Letter From The Editor:
Thanks for all of your support over the years! I appreciate those who continue to support the publication. This issue is special because it’s so FEMALE-HEAVY!!!! Every woman in this issue carries her own! Jondalyn Crosby is a woman who ROCKS!!! While reinventing herself (losing weight, getting fit), she invited so many women along for the ride. How honorable is a woman who empowers other women, shares with other women and builds up other women?!?! ChrisDell Harris is driven, competitive and “Pretty.Strong!” The Legend Football League’s fastest running back shows that you can be BOTH!!! Laura Dalpini got herself off of the D List with proper dieting and exercise. The girl who lived to eat, now lives to CIZE!!! Dalpini’s spunk and tenacity has taken her places and there is no turning back! But—you know we can’t forget our men! Actor Tyrice Lollis and rapper/music producer Carlton “Inertia” Wilson both relocated outside of Wichita to pursue their BIG dreams. But the two continue to network and re-invest where they came from. Young rap artist Damien Styles and dad Scott “Bilistic” Al-tall have performed on stages with thousands watching. The duo continue to make music that paints a perfect picture, from “boy to man.” The revolution will not be televised. But social media and networks are bringing attention to the battlefield. Community organizer Djuan Wash knows the power of the internet and played a key role in seeking Justice for Trayvon Martin. His movement continues. You can see that there is so much in this issue I’m bringing to you. Keep supporting me. Continue supporting this independent publication that represents the spirit of our untapped market and talents. To my women, support other women! It was watching the grind of so many other women that reminded me to press forward. And here you have, the return issue, brought to you by a woman inspired by so many others! “Do my ladies run this….?!” In the words of the James Brown, The Godfather of Soul, “It’s a man’s world but there would be nothing, without a woman or a girl!” ## 2
Ti’Juana “Mamarazzi” Hardwell (2)
Social Network-Justice: Djuan Wash (3)
Inertia Just Won’t Stop: Carlton “Inertia” Wilson (4)
“Pretty.Strong”: ChrisDell “The Ferrarri” Harris (6)
The Q&A of: Tyrice Lollis (8)
Growing Up: Damien Styles & Scott “Bilistic” Al-Tall (10)
Life on the D List: Laura Dalpini (14)
Cover photo credit to Keshia Ezerendu Photography. Thank you!
COVER STORY: Road to Hauteness: Jondalyn Crosby (11)
The revolution will not be televised. But thanks to the internet and social media, injustices around the world are being brought to light. In homes all over the country, the internet is the main source for news. Citizens demanding greater police accountability and reprimands for aggressive force, use social media to share their outrage. Djuan Wash, community organizer for Sunflower Community Action, first learned about the 2012 murder of Trayvon Martin through the internet. “I was in anger and disbelief,” recalls Wash, referring to the details that emerged. “Here a guy was, on the phone with police [dispatch] and they
are telling him to back down, and he didn’t.” Martin, a black teen, was unarmed when fatally shot by community watchmen George Zimmerman. Many felt Martin had been racially profiled before he was approached by Zimmerman. He wore a hooded sweater and was walking from a convenience store in the area. Zimmerman however, contended that he acted in good reason and in accordance with Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law. Initially, he was not arrested or charged for the murder of the 17-year-old. Social media played a critical role in changing Martin’s murder from local news to national headlines. A white, red-haired, Washington, D.C. man by the name of Kevin Cunningham created an online petition that was posted on Change.org. The former Howard University law student called for charges to be brought against Zimmerman. Wash, 31, invested time and energy to help garner signatures for the petition. The document went viral, achieving more than 2.3 million signatures. According to a TIME blog report, communication director for Change.org Brianna Bayo-Cotter says the petition is the
organization’s “largest online petition drive ever.” Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder. Wash networked with Benjamin Crump, the lead attorney for the Martin family, and was understandably disappointed in the justice system when Zimmerman was acquitted of the murder charges. “The Stand Your Ground law is a ridiculous application of the law,” says Wash, who has lobbied under Change for Trayvon, a 501 c3 organization seeking to revise the law around the nation. “I’m working to get that changed so that this does not happen again.” The grassroots organizer wants to do his part to effect change locally and on a national platform. Wash canvasses Wichita communities to educate about the cycle of payday lending and amnesty for suspended and revoked driving violations. He is also seeking to have fines reduced to allow community members an easier pathway to regaining their driving ...Continued on page 15
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After producing a beat for a major recording artist, the rapper/music maker wants another BIG BREAK!
