Insight News ::: 7.23.12

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Word(s)PLAY! 2012 Staged readings of new Work at Penumbra Theatre MORE ON PAGE 9

Photo by Ann Marsden

Word(s)PLAY! New Play Festival at Penumbra.

INSIGHT NEWS July 23 - July 29, 2012 • MN Metro Vol. 38 No. 30 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com

Obama recognizes master teachers

Erin Jerabek

Dennis Werneke and STEP-UP intern Faduma Ali

American Chemical celebrates 25 years Business Leadership Profile By Erin Jerabek, Executive Director West Broadway Business Area Coalition North Side business, American Chemical is celebrating its 25th year of operation. The adhesive distributer and

manufacturer’s founder Dennis Werneke credits the success of the company with their ability to listen to their customers and problem solve through their challenges. “We listen to what the customer wants and needs, and work to identify how to solve the problem and find solutions to their adhesive or production needs,” said Werneke. American Chemical’s staff are trained adhesive experts and provide assistance and sales to a

WASHINGTON, DC -The Obama Administration announced the President’s plan for the creation of a new national Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Master Teacher Corps comprised of some of the nation’s finest educators in STEM subjects. The STEM Master Teacher Corps will begin with 50 STEM teachers established in 50 sites and will be expanded over four years to reach 10,000 Master Teachers. These selected teachers will make a multi-year commitment to the Corps and, in exchange for their expertise, leadership and service, will receive an annual stipend of up to $20,000 on top of their base salaries. The Administration will launch this Teacher Corps with the $1 billion from the President’s 2013 budget request currently before Congress. “If America is going to compete for the jobs and industries of tomorrow, we need to make sure our children are getting the best education possible. Teachers matter, and great teachers deserve our support,” said the President. The administration also announced that the President will immediately dedicate approximately $100 million of

STEM TURN TO 5

President Barack Obama

CHEMICAL TURN TO 11

Alexandrea Newell

U.S. Embassy-Dhaka

Congresswoman Betty McCollum and Ambassador Melanne Verveer visit Grameen and BRAC projects at Shingair village, Manikganj earlier this year.

McCollum legislation fights child marriage Washington, DC – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) have once again introduced legislation to stem the devastating impact of child marriage on young girls in developing countries. An estimated 10 million girls are married before the age of 18 each year, some as young as 7. The McCollum-Schock International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act, H.R. 6087, promotes and protects the rights of girls in the

developing world. H.R. 6087 declares child marriage to be a human rights abuse, establishes a strategy to prevent child marriage and promote the empowerment of girls, integrates the issue of preventing child marriage into existing US development programs, and requires that relevant agencies collect and make available data on the rates of child marriage and its impact on meeting key development goals.

WOMEN TURN TO 11

Voter Suppression

NAACP convention highlighted voting challenges

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The Somali American Youth Conference created a space for Ka Joog Nonprofit Organization members, local youth leaders, and community organizers to voice their concerns and solutions before representatives from the local government and the Department of Homeland Security.

Somali youth seek solutions By Abeni Hill Insight Intern Somali youth are coming together to find solutions for the issues their communities face in Minnesota, specifically in Minneapolis. The Somali American Youth Conference was held on Sat. Jul. 14 at Augsburg College by the nonprofit organization, Ka Joog. Ka Joog, 2625 East Franklin Ave. Ste. LL-7, is a Minneapolisbased non-profit seeking to better many different aspects of the Somali community. One of the discussion topics was gang violence. “Gangs in the Somali community aren’t territorial,”

Education

Bookawocky chemistry program engages inquisitive kids and parents

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said Sgt. Derwin Ellis of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. “They are mobile.” Ellis said there is a lack of communication between law enforcement and the Somali community. He said he believes one of the reasons is because the Somali people do not understand the American justice system. He told a story relating to the Seward killings, where three men were killed at the Seward Market in January 2010. There was a juvenile suspect in custody and Ellis said there were about 200 people in the court calling him a murderer. He tried to explain to them that the suspect is innocent until proven guilty and has rights to a trial and a lawyer.

Ellis also works as a community liaison for minorities in Hennepin County and works mostly on the Northside. He works with Latinos, African-Americans, Native Americans as well as Somalis. Ellis said there should be more accommodations for gang members who practice Islam. “I break up my agenda around prayer time,” said Ellis. Ellis also said he has noticed halfway houses and group homes for gang members are not very inclusive, not providing different meals for Muslim diets as well as meal preparation for Ramadan. Although law enforcement can take part in preventing or

Business

If you are bored, you are boring

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minimizing gang violence, some forum participants also said parents and educators can play a key role. “Everything starts at home”, said Eden Prairie Ka Joog member Omar Mohamed. Mohamed also talked about the lack of role models in the Somali community. “We don’t see the college graduates. All we see are the hustlers.” “Parents need to learn the system,” said Ka Joog member Anquam Mahamoud. Mahamoud also said parents raise boys and girls in distinctly different ways. “Young women have more responsibility at home while when young men come home and the parents say

YOUTH TURN TO 5

Aesthetics

Sugar Ray Leonard: The Big Fight

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