ-
people. Some athletes have large followings; some even have ence and renounce all violence and, most importantly, go back
millions, but athletes in the past believed that if they were to to our communities, invest our time, our resources, help rebuild
speak out on political issues, they would jeopardize their ca- them, help strengthen them, help change them. We all have to
reers. Michael Jordan, for instance, was asked throughout his do better."
career why he did not express his political views on events that Hopefully, these words by Lebron and Chris Paul will
were going on at the time. He replied, Republicans buy sneak- encourage many athletes to step up, and get involved. Athletes
ers, too. This meant that even though Jordan may not have will hopefully no longer be afraid to stand up, or in the case of
agreed with the actions taken by Republicans in government, he Colin Kaepernick,
did not want to speak out and offend Republican consumers. kneel down, to ex-
Many athletes share that same thinking, they want to press their true feel-
protect their reputation and endorsements. Colin Kaepernick is ings about the prob-
a prime example of an athlete who thinks differently. Kaeper- lems in the communi-
nick, an NFL quarterback, has gained attention for taking a knee ty. Colin Kaepernick,
during the playing of the national anthem at the start of NFL in one interview he
games. He is now without a team, and even though he remains a gave said, "I am not
gifted athlete, teams are afraid to sign him because they fear going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that op-
ridicule from President Trump on Twitter. presses black people and people of color...To me, this is bigger
Muhammad Ali, perhaps the greatest boxer of all time, than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other
was a man who was not afraid to express his feelings about way. Thank you Colin Kaepernick for your courage.
many issues. He was a big influence during the Civil Rights
14
 AIDS IN THE US AND IRAN
several key affected populations. Most new HIV infections occur
among men who have sex with other men, among African Amer-
__________________ ican/black men, and intravenous drug users. African American
By Raymond Cousins heterosexual women are also disproportionately affected, large-
ly, it is believed, because they have sex with men who are either
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, is a bisexual or men who are not openly gay.
disease that most people became aware of during the early Other reasons new cases of AIDS is relatively low in this
1980s. This disease has had a country include the large amount our
very negative impact on large government spends on combating AIDs
numbers of people around the and getting drugs to Americans in need
world; in fact, the World Health of treatment, Our society has also be-
Organization reports that since come more accepting of homosexuality,
1981 around 40 million people which means that gay men, the popula-
have died from AIDS worldwide. tion most at risk for getting AIDS, can
AIDS is the final stage of HIV practice safer sex and become involved
infection, although not every- in more permanent relationships, which
one who has HIV advances to also leads to fewer partners and safer
this stage. AIDS devastates the sex.
body and often results in the Not all countries do as good a
severe loss of the body's cellu- job as the U. S. in combating AIDS. One
lar immunity, greatly lowering example of a country having problems
the resistance to infection and with AIDS is Iran. Irans first AIDS case
malignancy. This means that was acknowledged in 1987 and accord-
people with AIDS are unable to ing to UN AIDS Relief Organization,
fight off common diseases like AIDS in Iran is "accelerating at an
the cold, the flu, and most bac- alarming trend." The agency estimates
terial infections. that between 50,000 and 60,000 people
The United States has are infected (although some experts
done a pretty good job of ad- put that number as high as 70,000).
dressing the AIDS crisis. As a AIDS is much higher among African Americans than Whites in the US. Iran has the highest rate of drug use in
result, fewer people become the world, and more than 60 percent of
infected with AIDS/HIV in the United States than just about any HIV infections are among intravenous drug users. Opium has
other country in the world. Moreover, according to the US Cen- been a traditional recreational drug in Iran, but there has been a
ters for Disease Control, when shift in recent years to heroin, par-
Americans do become infected most, ticularly among younger Iranians. In
regardless of age, gender, race/ fact, Iran is believed to have as
ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender many as 600,000 people who use
identity or socio-economic circum- intravenous drugs.
stance, will have unfettered access to The government of Iran is
high quality, life-extending care, free finally beginning to acknowledge
from stigma and discrimination. the problem they are having with
The United States of Ameri- AIDS. Some solutions they have tak-
ca currently has around 1.2 million en have been to legalize treatment
people living with HIV. Nearly one in programs, including offering needle
eight of these people are unaware exchange and methadone clinics.
they have HIV, according to the Cen- But, the Iranian government has
ters for Disease Control. Without refused to address AIDS transmitted
treatment, people who are diagnosed sexually. For one, the religious
AIDS has only recently been accepted as a problem in Iran.
with AIDS typically survive about 3 government refuses to
years. People with AIDS need medical treatment to prevent acknowledge that homosexuality even exist in Iran. As a result,
death. rather than treating victims of sexually transmitted diseases like
The size of the epidemic is relatively small compared to AIDS, the government of Iran arrest these individuals instead.
the countrys population, but is heavily concentrated among

15
 Examining History
Depression hit the world in the early 1930's, countries no longer
The Great Depression imported Japanese luxuries such as silk. The value of Japanese
exports dropped by 50% between 1929 and 1931.
Since Japan lacked the natural resources and building
space needed to grow, the military invaded the area of Manchu-
ria in northeastern China in September 1931. The military began
to takeover, though it was not violent, and was not led by a spe-
cific leader. The military leaders increased military funding and
expanded Japanese invasions, including into countries like Korea
the Philippines and Thailand. From these countries Japan got the
oil, natural gas, and food its country did not have. The League of
Nations complained about Japanese actions, Japan withdrew
from the League of Nations.