Music producer and rap artist Carlton “Inertia” Wilson’s early success gave him a taste of how sweet the music industry’s payout could be. With each day passing, his hunger never settles. He wonders what will be next. The former Wichitan earned production credit for a track titled “Do It Big” by major recording artist Soulja Boy (“Crank That,” “Superman,” and “Turn My Swag On.”) The track was a bonus on Soulja’s third studio album titled “The DeAndre Way,” released in 2010. “I’m on Universal’s payroll,’” says Inertia speaking about his royalty rights. “Now that I have one song credit, I’m after the next one, and the next one and the next one!” The “Do It Big” beat was created during Inertia’s time living on the west coast. He met a guy online that was signed to Interscope Records. The guy used one of Inertia’s beats on his demo. 4
His manager put together a production camp and invited Inertia to sign and join. He relocated to California and moved with the family. That was five years ago and he was only 25-years-old, already deep into his craft. While there, he networked with Soulja Boy’s A&R and sent him a few beats. A few months later, he received a tweet from someone informing him that Soulja had just released a YouTube video for the song. “As soon as I heard that, I went and looked at the video,” recalls Inertia. “Sure enough, it was my beat!” He was excited, as Soulja was one of the hottest young artists out at the time, even before his days as a reality star on VH1’s Love and Hip Hop Hollywood. But Inertia’s giddiness was short-lived. “I wanted to know where was the check,” says Inertia, laughing. Inertia adds, “I told him what I wanted to be paid for the beat and I got it.” After his time with the production camp was up, he called Norcross, Ga. home. The city is only 20 miles away from Atlanta, where careers began for many major recording artists like T.I., TLC, OutKast, Jeezy, Usher, and Young Thug. He used it as an opportunity to shop his beats to
independent music artists and to music affiliates. Now, North Little Rock, Ark. is where the producer lays his head. Call it another move for the 30-year-old who refuses to grow complacent with any one place in life. In September he released a music video for the song, “So Far (N***a)” which appears as the last track on his album Misunderstood. The video begins with Inertia in chains walking through a field to being in a college classroom and then in a graduation cap and gown. There’s also a cameo appearance from Justin Rone, a former basketball player from Friends University in Wichita, Kan. “The song talks about the evolution of black people,” says Inertia. “We went from being downtrodden slaves to doing more positive things like going to college and being in the White House.” In the song, he says the derogatory use of the N word has become a term of endearment. His lyrics say, “Times changed, so do meanings/What used to be foul is now a greeting/Just happened/ Couldn’t really tell you why/All I know is I been saying n***a all my life/And never once thought about slavery/It was just something my cousins would say to me.” It’s clear what side his affection for the word puts him in the neverAll Photos Courtesy of Inertia.
ending debate about banning it from music and hip hop entirely. Inertia feels today’s use of the word has taken something ugly and “changed it to something beautiful.” The video has been viewed more than 7,000 times since it debuted. Sir Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion (also referred to as the Law of Inertia), states that every object in motion will remain in the state of motion unless an outside force is applied. As far as distance Inertia can go, he says, “I feel like I’m unstoppable.” Inertia’s album can be purchased at www.nocoastcliquemusic.com. Supporters may purchase individual song tracks or the entire album by naming their own price, for a limited time only.##
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The Legend Football League’s fastest running back player and former Wichitan talks about bodyshaming and how the professional women’s sport is trending! Plus, she tells us what we can expect from the Oxygen Channel’s reality-TV show “Pretty.Strong” when it debuts October 6.
