Rise of An Aspiring Journalist

2004-04-28T23:24:00.000-04:00

     InPDUM (Independent People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement), a new group recently approved on campus this semester, is tackling its first major issue: the removal of the Thomas Jefferson Statue located near the Student Center.
      During Common Hour on April 28, InPDUM held a demonstration in the Student Center calling for the removal of the Thomas Jefferson statue donated by David S. Mack and also attempted to raise awareness to their cause.
     “This was one of the first issues that we wanted to address when we were getting InPDUM together. People aren’t really aware of who Thomas Jefferson was,” B-Real, InPDUM’s president, said.
     Darren Sands, InPDUM’s public relations coordinator drew up a petition regarding the removal of the statue. Before InPDUM could submit the petition before the Student Government Association (SGA), they needed to obtain signatures from 10 percent of the student body.
     InPDUM collected well over 800 signatures—enough to push their petition through to SGA for a vote. SGA passed the referendum 17-9 and will be included on the ballot during the elections being held on May 5 and 6.
     DJ Broyld, the campus committee coordinator of InPDUM, said, “I didn’t pay attention to the statue either but when B-Real brought the idea to us as a petition, I began to think about what the statue really symbolized. We’re serious about what we’re doing.”
     InPDUM contends that the statue’s presence is offensive because of Thomas Jefferson’s position on black slaves.
     In an excerpt from Jefferson’s Notes On The State of Virginia, he wrote of blacks, “Comparing them by their faculties of memory, reason, and imagination, it appears to me that in memory they are equal to the whites; in reason much inferior… and that in imagination they are dull, tasteless, and anomalous.” Jefferson conceded that blacks “are more generally gifted than the whites” in music, but did not go beyond that in admitting African-American talent in arts and literature (despite the fact that black poet Phyllis Wheatley was renowned in his day). The main thrust of Jefferson’s argument was deeply rooted in freeing slaves and sending them back to Africa “to be removed beyond the reach of mixture” with whites.
     Such excerpts from Jefferson’s book and recent (but controversial) DNA findings that Jefferson may have had an affair with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, lays the foundation for InPDUM’s cause.
     “I understand that [Thomas Jefferson] did some good things, but he still enslaved black people,” Broyld said. “People say it was legal then but that doesn’t make it right.”
     Freshman Quran Hall agreed with InPDUM’s attempt to address a symbol that offends some Americans.
     “The statue is blatant disrespect to African-Americans at the University. It’s about time we stood up to get it removed,” Hall said. “It’s a snowball effect. It’ll raise racial consciousness.”
     Freshman public relations major Quinnale Drayton seemed much more cynical about the issue.
     “How much is going to change? I can understand protesting something bigger, yes, but a statue? No.”
     Lloyd Goulbourne, another member of InPDUM came out to the demonstration to show his support.
     “He voted against abolishing slavery, but he wanted to send the slaves back to Africa,” he said.
     Sophomore finance major Rob Sforzo disagreed with InPDUM’s attitude toward Thomas Jefferson in general.
     “His accomplishments are responsible for the freedoms we enjoy now,” Sforzo said. “Why are they able to [protest]? Because of our Founding Fathers. We celebrate him for the good things he did; not the bad.”
     Goulbourne said that even though Jefferson was involved in writing the Declaration of Independence, its intent was not for slaves.
     “He didn’t write it for black folks; he didn’t even write it for poor, white folks! He was responsible for the rights of rich, white landowners. That’s who the Declaration of Independence was intended for. [Blacks] had to fight for their rights,” Goulbourne commented.
     Dr. Barbara Kelly, a professor in Mass Media Studies in the School of Communication, alluded to the idea that the Jefferson statue may stir up strong feelings similar to that of the Confederate flag when it was flown from the state house in Alabama.
     SGA Senator Andy Valentin expressed his support for InPDUM’s agenda.
     “We can’t be complacent as students. We provide the salaries for the administration; they are responsible for us,” Valentin said. “We, as students, have the right to go to the University and ask them to remove the statue.”
     InPDUM was not alone in their cause as several organizations such as the Maliks, Collegiate Women of Color (CWC), and Students Against Injustice (SAI) joined them.
     However, despite SGA’s endorsement of the referendum, according to SGA Senator Bradley Smallberg, SGA does not possess the power to remove the statue if the referendum passes.
     “This is something that should have been discussed with the administration,” Smallberg said. “Mr. Mack donated the statue and the Student Center. He also currently sits on the Board of Trustees. Can you imagine if the referendum passes and nothing happens?”
     But to InPDUM, the passage of the referendum isn’t the most important thing—raising the student body’s social consciousness about Thomas Jefferson is.
     “This was a productive rally,” Goulbourne said. “We passed out 350-400 flyers. We’re unifying people around one common cause. We got our point across.”
     Broyld emphasized that InPDUM was a grassroots organization, not a social organization like many groups on campus.
     “We unite around the issues. This is a test case to see how much power students have on campus because students are the cornerstone of the campus,” Broyld said. “The administration has to listen to the student body.”
     Melissa Connolly, assistant vice president for University Relations, issued this statement: “The president encourages the open discussion of issues and exchange of all points of view, and of course the student point of view and their various experiences are especially important to him. While we have not been given formal notice of the petition at this time, we look forward to a frank and open exchange of opinions and concerns and an understanding of the position of the petitioners.”
     Senior political science major Sheldon Goodridge said that the removal of the statue would not solve divisive problems that exist between the races on campus.
     “While I would be more inclined to say ‘take it down,’ I think there should have been a campus-wide conversation with the administration,” Goodridge said. “If the majority of the people vote for this, SGA has the responsibility to follow through.”
     Broyld, in the meantime, made an urgent plea to the student body to vote for the referendum.
     “Let your voice be heard at the polls on May 5 and 6 at the SGA elections.”
     Sands added, “This is a collective effort with the administration and the students. We have to be open-minded and progressive thinkers. We want them to be honest with us and we’ll be forthright with them.”