____________ Increase military and imperialist improved the Japanese
economy. By the time Japan bombed the US on December 7,
By: Chloe Anderson
1941, Japan had developed the best navy and second best air
force in the world. In addition, unemployment in Japan declined
The Great Depression was a period when many people
to less than 5% from more than 20% during the Great Depres-
in the U.S had no money and the country as a whole experi-
sion. So rather than spending on social programs like we did,
enced negative economic growth. It followed the era called,
Japan developed its military and improved its economy at the
The Roaring Twenties, when many Americans enjoyed almost
same time. Therefore, when WWII came, Japan was better pre-
endless prosperity, including large increases in the number of
pared than the U. S., because we cut military spending by 50%.
Americans who owned cars, paid items on credit, and who in-
Germany was also a foreign country that was greatly
vested in the stock market. Then, during October of 1929 the
affected by the Great Depression. In fact, no country suffered
stock market crashed, which indicated the end of
more during the Great Depression than Ger-
economic prosperity in this country.
many. German banks struggled to provide
As the Great Depression developed into
money and credit, in 1931 there was a run
the 1930s, the unemployment rate began to rise
on both German and Austrian banks. In
greatly and the U.S economy went into a period
1930, Germany began to lose access to US
of dramatic decline. As a result, millions of fami-
markets and found credit almost impossible
lies loss their homes, hundreds of banks closed
to gain. Many industrial companies and fac-
throughout the country, and soup kitchens
tories either closed or shrank down dramati-
opened in cities to feed entire families. But, the
cally. By early 1933 unemployment in Ger-
U. S. was not the only country affected by the
many had reached a staggering six million.
Great Depression. Countries like Germany and
Like Japan, Germany responded to
Japan also suffered during the Great Depression.
the Great Depression by developing its mili-
Initially, the U. S. government respond-
tary and invading and taking needed re-
ed slowly to the economic crisis. President Hoo-
sources from other countries. By 1939, Ger-
ver was a Republican who believed that the
many had the worlds strongest army and air
economy should be left alone to correct itself,
Great Depression photo of a
force. In addition, Germanys economy was
without government interference. Hoover was
poor mother and her children booming. By that time, Germany had invad-
later soundly defeated by Franklin D. Roosevelt in
ed Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. Be-
1932, because Roosevelt offered the nation a New Deal. As
cause of the Great Depression, no country could really stop Ger-
part of the New Deal Roosevelt signed laws that gave millions of
many. Britain and France, like the US, had cut it military in order
Americans jobs, provided welfare to the poor, kept hundreds of
to help poor people in their countries.
schools opened, and provided a guarantee paycheck to the el-
The Great Depression was a terrible time but, it did
derly. To pay for these programs, Roosevelt and the government
bring amazing changes to this country. For the first time our
cut military spending in half. Even though these programs did
government stepped up and helped the poor, created jobs, and
help millions of Americans survive, the Great Depression did not
saved banks in this country. The price was that the US military
end until WW II, when the government spent even more money.
suffered. Had the US and other democratic nations continued
The Great Depression impacted most nations in the
funding their militaries, like Japan and Germany did, they might
world, but not all governments responded to it the same. Japan,
have still been able to help their people, and at the same time,
for example, became a more imperialistic nation in response to
stop the rise of Japan and Germany, two evil WWII empires, that
the Great Depression. Japan, was an island nation with few nat-
grew during the Great Depression.
ural resources, that relied on foreign trade. So when the Great
16
 The Immigration Debate
and the inevitable development of automation. Fear of these
economic realities has caused a resurgence of populist senti-

The Inno- ments throughout the world. These populist sentiments blame
immigrants for the struggles caused by a new economic environ-
ment.
cence of the Populist ideologies have blossomed from a political
realm scorched by the inferno of economic uncertainty and lib-

Immigrant eralism. From Marine Le Pen, Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, to

________________
By Jesus Sanchez
Transcending the rhetoric blurring the immigration
issue, resides the fear and struggle that has caused xenophobia
to rise. The immigration debate which has polarized contempo-
rary politics has its roots in issues independent from the influx
of immi-
grants
into
America.
The
American
Dream is
dead.
Automa-
tion
threatens
the
American
Trumps rhetoric has fueled the anti-immigrant movement in the US
worker,
liberalization continues to degrade American culture, and the
white picket fence vision is nothing more than a distant
dream. Victims of a changing economic climate, and the rise of ues, is to dismantle democracy.
liberalism, have adopted anti-immigrant policies to restore a
lost America. But an issue arises as the argu-
ment against immigration falls under a false
premise: that the economic stagnation and
degradation of their culture is due to immi-
grants.
Economic struggle, caused by glob-
alization and automation, has intensified the
anti-immigrant sentiment that has polarized
politics. Americans struggle as the economic
environment of America shifts from its indus-
trial roots to a new age of technological in-
novation. While productivity grows in our Marine le Pens nativist message failed to catch fire in France
economy, it does not translate into higher wages or increased
employment opportunities to Americans disadvantaged by the
globalized economy. Millions of Americans lose touch with the
American dream, as they suffer to the false song of globalism reactionary enemy, and declare the fall of democracy.
Geert Wilders, populist leaders have arisen to answer the cries
of the forgotten. Their nativist agendas have spoken to many
who view immigrants as a threat to their societies. Fueling
these anti-immigrant politicians is the false belief that a demo-
graphically pure nation will help win the culture war that con-
servatives, in the modern era, have been losing. Immigrants are
blamed for the deterioration of Western values, while the true
cause of the ill is overlooked.
