THE MAY ISSUE
coming soon
Wednesday, April 28
Thursday, April 22
REST IN PEACE GURU
"One of the meanest and the cleanest
And still I'm kind of feindish when I'm at this
Been doin this for eons peons best to catch this
vision of excellence precise rappin ability"
Saturday, April 17
MARCH 4TH RALLY
March 4th Rally! Students discuss what happen and what’s happening now!
How was the rally? What is the atmosphere on CCNY's campus after the rally? Don't let the fight for public education stop was the word on CCNY's campus before and after the March 4th rally!
It was a beautiful day for a march; the sun was setting as student activists crossed the avenues of Manhattan with signs that read "NO BUDGET CUTS TO CUNY". In the middle of the March as students approached FIT students were stopped by a barricade that separated them from the front of march. Students could not hear the speeches and were cut off so that cars could go down 29th street and the rally could be suppresses or made to look less impactful. Student activist begged the police to let them over the barricade. The idea to jump over the gates and blocks was in the air but fear of being arrested discouraged students. One protestor encouraged everyone to go back and forth around the rally, soon after the police conceded and opened the gates. As the sun began to set, students were not allowed to enter FIT to fight for the student metro cards and cuts to transit. Cheers, such as, "Let Us In!" was heard throughout the streets. Students found them blocked again, this time trapped in front of FIT behind the barricades. Students began to push the gates and the police pushed back. The pushing continued until finally, again, they let us out but there was no way into FIT buildings. After the confusion the march ended. On the Wednesday after the march there was a post March 4th general activism meeting in the Hoffman Lounge. All student activists were invited to discuss what should be doing the next coming months and how students can support each other.
After the March 4 rally students, faculty and administrators from CCNY took a trip to Albany on March 9 to lobby for CUNY and SUNY. From City College, Davey Czyzyk from SER (Students for Educational Rights), Shannon Ayala from SEJ (Students for Environmental Justice and WE ACT @ CCNY (West Harlem Environmental Justice @ CCNY) and Lisa Lui from USG (Undergraduate Student Government) were students that went as well as Stanley Fritz, NYPIRG project coordinator.
On March 10th students from SER, ISO, SFJ, CAN, CARE, Convent Collective and NYPIRG as well as "independent parties" came together to discuss connecting, the education movement. The Undergraduate Student Government is making great efforts to engage students in the discussion of a proposal to raise the student activity fee. The momentum is continuing on campus as students continue to raise their voices in the fight for education.
Oronde Tennant
Students at CUNY heeded the call, in the face of tuition increases and continued large-scale budget cuts to our university, and organized with others around the city to stop the devastation of public education. With attempts to close 19 schools in New York City and to eliminate free student Metro Cards alongside the budget cuts, the problem is grave indeed.
Gov. David Paterson has proposed cuts of $104 million from CUNY, decreases in funding for the state’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), elimination of grants like the Vallone Scholarship, and tuition hikes of several hundred dollars. All of this comes on top of cuts of $160 million in the last two years, and a tuition increase of $600 last spring. He has also proposed the Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act, which would allow CUNY’s Board of Trustees, composed of numerous wealthy business people, to increase tuition rates as they please, without state authorization. These austerity measures were made particularly offensive in light of the fact that CUNY’s president Mathew Goldstein is receiving a $40,000 dollar raise, bringing his annual salary to $580,000, in addition to a 14% pay increase in November 2008.
In New York City, a citywide coalition of students from CUNY colleges as well as private universities such as NYU and the New School, teachers from the Grassroots Education Movement, MTA transit workers, and university staff took shape around the fight to stop the budget cuts. In addition to stopping budget slashes, the coalition demands that CUNY education be upgraded and made available to all high school graduates through reinstatement of open admissions policies. Furthermore, they demand the elimination of tuition fees, that resources for schools be increased not cut, and that school closings, teacher firings and pay cuts halt.