2004-03-17T20:22:00.001-05:00

Organization Attempt To Raise Voter Awareness Among Students
March 17, 2004
783 words

Students Against Injustice (SAI), a campus organization known for actively promoting different causes on campus, has headed up a bipartisan voter registration drive to alert 18-24 year-olds about the importance of voting.
Junior Hallie Caplan, head of the vote registration drive, believes University students need to be aware of the potential impact they could have.
“It only takes 30 seconds. You fill out your name, address, party affiliation, and you’re pretty much done,” Caplan said. “You don’t have to worry about postage because we mail it off for you.”
According to youthvote.org, 28 percent of 18-24 year-olds voted in the 2000 election—an election that was the difference of 500,000 votes.
Dr. Rosanna Perotti, a professor in the political science department admitted that college students tend to be the demographic with the lowest voter turnout.
“The highest voter turnout for 18-24 year-olds was back in 1972. That demographic came out in drove and represented 49.6 percent of the vote,” Perotti said. “Back in Nov. 1998, an off-election year, the same demographic accounted for 15 percent of the vote, a record low. But voter turnout that year was 38 percent overall of registered voters.”
Caplan says that since SAI has begun the voter registration drive, they have received about 200 new registrants.
“I don’t think people knew it was this easy,” Caplan said. “Anybody can do it. And people from any state can register here with the exception of New Hampshire, North Dakota and Wyoming residents, who have restrictions.”
The College Republicans also had a table set up in the Student Center, trying to get supporters to sign up and voters to register.
Ned Murphy, chairman of the College Republicans, said, “Most members tend to be silent supporters because the University has a strong liberal presence.”
Bill Florio, a member of the College Republicans, went a step further in expressing his view on liberals.
“Liberalism tends to be based on emotion,” he said.
Kathleen Hunker, another member of the College Republicans agreed.
“We want facts, not opinions,” she said.
Murphy wanted to point out, however, that Democrats and Republicans are all Americans.
“We’re all in this together. We have a president who is doing well in the war on terrorism and trying to stop it,” Murphy said.
Murphy also expressed his disappointment with the panel discussions on Bush and the war last week.
“The panel discussions catered overwhelmingly to the left. There were hardly any people with a conservative view. I think there needs to be a balance,” he said.
A senior finance major who wished to remain anonymous said that she didn’t vote because she was lazy.
“Maybe I’ll vote when I get out of college. The issues don’t apply to me right now.”
Her friend, junior finance major Amy Disbrow, agreed.
“I’m not concerned with any of the issues. They don’t apply to me just yet.”
A continuing education student in the physician’s assistant program who also didn’t want her name used thought voting was an important way for young people to get their voice heard.
“I vote for whatever candidate I think helps students the most,” she said. “Some of the issues that concern me most are abortion, women’s rights, and the economy—I want a job. Education is important too. We need financial aid.”
Perotti suggested some theories as to why young voter turnout continues to decline.
“Students don’t own property or pay taxes in great amounts. However, this year, they have a big connection with the war,” she said. “Last election was the difference of a 500,000 margin. This election is likely to be as close as it was in 2000. If 18-24 year-olds came out in higher numbers, it’s possible they could make up to one-quarter of the electorate.”
Perotti also emphasized that Green Party candidate Ralph Nader had been big among college students in the 2000 election, possibly because of “his stance on the environment.”
Nader won four percent among voters who earn less than $15,000 per year, according to Spoiling the Fight, a book on elections by Micah Sifry.
Nader also did better in states with large university populations. For example, young voters turned out to give him 16 percent in Massachusetts, 10 percent in Wisconsin, and eight percent in California. Overall, young people ages 18-24 accounted for five percent of Nader’s vote, according to CNN exit polls.
Perotti quoted Sifry’s book, saying that Gore won 48 percent of the popular vote and Bush won 46 percent among voters 18-24 (with a margin of error of plus or minus three percent).
“I think people will realize that the stakes are high in this election,” Perotti said.
SAI will be running their voter registration drive through November.

