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The Student Voice of MSU Denver
Volume 39, Issue 23 February 22, 2017
Annual Black World Conference focuses on youth leadership By Cassie Ballard cballar7@msudenver.edu
As a word, leadership is usually defined singularly. One person taking leadership over a group. It is rarely associated with a group taking leadership together, but with numbers comes strength. In African American history many of the iconic leaders have been portrayed as singular. However, the community has suffered a noticeable loss of leadership within itself. This problem is not new and continues. This loss is no coincidence, nor lack of ability but a silent battle that has been overlooked. The studies of the term, school-toprison pipeline, is one of the strongest examples of what might have happened to this leadership. The pipeline is a phrase referring to – in most cases– a ‘No Tolerance’ policy that pushes students from early punishment to juvenile and eventually adult criminal justice systems. Unfortunately, this pipeline affects minority children the most. “When our youngest children are suspended and expelled, there is racial disproportionality, so black and brown children are suspended and expelled more,” said Rosemarie Allen, assistant professor of early childhood education. “Studies are showing that in preschool, by the time they are three, they can be kicked out of school a couple of times.” On Feb. 15 and 16 MSU Denver hosted the 34th annual Black World Conference, during which, the school-toprison pipeline became a largely discussed issue. This is mostly because it seems to be the root of many of the issues in the
Chaka Ka M-Zee speaks about gentrification in Denver’s Black community at the 34th Annual Black World Conference at St. Cajetans’s on Feb. 15. Photo by Victoria Edstedt • vedstedt@msudenver.edu
black community. “For me, having been suspended myself, it impacts who you are and who you feel like you can become,” Allen said. In early education, minority children have struggled with cultural expectations in the classroom. Out of 935 new teachers who joined Denver Public Schools last year, 70 percent of teachers were white,
compared to 4 percent black and 19 percent Hispanic. In contrast only 22.7 percent of DPS students are white. The cultural norms and expectations of white teachers are much more likely to align with those of white students. However, the majority of students are minorities, causing a break in communication and understanding between a large portion of
the student population and their teachers. “I believe that there is a disconnect between the culture that a child lives in at home and the culture and expectations at school. Especially because most children of color don’t have teachers that look like them,” Allen said.
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Alumni, President Jordan inducted into Hall of Fame By David Schaut dschaut@msudenver.edu
MSU Denver President Stephen Jordan is honored by Athletic Director Anthony Grant and the athletic department before the game against UCCS at the Auraria Event Center on Feb. 18. Photo by Kenny Martinez • kmart143@msudenver.edu
MSU Denver inducted three student-athletes, one team and one contributor on Feb. 17 at the 2017 Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Charlie Blueback and John Liese represented the MSU Denver track and field team. One of Blueback’s notable highlights is finishing in third place in the mile run at the 1982 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national meet. Liese was a NAIA all-american in 1983 and 1984. Kira Sharp is remembered for an important goal that came in the 2006 national championship game against Grand Valley State. In overtime with the score tied at zero, Sharp stepped up to take a penalty kick and buried it scoring the only goal of the game.
She secured the national championship for the Roadrunners. The 1993 volleyball team that went 32-5 overall was also honored at the ceremony. Outgoing MSU Denver President Stephen Jordan was the contributor inducted. He touted the value of athletics during his eight minute acceptance speech. “It is absolutely true that athletics prepares people for adversity. It prepares you for losing and picking yourself up and going at it again,” Jordan said. “Athletics is an amazing way that we prepare young people for a future life, and I’ve always felt as a president it was my responsibility to foster that kind of environment at any university that I was responsible for leading.” MSU Denver Director of Athletics Dr. Anthony Grant was on hand to present the award to the many recipients.