At City College, there was a steady simmer of activity leading up to March 4. As soon as the semester got going, an ad-hoc coalition of student groups, activist organizations, and students frustrated by the growing financial pressure on them began meeting weekly in the Morales-Shakur Center to plan out the campus activities on March 4th.
On March 4th, the group Students for Educational Rights (SER) held a musical event in the NAC rotunda to grab the attention of the student body for the downtown rallies. Other activist groups such as the International Socialist Organization tabled in the rotunda, and distributed flyers for a post-March 4th town hall meeting to keep momentum going. Many students stopped, curious to know what all the agitation was about. Some were not aware of the serious attacks to their education coming down the pike. Yet, after talking to activists about the cuts to CUNY, chanting with SER folks on the bullhorn, and writing their demands for education on a huge banner in the rotunda, about thirty students showed up to head downtown to the rallies. The group of protesters shouted “Who’s school?! Our school!” from campus to the train station. On the train, students solicited riders for support in their campaign to keep education accessible to all. They appealed to them to join the protest before gathering with the countless other New Yorkers around the city to defend our education.
It’s important to note that the actions at City College were good steps in opening up the budget cuts fight to a broader layer of the student body, though the turnout on March 4th, overall, was small. The weekly City College coalition meetings as well as the town hall and the Day of Action sharpened their political awareness, got students involved in organizing other students and communication and strategizing for unified action.
To keep up momentum and develop the movement at City College, we may look to the successes of student actions in California. UC students and staff are fighting back against a proposed 32% tuition increase for UC students and large-scale layoffs of university employees. In an economy as deeply troubled as America’s, there’s little likelihood that many of UC’s poor and working-class students will be able to stay in school if the already heavy tuition fees of $7,788 are raised to the proposed $10,280 next year.
At UC Santa Cruz, a student strike on March 4th shut down the campus for the entire day, energizing students on a mass level to take further action to defend their education. They did this with a small core of people who actively organized for months beforehand. Aside from successful militant actions last semester, this semester they created large study groups called “How to Win A strike,” discussing successful workers strike tactics from history. Strike Committee meetings were advertised publically, and began drawing new students long before March 4th. The organizers created a strike pledge campaign that committed countless students to join the strikers’ picket lines. They reached out in solidarity to student organizations and anti-racist groups on campus, and made connections to university unions on campus, without whom, they claim, the strike would not have been possible.
These are tactics that any and all student activists and organizers should look to emulate as the struggle heats up at CUNY. We have the power to get our education back, and that power must be organized.
Written by Sam Kimball
BANNED BOOKS
Compiled by Agnieszka Rybak
One, who assumes that times when certain books were prohibited from reading are long over, is mistaken.
In the year 1650 the first book was banned in America, things do not differ that much in the literature world aside from the fact that books became available in electronic form. But what books are banned or censored one may and should ask. Banned books are controversial books that are challenged by government, religious organizations and individuals.
In the past, these books were burned and, even, possessing them was seen as an act of betrayal or heresy, which was punished with death, torture, or prison time in some cases.
According to the American Library Association (ALA), in 2006, there were 546 attempts to ban books from the shelves. The attempts were formally written complaints filed in libraries or schools requesting the removal from shelves of certain books because of their claimed inappropriateness. The ALA also reported that so far books were usually challenged or banned based on political, religious, sexual, or social grounds.
The American Library Association reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2008 that out of 513 challenges the 10 most challenged titles were:
- And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to any age group
- His Dark Materials a trilogy, by Philip Pullman
Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence
- TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
- Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence
- Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, and violence
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group
- Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
- Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
Reasons: homosexuality and unsuited to age group
- The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
- Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
Reasons: sexually explicit and unsuited to age group
Although some titles we find today in libraries or in books stores are not considered controversial to you now, that might change soon. Without our intervention they might disappear from shelves forever because as soon as books are banned or challenged, they are not printed anymore and “magically” removed from shelves.