2004-03-10T20:17:00.000-05:00

Incarcerated Prisoner Receives Master's Degree
1,001 words
March 10, 2004

Senior Library Assistant Debbie Willett from the Long Island Studies Institute recalls interacting with graduate student Michael Santos.
“He was intelligent and came from a wonderful family,” Willett said. “He’s a good person with a good heart.”
However, Santos was not the average University student.
Santos completed his master’s degree while incarcerated in the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta (USP Atlanta), eight years after he was indicted on charges of cocaine trafficking.
At an age when many 21-year-olds look to pursue a bachelor’s degree from a higher institution, Santos began selling cocaine in his Seattle hometown.
He worked for his family’s lucrative highway construction firm and as vice-president, had access to the company bank account.
A high school friend, whom Santos calls Alex, introduced him to the cocaine industry—a business that involved thousands of dollars in fast cash. Santos took some of the company money—without telling his family members—and joined his new business partner in purchasing three kilograms of cocaine. He made enough of a profit to replace the money he’d taken from the company and split a profit of $40,000 with Alex.
Santos never used drugs: buying and selling cocaine were ways for him to earn a lavish style of living.
Two years later, Santos relocated to a multimillion-dollar waterfront condominium in Key Biscayne, Fla. and earned a six-figure profit while overseeing cocaine transactions in Seattle.
Little did Santos expect to arrive to home one day to police waiting to arrest him.
He was 23.
Santos was immediately indicted on charges of drug trafficking and additional charges of perjury and sentenced to 45 years in prison without the possibility of parole for at least 27 years.
When Santos began serving his sentence at a maximum-security prison in Atlanta, he recognized his poor judgments and foolish decisions.
According to the website MichaelSantos.net, which his wife, Carole, maintains on his behalf, he said, “I realized that in order to overcome the obstacles that my poor decisions had placed before me, I would need to develop my mind and earn academic credentials that people in society would recognize, accept and respect.”
Santos set his mind on completing his post-secondary education with his family’s financial help. He obtained a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Mercer University while imprisoned at USP Atlanta in 1992.
Desiring to obtain a law degree, he sent letters to every American Bar Association school in the nation in an attempt to establish himself as a candidate for an experimental correspondence program. Each school wrote back, denying him because all law students were required to engage in on-campus study.
However, the University’s Law School tried something different to give Santos a hopeful shot in furthering his education.
The Law School forwarded Santos’s letter to Professor Al Cohen of the New College. Cohen notified Santos that he would not be able to obtain a law degree through the college, but the University would be willing to allow him the opportunity to study for a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies.
David Christman, dean of the New College, reviewed Santos’s application and did not see any reason why the University should not accept him.
“We looked at his application and didn’t know until afterwards that he was an incarcerated prisoner that could not set foot on campus,” Christman said. “He’s a bright and committed student.”
The University does not have any correspondence courses set in place for either graduate or undergraduate programs. In fact, all programs at the University require students to study on campus, however, Santos’s qualifications impressed Christman enough to waive the residency requirement.
“The news encouraged me,” Santos said in his short essay, My Experience with Hofstra. “I really needed to distinguish myself, to prove to my family (and myself) that I was more than just a prisoner, and the opportunity to earn a graduate degree felt like a step in the right direction.”
Willett worked in the Axinn Library in 1995 and kept in regular contact with Santos, sending him his textbooks for study and research.
“When Michael signed up to do his master’s, I was glad to help him out. I sent him books and I never had trouble getting them back,” Willett recalled. “I’ve never had contact with a prisoner before, but after such a positive experience, I wouldn’t be reluctant to do it again.”
Santos, through Prof. Cohen’s help, created an independent study program concentrated on the federal prison system and those located behind prison walls.
He received his master’s degree in 1995, but Santos’s experience through the University has provided him with more than just academic benefit.
“I had the good fortune of developing relationships with several members of [the University’s] faculty,” Santos said. “My studies were an enriching experience for me, contributing significantly to my growth as a human being.”
Christman said that no other incarcerated prisoner had been able to qualify for an independent study program through the University.
“It was a risk we took with him and it was well taken,” Christman said.
The University of Connecticut accepted Santos into their doctoral program and Santos has completed part of the coursework in obtaining his Ph.D. in Political Science. However, to finish his degree, he must complete that one haunting requirement: residency.
Carole Santos, though, considers herself lucky to be married to the reformed cocaine dealer.
“He is the most extraordinary person. He’s got a character about him… depth, integrity, his self-discipline… he holds himself to such high standards. He challenges people to hold him accountable for who he is today, not for who he was 20 years ago.”
Michael Santos has currently written three published books focused on detailing the prison system and what goes on inside. He has been featured in the New York Times, USA Today and The Philadelphia Inquirer. He has also written a story featured in Chicken Soup for the Prisoner’s Soul, for The Journal of Criminal Justice Education and The Atlanta Journal-Consitution. He is currently writing a fourth book tentatively titled Living In Prison: The Vicious Cycle. He is scheduled for release in 2013.

