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RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’Tommy WyattTommy WyattTommy WyattTommy WyattTommy Wyatt

Vol. 41 No.34 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: vil3202@aol.com January 10, 2014

Austin Says Goodbye to LegendAustin Says Goodbye to LegendAUSTIN, TX - On

Christmas day of 2013,Austin, Texas lost a Leg-end. Rev. Dr. Marvin C.Griffin passes away atthe age of 90. For morethan 4 decades, Griffinhas been a leader in theAustin community as aPastor, School Board of-ficial, and communityactivist.

He was the pastorof the historic EbenezerBaptist Church for 42years. He was electedto the Austin SchoolBoard early in his careerin Austin. During histenure, he became thefirst Black President ofthe Board. He was acommunity leaderknown for participationin all areas of the com-munity.

Under Griffin’sleadership, Ebenezerfounded the East Aus-tin Economic Develop-ment Corporation.Through this organiza-tion, much of the foun-

dation was laid for theredevelopment of EastAustin. Ebenezer alsoexpanded it Day Careand Child Developmentcenter, built an officebuilding, and a SeniorCitizen Housing devel-opment. Griffin and agroup of East Austincitizens formed the East11th Street Village Asso-ciation. This groupwrote the plans thatchanged the zoning forE. 11th Street that led tothe redevelopment ofthe street and surround-ing area.

He was a statewidepolitical activist. Heworked with the UnitedPolitical Action (UPO)group on political cam-paigns. He was ap-pointed by Gov. John B.Connally to the TexasSouthern UniversityBoard of Regents. Grif-fin was delegated to the1968 Democratic Na-tional Convention inChicago.

Griffin, a state andnational religious leaderwas laid to rest on Sat-urday, January 4, 2014.He was preceded indeath by his wife Loisand daughter Gaynelle

Griffin Jones.Griffin is survived

by two daughters,Marva Griffin Carterand Ria Griffin, and ahost of family membersand friends.

Rev. Dr. Marvin C. Griffin

BEVO HOOKS STRONGBEVO HOOKS STRONG

HOOK’EM UP - Texas president Bill Powers (left), newly hired Texas Longhorns head football coach Charlie Strong (centered)and newly hired athletics director Steve Patterson (right) hold up the Hook’em horns sign at the end of Monday's press conference.Strong is UT’s first Black head football coach in the school’s history. (Villager News)

By Shirley A. Hammond,Villager Columnist and

Author

AUSTIN - Auburnlabors under the factthat they have a mysterycoach, but UT-Austindecisively announcedtheir new football coach,Charlie Strong, in aJanuary 6th press confer-ence. Strong hails fromBatesville, Arkansasand most recentlyserved as coach at theUniversity of Louisville.He is UT’s first African-

American footballcoach. UT alum, stu-dents and fans bleed or-ange, and it looks likeStrong feels that thecolor holds significantimportance, as well.During the conferencehe said, “I don’t everwant to look at it as be-ing the first,” Strongsaid. “I just want to lookat it as I’m a coach, andthat’s the way I want tobe treated.”

In more than eightmonths, supporters andskeptics alike will beginto see what Strong is ca-pable of as he hopefullyleads the team into res-urrecting their champi-onship status. To hiscredit is Coach of theyear (twice). In addition,his leadership of theUniversity of Louisvilleprogram has resulting

in the posting of at least11 wins in each of thelast two seasons, a pairof Big East ConferenceChampionships, the sta-tus as the country’swinningest teams, andfour straight bowl gameappearances with a 3-11record.

Strong has amassed31 years of collegiatecoaching, including de-fensive coordinator andassistant coach posi-tions. He was a finalistfor the Broyles Awardthree times. In 1996, theBroyles Award was es-tablished to recognizethe dedication and hardwork of the college foot-ball assistant coach.

A married manwith two daughters, it

See Bill Powers onCharlie Strong,

page 2

Air Force ReserveAirman Danielle N.Franco-Denmon gradu-ated from basic militarytraining at Joint BaseSan Antonio-Lackland,San Antonio, Texas.

The airman com-pleted an intensive,eight-week programthat included training inmilitary discipline andstudies, Air Force corevalues, physical fitness,and basic warfare prin-ciples and skills.

Airmen whocomplete basic trainingearn four credits toward

an associate in appliedscience degree throughthe Community Collegeof the Air Force.

Franco-Denmonis the daughter of Mar-garet and ClydeDenmon of Austin. Sheis a 2005 graduate ofLyndon B. JohnsonHigh School, Austin.She earned an associatedegree in 2010 fromAustin Community Col-lege.