Therefore, the ALA every year, through its Banned Books Week event, encourages people, both young and adult to grab the banned books and get involved with the issue by staying inform, organizing a Banned Book event or spread the word about affairs. More ideas on how to get involved can be found on www.ala.org.
Thursday, April 15
HIP HOP OCCULT: AND WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON?
Written by Nathaniel Thomas
Since its creation, Hip Hop has introduced and incorporated many new trends, from shell-toed Adidas to iced out medallions. These have been represented by one of Hip Hop's elements, the rap genre. Over time, we have seen Hip Hop culture morph and shift into many “altered ego” states from the era of Black consciousness (i.e. Public Enemy) to its cinematic and underground Mafioso persona. As we've entered a new decade, Hip Hop has taken on a new persona, which is the mystery of the “occult”.
Hip Hop, at least for the last several months, has been heavily using occult symbolism as a form of stylistic creativity. We are bombarded with these symbols via music videos and fashion statements. Particular symbols consist of “the eye and pyramid,” secret hand gestures, the goat’s head (better known in the occult as the “baphomet”), and one symbol that is being heavily used—the skull and crossbones.
We see these occult symbols displayed on clothing items such as belts, hats, tee-shirts, and jackets. Also, these symbols have been a part of a brewing controversy because of their implementation, and the implications of their meaning, in recently released videos by Hip Hop artists such as Lil’ Wayne, Jim Jones, and especially Jay Z. In this article, I will briefly explain these occult symbols and then let you decide what’s really going on in Hip Hop.
When many people see or hear the word “occult”, they immediately associate it with the word “evil.” In order to understand the occult, we must understand its meaning. The world “occult,” by standard definition, means “hidden from view” or “secret.” So, for example, if someone is hiding secrets from you, he or she can be said to have “occult knowledge”.
To start by looking back in history, during the twelfth century, there was a cabal that originally consisted of nine men who were known as the Knights Templar. This “secret society” became extremely wealthy due to their protection services used by Kings and Popes. They would hold bizarre rituals to initiate new members into their organization, which consisted of blood sacrifices, sodomy, and one that even promised reviving a comrade who died during battle. To perform this ritual, the Templar believed that they only needed a person's skull and two bones crossed in order to resurrect him from the dead.
Many of the Knights Templar went underground to avoid being captured, beheaded, or burned at the stake. While in hiding, many of them decided to travel the seas to make their living. They become mercenaries of the sea, calling themselves “pirates.” Their mission was to raid other ships to ensure their wealth. These pirates became the most feared at sea because of their brutal force. They used intimidation and fear by incorporating the skull and two crossbones as their logo on a flag, raising it high enough for opposing ships to see.
To this day, there are organizations that claim to be descendents of the Knights Templar, such as the “Freemasons” and the infamous Yale University fraternity group which, by no coincidence, is named “Skull and Bones.” Skull and Bones is a secret society referred to by some as the American version of the “Illuminati”. It is rumored that they simulate the same bizarre rituals for new initiates.
The skull and bones symbol was first adopted by heavy metal/rock bands. It became controversial when its exposure by the Hip Hop culture was seen in part as some sign of allegiance, but to whom remains a secret. So, is it a mere coincidence that in Jay Z’s video “On To the Next One,” there’s a person dressed in an all-white costume holding swords representing a Knight Templar? Can Hip Hop be sending a message and alerting us that the “secret” is finally out? Or can this just be another endeavor to add to Hip Hop’s creativity?
Another occult symbol displayed in Hip Hop is the “all-seeing eye” and pyramid. These symbols have also been used to also show allegiance to some sort of “movement” going on in Hip Hop. For years we thought that Jay Z’s Rocafella records hand gesture was the symbol of a diamond shape. It turns out to be a representation of a pyramid with the person using the left eye to look through it. The “all-seeing eye” can also be found on the back of the one dollar bill and on such corporate logos as AOL Time Warner and Columbia Broadcasting Station.