A false war is fought when immigrants are blamed for
the failures of conservatism in preventing the fall of West-
ern values. Immigrants are not responsible for the destruc-
tion of Western culture, but the glorified democratic sys-
tem advocated for by enlightenment era philosophers. To
thwart the expansion of liberalism and defend Western
values, conservatives must come to a vital realization: con-
servatism and democracy are irreconcilable. From the be-
ginning of the enlightenment era, Western values have
fallen to democracy. To reject liberalism is not enough to
preserve the social order, but the rejection of democracy
which allows liberalism to flourish. Democracy is only a
tool for radicals to dismantle the social order. The vital
conservative view of objective morality and rationality is
not defended by democracy, as democracy, by its very
nature, rejects the objectivity of truth. To be conservative, is to
reject relativity; and to preserve the objectivity of Western val-
Immigrants should not be the victims of reactionary
policies, but should instead be
accepted by conservatives.
Immigrants are innocent from
the internal struggle that con-
servatism faces, as its attempts
to strive in democratic socie-
ties proves futile. Anti-
immigrant sentiments only
distract from the real enemy
destroying society. Creating
divide inside nations only im-
pedes from the reactionary
struggle conservatives face to preserve their societal values.
While populist sentiments persist, when it inevitably fails, con-
servatives alongside immigrants must crusade against the true

17
 Should Americans Be Required to Vote?
Americans Should Not Be Required to Vote
According to several different sources I
researched, the current level of voting in this
country is lower than a lot of democracies. In
fact, no US presidential election has ever in-
volved more than 65% of registered voters. Turn-
outs for local and state elections are even lower.
Yet, I dont believe that this is something Ameri-
cans should be so concerned about that we de-
Lauryn Young
cide to implement a compulsory voting law. I
believe that forcing people to vote would encourage uniformed
voting, deny liberty to those who may not want to vote, and
create the facade that our democracy is working more efficiently
than it really is.
If Americans were required to vote many voters would
be uninformed about the issues The rise of uninformed voters
would result in elected officials who dont really represent the
interest of the people, and Americans would be stuck with politi-
cians we dont really want.
Another reason why Americans shouldnt be required
to vote is because compulsory voting restricts individual liberties
and our rights as Americans.
Liberty is an important part of
being an American, and as
Americans, we dont want the
government forcing us do what
it thinks is right. As important as
voting is, I honestly believe
when a law is passed that most
Voting in Action
citizens dont agree with, they
will try to rebel and then that will cause another set of issues.
The right to not vote is as important as the right to vote. As
Americans, we must retain this liberty.
The final reason why Americans shouldnt be required
to vote is because compulsory voting would create a faade that
our democracy is working better than it actually is. If we were
forced to vote, then 100% of the people would vote. On the sur-
face that would look like Americans take voting seriously and are
informed about the issue, when the truth is that too many
Americans are uniformed voters. A better way to increase voting
participation would be to increase interest in voting and making
more Americans aware of issues and candidates.
In conclusion, Americans shouldnt be required to vote
because it restricts individual's liberty and taking the of Ameri-
cans not to vote. Moreover, compulsory voting encourages un-
informed voting and the votes would be pointless if we didnt
know the issues/problems and who choose the right candidates
who can solve them. Finally, compulsory voting is a bad idea
because it would create a facade that our democracy consists of
well informed citizens who show their enthusiasm for govern-
ment by voting in large numbers, when that is not the case at all.
18
I like Compulsory Voting
I believe that Americans should be
required to vote because voting is a civic duty
everyone should have to exercise. Without
voting, most unstable communities and coun-
tries risk falling victim to corruption and insta- Amadeo Jordan
bility People alone in a large number can come
up with many ideas on how to form an economy. Without an
elected leader or representative the ideas given can be misinter-
preted, lost, implemented into society incorrectly, or at times
not even heard at all. If innovations and ideas get ignored peo-
ple become restless, and at times violent. That can upset the
entire economic balance and eliminate an entire country. Ideas
such as voting is very important because without voting, coun-
tries would have no legitimate leadership, society can become
corrupt, and the idea that a safe living environment for every-
one would become void completely.
I support compulsory voting in this country because it
increases the legitimacy of our government. Without compulso-
ry voting, people wouldn't show up to voting polls, some might
lose faith in the government and how they take care of the
country. People may feel that when voting is low others don't
care and the government is doing whatever it wants, without
the consent of the people it governs. When people lose faith in
government, this ruptures the economy and overall integrity of
society. Rumors may spread that the government is making
moves and decisions for the country without a care for the peo-
ple's views given the fact that we live in said country. Compulso-
ry voting also changes more than the number of voters: it chang-
es who runs for office and the policy proposals they will sup-
port. This statement basically sums up the fact that compulsory
voting not only increases the people's interaction with the gov-
ernment, but also forces people running for office to shape their
ideas about issues in accordance with a larger sector of the pop-
ulation. In other words, compulsory voting will give a stronger
voice to the poor, and reduce the political power of wealthy
individuals in our country.
I also support compulsory voting because it has a long
history of working in other developed countries around the
world and can work here too. For example, the document we
read that in class stated that even in Melbourne Australia, com-
pulsory voting works and has been working since 1924. They
enforce compulsory voting and anyone who doesn't vote has to
pay a fine. Moreover, other advanced democracies like Greece,
Belgium, and Argentina, also have compulsory voting and a are
able retain liberty throughout the rest of their societies.
In conclusion, I think that compulsory voting can have a
positive role in a democracy. In fact, compulsory voting can ac-
tually result in our society being more democratic since it would
mean the voices of all people would be heard through their
votes. Our current system ignores the concerns of individuals
who do not votethat is undemocratic.
What Does This Mean To You?

By Naija Abdullah-Easter

19
 Reflections on Empowerment
Students were asked to define empowerment, provide examples of
how they are (or are not) empowered at school, suggest ways the
school could empower them, and think about how feeling empowered
would alter their level of engagement at school.