2004-03-09T04:34:00.000-05:00

Gosh, I'm so tired. I want to sleep.

I spent 3-4 hours on the phone with Carole Santos, Michael Santos's wife. Michael Santos is the subject of my most recent article for the Chronic. She was immensely helpful and absolutely wonderful to talk to. She was funny, sweet, and charming. And I'm glad I telephoned her. (And I'm glad that she initially sought me out and contacted ME!) She provided me with nine 8.5 x 11 legal pad pages of notes and pointed out some minor, but gross inaccuracies in the article that the Phildelphia Inquirer did on him. For example, in the third paragraph, Michael Vitez, the staff writer, writes that "Santos hated to work." According to Carole, that was "inaccurate" and that Michael is "hard-working, a Triple-A personality, and driven." Another item that Mrs. Santos called "sensationalist-- I guess it's what sells papers," is a paragraph that explains how Santos escaped gang rape in the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta (USP Atlanta):

(from the Philadelphia Inquirer website)
"Santos escaped gang rape in Atlanta for two reasons. He came in with credibility - he was, after all, a big-time drug dealer. That earned him respect. And fate put him in a cell next to two major mobsters from St. Louis, and they became fast friends. To mess with Santos meant to mess with the mobsters, and nobody wanted to do that."

Mrs. Santos outrightly called it "senstionalist" and didn't hesitate to point out that her husband was so quiet and low-key that such an incident wouldn't even present itself.
"He stays [in the prison] like a submarine -- he stays down, but he keeps his periscope up. He doesn't get into confrontations."
In Michael Santos's 17 and a half years of confinement, he has never had a single disciplinary infraction, which his wife contends, "is very hard to do."

No, that's not my article, but eh, some of it might aid the writing of it. My senior news editor has assigned me to write 1,000 words. I wouldn't devote so much to a story such as this, considering that it is not THAT immediate, but hey. Whatever the boss wants, the boss gets. And my strict deadline is 9pm Tuesday. I've begun writing it already. I may change the format or reconstruct based on events, people I talk to, and what I read and gather, but I currently have amassed about 240 words.
I hate how each article I've written this semester affects me personally--individually. I feel like every article I've written has presented itself as more of a challenge. I've only written three articles this semester, but each article challenges me, in one way or another. With my first article this semester (on Hofstra's economic impact on Long Island), I realized that even though my article may have been well-written, in terms of good journalism, it SUCKED. It was heavily biased in favor of the University and I really didn't get any quotes from town supervisors or official Long Island stats who could confirm anything that the economic professor (who works for the University) had reported in his economic report. The second article I wrote (Mrs. Diallo) affected me personally because of the wonderful woman Mrs. Diallo is and how her spirit and her attitude just really threw me for a loop. I expected a mother vengeful in obtaining justice for her son's gruesome, brutal death. And yet, I encountered a woman who sees her son as a sacrifice for society so awareness can be raised on issues of police brutality and police-citizen relations. She possesses an aura of peace and serenity about her far more than any words could ever convey. Finally, the most recent article I am writing on Michael Santos has impacted me as well because talking to Mrs. Santos has opened my eyes as to what the prison system really is like: the criminals who are in prison deserve to be there, but America doesn't treat its prisoners any better than herds of cows or pigs. And both Mr. and Mrs. Santos make the very good point that criminals cannot be expected to live life as ordinary law-abiding citizens when released from prison if they don't begin that process INSIDE of prison.
According to Mrs. Santos, "It's not a correctional system--there's no rehabilitation--it's a human warehouse. They want to change their lives and they get beaten down. That's why nine out of 10 offenders go back to what they were doing before they went to prison. They were never rehabilitated."
But she continues, "Michael works to teach people to do what he did... to prepare [other prisoners] for life after prison, to live a law-abiding life."
As you can see by the many quotes I've included in this journal entry, this story has impacted my perspective and view of the prison system and how we treat and keep those who are incarcerated.
Check out MichaelSantos.net please. It is definitely worth your while.

2004-02-26T20:27:00.000-05:00

I'm somewhat bummed. I took a risk, tried a new journalistic style, and format--- and failed. Miserably. I'm ususally page 1 material. But this time, I wasn't page 2. Or page 3. Or even page 4. Nor was I page 5. Heck! Not even page six!
I'm stuck on page 7.
I'm proud of the article that I wrote, though. I took a risk. I put my time, effort, and hard work into that piece. I knew my subject and researched everything thoroughly. I worked hard on my article. And I'm damn proud of it.
But hey, if I never fail, I'll never be able to fully succeed. Failures make success all that much sweeter, praise God.

