Thursday April 21, 2016
NorthernStar
Volume 116 Issue 56
.info
Grad needs $2K to fly spouse to US TA hopes husband is at May graduation Leah Nicolini Assistant News Editor
DeKalb | Leaving behind a husband and three children to pursue her education in America, Swahili Teaching Assistant Mary Okeyo is raising money to bring her husband from Tanzania to her graduation at NIU. Miki Grace, president of Delta Sigma Theta, began a GoFundMe page to raise money for Okeyo’s husband, John, to attend her May graduation. As of April 20, 23 donations have raised $545. The goal is $2,000. “I want [John] to see where I’m getting my master’s degree,” Okeyo said. When she was 11 years old, Okeyo was captivated by the beauty and intelligent appearance of the pleated school uniforms Tanzanian city girls wore.
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I want [John] to see where I’m getting my master’s degree.” Mary Okeyo Swahili Teaching Assistant
Since then, the teacher was inspired to get an education in Tanzania where gender inequality is enforced through traditions like female genital mutilation, male prioritized education and polygamous marriages at age 15, Okeyo said. The teacher was able to get an education in the rural area of Mara, which shares a border with Kenya, because her mother worked eight hours a day making locally brewed alcohol to pay for her and her sister to go to school. She earned her bachelor’s degree at St. Augustine University of Tanzania. Okeyo was offered a job in 2011 at NIU teaching Swahili through the Tanzania Development Support group led by Kurt Thurmaier,
Rachel Scaman | Northern Star Photo Illustration
Teaching Assistant Mary Okeyo is raising money to bring her husband John from Tanzania to her graduation at NIU. As of April 20, there have been 23 donations raising $545. The goal is $2,000.
presidential engagement professor and chair of the department of Public Administration. The Tanzania Development Support’s mission is to improve the quality of life for females and youth in the Mara region through community development, according to the Tanzania Development Support’s website. Okeyo is earning her master’s degree in Adult and Higher Education with an emphasis in community development at NIU. “I have been able to read different books [at NIU],” Okeyo said. “In Tanzania, I was dependent on the notes on the board. Now, I’ve attended conferences, watched videos... .” With her graduation coming up, Okeyo will return to Tanzania
Donate Go to bit.ly/1NC2qva to donate to Mary Okeyo’s GoFundMe page. what they don’t know at this point,” Okeyo said. The teacher said she will begin a social group for women to create a sense of community and empowerment for the women of Tanzania. She wants to educate the females of Tanzania in sexual independence, Vince Dhan | Northern Star financial literacy and health. Okeyo plans to begin an organiSwahili Teaching Assistant Mary Okeyo works in an office in DuSable Hall on Wednesday. Okeyo is raising money to bring her husband from Tanzania to her zation called Female Empowerment graduation at NIU. in Business and Entrepreneurship after earning her degree in order to what they are capable of. that would teach Tanzanian women help young girls in rural areas learn “[Tanzanian girls] don’t know how to start small businesses.
Freshman’s survey finds food insecurity on campus the year. The anonymous survey research in their field of study. was open to students, faculty and Carlson studied food needs in orDeKalb | A campus-wide study staff March 3-31. der to reduce hunger on campus. done by freshman business major Of the responses, 74 percent Jenee Carlson has found that 96 came from students, while the I hope to expand [The percent of respondents said they other 26 percent were responses Huskies Student Food Panhad been food insecure one or more from faculty and staff. Of the retry] to make it so we can times this semester, and 45 percent spondents, 67 percent said they sustain more students.” of respondents said they had been would use the Huskies Student Jenee Carlson aware of another student being Freshman business major Food Pantry. food insecure. The Huskies Student Food PanThe survey defined food insecutry, 401 Normal Road, provides rity as consistent access to adequate Carlson’s survey was part of her non-perishable, supplemental food being limited by a lack of mon- participation in Research Rookies, food and other necessities for ey and other resources throughout which allows students to practice NIU students who do not qualify Julia Martinez Staff writer
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for food assistance, according to its website. Carlson presented her findings Tuesday at Undergraduate Research and Artistry Day. She received the idea for the project from her mentor Dennis Barsema, alumnus management for the College of Business. “I chose my research project on food insecurity because I told [Barsema] why I chose business, and he led me to the food pantry because that was a way to help my peers,” Carlson said.
Food insecurity survey
Freshman business major Jenee Carlson found that 96 percent of respondents said they had been food insecure one or more times this semester. Of the respondents, 45 percent of respondents said they had been aware of another student being food insecure. Read Food insecurity | Page 2
Cultural Fusion to showcase diversity The Student Association and Asian American Association will hold the Cultural Fusion Show 7 p.m. Friday in the Holmes Student Center, Carl Sandburg Auditorium. Read more about the show on Page 8.