Danielle N. Franco-Denmon

LBJALUMNUS

TURNSAIRMAN

LBJALUMNUS

TURNSAIRMAN

Welcome toAustin,

Coach Strong!! Unless you have been ina coma for the last week, youknow that the University ofTexas has just hired a newfootball coach to replacecoach Mack Brown. The new coach is CharlieStrong, former head coachat the University ofLouisville. And whileLouisville is known as abasketball school, Strong hashad at least 11 wins in eachof the last two seasons anda number of other accom-plishments. But, now he willtake on one of his greatestchallenges of his 31 yearcoaching career. And that isnot just winning games forThe University of Texas(UT), but he will also havethe challenge of making theUT Boosters happy. Andthat will be a greater chorethan winning games on thefield. He has already had ataste of that. Red McComb,one of the universities strongsupporters has already comeout to criticize the decision.And there are others waitingin the wings. You can believethat McComb is not the onlybooster who is not happywith the decision. Coach Strong will beunder a microscope nextseason. U T fans do not takekindly to their school notwinning conference champ-ionships or lack ofconsideration for the bigshow. However, he will havethe support of President BillPowers and newly hiredAthletic Director StevePatterson. Powers recently took onthe U T Board of Regentswho were threatening toremove him and he won thatfight. He has also supportedGregg Vincent in his supportof the minority communitiesof the city who have longbeen treated as outsiders inthe city. Under the leadershipof Powers and Vincent,these communities arebeginning to feel like theycan give their full support toUT. Coach Strong will havethe full support of the Austincommunity in his effort tomove UT back to the frontin both the Big 12Conference and the NationalChampionship.

Inspiring speakerscommemorate

Dr. King’s legacy ofpeace and unity.See ORATORY

Page 6

21 year vet O’Brien,named head coachin NFL franchise.See TEXANS

Page 7

Manor ISD places1st in Texas scholarattendance face off.

See EXCELPage 2

Page 2 ~ January 10, 2014/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

THE COMMUNIQUÉ

would appear thatStrong had exposure toand knowledge of Texasbefore he became acoach candidate.

At the press confer-ence held on Monday,January 6 to announcethe hiring of this 29th UTAustin head footballcoach, he spoke after theuniversity’s athletic di-rector and president of-fered their words.

After explainingthe benchmarks they es-tablished for head coachcandidates, athletic di-rector Steve Pattersonstated, “So we’re ex-cited to have Charliejoin us here. He meetsall those criteria, and welook forward to manyyears of success, hope-

fully with Charlie herefor the long haul.”

UT President BillPower followed withsimilar words of affir-mation. “Throughoutthis process, it’s beenclear that we’ve beenlooking for a coach whocan win, and Charlie hasshown that, but winwith integrity. That’swhat we’ve found inCharlie. There is noquestion he’s a winner.” He spoke of Strong’samazing transformationof the Louisville foot-ball program into achampionship team.Added Power, “His tal-ents as a coach are trulyevident. More impor-tant than that, he el-evated the football pro-

gram while increasinggraduation rates, devel-oping a culture rootedin academic success.”

Strong, who gradu-ated from the Universityof Central Arkansas,

foretold the future ofthe Texas Longhornsand mentioned his in-sight into what he justsigned up for andwhose footsteps he fol-lows in. “I am so thrilled

and fortunate to be thehead coach here at theUniversity of Texas tocontinue the traditionbuilt by so many greatcoaches includingCoach Royal and CoachBrown. I can’t wait toget started because atthe University of Texas,I want to make sure thatwe build and representthe tradition and the his-tory of this greatprogram. We will worklike its fourth-and-oneor fourth-and-inchesmore than that andmake sure our TexasExes are so happy withthe product that we puton the field. A programthat has won four na-tional titles, it’s time toput the program back

on the national stage.”The former football

player complimentedthose who stood in thesame shoes in the past,as well as those whonow share his status asa coach in the Lone Starstate. He said, “Nation-ally, the Texas highschool coaches areking. My staff and I willbe committed to closingthe borders on this greatstate and making themrealize that this is theirprogram. We’ll recruitwith fire, and we’ll re-cruit withpassion. We’re devotedto making Austin thestate capitol for collegefootball as well as thestate capitol of thisstate.”