2004-02-26T00:35:00.000-05:00

Economic Impact Statement
843 words

The University, generally known for its educational contribution to Long Island, is also receiving recognition for something equally as prestigious: pumping millions of dollars into Long Island’s economy.

The economic impact statement written by Dr. Irwin Kellner, a distinguished economic chair at the University, shows that the University’s operating and capital expenses cost $90 million and about 13,000 students spend close to $30 million a year on local goods and services in the area. In addition to that, nearly 2,700 employees working at the University contribute substantially by spending most of what they earn on Long Island. The employees’ salaries and benefits total $172 million, fueling the economy for local shops and businesses.

Dr. Kellner, the Augustus B. Weller distinguished chair of economics at the University and chief economist for both CBS MarketWatch and North Fork Bank, calculated figures and collected information at the request of President Stuart Rabinowitz.

“He thought it would be useful to remind people that Hofstra is important to the economy in addition to its importance educationally,” Kellner said. “It shows that Hofstra goes beyond the numbers. It’s only the tip of the iceberg. What Hofstra does can’t be quantified.”

All in all, the University generates nearly $300 million for Long Island’s economy. Under the economic spending principle, each dollar that is spent turns over five times in a year. According to that principle, Nassau and Suffolk counties receive almost $1.5 billion in revenue each year due to the University’s presence. This figure contributes to 1.2 percent of the Island’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Linda Schmitt, business development specialist at the Nassau Educators Federal Credit Union said that a great source of business comes from the University’s students.

“Whenever we’re here, we get about 10 to 15 sign-ups a day. Last semester, we got at least 200 students as new customers,” she said.

However, the business the University provides to the credit union is an equal payoff for the customers.

“We’re here for the students,” Schmitt added. “Our goal is to help them save money and we want to do that in any way we can.”

Harry Patel, general manager at Dunkin’ Donuts on Hempstead Turnpike, commented that even during the summer months, business does not diminish.

“Our slowest months are January and February, but our busiest months are in April and May,” Patel said. “We get our regular customers here in the summer, but there’s always something going on at the school so business doesn’t go down.”

In addition to the University’s financial contribution, the immediate community benefits from a variety of services available to the public. The Saltzman Community Center provides childcare through the Diane Lindner Child Care Institute. According to Melissa Connolly, assistant vice president for university relations, 60 percent of the child care enrollees are from surrounding communities. The Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic, Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, and the Psychological Evaluation Research and Counseling Clinic also reside in the community center. Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Herman A. Berliner pointed to the community center of an example of the University’s visible role in the community.

“Residents only pay a small percentage of the costs incurred to run the clinics. The costs are subsidized by the University for the community,” he said.

The Center for Educational Access & Excellence (CEAE) at the School of Education and Allied Human Services is another example of the University’s active involvement on Long Island. CEAE gives minorities and economically disadvantaged middle and high school students the opportunity to gain an edge in learning for entry into post-secondary institutions.

Connolly said, “The CEAE gives students the benefit of getting experience while also helping the community.”

Connolly also said that the University also works with Newsday to provide a local Marching Band Festival annually. All ticket sale proceeds go toward a scholarship fund for music students. Last year, the festival is believed to have raised over $20,000 in scholarship money.

According to the impact statement, the University’s economic impact reaches beyond Nassau and Suffolk counties. As new jobs are created on the Island, additional incomes are earned, and products and services are purchased, increased revenues go to local governments via sales and property taxes. These funds travel to the state and national level, allowing the government to provide Long Islanders with more services and a better quality of life. Dr. Kellner estimates that the University may be one of the largest employers on Long Island.

President Rabinowitz viewed the economic impact statement as an accurate assessment of the University’s local influence.

“We have always known that Hofstra has had a significant and far-reaching influence on the academic and cultural lives of not only Hofstra students, but also Long Islanders. Dr. Kellner’s economic statement proves that Hofstra University also has a significant impact on the economic well-being of Long Island. We are proud that Hofstra University contributes in so many ways to the vibrancy and prosperity of Long Island.”

Dr. Kellner is expected to publish a full version of the economic impact statement in an upcoming Business Development Center newsletter.

2004-02-26T00:26:00.000-05:00

February 25, 2004
Diallo Lecture
854 words

“I believe when you are thrown in the water, you will learn how to swim.”

Kadiatou Diallo captured her audience’s attention with those words at her lecture and book signing in the Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theater Tuesday night.

Mrs. Diallo gave a lecture on her book, My Heart Will Cross This Ocean. The book provides an introspective look into the life of a woman who was given away in marriage by her father at 13 and soon became the mother of Amadou at the age of 16. The book also presents detailed accounts of Amadou’s life, known through the media mostly for his death.

Mrs. Diallo read portions from her book then had a brief question-and-answer session with the audience before her book signing.

“I want people to read the book and know who he was,” Mrs. Diallo said. “He was working hard to pay his way for college here. He became suddenly, in a split second, a symbol of racial profiling.”