In ancient Egyptian mythologies, the eye is present in the stories of Isis, Osiris, Set and Horus (also known as Ra). It was also used in such secret societies as the Freemasons, the Ordo Templi Orientis, the Order of the Golden Dawn, and the infamous Illuminati.
If we go back to the lyrics of Mobb Deep's Prodigy on L.L. Cool J’s hit “I Shot Ya,” what was Prodigy talking about when he said “secret societies trying to keep an eye on me,” and what “eye” was he referring too? Also, why do so many rap artists implement the Rocafella hand gesture even if they are not affiliated with the label? Even those who are not affiliated with Hip Hop throw up this gesture, such as Bill Gates and Madonna.
Aleister Crowley, the most famous occultist, has a well-known quote—“Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law”—that was printed on the sweat hoody Jay Z was wore on the set of his “Run this Town” video and at Yankee Stadium. Crowley's work also adopted the all-seeing eye and pyramid symbols, as well as the hand gesture depicting a goat's head, know as the “baphomet”. We have seen the baphomet gesture used by such Hip Hop artists as Kanye West, Beyonce, Rhianna, Jim Jones, and again, Jay Z.
So what do all these symbols mean? What are they trying to tell us? Or better yet, what are we not supposed to know? It’s easy for us to say that it’s no secret because these symbols are displayed now almost everywhere in Hip Hop. The secret is not the symbols themselves but it’s the meanings behind these symbols that are the most important. Surprisingly, it may not be intended for us to know. Like Jay Z said, “It’s a secret society; all we ask is trust…”FLASHBACK
Because we strive to connect past lessons with today's struggles, we are thrilled to announce a new feature in our publications --the FLASHBACK! For each issue, we will reprint articles and photographs from the The Tech News and The Paper archives which are housed in our own Cohen Library. We encourage our readers to respond to these blasts from the past, build on their legacies, and spread the word about our college's amazing political history.
INNOCENCE LOST
Written by Sarah Al Motairi
Photograph by Beverly T. Meneses
The time is 3:30 pm and school is out. As I walk the streets of my neighborhood, Kingsbridge Heights, I am taken over by sadness and disappointment. Sadness directed at our youth and disappointment directed at our adults. Ten minutes into my walk I witnessed a teenage boy smoking a joint behind a U Haul van, a teenage boy shoving a teenage girl forcefully (even though playfully) in the chest, a girl rapping vulgarly about her vagina and a boys penis, a young boy (must have been 10 or 11) trying to touch a young girls behind, the word M%&$#^ F%&#$%^ is heard by almost every child and a young teenage girl in Starbucks is bawling her eyes out to her friend about her boyfriend pressuring her into sex.
As a teenager I was a rowdy young thing, somewhat of a bully and most definitely a rebel. However, I possessed a teen’s innocence, the innocence of a child. Other than trying to curse every now and then or trying to meet with a boy I was interested from time to time (which I hardly got away with because my parents were hawks in nature), my mind was focused on fun activities like sports, girlfriend hangouts, writing and school.
Now as an adult, I look into the eyes of our youth and see pain, sadness, unnecessary responsibility and emptiness. I see hyper sexualized boys and sexually objectified girls. I see babies with babies. I see boys lashing out in anger towards one another. I see girls disrespecting their minds and bodies. I see boys disrespecting girls and girls disrespecting boys. I see emptiness. I see aimlessness. I see hopelessness. I see shamelessness. I see adults trapped in youngins’ bodies wishing they could escape; yet, still believing they are grown enough to pave the way to success. And, some don’t care to be successful or even know what that means beyond a catchy song.
I see mothers smiling proudly at an ill mannered young child whose voice is unpleasant and rude to others around. I see fathers neglecting their parental roles totally avoiding being a father or physically present but not mentally there. I witness parents being friends to their children rather than disciplinarians. Today’s youth is lost but not to their own fault. How is a child to direct him/herself when he/she lacks the most crucial thing, a role model to follow and respect?