New UT Head Football Coach Charlie Strong

UT President Bill Power on Coach Charlie Strong: “There Is No Question He’s A Winner!”CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

State Library andArchives Open for

Research onSecond SaturdaysAdditional Hours Begin January 2014

AUSTIN – Familyhistorians, scholars, stu-dents and others inter-ested in what is behindthe ornate brass doors ofthe Lorenzo de ZavalaState Archives and Li-brary Building just eastof the State Capitol willsoon have more oppor-tunities for discovery.

Beginning this Sat-urday, January 11, theTexas State Library andArchives Commission(TSLAC) will expand itshours of operation tobetter accommodate re-searchers. The agency’sthree public service ar-eas – the Texas State Ar-chives, Texas FamilyHeritage Research Cen-ter, and the Referenceand Information Center– will be open from 9a.m. to 4 p.m. the secondSaturday of each month.

Maintaining the of-ficial history of Texasgovernment, the StateArchivesincludes archi-val government records

A sample from the Texas State Archives - Thisoriginal color design sketch by Peter Krag showsthe flag and seal for the Republic of Texas. It wasapproved on January 25, 1839, and signed on thetop by Mirabeau Lamar, President of the Republicof Texas; John M. Hansford, Speaker of the TexasHouse of Representatives; and David Burnet, Presi-dent of the Texas Senate. Image courtesy of theTexas State Library and Archives Commission.

dating back to the 18thcentury, as well asnewspapers, journals,books, manuscripts,photographs, historicalmaps, and other histori-cal resources.

In addition to pub-lished resources in theTexas Family HeritageResearch Center, usershave full access to thepopular genealogicalweb resources includingAncestry, Fold3 andHeritage Quest.

The Reference andInformation Centerhouses almost 2 millionfederal and Texas stateagency publications.

“Many peoplewant to access ourunique collections butare unable to visit dur-ing our regular businesshours,” said State Archi-vist Jelain Chubb. “Webelieve these additionalhours on the second Sat-urday of each month,along with our quar-terly Genealogy After

Dark programs, willmake our materialsmore accessible to alarger audience.”

Regular businesshours are Mondaythrough Friday from 8:00a.m. to 4:45 p.m.The li-brary is closed on mostfederal holidays. Re-searchers using originaldocuments in the StateArchives for the first timewill be required to regis-ter and must presentvalid photo identifica-tion and proof of currentaddress.

To learn moreabout TSLAC’s collec-tions and agency opera-tions, please visitwww.ts l . texas .gov.Questions concerningSecond Saturdays maybe addressed toreference.desk@tsl.texas.gov.All are invited to followTSLAC on online atwww.facebook.com/tslac and on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/tslacfor posts highlightingphotos, maps, docu-ments and more fromthe agency’s collections.

(Manor, TX) ManorISD, in partnership withthe E3 Alliance and GetSchooled, are proud toannounce Manor ExcelAcademy as the CentralTexas Region highSchool winner of theGraduate for Más FallAttendance Challenge.Nationwide, Manor Ex-cel Academy placed 19th

out of all participatingmiddle and highschools. The Challengewas a friendly ten weekcompetition to rally stu-dents to improve atten-dance and stay focusedon education. More than135,000 students par-ticipated nationally inthe 2013 Fall AttendanceChallenge.

Manor Excel Acad-emy is a state-of-the-artaccelerated diplomaprogram with a strongfocus on providing sup-port for non-traditionalstudents to succeed andbecome college ready.The student population

is comprised of 80% atrisk students who facemany life challengesthat make a traditionalschool difficult for themto succeed in. Throughthe use of technologyand focused and effec-tive support services,students are providedwith the skills, re-sources and opportuni-ties they need to com-plete their high schoolstudies and set goals forsuccess after gradua-tion.

Manor Excel Acad-emy will be celebratingtheir accomplishmentwith a school-widelunch catered by TacoBell followed by liveD.J. school dance partyon Wednesday, January8th from 11:15 a.m. –12:30 p.m. The Schoolwill also be accepting aprize of $5000.

Manor High Schoolalso finished 40th nation-

Manor ExcelAcademy Wins HighSchool AttendanceChallenge - 1st inCentral Texas,

19th in U.S.

17-year old and current high school studentDarrell Harris aspires to be a Hip-Hop artist

See HARRIS, page 5

Search Begins for the Next Teen, Miss and Mrs. Austin 2014Do your New

Year’s resolutions in-clude becoming abetteryou and making adifference in your com-munity? Have you everdreamed of one daywearing a sparklingcrown and sash to put asmile on a child’s faceand bring awareness toa cause close to yourheart? The InternationalPageant System recog-nizes ladies across thestate, from teens tomisses to marriedwomen, for their accom-plishments and theirdesire to make a differ-ence.