Amadou Diallo was tragically killed five years ago in what some regard as a case of mistaken identity. However, others view it as the ultimate climax in a string of racial profiling incidents.

According to his mother, Diallo had gone out of his Bronx apartment to buy food. Upon his return to his apartment, four plain-clothed police officers driving in an unmarked car saw Diallo and later said that they believed he fit the profile of a rapist who lurked in the area. (Mrs. Diallo adds that the last rapist attack committed in the area had been nine months prior to the Diallo incident.)

According to the Court TV website, on Feb. 4, 1999, Diallo entered the vestibule of his Bronx apartment and was shot to death by undercover officers who said they believed that Diallo had been reaching for a gun.
Diallo had carried nothing but his wallet.

The Court TV website also mentions that the four officers “fired 41 shots, hitting the street vendor from Guinea 19 times.”

It is the phrase, “the street vendor from Guinea,” that led Kadiatou Diallo to become a voice for her son who could no longer speak.

“He was not a street vendor as he was portrayed in the paper,” Mrs. Diallo explained softly. “And for me, it’s important to undo any harm that was done to my son and give him back his story.”

Mrs. Diallo speaks of her son fondly, saying he was quiet child who always loved to smile. She mentioned that he never got into trouble, loved to read, and always put other people’s needs before his.

“He was family-oriented, and he knew what he was going to do, and he had no doubt in his mind that he was going to make it,” she said.

Mrs. Diallo has actively worked with local politicians such as Assemblyman Ruben Diaz in trying to get the Diallo package passed in New York state. The goal of the Diallo package is to eliminate “the veil of silence,” a 48-hour timetable given to police in which they are allowed to keep silent about an incident, establish police residency in the area they patrol, and calls for an independent district attorney to handle racial profiling cases so that there is no direct tie to the police. Mrs. Diallo has also worked with Sen. Hillary Clinton to get a racial profiling bill passed on a federal level.

Despite the unusual death of her son, Mrs. Diallo does not harbor bitterness towards the police officers or about the situation.

“I have learned to accept what I cannot change and try to change what I can,” she said. “He died to help the people in the neighborhood understand what was happening and I don’t want that to be in vain.”

In an attempt to turn her son’s tragedy into a triumph, she began the Amadou Diallo Foundation, Inc., an organization whose mission is to “promote racial healing to improve relations between police and the community, mentoring programs, and scholarship exchange programs for students between Africa and the United States.”

Juanita Raymond, a junior from Ghana, shared Mrs. Diallo’s sentiments to turn Diallo’s death into something good.

“The culture in Africa is different from here. Here, people are all about revenge, but back home, it’s what can we do to improve what has already happened so we can cause someone to have another chance in life.

Sabir Manteen, an assistant professor in the department of accounting, taxation, and legal studies in business, said he was moved by the way Mrs. Diallo spoke of her son.

“She spoke about a side a of Amadou that wasn’t portrayed in the media. She shared a very human side of him. She has a gracefulness about her, despite her loss. I think that’s what touched me the most.”

Although Mrs. Diallo is glad that good can come out of her son’s death, she runs a tireless campaign to inform people that he was more than just a West African street vendor or a target of racial profiling.

“To everyone else, he was a symbol, but for me, he was my son.”

2003-12-12T02:23:00.000-05:00

Received Distinguished News Reporter Award at The Chronicle dinner on December 11, 2003.
Lord willing, that means I'm doing my job right and I'm doing it well.
By His grace. I could never be a journalist on my own. I have too much fear in me.
Although I do wonder if this profession that I'd devote myself to would ever kill me. I suppose that's my biggest fear. Digging too deep into a story and risking my life. It happens on occasion, I guess.
But if it's the Lord's Will for me to die disseminating the truth to an uneducated public, then so be it. My name doesn't need to be known, I don't need to be remembered, but if the effects are significant and long-lasting as a result, then praise the Lord! And if not, praise the Lord anyway! (not professional to praise the Lord is my journalism blog, but it's my blog so hey, I'll praise the Lord if I want -- He deserves it. I couldn't do anything without Him.)
Like Madonna said (scary, I know), "I am not the owner of my talents. I am just the manager of them. My talents flow through me." Questionable saying from Madonna (debatable as to whether or not you believe she has talent), but overall, an accurate quote that I agree with for anyone and everyone.

2003-12-11T01:58:00.000-05:00

Oh, and if perchance somebody happens to read this and the articles below, please let me know if you find a grammatical, spelling, or usage error according to the AP Style Guide and I will correct it immediately. I can be reached at SinlessGrace@yahoo.com. Thanks.

2003-12-11T01:35:00.000-05:00

Finished last article of the semester on how majors are instituted at the University.
Got in touch with 30something off of PCCBoard. He's a reporter/writer. Hopefully, he can give me some good, solid advice. Maybe even a little help.