Maxwell Lollis Danielle Rockett Willie Wallace

Kaeleevon Brown Ia Xiong Kevin Spinks

Shavonna Smith Tahji Townsend Quelle Robinson

20
 STUDENT EMPOWERMENT
__________________
By Maxwell Lollis
Many of the staff members do
make honest attempts at empowering
students. The admin-
istration is the best its
been since I started
school here. Ms. Ippoliti,
in particular, is very good
at making students feel
important and I appreci-
ate her effort. Mr. Farris
is also a very good principal who attempts
to understand students views. Although I
dont support the many policies he has
enforced, he is a good principal.
There are too many good teach-
ers to name, many go out of their way to
make students feel special. If you are a
student going through something you can
feel comfortable talking to many of the
teachers at this school.
While the staff at Marshall is gen-
erally terrific at empowering students, the
policies they have been forced to imple-
ment makes that empowerment obsolete.
Lets start with the YONDR policy, which
may have been the biggest waste of mon-
ey ever. If the teacher I spoke with is cor-
rect, the policy costs about $20,000. Could
this money have been better spent on our
poor school? Yes, money could have been
invested in air conditioning (especially
because we are starting school in early
August now!), desks that arent broken, a
greater variety of class offerings, a dryer
for the West Wing, and more after school
programs for students.
Now that my YONDR anger has
been vented, lets talk about maybe the
most annoying policy of them all, the
schools bathroom policy. If you were
looking for a policy that disempowers stu-
dents the most, here is your Olympic
champion. If it wasnt already fun that all
bathrooms but one are locked, you now
have to guess which one is open. So play-
ing cat and mouse with bathroom is not
great, but neither is trying to get a pass to
the bathroom. For one, getting a security
guard to take me to the bathroom re-
minds me of where I am-- in a place that
assumes Im a danger to others and there- vented some hostility between herself and
fore in need of an adult to take me to the police officer. Instead, she became
relieve myself. That alone is disempower- verbally combative and the encounter
ing and embarrassing. with the police became worse.
One new thing that the school Bettering yourself can be defined
did that empowered me and made things as empowerment to some individuals who
easier were our ELOs. ELO was a good feel like theyve not reached their full po-
idea (although executed poorly at first) tential. Simply being able to analyze a situ-
and I thought it would last, but of course it
ation and communicate effectively to oth-
didnt. The time we had in the morning ers is empowerment. Showing empower-
gave us time to chat, or to catch up on ment is basically the ability to establish
work and was very useful to me and oth- some common sense and maturity to look
ers. ELO was a step in the right direction.past mistakes and move on. For example
Something else that makes me feel em- in Muhabb Dyers video, he shows em-
powered is the understanding nature of powerment by gaining the strength to let
the staff. out emotions he bottled up for so long in
Most teachers and administrators order for people to listen to him and learn
seem to realize when students are experi- from him.
encing problems, so they try and get our Milwaukee Marshall staff has
opinions and ask us, the students how we empowered me in many ways, whether it
feel, and that is a very mature thing to do.
is me listening to a lecture or learning
When you empower students, they gain from my own mistakes. The person who
the drive to pursue their future and to makes me feel empowered is my father. I
participate more. This school does that. have never been so motivated or lectured
They try and make sure everyone is in- by anyone else more than my father. Eve-
cluded, regardless of how much they act ry talk with him engages me and pushes
up or ignore direction. me toward a feeling of empowerment.
This article may have seemed like Some things I do that add to my
I was scolding the school , but I do want to
sense of empowerment is writing and ana-
express my gratitude for the schools lyzing poetry. This allows me to evolve and
efforts and all of the staff that make going
develop an open mind on some topics. I
to school here better. I understand that also find a sense of empowerment when I
these things dont happen overnight and I sing because I feel confident despite what
hope for future improvements to empow- anyone thinks. I admire the facts that life
er students and make this school truly is an ongoing thing, which means if you
Gifted & Talented. are at the bottom, the only way to go is
up. When you are able to listen to under-
________________ stand instead of listening to reply, that is
By Danielle Rockett when youve reached a sense of empow-
erment.
Empowerment I want to see Milwaukee Marshall
to me means becoming hold more events that will bring the stu-
more confident and dents and staff closer together to create a
learning to accept flaws more understanding environment. Mil-
and mistakes. Empower- waukee Marshall should allow students to
ment, in my opinion, is express themselves and create an environ-
also remaining humble ment where students feel like they have
during the toughest times. For example, in been heard. For example, holding talent
the video we watched about the white shows more often can empower those
police officer assaulting a black woman, I who are less confident about their talents
believe the lady behind the camera lacked and encourage others to show their tal-
empowerment because she could have ents.
Danielles comments continue on the next page
dealt with the situation better and pre-
21
STUDENT EMPOWERMENT
Danielles comments continue here take part in student council, but students of a sudden fall behind, but others put
didn't sign up so we ended up with noth- even more pressure on us! Getting cut a
Another way Milwaukee Mar- ing. Milwaukee Marshall makes many little slack would be awesome every now
shall can empower me and other students attempts at empowering students but and again.
is by allowing students to decorate and some students just don't care and it's do- Empowering other students and
express themselves throughout the build- ing nothing but stifling the effort shown myself would consist of having a more
ing. Most kids in Milwaukee Marshall are by the school. concerned staff. Every student is fine or
not able to express themselves, which One thing I would like to see Mil- having their best day. There are some-
creates a shy characteristic. In order to waukee Marshall do to empower students times reason why we fall behind in our
get students to feel empowered, Milwau- is to continue to drive home the idea of studies. It could be a situation at home or
kee Marshall should create more events having a student government. That way even something at school thats been
that give students the opportunity to students could have their voices repre- bothering us. As a student, I tend to get
show their talents. sented in school decisions. As it stands stressed out about due dates for assign-
Feeling fully empowered in Mil- now, many students think their opinions ments and late work. So teachers, need to
waukee Marshall would change a lot of and ideas don't matter, so they stop try- work with students can turn late work and
aspects in my life and in school. This will ing to become involved in activities at the still get a grade for it.