This fall, Oxygen Media adds a new series to its lineup by following the lives of Chicago Bliss team members striving for a three-peat win with the Legends Football League. These aren’t your typical players. They wear swimsuit-like uniforms and make-up when facing their opponents— and they are women! The docuseries rightfully titled ‘Pretty. Strong.’ will show viewers that women can do anything, even the gritty sport of football. When the game-clock isn’t running, the working women tackle jobs that range from pharmaceutical 6
All photo credits to LFL.com
representative to dentist, sales consultant to receptionist, and personal trainer to “mom.” Former Wichitan and Running Back for Bliss, ChrisDell Harris, says that the show defies society’s box for what it means to be a woman. “Strong is the new pretty,” says Harris, nicknamed “The Ferrari” for being one of the fastest in the league. “It’s like the best of both worlds to be able to dress up, put make up on, and then go out onto the football field.” She says she looks to Serena Williams, who is often ridiculed for her strong and athletic physique. Although body-shaming bloggers take jabs at the professional tennis player’s stature calling her “manly” and “masculine,” Harris says there is “nothing wrong” with Serena and even calls her body “flawless.” “I’m actually offended for Serena but she doesn’t feed into it,” says Harris, who feels those who are critical may have some insecurities of their own. “People are going to be insecure [when comparing their bodies to Serena].” 28-year-old Harris works as a personal trainer and is glad to have an opportunity to change that image when viewers tune in to watch the show. Harris’ athleticism dates back to her early childhood years. Her parents supported her and her twin brother
in youth sports. In high school, Harris played basketball, ran track and even did cheerleading. She admits to trying out for the all-male football team at Wichita East High school but not making the cut. “I think my dad was kind of relieved because he didn’t really want me to play,” says Harris whose brother, ODell, also tried but joined the football team. “I think he knew deep down that my brother wanted to do something that was all his and football was that.” After graduation from West High school in 2005, both siblings enrolled at Barton County junior college, in Great Bend, KS. ChrisDell went on to earn a degree from Western Illinois and also undefeated bragging rights in track and field. She set several records including top-10 all-time fastest times. By 2010, she had Nike Developmental Team’s attention and was offered a contract to train and compete, which she accepted. Her brother also had success, racing for the United States as part of the Nike team at the 11th IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Junior Athletics Championships which took him to Beijing, China in 2006. He currently serves in the ministry as an evangelist. A college friend told ChrisDell about a women’s football team and urged her to try out for the team. She did, and she made the team. Her family was excited at the news, although they didn’t know what to expect.
Harris describes her parents as “incredibly supportive” but also says she had a very “conservative” upbringing. “Whenever the church doors were open, we were there,” says Harris. “[Growing up] we were in the choir singing [and] my sister was an usher.” Surely, this is what made the team’s uniform a taboo topic. She says she invited her Wichita-based family to her first game but hadn’t gotten around to describing the uniform to them. “The look on my dad’s face!” said Harris, recalling the moment she looked for her family from the field. “After he got over the initial shock, he realized it wasn’t so bad.” Harris says her parents found solace by comparing her Bliss uniform to the uniform she wore during her track days. They agreed that their daughter was actually wearing more in the league than she did during her track and field years. ChrisDell’s parents, both former athletes, were happy to see her exceling on the football field. “My brother was there and he told me, ‘You’re going to be a star in this league,’” Harris recalls him telling her.
“My dad follows me around the country [to watch me play],” says Harris. “And my mom, who loves everything girly, is my biggest fan.” Aside from the barely there uniforms, the ladies of the LFL also wear protective gear. It hasn’t kept Harris from escaping injury. She suffered through an AC joint injury, endured a cracked rib and lost a tooth during the playoffs. (Editor’s Note: It was not a front-tooth and was quickly replaced. Look at her Million Dollar smile!) Pretty. Strong. declares that “black is the new blush.” Pain is only a bittersweet reminder that the game is real and only the strong survive in what Harris calls, “the greatest sport on the planet.”