The search is onand applications arenow being accepted forthe titles of Miss TeenAustin, Miss Austinand Mrs. Austin Interna-tional 2014. These

women will have thehonor of representingtheir area at the TexasInternational Pageant tobe held at the GranvilleArts Center in the Dal-las, Texas, area March14th-16th. A new MissTeen Texas Interna-tional, Miss Texas Inter-national and Mrs. TexasInternational will becrowned then, kick-starting a year unlikeany other for the luckyladies who will repre-sent Texas, wearing themost beautiful crown inthe Lone Star State.

“The Texas Interna-tional system is some-thing that dads and hus-bands can be proud oftheir daughters andwives participating in,”said Rachel Hedstrom, TEXAS-SIZED HONOR - Samantha Riddle is

crowned Miss Texas International 2013. (ArcusMedia)

See WHO WILL BE,page 5

www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/January 10, 2014 ~ Page 3

CHURCH & TOWN BULLETIN

Ebenezer Baptist Church1010 East 10th Street 512-478-1875 Fax 512-478-1892

Sunday Services Worship Service 8:00 A.M. Sunday School 9:00 A.M. Discipleship Training 10:00 A.M. Worship Service 11:00 A.M.

WednesdayMidweek Prayer Service 7:00 P.M.Child Development CenterAges 0-5 years (Daily) 512-478-6709

Bus Ministry Call 512-478-1875

Dr. Ricky Freeman, Pastor

True Hope Apostolic ChurchThe Apostle Gerald E. Loveless, Senior Pastorwww.thcm.org

8863 Anderson Mill Rd.Austin, TX 78653

512-744-5851 Cell

512-547-HOPE Church

512-767-4979Assistant, Elder Walker

St. Peter’s United Methodist Church 4509 Springdale Road Austin, Tx 78723

Office 512- 926-1686 Fax 512-929-7281Christian Web Site-

stpetersaustintx.ning.comstpetersaustintx@att.net

THE PLACE WHERE WE STEP OUT ON FAITH.COME AND STEP OUT ON FAITH WITH US

Sunday School 8:45 a.m. Praise and Worship 10:15 a.m.Wednesday Bible Study 12:00 p.m.

and Praise /Bible Study 6:30 p.m.(to include Children’s Choir Rehersaland

Bible Study with age appropiate Activities)

Rev. Jack C. Gause Pastor

Agape Baptist ChurchIn “The Centre” Bldg. F-15 7801 N. Lamar Blvd. (SE Corner of N Lamar and 183)

AGAPE is a chuch for all people. “Where Jesus Christ is Magnified and the love Heexhibited is Exemplified.” Come, receive God’s unconditional lovefor you.

For there is no greater love!

Church ServicesSunday School 9:30 AMSunday Worship 11:00 AM

Mid-Week Service Thursday: Praise,Prayer and Bible Study 7:00 PMCall 454-1547 for Transporation

Website www.agapebcaustintx.orgRev. H. Ed Calahan

Pastor

Imani Community ChurchDavis Elementray Auditorium 5214 West Duval Road

Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Worship Service 10:00 A.M.•Power Hour Bible Life Group 6:00 P.M.

Imani Complex & Office,11800 Mustang at Duval Austin, Texas 78727

Visit:imanichurch.comOffice: 512-343-9300Rev. Dr. Jacquelyn Donald-Mims

Damon LuckettSales Consultant

Charles Maund Toyota8400 Research Blvd.

P.O. Box 1608Austin, TX 78758

(512) 458-2222damon_luckett@

charlesmaundtoyota.com

7801 N. Lamar Blvd,Suite D 102,

Austin, Texas 78752

Worship: Sunday--10:00 am - 12:30 pm

Tuesday Bible Studies--7:30pm - 9:00 pmFriday Prayers--7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

The Church of Pentecost, USA Inc,Austin offers a wide variety of opportuni-ties for children, youth, adults, and olderadults to be involved in worship, spiritualgrowth, education, community outreach,and making a tangible difference to thosein need in our community. You too, canmake a positive difference in our commu-nity through your prayers, your presence,your gifts, your service, and your witness.Tel: 512 302-1270

Leading People to Experience God’s Love, Know Jesus Christ & Grow in His Image

The Church of Pentecost

Olive Branch Fellowship of Austin / All Faith Chapel4110 Guadalupe St Bldg #639 Austin, TX 78751

Sunday MorningWorship @ 11: am

Romans 5:1 Therefore,having beenjustified by faith, we have peace

with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

This life, therefore, is not righteous-ness, but growth in righteousness; not health,but healing; not being, but becoming; not rest,but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be,but we are growing toward it. The process isnot yet finished, but it is going on. This is notthe end, but it is the road. All does not yetgleam in glory, but all is being purified.