mostly affect my behavior in school and school. Another thing Marshall could do is Staff should also become more
academic achievements because I would get results. We hear about changes being involved in the fun things the school itself
be more engaged and more confident in made that we've been asking for and we does such as pep rallies, homecoming,
certain areas. Feeling less empowerment end up with YONDER. They should focus and prom. Students pay attention to stuff
creates a lower self esteem which bottles on activities like field trips and offer in- like that! No one wants a boring bitter
up talents and less participation. I have a centives to improve student behavior. teacher who thinks school is supposed to
big problem with remaining focused when Being fully empowered as a stu- be so strict. Showing your face at simple
something is not engaging to me, so by dent of Milwaukee Marshall could have events gives you that cool teacher look.
feeling fully empowered can fill that void. various effects. Personally, if I were able Rewarding students who try and stay on
This will benefit me in some things I do to be become more involved in the school top of their work is also a big empower-
outside of school as well because my aca- and events, I would. Students being able ment students look for. Who wouldnt
demic achievement is very important to to be more involved in the school could love a pat on the back or to be shown off
me, so when I am not doing well in some also boost their desire to do other things for all the hard work they have done.
areas, it creates a strain on me outside of such as getting more involved in the com- School isnt easy nowadays, so showing
school. Feeling fully empowered at Mil- munity or spreading empowerment that youre proud of a student really
waukee Marshall will bring a healthier through the community and other makes them appreciate you more and
environment and tap into students full schools. would really brightens their day.
potential. Feeling fully empowered would
not change my behavior because I have
___________________ self-control over my behavior. It doesnt
________________ By KaeleEvon Brown matter if I feel fully empowered or not,
By Willie Wallace Im going to always try to have an uplift-
ing attitude. Being fully empowered
To have a Milwaukee would probably change my academic
successful school Marshall staff does achievement a lot because Milwaukee
you have to get stu- nothing to empower Marshall staff would become more under-
dents involved. The me as a student. standing and helpful with schoolwork.
key is trying to make When Im having a Even without much empowerment from
students feel em- difficult time han- the staff, I still contribute a lot to Mar-
powered, or like their opinions actually dling anything, Im shall. I participate in a lot of school
matter. Milwaukee Marshall makes some pretty much left to events. including helping staff members
effort in making students feel empowered handle things on my own. Now that we with homecoming and the pep rally, run-
by having students organize homecoming, have this block scheduling with A Days ning errands for teachers and administra-
participate in the schools blood drive, and B Days, schoolwork and outside life tors, and stapling papers. Finally, I also
and visit colleges throughout the school has become way harder than before. support my school by being a leader on
year. Ms. Dawson tried to get students Some teachers understand when you all the schools volleyball team.

22
STUDENT EMPOWERMENT
___________
By Ia Xiong
Milwau-
kee Marshall has
always been a
school that really
cares about the
future of their stu-
dents. Everyday,
the school staff
gets up early to get to school on time and
prepare for the days lesson. The schools
staff seems interested in making sure that
each student learn what they need to in
order to graduate and go college. The staff
does not give up on anyone. They keep
encouraging students to do their best, and
allow students to make up missing assign-
ments and even retake tests.
Teenagers today are different
from the way they were in the past. Not a
lot of students come to class on time, and
most dont really seem to care about their
grades. Students who try to be the class
clowns are the ones who make teachers
most upset. I believe students at Marshall
need to become more serious about their
work and take advantage of the extra op-
portunities teachers provide to learn and
make up work.
To empower students, Milwau-
kee Marshall should be more strict on
students. To improve students education
and learning, the school should make sure
that every time a student walks into
school, they have something in hand
ready and prepared to learn. Coming to
school unprepared and not ready to learn
are students biggest problems.
Another thing Marshall could do
to empower students is provide more op-
portunities for students to use the bath-
room. The fact that every bathroom in the
school is locked up makes it hard for stu-
dents to find an open bathroom during
passing time. Five minutes passing time
isnt enough for students to find an open
bathroom and get to their lockers. Some-
times students even have to do both. .
As a student at Marshall, I am
empowered by the teachers and what
they do to keep us in school. I like the way
the school works to provide students with and act on the plans. I would like to see
activities. I only participate in a few more clubs like Link Crew, clubs that little
school events, but the school events are to not interference from staff.
always great; everything is always planned A Student Council would be an-
out well. Milwaukee Marshall makes sure I other good club to have at our school.
achieve in anything I do, and encourages Student Council could go around making
me try new things. The school teaches me plan for events and setting up trips for
to value myself by not being around their respective grade level. Also, since
whats negative and staying with those Mr. Farris cannot talk to every single stu-
that always positive. dent at Milwaukee Marshall, there would
be a council that he could meet with to
bounce around ideas and to get feedback
______________ from. Mr. Farris had a very similar, but
By Kevin Spinks considerably smaller, group of students
come with him on a trip the final week of
Empower- the 2015-16 school year. Seven Milwau-
ment, or to be em- kee Marshall students, including myself,
powered, is to give attended a conference in Chicago for im-
power or to give proving schools. On the ride there, Mr.
authority to some- Farris requested the opinions of the stu-
one. There are dents present and bounced some ideas off
many different and got feedback from us. A bigger group,
ways to be empow- similar to this for each grade level would
ered, such as being promoted to a higher empower students much more. Nothing
position and being permitted to hire and such as this would be perfect the first few
fire people. Empowerment can happen at years it is implemented, but over time I
anytime and anywhere from anyone. Any think it would help the school empower
one person can empower another if they more student and improve the overall
wish, even teachers. success of the school.