“We are pioneers of a new professional sport,” says Harris, who mentors youth in her free time. “My name will be in the record books. I will make sure of that.” It’s certain the show will reaffirm a united team of women are not easily broken. “They prove there are no limits in life or sports and lay bare the heart and hustle it takes to be their true selves despite social norms,” said EVP of original programming and development for Oxygen Media, Rod Aissa, in a Variety Magazine interview. For more info about the LFL, visit www.lflus.com. Oxygen’s Pretty. Strong. premieres on Tuesday, October 6 at 10/9c. Visit Oxygen.com to learn more about the other cast members and show creator. ## 7
How long have you lived away from Wichita, KS? I have been gone from my great home of Wichita Kansas for about 8 years, but I have always represented and remained humble about where I’m from 1300 block of Minnesota raised, and a Southeast graduate made MEM: What have you accomplished since relocating? TL: Wow where do I start?! I had cameo appearances in music videos with artists such as Jermaine Dupri, Mack 10, Nelly, and Ciara just to name a few. My biggest credit is theatre and film. I have performed in 11 sold out stage plays in Washington DC, Atlanta GA, Dallas TX, New York, Augusta, GA, and Wichita, KS. I had my first TV appearance on BET The Game Season 6, and from there I had a reoccurring role in the international award winning series “The Lyons Den” and “Karma” written and directed by Karlton Clay. I assisted, produced and starred in my first film called “The Hills” written and directed by Stephen Josey. Clifton Powell (Ray), Cynda Williams (Mo Betta Blues), Taril Hicks (Belly), Omar Gooding (Baby Boy), Malik 8
Whitfield (The Temptations), Claudia Jordan (Real Housewives Of Atlanta) were also in the film. I also had a featured role in “The Originals” although I was killed by the main character Klaus played by Joseph Morgan, LOL! I was a CSI Agent on Tyler Perry’s The Have and Have Nots. I have another movie called, “It’s A Dirty Game,” a film “Cold Feet,” and TV series “Cycles.” I’m currently in the process of launching a new talk show called “The GSpot (The Gentleman’s Spot)” so as you can see, I’m busy, busy, busy. MEM: You’re from Wichita. How difficult is it to pursue goals in Wichita? How has relocating allowed you to better reach your goals? TL: It was difficult because Wichita [has never had] strong black male actors in the industry. So pursuing there is not easy, but moving to Atlanta has made it easy because what Atlanta has to offer. Majority of films we see today are all filmed in Atlanta. Hey,
Atlanta is the new Hollywood. What I’ve learned is don’t keep the knowledge I gain to myself. I share it with other inspiring actors, and actresses from Wichita to pursue their passion as well. The more talent that comes from the city, will give exposure to the city. MEM: What's the best advice you've received from more seasoned actors? TL: The best advice I have received is from those I consider my acting mentors Clifton Powell ( Next Friday,
Rush Hour, Ray and The Hills), Tony Grant (Tyler Perry’s Love Thy Neighbor and Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married ), Malik Whitfield (The Temptations, CSI, and Law and Order) and Isaiah Washington (Greys Anatomy, Romeo Must Die, Love Jones). Acting is about being the character not acting as the character. Using real life situations, issues, and occurrences to tap in the reality of the scene
so that others will believe it’s real. MEM: Who were some of the people you looked up to growing up? TL: I looked up to many strong pioneers in acting Denzel Washington, James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, Laurence Fishburne, Sidney Poitier, and Isaiah Washington
and joy. They must be taken care of. As a father (not a baby daddy), I grind and live my dream—but I won’t act full-time until I have a certain amount stored away. But I do see acting full time coming very soon for me. ## Photos courtesy of Tyrice Lollis.
MEM: You have shared that you still work a 9-5 job while pursuing acting gigs. How has maintaining employment allowed you to avoid being a quote on quote, "starving artist?!" TL: To keep it simple, my dream involves two little ones that are my pride
Tyrice pictured off set, taking a break with actress LaTavia Roberson, former Destiny’s Child singer.
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This father and dad have more than DNA in common. Rapper Scott “Bilistic” Al-Tall introduced son, Damien, to music when he was only able to crawl. Now that he’s 14-years–old and standing Al-Tall(all tall), he’s making music that shows he’s growing up, in charge and ready to make a name for himself. Find out what it’s like for the young MC from Rose Hill, KS and how puberty snuck up on him just in time for him to release his new music project, “Young Picasso: The Legendary Fossil.”