--- Martin Luther

Kenneth Hill, Pastor

DOUBLE

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450l East Martin Luther King Blvd.

*We cash ALL Tax Refund*Checks *Check Out

1179 San Bernard Street,Austin, TX 78702, 512-478-7023

Sunday Morning Bible Study, 9:00 A.M.Sunday Morning Worship, 10:15 A.M.

Visit our website @ www.obcaus.org

Globalizing the Gospel

A Ministry That Ministers

Edward M. Fleming,Sr. Pastor

OLIVET BAPTISTCHURCH

The bills don’t stop whenyou’re sick or hurt and

have no income statefarm.com

INSURANCE THAT IS!

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State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

*Home Office: Bloomington, Illinois

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

SpearsSpearsSpearsSpearsSpearsLaLaLaLaLawwwww

spears.law@aol.com

Felix Bamirin, Pastor

GRACEWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCHExperience Grace For Life

(By Parmer Lane Baptist Church building, behind Wells Fargo)

Call: 682.472.9073 l Email: gracewayaustin@aol.com lVisit: www.gracewaycca.org

JOIN US This SUNDAY / THURSDAY@ 12424 Scofield Farms Drive, Austin, TX 78758

SUNDAYS 10:30 A.M., THURSDAYS 7:30 P.M.

Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church 5900 Cameron Road Austin, Texas 78723-1843

(512) 451-0808 (512) 302-4575 Fax Web Site - www.themount.net

WORSHIP SERVICESSunday Worship - 7:45 a.m. & 11 a.m.Church School - 9:45 a.m.Bible Studies - Mon, 6:30 p.m. & Wed., 12 noonWednesday Night Worship - 7 p.m.

“Ministries For Mankind” Luke 4:18

A.W.. Anthony Mays, Senior Pastor

Wes SpearsAttorney Personal Injury,

Criminal andFamily Law

512-696-2222512-687-3499

401 Congress AvenueAustin, Texas, 78701

Suite 1540

*Austin and Kileen | *Principal Office

30 Years Experience

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VILLAGER

HT’s AnnualLecture

to AddressDivine Calling

inWork and Life

(AUSTIN, Texas) —“Vocare: The Art of Lis-tening for Divine Call-ing in Work and Life”will be addressed dur-ing the Seventh AnnualHuston-Tillotson Uni-versity Bishop E.T.Dixon Lecture that willbe held on Thursday,Jan. 30, 2014, from 2 p.m.to 3:30 p.m. on the cam-pus in the Agard-Lovinggood Audito-rium, 900 Chicon Street.Rev. Bridgette YoungRoss, Assistant GeneralSecretary for CollegiateMinistries, Division ofHigher Education at theGeneral Board ofHigher Education andMinistry, will use bibli-cal principles and herlife’s journey in sales,marketing, and humanresources in corporateAmerica to her currentwork in the ministry to

Rev.Bridgette Young Ross

relate the topic to thoseseeking answers to theirpurpose in life. Her giftalso includes equippingyoung people to hearGod’s calling throughher passion for teaching,spiritual nurturing, andChristian formation.

Ross is a liaison toThe United MethodistCampus Ministry Asso-ciation, and the Na-tional Association ofCollege and UniversityChaplains and CollegeUnion. Prior to her cur-rent positions, Rossserved for nine years atEmory University as theSenior Associate Deanof the Chapel and Reli-gious Life, and for twoyears as the Director ofthe Wesley Foundationat Georgia Tech. She isan ordained Elder of theNorth Georgia AnnualConference of TheUnited MethodistChurch and served invarious local churchand conference appoint-ments before answeringthe particular call to bein ministry on the col-lege campus.

A native of Chi-cago, Illinois, Rossearned a Bachelor of Sci-ence degree in BusinessManagement from the

Illinois Institute of Tech-nology, a Master ofBusiness Administra-tion degree from theUniversity of NorthCarolina at Chapel Hill,and a Master of Divin-ity from Gammon Theo-logical Seminary at theInterdenominationalTheological Center.