I remember when I was young it took a village to raise a child. If a child misbehaved the whole community stepped in to educate and direct that one child. The worst parts of American culture seem to dictate new standards to our adults and youth alike. The worst parts of American culture seem to have removed the innocence from our youth; forcing them into an adult-like roles at a very young age. Who is to blame? Parents? Media? Technology? The education system? Our youth? Freedom? An exaggerated form of freedom? Or is it all of these combined?
I do not write this to judge or blame but rather to find solutions; solutions to help our youth heal today, so they can lead tomorrow. I write this with love. I believe that our youth are only as strong as our adults. However, I ask when today’s’ babies are having babies and parents are no longer parents, how our next generation becomes a Barack Obama, a Sonya Sotomayor, or their own version of an educated, respectful and successful adult?
HAS NOT LEFT THE BUILDING
A plethora of racial slurs are hurled across the cover of this issue of The Paper for a reason. It is an attempt to raise emotion as well as critical analysis in all the people of varying ethnicities who say the words nigga, nigguh, and nigger. Why are all of these slurs so striking, so hurtful, and the potential brunt of responsive anger? I am told nigga is just a word, so why are these words different?
Black people, in using the N-word, remain the only race to embrace a terrible slur thtat disgraces our elders and say "it's not meant like that." Every time I hear a group of people complacently using the term, I get as upset as one who may be looking at the cover of The Paper right now. I shake with rage and violent thoughts cross my mind, which I imagine others feel when they hear slurs against their own people. It is especially disappointing that my Black American peers, who are only getting older, have allowed such a disrespectful term to exist in mainstream culture.
As a peer said to me recently, " the white supremacists are laughing" each time this word is used. I find refuge in quiet rooms an the company of people who just dont speak this way, but why should I have to stay away from public areas, including spaces around this College, just to reduce my chances of being assaulted with this violent word? I find it humiliating that in an institution of learning, so many people are comfortable calling each other this. No matter what the intention, it is a violent word!
Defintions:
Niggardly: meanness, cowardly, stingy
Niggling: petty and annoying
Although these words are etymologically different from nigger, let's remind ourselves of the power of words in reinforcing behavior. I urge my fellow Black Americans to change saying the word nigga to brother, or even better, KING for a week and see if you notice any difference. You may notice how often you actually used the disgraceful word and how interchangeable it has become. You may also notice how using other words --uplifting words --with each other can potentially transform our community.
Humans are so creative yet we are recycling a word historically used by raping, murderous slave catching monsters? We can't come up with anything else?
So what importance does The Paper have addressing the use of racial slurs on our City College campus? Two years earlier, I published my first article here, which was entitled: "Say No to Saying NIGGA!" Then I began a series called Authorized use of The N-Word, which saw its last installment in The Paper last semester. Alarmingly, in September 2009 I received a call from the police commisioner's community liasion, inquiring about a hate crime that occurred on campus specifically directed at African Americans. And now, even more recent news this seemester of abuses and violent behaviors attached to this word has demanded I write something in this issue.
A common response from "pro niggahs" is to say the derogatory word was nigger and what is being said now is nigga. Think analytically when reading history and you will realize the White people of the time who were auctioning, buying, and selling people also had different accents. You would not have simply heard all saying nigger, some would have also said nigguh and nigga.
Antoher response is that I use it "with my friends," yet you can hear the same person describing enemies and even specifing "they want niggas" to mean African Americans! The pain attached to this word is not obsolete. Congressman John Lewis provides an example of one recently assaulted with the term, and knowing how long he has been a Black man in the U.S. it surely was not the first time.
I realize others take permission from African Americans to use it. There is a rich history of immigrant struggles in the U.S. demanding from America the rights we all share. Yet many display disregard for the unique Black American history that allows us all to move freely in this country. They will use the word as often and in front of whomever they please as loudly as possible and then say "I'm not Black" or even "I hate Black people". Do people consider the depths to which these niggas struggled for all of us?