MEM: What hand have you had in honing your son's rap talents? Scott Al-tall: Well ever since he was born I've had him in the studio. I put him on his first song when he was only 2 years old. At that time he could say a bunch of words, so I Damien (center) with dad (right) just had him say some stuff and then I copied and pasted it into the song. I did this several times, then by the time he was 5 he was writing his own songs. When he first started recording his songs (at 5) I would take his lyrics and rap them myself to the beat. He would then take it, listen to me rapping it for a few days, then get in the booth and record himself doing the rapping. This really helped with his rhythm at a very early age. MEM: As a father, do you find yourself shielding/protecting your son from negative feedback? How? Scott Al-tall: There really is no way to shield him from it because no matter how good you are at what you do there will always be people that do not like it. Luckily he's never had too many negative comments about his music because he truly is 1 of a kind! There have been people on the internet that have said some stupid remarks but I just tell him that it's part of being an artist. Every single artist from Eminem to The Beatles has people that hate on what they do. I try to teach him to use that fuel to make the fire burn brighter then ever.
MEM: Who have been some of your biggest musical influences?! Damien: My biggest influences have been people like MF DOOM, Nas, people like that, because they had a lot of content as well as flow and delivery. They were the full package to me, and I looked up to them a lot early on. MEM: What inspired the title of your newest album project?! Damien: The title actually stemmed from a beat that my boy JR Medina made me that said "paint pictures like a Picasso". I liked that and decided to make a spin on it for the title of my project. Ironically, that song didn't make the cut... MEM: How have you managed to promote your music as an independent music artist in an entertainment scene which is dominated by 18+ crowds? Damien: It isn't hard because I try to make music everyone can relate to. There is no specific age group my music is directed towards. Anyone with ears can pick something I say and relate to it. That's the goal, anyways. MEM: What do your peers think of your music? Damien: My peers were a little skeptic at first, but most of them are on board now. I just had a show last weekend, and a lot of people from school that I didn't expect to show up did. MEM: What's next for me?... Damien: Hmm.. A lot of growth and progression. My next album may sound completely different than this one did. Or maybe it won't. It just depends on how I grow as an artist and as a person between now and then. I guess we'll see.
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MEM: What is the best advice you feel you have given your son in finding his knack for music and carving his own lane? Scott Al-tall: Just to be himself. Don't try to be like any one else. Let your heart do the writing. I also never pushed him to do anything he didn't want to do. So he was able to move at his own pace, which is actually NON STOP! The kid’s drive is AMAZING! MEM: Your son has been rapping since he was much younger. Were you preparing for your son's maturity (puberty and voice change)? Scott Al-tall: To be completely honest, I never even noticed the voice change until I was listening to the new songs and then going back and listening to old songs. It was so crazy once I heard it though! Literally over night his voice must of dropped 5 octaves! Ha-ha!. It was just in time though. We were actually almost done recording the album Young Picasso: The Legendary Fossil, but once we heard the difference we went back and re recorded & re mixed the entire thing. It ended up being a lot of extra work but it was a blessing in disguise. The project came out so much better, not only because of his voice change, but because I got better equipment and opened a professional recording studio with top notch acoustics so the overall sonic quality of the album was much better. We just released the album a couple of weeks ago. You can check it out at www.damienstyles.com as well as iTunes, Spotify, Cd Baby, pretty much any & everywhere online. It is hosted by Shade 45's own Dj Statik Selektah.