Dixon, for whichthe lecture is named, isone of two HT graduatesto receive “bishop” sta-tus. He graduated ma-gna cum laude fromwhat was SamuelHuston College in 1943before earning a degreefrom Drew TheologicalSeminary. He servedthe church and commu-

nity in numerous posi-tions while establishinginnovative programsbefore and after becom-ing president of Philan-der Smith College inLittle Rock, Arkansas.He retired in 1992 anddied in 1996. Huston-Tillotson is affiliatedwith The United Meth-odist Church, theUnited Church of Christ,and offers a minor in re-ligious studies.

Free and open tothe public. For moreinformation, contactRev. Donald E.Brewington, UniversityChaplain, 512.505.3054,or email him at addressdebrewington@htu.edu.

Reverential, muchanointed, expressive,and sometimes high oc-tane. This describes thePV Mime ministry ofPrairie View A&M. OnSaturday, January 4they hosted a Night ofWorship event at Abun-dant Life CommunityBaptist Church in WellsBranch (ALC). Theevening event was oneof their fund raisersleading up to their Sec-ond annual “Rise Up”Mime Ministry. Admis-sion was $5. ALC pastorDeChard I.H.M. Free-man shared that he washappy to offer up thechurch facilities as avenue for this group, inlarge part because oneof the mime artist is amember and Gospelson at ALC. MinisterNicolas Hunt wasamongst the performersduring the Saturday

PV Mime ministry ofPrairie View A&M

By Shirley A. Hammond

evening concert. StatedFreeman, “I have hadthe opportunity to wit-ness PV Mime’s minis-try on multiple occa-sions, both at ALC andin the auditorium onthe school campus. Imust say that my im-pression has alwaysbeen the same. Theanointing on their min-istry is amazing. I amconstantly amazed thatsuch young men canminister with such pas-sion to the point thattheir experience withGod is evident. I am al-ways happy and proudto see young peopledoing anything positiveand for the LORD...” Headded that the excel-lence they bring to theirperformance amountsto the “cherry on top.”

The annual “RiseUp” event will take

See PV Mime, page 5

YOUTH BRIGADEYouth of Today

Hope of Tomorrow Black RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack Registry

Page 4 ~ January 10, 2014/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

Sarah RobertsonPioneer Crossing Elem.

Averill ToppsPease Elementary

Alon RodgersHendrickson Highschool

Happy 2014

The New Year ishere. I had a great Christ-mas and New Year holi-day season. This yearfor Christmas we didsomething different wehad a fish fry instead ofthe traditional dishes withfriends. It was great!

For the New Yearwe had pork chops,black eye pea, cabbageand macaroni andcheese. We really don’teat pork much during the

year but my mother madesome because my dadloves pork. He alwayssays, if you eat pork onNew Year’s Day, you willlive high on the hog forthe rest of the year.” Idon’t know about that. Atthe beginnings of theyear people like to startfresh with their diet andexercise. They try to giveup some bad habits likeeating too much, smok-ing and start a newhobby. I really don’t haveany really bad habits togive up, but I will try read-ing a little more this yearand I try to do somethingI never done before likegolf.

Well, school startsthis week, holiday time isover. I am very happyabout that because I loveschool and I miss all myfriends. I hope this se-mester will be a greatone. Happy New Year!

Christmas 2013

Christmas break isfinally over and it's backto Pease Elementary. Totell the truth, I am kind of

happy that Christmasbreak is over because Iget to go back to school.All of my days at schoolhave gone by veryquickly and it doesn't feellike I have been in schoolfor four months.

Over my Christmasbreak, I went to a lot of cit-ies and even got achance to ride Amtrakand Megabus. Christ-mas was great! I can'twait for Christmas breakto come again!

Until next time, GoPease Bobcats

There is more infor-mation about the pro-posed Senior YearProject. This is plannedas the capstone projectfor graduation and willbegin next school year.The mythical ailment of"Senioritis" strikes some12th graders across thenation during their lastyear of high school. Re-gardless of the quality ofa student's school, somecommon symptoms of"senioritis" include thestatements, "I am readyto graduate and moveout of here," "I want to

take it easy my Senioryear," as well as "Every-thing seems pointless, Iknow all this already." Acommittee will study thework completed at areahigh schools, build a setof qualities to build withinstudents, and brainstormideas. Meeting dates/times will be set to meetthe convenience of theteam members. If yourparents are interested,please tell them to con-tact the principal, DevinPadavil atdevin.padavil@pfisd.net.

Hawks varsity bas-ketball team (10-10)played in the CedarPark Tournament lastweek going two and twoand hosted StoneyPoint on New Years'Eve. Our next homegame will be againstcross town rival thePflugerville Panthers(15-5) on Jan. 7.