2003-12-11T01:33:00.000-05:00

Beginning of new blog. Also have personal blog at LiveJournal. This will be professional, hopefully.

2003-12-10T03:43:00.000-05:00

Introduction of New Majors
720 words

The University’s attention to student demand for specialized majors has resulted in the introduction of three new majors: public relations in the School of Communication and Mass Media Studies, legal studies in business in the School of Business, and the physician assistant studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The two-year old programs are rapidly growing and represent the University’s effort to meet the need of students who want to major in a specialized field not currently offered.

However, the process to introduce a new major to the University does not happen overnight.

According to Dr. Herman A. Berliner, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, the submission of a proposal for a new major requires an evaluation of the current courses offered, rationale for offering the major, demand for the major, and a proposal of needed courses so that student pursuing the major receives a proper education.

Berliner explained: “The department looks at the proposal and decides whether they want to endorse it. Then it goes forward to the faculty in the school (a curriculum committee and then the full faculty), then passed in terms of the school or college. Afterwards, it is sent to the Provost’s office for approval and forwarded to the President’s Office. If the President is in approval, the proposal is submitted to New York State.”

Once the University has approved a major, it receives a hegis code, the official New York state registration code for a major. (This can be found on Page 384 of the 2003-2004 Undergraduate University Bulletin.)

“You cannot offer a major—any major—unless it’s registered by New York State,” Berliner said.

If a department or program is accredited, then the new major must also conform to the standards required by an outside accrediting agency.

“These reviews are positive for students because there’s always a check and balance to make sure that what’s being offered is, in fact, high-quality. You really have a lot of safeguards to know that a university will offer what it says it offers—and do it well,” Berliner said.

An old minor, business law (now renamed as legal studies in business), will be offered as a major in September 2004, according to Dr. Paul Warner, chairperson of the department of accounting, taxation, and legal studies in business.

“Students taking the business law minor asked about a business law major. We did some investigating and found business law offered at one or two other major business schools. So we went about to set up the major and the appropriate courses for it,” he said.

A new major can be instituted in as little as a year or take as long as even five years. According to Berliner, the average amount of time for a new major to take root is three years. Majors cannot be created and introduced overnight.

“The time involved really depends,” Berliner said. “There are some majors that I’ve seen develop within a year or two and there are others, which in fact, take five years. The process doesn’t take five years, but in thinking it through so that the major makes sense and that the courses are well-designed, that takes time.”

The legal studies in business major is one example of a specialized study that took about a year to obtain approval.

Dr. Warner said, “It took about a semester to go through the University and about six months through New York State.” Then he added, “That’s unusual. New York State can take up to a year or two to approve things.”

Religious studies is a new major being considered for the spring of 2005.

“We’re really excited about it,” Dr. Terry Godlove, chairperson of the department of philosophy and religious studies, said. “The introduction of the major may result in a free-standing department of religious studies. We have the demand for a religious studies major and with a new professor teaching Islam courses beginning next fall, we may have the faculty and resources to stand alone as a department. But it’s still in the talking stages, nothing’s set yet.”

The establishment of a major, however, does not preclude it from undergoing review or change.

Berliner said, “A major is always to some extent, under construction. People are always working on it to refine it and make it better.”

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2003-11-14T10:58:00.000-05:00

File-Sharing
1,101 words

As Pennsylvania State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology experimented with legal file-swapping services, questions were raised about how college students at the University would be able to legally access copyrighted music.

The University would consider a plan similar to Penn State’s new deal; however, student computing advisors have yet to hear from the people who would benefit from the service the most: students.

“We want student input on decisions. Students are now paying a technology fee, which gives us the option of bringing in a whole bunch of new services into the community. But I want to know what the students want before we build anything, therefore, we’re putting together a Student Advisory Group,” Laurie Harvey, associate dean of Student Computing Services and Help Desk, said.

According to an article in the New York Times this past week, Penn State has struck a deal with Napster in an attempt to legally allow students to have access to an unlimited number of music. The Napster service is provided through the $160 technology fee Penn State assesses each year. If students want to download songs for permanent use or to burn on to a CD, the fee would be 99 cents per son and $9.95 per album.

At MIT, two students tried to give students legal access to music by launching “LAMP” (Library Access to Music), according to a recent Associated Press Business article. LAMP, a library that contained its own music library, sent music over the school’s cable television network instead of allowing users to share files. The system was expected to face lower copyright law problems since it did not send CD-quality copies of songs. However, on October 31, MIT temporarily shut the system down as the licensing department of the National Music Publishers Association and MIT’s digital media vendor, Loudeye, ran into licensing problems.

Despite the recent buzz about colleges working with legal file-sharing services, Press Play, what has now been revived as Napster, offered the University its services last year. The University polled a number of students who tested the software and tried using the program to see if it fit their needs.

The resounding unanimous answer from those polled?