For the first time, I feel complete.— Jondalyn Crosby
Jondalyn Crosby is making a name for her self, by offering women and couples a unique approach to fitness and entertainment. This year she introduced several workshops to the city of Wichita, which include “Twerkshop,” “Chair Dancing,” Couple’s Chair Dancing,” “Insanity Bootcamp,” “21 Day Fix” and “Cize! All of Crosby’s workshops are offered at Flow Foundry Studio located at 3135 W. Maple Street in
Wichita, KS. Drop-in rates are as low as $7. Crosby ensures the environment is an uplifting one, welcoming all skill levels, and not driven by competition but instead by “sisterhood.” “I don’t care if you can dance or not,” says Crosby. “This is not about dancing--this is about having fun and moving around so that you can become active.” It was that decision which she made for herself, that not only allowed Crosby to lose weight, but to lead a more meaningful life
that helps other women. In May of 2006, the former model was the first African-American woman to be featured on the cover of Women’s Focus Magazine. Six years later, the socialite with a knack for fashion had just given birth to her fourth child, a son born in July of 2012. She was unable to “snap-back” into the clothes she admired. “I reached 235-pounds during my pregnancy,” admits Crosby. “After two 11
Jondalyn pictured during her pregnancy with son. individual progress. Manifested was a months I was still at 199 pounds and goal for Crosby to own a studio where people were telling me, ‘Oh, it’s just she could offer unique fitness the pregnancy.’” workshops. She travels to learn from Crosby says she knew better. other women who have succeeded “I knew that the weight was not going to just disappear after this pregnancy,” said Crosby, whose children are ages 20, 18, 7 and 3. “I didn’t want to become complacent and I knew I had to do something.” Jondalyn says her husband, Derrick “DJ 3” Crosby, supported her goals and would watch after their kids when she’d need time alone to exercise. Working out became Jondalyn pictured with her husband, Derrick “DJ 3” Crosby. therapeutic allowing and consults with a mentor. Her her to feel better about herself. But husband supports her ambitions. she knew she also needed to help “It’s important to be able to other women around her. She created communicate your goals to your a group page on Facebook titled spouse,” says Crosby. “And it’s “Road to Hauteness.” important that your spouse The group serves as a support group understand what your aspirations of women sharing their personal are.” journeys, weight loss tips, and 12
Her husband helps prepare healthy meal choices and her children have adapted to the changes with ease. “He knew how committed I was,” Crosby says of her husband. “I would get home in the evenings from work or working out and he’d be pulling chicken breasts out of the oven.” The working mom and wife knew it was time to have a conversation with her employers. She wanted to dedicate more time to pursuing her goals. She says she dreaded asking her employers for adjusted hours but felt compelled to do so, and went into work with a heavy heart. “I have this dream to teach and own a studio in the next three years,” Crosby says she told her employer. “It’s not my goal to be behind a desk. I need to be able to reach people and in order to do that I have to be here less.” She needed the freedom to travel to learn about how to facilitate workshops, how to do the exercises and programs properly to instruct and an opportunity to develop workshops for her growing group of women through RTH. Crosby admits that she didn’t know if she would be sent packing. That was not the case. Her employers reduced the number of work
hours she was to fulfill, to allow award along with fellow business owner Carlos her more balance. Their Fernandez of Clutch Studios. decision to support her goals It was Urban Professionals’ moved her to tears. 1st Dream Chasers Award “I was overwhelmed just to ceremony. In her have my employer’s support acceptance speech she and for them to tell me that thanked the ladies of RTH. they knew “This is your how award,” important this Crosby told was to me,” them. “This said Crosby. is just as “Not often do much about you find that your at a job and I journey as it was grateful.” is mine.” These Photo credit Keshia Ezerendu The road to defining hauteness is moments in her life shaped a never-ending but Crosby journey she calls, “Road to feels she is on the right Hauteness (Hotness).” The path. women who have joined her “I love what I do,” says journey inspire her and give her Crosby. “I have a purpose. She says her rewards responsibility to those who come by seeing women seek my help. We’re in this transform their bodies and together.” from those she has helped give Her newest workshop is up reliability on doctorcalled “Little Black Dress prescribed medications. Bootcamp.” The first series Melody Edwards Aberi, a is offered through October. registered nurse in the area, ## discovered Crosby’s classes
Jondalyn’s “Transformation Tuesdays” highlight the transformations of ladies she has helped get back on track. Photos courtesy of Jondalyn
through her niece. She was looking to get fit and had only begun walking exercises before learning about some of the available classes. She now sees Crosby as a mentor. “She not only talks the talk, but also walks the walk,” says Edwards Aberi, who has lost more than 25-pounds since May. “She pushed me and made me believe I can achieve my fitness goals.” In September, Crosby was recognized by the Wichita Urban Professionals. She received an entrepreneurial The ladies play tough after a strenuous workout.
Photo courtesy of Jondalyn Crosby 13
...and what she’s doing to stay off of it!