Senior Project

One More Semester

Kiara MyersVista Ridge H.S.

This winter breakwas much needed! Ispent basically everydaysleeping in until 12:30p.m. and watching mov-ies for the rest of the time.It felt so good to not have

to do any work and nothave any obligations. Icould honestly have re-laxed for another goodtwo weeks before goingback to school. The onlything that is pushing meto get through this se-mester is the fact that I’malmost a senior.

Just one more se-mester and I will be onestep closer to being free.It’s weird to think that atthis time next year I will beapplying to colleges andgetting letters back. I justhope that this semestergoes by as fast as thepast one and that mygrades stay the same.

Wesley DickersonCedar Ridge H.S.

I am very excited tostart this next semestereven though I’m positiveI won’t be saying thatonce I receive my firstproject or essay. My firstsemester in high schoolwas everything I ex-pected and more. Mybasketball team is doingwell, the football teamgave a good effort in theplayoffs, which was fun towatch, and most of all mygrades fulfilled all expec-tations. I am very proudto be able to truly say thatI like my school. My firstimpression of CedarRidge was fantastic, the

teachers and coachesare nice and the schoolitself is a great buildingthat is well mapped out.

This next semesterholds many new and ex-citing things for the restof the school year. I amexcited to do many thingsthis semester. For ex-ample I have my firstDECA competition inFebruary. DECA is myschool’s business club ofwhich I am a proud mem-ber. Also district play juststarted in basketball sohopefully we can bringhome the championship.

Although as theyschool year goes on onething is always certain,everything gets harder.Even blow off classesmight actually be a sur-prise; it’s impossible toknow. Although it is cru-cial to stay calm be-cause stress never doesany good. So I plan to gointo this next semestercalm, cool, and confidentand finish my freshmanyear strong.

At Cedars Interna-tional Academy we arehaving a science fairwhen we get back fromthe break. It will tell your

Cedars Science Fair

Zachariah WashingtonCedars Academy

teacher how you are do-ing in science and theywill give you a grade onyour craftsmanship, theeffort you put into it andoriginality.

Some Examples ofthe projects that the stu-dents will be displaying ishow cheese rots, doesfood coloring effect wa-ters evaporation pro-cess, what are the effectswhen you mix bakingsoda and vinegar andmany more projects tocome. That’s somethingthat you don’t what tomiss. I will see youthere!!!!

Imani DempsDel Valle High School

So this week we goback to school, I'm ready.I know the week after thisone we take finals and I'mnot prepared to do thatbut I have to. I'm going totry and do everything thatneeds to be done so I canpass. I hate being out ofschool because when weare in school we are onestep closer to the end ofthe year. I can't wait untilnext year.

I’m Ready

www.TheAustinVillager.com

@TheVillagerATX

TheVillagerAndBlackRegistryCompany

Lanette DempsDel Valle High School

I hope everyone hada great christmas and aHappy New Year. I hopethe goals you want thatyou succeed in. I hopethis year I pass alo myclasses with an 80 orabove I hope I stay incolor guard and do agood jod in that. I wishEveryone has a greatyear.

Happy New Year

Second Semester

Oil companies hire a onlineprofessor to teach Africanshow to drill for natural gas.

Beginning in February, students inMozambique will learn online from a Texas TechUniversity professor how to drill for gas in theMozambique Channel between East Africa andthe Madagascar Island, according to a Jan. 3 re-port in THE JOURNAL OF BLACKS INHIGHER EDUCATION.

The report stated that oil companies leas-ing areas where “significant gas discoverieshave been found” hired the professor becausethere are few petroleum engineers in the region.The Indian Ocean borders the east ofMozambique, and Tanzaia, Malawi, Zambia,Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and South Africa borderit landside.

by Kimberly Jarrett

“The function ofeducation is to teachone to thinkintensively and tothink critically.Intelligence pluscharacter - that isthe goal of trueeducation.- Martin LutherKing, Jr.

www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/January 10, 2014 ~ Page 5

YOUTH BRIGADESaturday, January 25, 2014from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

@ George Washington CarverMuseum and Cultural Center

1165 Angelina St., Austin, TX 78702

National Forum ForBlack Public

AdministratorsCentral Texas Chapter

ATX Youth Summit 2014Join Women in Jazz and NFBPA, in partner-

ship with Austin Parks and Recreation as they hostthe Annual ATX Youth Summit. Members areencouraged to spread the word to youth ages 7-17. Workshops will include: Born Again BodiesTransformational Programs, Dance and Fit; Let'sMake a Film; Totally Cool/Totally Art Teen ArtWorkshop; Women in Jazz Singers' PerformanceWorkshop; and Dancin' Jazzi Workshop.