Speaking of teachers, how well If the students felt more empow-
do the teachers and staff empower the ered they would want to come to school,
students at Milwaukee Marshall? Firstly, reducing the attendance problem for all
for a student to be empowered they need grade levels. If the Link Crew students
to feel like they are actually able to do could continue to provide help for the
something in and at school. A prime exam- incoming freshman and help them feel
ple of this is having a no pass policy in the empowered, all of those failing students
case of a bathroom pass. Revoking our might increase their grades within the
right to use the bathroom by ourselves coming years and might join Link Crew to
without an authority figure is itself not continue the cycle of empowerment and
empowering. The adults in the school success.
need to remember that students need to Feeling empowered as a student
feel some sort of authority and the bath- would improve behavior because students
room pass policy does not help us feel would no longer feel like they are just
empowered. here to be here, they would be proud to
In some cases, the staff at Mil- be here. Lastly, the empowered student
waukee Marshall does empower students. would want to contribute back to the
An example is Mrs. Jagemann and Link school and get involved in clubs and activi-
Crew. Link Crew is a student body group ties. Getting more student involved and
made up of upperclassmen. This body has getting more feedback would help the
only a little interference from teachers school in all its future goals.
and staff and gives the power to the stu-
dents. Thus, the students are empowered
because they have been permitted to plan
23
 STUDENT EMPOWERMENT
______________ curriculum. Not everybody learns the discuss issues in this building with. She
By Shavonna Smith same way. Marshall could empower stu- makes me feel like Im a normal person
dents by providing different types of as- with a real voice in this school. My Link
The staff at Milwau- signments instead of just asking students Crew coordinators allow me the oppor-
kee Marshall High School try to read and write information down. tunity to enhance my leadership skills
their hardest to help stu- I believe more class discussions while also encouraging me to step out of
dents in any way that they and independent learning opportunities my comfort zone.
can. Although a few teachers might feel would help me because I learn quickly. It In order to empower students,
that a students success or failure has bores me to the point where I do not want the adults in the building need to give us a
nothing to do with them, most staff I en- to come to school when teachers spend chance, and if we mess, up give us another
counter are happy and willing to help and days going over the same material. I would one. The school also needs to stop treating
assist me with anything that I need. These actually feel challenged and have to put us like criminals in training. We should not
teachers and other Marshall staff mem- critical thought into my work if I talked be on lock down every second of the day.
bers encourage me to try as hard as I can about the topic more during class. I know Bathrooms should not always be locked
in everything that I do, and remind me it would increase the productivity of the and inaccessible, unless youre lucky
that it is okay to sometimes not succeed at school because most students give up or enough to run into a security guard and
everything I try, but that I still must try. stop paying attention because they do not have them open it up for you. Further-
One thing that I would like to see get the material or simply because they more, I wish every staff member loved us
Milwaukee Marshall do to empower stu- are bored. like we were their own kids; uncondition-
dents is to create activities and groups ally and limitless. When we mess up, for-
that reflect the interests and passion of _________________ give us entirely and help us learn from our
the students. There are organizations in By Quelle Robinson mistakes. The adults in the building
our school such as Link Crew and and last should try to adapt to our issues. Students
years Empowerment Club that allow stu- Empowerment to me means en- need to know that their life stories wont
dents to become involved in the school, couraging and uplifting turn into lunchtime gossip. Tell us that we
however, there aren't many clubs and another person. To be can be better, yet we WILL be more. The
groups, outside of sports, that let students empowered is to be majority of the staff here needs to under-
express themselves. I think that our school confident and strong in stand the circumstances surrounding Mil-
should bring back Master Dance, Student yourself and the things waukee Marshall students because this
Council, and also give students the oppor- you value and believe in. isnt 1980 anymore and stress, depression,
tunity to create any group that they can In order to truly be em- and mental illness are all real.
find an adult at school to sponsor. This will powered you will have Fully empowering students would
get students more involved both in and to recognize all of your always give us motivation like there is
outside the classroom. advantages as well as your disadvantages someone rooting for us and not throwing
If I were fully empowered as a and use both as strengths. At Marshall I stones or building obstacles to stop us. It
Milwaukee Marshall student, I would not have been a very outspoken, yet sheltered will increase the level of respect between
be so down on myself all the time, I would person. I am regularly put into leadership staff and students. It is easier to listen to
be more excited to come to school every- roles because I am a genuinely nice, yet someone I know has no hostility towards
day, and I would become more involved in authoritative person. me to tell me to shut up, rather than try-
school. Furthermore, being empowered At the beginning of the school ing to hear someone who is hostile to-
would improve my confidence and my year, I won Student of the Month and was wards me. Students wont challenge your
grades would improve, and I would enjoy also able to interview MPS Superinten- authority because we know you mean
the schools environment way more. dent, Dr. Darrienne Driver. My interview well. Students GPAs and passing percent-
with her was plastered all over the MPS ages will go up. Students will begin to val-
_________________ website and local television. As I enter my ue themselves 100% more. We will know
By Tahji Townsend senior year, I will continue to lead and we matter and we can actually be some-
encourage others to do the same. thing or somebody. We will understand
The MM staff pro- The people who empower me there is more to life then what we see on
vides me with a decent most are Ms. Cunningham, Ms. Russell, Facebook and Instagram. More maker
education in a lackluster and my Link Crew coordinators. Ms. Cun- spaces, and minor stuff like volunteering
environment. They try their ningham is like a second mom. She grew will help me feel like Im making a differ-
best to teach in a school full of fighting, with me, knows me and my situations, and ence.