“They all flat-out said, ‘No,’” Harvey said. “There were some nice features in it, they liked the way that you could take the music with you and that it could be portable, but they didn’t like the range of music. So we didn’t even consider it. We polled students, gave the software to them, and let them try it. Then they gave us feedback and from their feedback, we made the decision ‘No, we’re not doing it.’”

However, when some students on campus were asked about the idea to bring a legalized version of file-sharing back on campus, they did not strongly object to it.

Josh Gellis, a freshman business management major, said, “I’d be for it. It doesn’t matter if they raised the technology fee a little. I’m happy with Kazaa right now, but I wouldn’t mind using Napster.”

Melanie Lonetto, a junior psychology major, agreed. “I think they should pay for Napster because kids are gonna download anyway so you might as well try to get them to do it legally.”

Haig Kilicyan, a senior finance and BCIS major, felt that as a commuter student it would not benefit him in any way. “I don’t have time to download songs. I’m hardly ever home. But I guess it would be good for people on campus.”

His friend, Réginald André, a former resident student, also did not mind a slight increase in the technology fee to accommodate such a server. “I think that it’s a good idea and it would be nice if it were an option. A slight increase is not asking too much.”

Several universities in Florida including Florida State University and Florida International University have decided to take an active role in preventing illegal file-sharing, according to a September article in the Miami Herald.

Florida State allowed computer technicians this past fall to narrow down large transmissions of files to a smaller bandwidth that would permit traffic jams in order to prevent recipients from downloading large files.

Also Florida International in the Miami-Dade county stipulated this year that students could not send a file larger than five megabytes or receive one larger than 13. Because songs tend to be around three to five megabytes, this could pose a significant hindrance to students attempting to swap music and movies.

While other colleges have taken measures to crack down on illegal file sharing, the University permits students to use such servers as Kazaa. However, the ability to use Kazaa on campus does not mean a University student escapes the watchful eyes of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

“Kazaa is not useful for people because it puts their system at risk, especially if they’re connected all the time. It’s illegal and it’s against U.S. federal law to share copyrighted material. When you check the box after you start up Kazaa that says, ‘Go ahead, share,’ you break the law by sharing,” Harvey explains.

When a person downloads or shares a song, not only is the IP address revealed, but the MAC (machine) address is revealed as well. The IP address can inform other users what internet service provider is being used and a MAC address is a unique “thumbprint” (as Harvey called it) that distinguishes a computer from all others. According to Harvey, if the RIAA traces the MAC and IP addresses, they can identify what a person is doing on the network and what they have downloaded.

“People think that the Internet is anonymous,” Harvey said. “And it’s not. They [the RIAA] have people scanning the network to see who’s breaking the law. And if the RIAA finds anyone from our University illegally downloading a song, we are by law, because we serve as an internet service provider, obligated to investigate any claims.”

Lonetto, however, feels that the RIAA is using the file-sharing network as a scapegoat. “It’s not really [the consumer’s] fault because managers and producers take most of the money and the artists barely get anything. They’re just blaming us so they don’t get in trouble.

Regardless of what students may think, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that sharing copyrighted material is illegal. As a result, the University will exert judicial action upon file-swappers who are nabbed.

“The first violation is a warning,” Harvey said. “After the second or third time, you could lose your Internet connection for the rest of the entire time that you attend Hofstra.”

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2003-09-24T18:53:00.000-04:00

Student Government Association (SGA) Meeting
300 words

“Our Blood Drive this year was a huge success,” President John Whitcomb of the Student Government Associated remarked. “I think we had 150 pints of blood donated, which was more than last year.”

The annual Blood Drive, club organizations, and discussion of students’ 700 numbers were a few of the many topics discussed at the Student Government Meeting on Tuesday, September 23rd.

As each committee presented their reports from their meetings, the Club Affairs committee noted that many clubs at the University had not filed their paperwork with the Student Government. President Whitcomb declared that any clubs that do not have their paperwork in by next week will be fined.

The Club Affairs meeting decided that the next Blood Drive would be held on November 5th.

The Rules Committee reported that the Hofstra Gentleman’s club was denied club status unanimously. “The Hofstra Gentleman’s club,” according to the Rules Committee minutes,” promoted the use of tobacco products and discrimination and conflicted with the purposes of several other clubs under SGA.” The National Society of Black Engineers, however, had been originally deactivated due to lack of membership, but were reactivated this semester pending full senate approval. Also, representatives wishing to start a new club, the Korean Students’ Association, presented their ideas about furthering the educational knowledge of Korean culture on campus. Their club was passed pending senate approval.

The Student Services Committee suggested ideas such as installing a traffic light across from the C.V. Starr building on California Avenue and subsidizing tickets for commuters from the New York City boroughs.

New delegates from each committee were elected and sworn in after each delegate gave a brief testimony as to why he should be elected to the Student Senate.

The next meeting of the Student Government Association will be held Monday, September 29.

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2003-09-01T20:30:00.000-04:00

Return to my LiveJournal at The Repressed Virgin Diaries.