A picture says a thousand words. Three years ago, Laura Dalpini liked none of them. Dalpini says that she and friends from college were all on the brink of weighing 300 pounds or more. They were fueling on fast food, drinking at hang outs and lacking in exercise. Their favorite snacks were peanut butter sandwiches, Doritos and Oreo cookies. She was “mortified” by photos 14
of herself. Then, a photo tugged at her spirits longer than others. “I saw a picture of myself,” says Dalpini, a former student athlete. “I knew I was big but didn’t realize just how big I was.” She compared the picture to one she had taken only two months prior. In that short amount of time, she gained 20 pounds. Her scale tipped to 272 pounds. Dalpini didn’t even recognize herself. She mistook herself for her grandmother who also struggled with weight gain—and
she should have known better. Her grandmother was deceased. That lady in the photo was her and the reality of her appearance hit like a ton of bricks. “I was broke, I was busted and I was disgusted,” says Dalpini, who was only 25-years-old at the time. “I had just graduated college, didn’t have a job and my dad was paying my bills.” She felt she was at her lowest point in life. Although she contends that she didn’t “feel huge” she knew she was unhappy with her physical appearance. For her, it was time to have her outward appearance reflect how she felt on the inside. It began with walking and in-home exercising. Then a friend invited her to a Zumba workout class. Dalpini, who admits to being obsessively controlling in planning her schedule and with decision-making, says she was reluctant. The idea of working out around other people also gave her anxiety. But something in her subsided. She could not ignore the voice in her head telling her to step outside of the box.
“I was living in a world full of ‘no,’” says Dalpini. “Saying ‘no’ obviously wasn’t working for me in my personal life so I decided to say ‘yes’ to something.” Completing workout and fitness classes gave her a sense of accomplishment. Unemployed, all of her free time was spent at the gym, allowing her to kick-start the habit of being active—but change for Dalpini. Dalpini created the “LauraD Fit” Like page on Facebook to share her fitness journey. Those watching her progress provided accountability to her never going back to that girl in the photo. To date the page has garnered more than 14,000 likes. Her Instagram page (@laurad543) has more than 60,000 followers. In spring of this year, one of Dalpini’s social network friends sent her a message on Facebook about an audition to be in a “CIZE” test group. CIZE is a new, highenergy dance program constructed to “melt away the pounds,” says fitness guru and Insanity inventor Shaun “Shaun T” Thompson. Dalpini, no longer one to say “no,” packed 7 workout outfits, a laptop and a bible and set out for NYC. Dalpini’s “larger than life” attitude received an invite to be in the test group and she accepted. She recently celebrated becoming a certified CIZE Live coach. After a year away from Wichita, she is
Photos courtesy of Laura Dalpini. back and offering classes at Dance Vision in Motion at drop-in rates of $10 through the fall. Although her time in Wichita will draw to a close, it is bittersweet. She has her eyes on relocation to Dallas where her life coach and mentor Tania “The Machine” Baron also resides. The girl who once wore a size 22 just purchased size 10 jeans, for the first time in her life. She says it took hard work to reach that milestone. For those who want to lose every undesirable pound in 30 days to three months, she says, “It didn’t take three months to gain the
weight and it won’t take just three to lose it.” Dalpini says the power to change comes from being consistent and banning excuses. “I know now, three years into it, that mornings are the best time [to workout] for me,” says Dalpini. “If I get it done the first thing in the morning, I don’t have the excuse of being too tired or not having the time.” Now, she loves what the thousand words in a picture say. They tell about her journey, and it’s only beginning. ##
sought gay rights or human
Djuan Wash learns about the short amount of time law enforcement has in making decisions when Kake-TV puts him in a test-situation. Courtesy www.kake.com
...Continued from page 3 (Social Network) eligibility and shares info through his Facebook pages. In June, the Supreme Court voted to constitutionalize same-sex marriage. For law-makers who have either
rights, this was victory. For Wash, who raises his 8year-old niece along with domestic partner Brandon Cooper, he hopes it inspires a greater perspective for what human rights and minority rights could mean for our nation. Movements like Black Lives Matter have gone viral. In essence, the power of the hashtag gives life to movements that would otherwise miss the tweeting generation. Wash still encourages young people to be physically present in order to work with city
representatives, to exercise the right to vote and to hold those in positions of power accountable. ##
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