profanity, and lots of distractions. has not given up on me. Ms. Russell is a
I would like more freedom in the person I can branch out with and really

24
 Climate Change worlds water supply. This is the reason why arctic species, such
The United States as the polar bear, are dying off. Mammals are not the only ani-
mals impacted: marine life is also dwindling. This is because of
Versus the water pollution, one of the causes being eutrophication. Eu-
trophication is where nutrients, such as fertilizers, are leaking
Netherlands into water sources and allowing algae to grow. The algae covers
the surface of the water, blocking out sunlight and sucking the
oxygen out of the water. As a result, marine lifeforms suffocate.
_______________ Another cause for the acidic oceans is that when carbon dioxide
By Kristi Behmke is burned it does not go just into the atmosphere, but also is
taken in by the oceans. There is an excess of carbon, and the
Climate change: most of the population refers to it as ocean grows acidic, making it more able to erode land, leading
global warming, but those in the field of environmental science to higher poverty.
call it this term, as greenhouse gasses do more to our planet As one may guess, the United States is the main con-
than just warm it up. The United States is the nation that causes tributor to climate change. It has been shown that the US is the
the most of it; the Netherlands is getting the brunt of it. Both are lead contributor, with our numerous cars that pump out green-
More Economically Developed Countries MEDC for short house gases like it is nothing; the US makes up 26 percent of all
but the two countries are on polar sides of the climate change carbon dioxide emissions. Only Europe has a higher percentage,
equation. but it is an entire continent. Of course, there are quite a few
In order to understand why Americans that do not believe in cli-
climate change is so dangerous and mate change: President Donald Trump
why we must put more effort into comes to mind, as he once stated in a
preventing any more damage from tweet in 2012: The concept of global
being done, we must understand warming was created by and for the
what exactly is happening to our Chinese in order to make U.S. manu-
planet. One may have heard of facturing non-competitive. Or perhaps
greenhouse gases: they are carbon you would like something more recent.
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and Try a tweet made on February 14,
chlorofluorocarbons. Carbon dioxide 2015: Record low temperatures and
comes from the combustion of fossil massive amounts of snow. Where the
fuels, forest clearance, and wood hell is GLOBAL WARMING? This man is
combustion. Trees breathe in car- now our president, and a large amount
bon dioxide and exhale oxygen; Climate change has endangered the Polar Bear of Republicans, who now control the
humans do the reverse. If one cuts House of Representatives and Congress,
down trees, the carbon dioxide goes into atmosphere. Methane agree with him. However, this is not to say that the United
also comes from fossil fuels, but it also is released from rice cul- States has not addressed climate change: in 1970, the Clean Air
tivation, livestock, natural gas seepage, and landfills. Nitrous Act addressed two major air pollution incidents, like the smog in
oxide, once again, is from fossil fuels; but it is also from fertiliz- Los Angeles and London. The EPA, or Environmental Protection
ers. (Sometimes, there is runoff that seeps into water, but that Agency, is in charge of enforcing the Clean Air Act.
will be explicated later in this essay.) Chlorofluorocarbons were Meanwhile, the Netherlands is suffering from climate
primarily in aerosol cans until the Montreal Protocol, when sci- change. Many years before what is now fertile land was once
entists noticed that the stratospheric ozone around Antarctica under the ocean; 26 percent of the Netherlands and 21 percent
was decreasing, allowing radiation to reach Earth. Now, green- of its population lived below sea level, and roughly 50 percent of
house gases are, by themselves, not harmful: they are natural. its land was only 1 meter above sea level. It took engineering to
Greenhouse gases keep our climate in check so that the planet salvage the land, and requires people in mills to keep the water
does not become too cool or too hot, and keeps radiation from at bay. As Europes most densely populated country, the Nether-
the sun from reaching the Earth. However, the concern that aris- lands needs as much land as possible. And the task of keeping
es about greenhouse gases is that we, humans, are creating too their land is much harder with climate change, with the rising
much of them; climate change is because of anthropogenic crea- sea levels and acidic oceans. In 2014, the Netherlands upgraded
tion of greenhouse gases, not natural. its flood defenses, like dikes, to cope with climate change. Addi-
And that is just the atmosphere. Climate change also tionally, a Dutch court in 2015 ordered the government to cut
affects our oceans: sea levels are rising, and our oceans are be- greenhouse gas emissions. Companies are required to regularly
coming more acidic. Rising sea levels is perhaps the most obvi- inspect their plants for leaks of greenhouse gases, according to
ous, as a warming climate equals glacier melting, adding to the the website of the Dutch government.