My aim here is to highlight America's history and current conditions that are uniquely prejudicial towards African Americans. Part of that system is represented in all uses of nigga.
Only if I say words like those on the cover do people scorn and attack me. No one cares if I say nigga but somehow these other words remain where they should be: FORBIDDEN.
The Editors at The Paper welcome continued dialogue on the matter.
ONE & ONE COMMUNICATION: SAVE A LIFE
The month of April is National Organ Donation Awareness Month. This is the month One & One Communications will reach the diverse CCNY community through the SAVE THE LIFE event, in hopes of inspiring and making a difference in the lives of those waiting to live a better one. The focus of the May 5th SAVE A LIFE event is to come together, learn facts on organ donation through inspiring stories and address misconceptions on organ donation. There will also be opportunities to play games to test and enhance your knowledge. You will have the chance to WIN a prize and most importantly the opportunity to register as an organ donor and SAVE A LIFE.
One & One Communications is a student-run AD/PR agency at The City College. The agency has come together to communicate, educate and inspire the student community on the topic of organ donation and its impact on our society. One & One Communications' main goal is to provide help and support to our client --The New York Organ Donor Network While partnering with NYODN, One & One Communications strives to address the dire need that New York State has to increase the number of organ and tissue donors by registering students and faculty members within the CCNY campus.
The New York Organ Donor Network serves 13 million people who live in the greater New York metropolitan area of NYC, Long Island, and the northern counties up to Poughkeepsie. Currently, 18 people die every day while waiting for a transplant of a vital organ. As so February 26, 2010, there were 106,179 people on the national waiting list (Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network). In the New York State, more than 9,300 people need life-saving organ transplants and only 7,500 people are listed as organ donors. The number of people waiting for organ transplants continues to climb each year at a faster rate, while the number of organ donors remains lower which only highlights the calamity of the situation.
It is important for New York State residents to understand the vgalue of organ donation especially to people of color. Did you knkow that Native Americans are four times more likely than Caucasians to suffer from diabetes? Or that African American, Asian, and Hispanic people are three times more likely than Ccaucasians to suffer from kidney disease? Also, many African Americans have high blood pressure (hypertension) which can lead to kidney failure (U.S. department of Health & Human Services). Asking someone to become an organ donor is not easy. When people hear about organ donation, they are quite skeptical to participate because of the rumors and urban legends they hear and are not true.
Some of the most common misconceptions are:
- If someone agrees to donate their organs, the attending physician or emergency room staff won't try to save his/her life.
- Organ donation is against practiced religion.
- If organs are donated -- an open-casket funeral will not be possible
- Poor health and/or weak eyesight excludes the individual from donating his/her organs or tissues.
- The rich and powerful always seem to move to the front of the line when they need an organ donor. There's no way to ensure that my organs will go to those who've waited the longest or are the neediest.
*One Donor...
- Can donate kidneys to free two pepople from the dialysis treatments needed to sustain life.
- Can save the lives of patients awaiting heart, liver, lung, or pancreas transplants.
- Can give sight to two people through the donation of corneas.
- Can donate bone to help repair injured joints or to help save an arm or leg threatened by cancer or other illness.
- Can help burn victims heal more quickly through donation of skin, and provide healthy heart valves for someone whose life is threatened by malfunctioning or diseased valves.
- Can give more than 50 people a second chance at life!
A New York City resident and just one of the many people in our communities who have given the generous gift of life to someone through organ and tissue donation. At the age of 18, Ms. Woods donated one of her kidneys to her grandmother, Wiletta Richardson, who was then 73 and on dialysis.
According to Tasminea: "If there is a way that you can save a life and still live a healthy life of your own, then why not give it a try? It is well worth it."
Like Ms. Woods, you can mamke a decision today to save the life of a friend, family member, or complete stranger.
Article Compiled by ONE & ONE COMMUNICATION
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