25
Abdullah Easter Naija Campbell Kameron Farrow Robert
Akindele-Obe Oluwadami- Carr Betty Fleming Lavoris
lola Carr Naeem Freeman Keyshawn
Alexander Alerris Carter Galacia Fulton Jatasjia
Allen Traymondez Carter Hazel Gibson Brandon
Apeh Frederick Carter Shatasha Gill Michael
Armstead Joshua Cha Ethan Gill Shaniqua
Austin Jennaro Clarke Kianna Girga Jordan
Ball Nakita Coffeey Demetrius Gladney Steve
Barkley Symone Conn Dojanae Godbolt Calvin
Behmke Kristi Conn Raymona Griffin Zion
Bell Destiny Cousins Raymond Hamp Ralunda
Bingmon Jerrold Covaleski Annissa Hardrick Raquel
Bridges Unique Davis Demetria Harris Nijah
Brookshire Kayla Davis Devin Hayes Antanae
Brown Anthony Davis Iyanna Her Yeeleng
Brown Shayla Day Shyrese Heu Anna
Brown Shakayla Dickens Christopher Homesombath Stephanie
Brown Tracy Drury Adrianna Hopkins Lanisia
Bufford Antasia Edwards Kathryn Howell Deeshawn
Bunde Alyssa Endisch Tiana Jackson Deangelo
Burnett Acair Ezell James Jackson Santies
Butler Jalia Farmer Malik Johnson Arion
26
Jones Maclontay Neal Omar Wallace Willie
Jones Ontaria Noble Darius Ware Tonna
Jones Tatiana Oglen Tyler Washington Preston
Jones-Palmer Andriana Patrick Brionna White Demone
Jordan Amadeo Perry Charisma Wilbourn Marian
Keepers Jamaal Phillips Armon Wilkins Carlicia
Kidd Dshawn Phillips Latasia Williams Alexis
Kincaid Karrina Pinkerton Latisha Wilson-Weddle Quazanee
Kingsby Najah Pitts Jeremiah Womack Tyron
Kirby Marion Powell Chakaris Woodford Justin
Lampkin Trevon Prihoda Alexander Wynn Rhonda
Latimore Areyanna Ragland Chrishaun Xiong Christopher
Lee Myeesha Ray-Bonds Twaunyai Xiong Ia
Lewis Devin Reed Trinitee Xiong Kevin
Lindem Takiya Reid Ceventine Xiong Soonchai
Lindsey Ramon Rhodes Kia Xiong Sunshine
Lindstadt Heidi Richardson Shawntaria Yang Nou
Littleton Mya Roberson Kamille Young Indiah
Long Arianna Robinson Deja Young Lauryn
Lor Cheenou Roby-Hopson Shekira
Lor Jonathan Ross Catera
Lor Mai Chia Roundtree Nasear
Luna Diaz Alan Santiago Thomas
Mack Emily Scott Shanae
Martindale Sydney Shields Cala
Mays Patrick Simmons Terrance
Maxwell Trevon Smith Shavonna
Mccormick Isis Spinks Kevin
Mcdowell Tamia Stevens Nya
McMackiel Korien Stewart Anthony
McNeal Jonae Stubblefield Kashawd
Mohamed Ryan Taper Donchae
Montgomery Ashley Taylor Gavin
Morrow Shantina Thao Chia
Moua Payeng Thao Gaulee
Nash Pricilla Townsend Tahji
27
 PRAISE FOR YEELENG HER
Yeeleng has the ability to think critically and chal-
lenge what has been presented to him. When there is a
topic he needs to address, he self-advocates by finding
additional time in a teachers schedule to discuss it further.
Yeeleng challenges his peers and teachers. I have wit-
nessed so many scenes in which Yeeleng questions the
perspectives of his peers in the
most modest and engaging way.
He truly has wonderful oral com-
munication skills that differentiate
Yeeleng from his peers; but uses
this skillset to make everyone aca-
demically and socially better.
Personally, I have been
most impacted by Yeelengs ability
to challenge people. It was my sec-
ond academic year as a young, ur- Yeeleng Her, Marshall s
2017 Student of the Year
ban teacher and I was trying to
keep up with the demands of having a different prep
course from the previous year. As a young teacher, I be-
came too dependent on the teacher edition and work-
sheets. One day Yeeleng walked into class and simply said
Mr. Sommers, another worksheet, what is up with that?
I was not offended, inspired mainly. Here is one of the
brightest minds in the school questioning my methods, I
knew I needed to give Yeeleng more. From that point on,
I opened up the curriculum, incorporated more group dis-
cussions and projects, all while utilizing current events to
satisfy not only his own interest, but the interest of the
urban student.
In these subtle ways, Yeeleng makes the people
who surround him better, myself included.
Mr. Sommers
_____________________
Yeeleng has never been my student in class. How-
ever, readers know each other and because he was taking
AP Language with Ms. Borree as a Junior, Yeeling would
stop by for a second opinionsome further discussion on
something my class and Ms. Borrees class were reading.
From there we moved into further discussions of book ti-
tles we enjoyed. I loaned Yee Leng my copy of the summer
read for AP Literature. Not only was it returned in a week,
but it had been read and understood. We had an inter-
esting discussion about the growth and development of
the main character.
28
Through his years at Marshall and Morse-
Marshall, Yeeleng built a reputation as a strong writer.
Other English teachers shared his work with me, so even
before I met Yeeleng, I had some idea of the quality of the
student I would come to know and of the value of the brief
between-and-before classes sort of conversations I en-
joyed.
His ability to interact positively with a complete
stranger, his work ethic and level of intellectual curiosity
are all predictors of what I hope will be a bright and suc-
cessful future.
Mrs. Mortimer
____________________
Your dedication to your education is inspiring! Best of
luck to you.
Ms. Moran
____________________
Musical and fantastic.
Ms. Hantke
____________________
Very motivated individual who can achieve anything.
Super talented young man with a good sense of humor.
He is also a great friend and positive peer leader.
Ms. Green
_____________________
Yeeleng is an amazing kid. I had him as a 9th grade stu-
dent, and he was the best student I had, including all the
upper classmen I taught that year.
Mr. Goldstein
______________________
I am impressed by how deeply Yeeleng pursues issues he
cares about. I had him in class for a brief moment, but I
still remember the power of his words. I also witnessed
Yeelengs musical talent firsthand and was even more im-
pressed.
Mr. Duncan