To register, Visit: www.atxyouthsummit2014.eventbrite.com Or call 512-258-6947

"A Celebration of Teen Creativity"

Breakfast and lunch includedRegistration 8:00 - 9:00 am

Workshops start at 9:00, ages 7-17 Workshops:

· Born Again Bodies TransformationalPrograms, Dance and Fitness

· Let's Make A Film· Totally Cool/Totally Art Teen Art

Workshop· Women in Jazz Singers' Performance

Workshop· Dancin' Jazzi Workshop

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

ally, and one oftheir students DarrellHarris won the nationalSAT word hip-hop con-test. A video ofDarrell’s winning rapcan be seen here: https://getschooled.com/be-famous/hip-hop-act-winners-round-one

Get Schooled, inpartnership with theTaco Bell Foundationfor Teens, sponsored theChallenge in districtsthroughout the countryfrom October 7 to De-cember 13, 2013.Partnering with localschool districts andbackbone organizationssuch as E3 Alliance, theChallenge provided stu-dents with incentivesand fun, educational ac-tivities that engaged stu-dents while providingcollege planning infor-mation and promoting apeer culture that sup-ports attendance im-provement and aca-demic success.

High absenteeismhas been a challenge inCentral Texas. Eachyear, Central Texas stu-dents are absent 2.4 mil-lion days of school andmiss more days ofschool than their peers

across the state in everygrade. Each day ourstudents miss costs ourschools about $38 in loststate revenue. AcrossCentral Texas, ourschools have been los-ing more than $91 mil-lion a year! That’s whyE3 Alliance spear-headed a regional cam-paign to improve atten-dance starting in 2011.Since the start of thecampaign, CentralTexas schools havesaved more than $12Min increased revenuedue to improved atten-dance.

“We are honoredand extremely proud ofour students,” saidManor Excel AcademyPrincipal EduardoLozano. “Our team hasworked tirelessly to in-still and promote a cul-ture of attendance anddedication to learning atManor Excel. Our stu-dents know that to learnyou have to show upand show resilience andcommitment to learn-ing. We are immenselyproud of their diligence,discipline and focus ongood attendance. Wecould not be moreproud!”

HARRIS WINS WORDHIP-HOP CONTEST

director of Texas In-ternational and formerMrs. Texas International2012. “This is the kind ofsystem that rewardswomen for who they areand what they want forthemselves and theirfamilies.”

No previous pag-eant experience is neces-sary, and there is no tal-ent or swimsuit divi-sion. Married womencompete in interview,fitness wear andevening gown, wherethey are escorted bytheir husbands on stage.Teen and miss contes-tants compete in inter-view, fitness wear andevening gown, as wellas “fun fashion,” a cat-egory devoted to show-ing off their own per-sonal style in an age-appropriate outfit oftheir choosing.

“It’s all about cel-

Who Will be the Next to Wear theMost Beautiful Crown in the

Lone Star State?

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

ebrating women as theytruly are, and showinga level of confidence asthey sparkle on-stage,”said Hedstrom.

Mrs. applicantsmust be married andbetween the ages of 21and 56 as of July 1, 2014.Miss applicants must beunmarried and betweenthe ages of 19 and 30,and teen applicantsmust be unmarried andbetween the ages of 13and 18 as of July 1, 2014.

The women se-lected as Miss TeenAustin, Miss Austinand Mrs. Austin willserve as ambassadorsfrom the Austin areawith an official title andsash. Other area titlesare also available.

The womencrowned as Miss TeenTexas International, MissTexas International andMrs. Texas International

2014 will each receive aprize package valued inthe thousands of dollarsand the opportunity torepresent Texas at the2014 Mrs. International,Miss International orMiss Teen InternationalPageant in Florida inJuly.

Mrs. Texas Interna-tional 2013 MichelleBerndt is a mom of twoand a fourth-generationbreast cancer survivorwho was crowned whilewearing a wig, a resultof her chemotherapyand radiation treat-ments. She has spokenacross the southwestand in the media abouther campaign againstcancer, and has beenfeatured in a documen-tary about her mission.Miss Texas Interna-tional 2013 SamanthaRiddle is an advocatefor heart disease aware-ness, and has lobbiedthe Texas State Legisla-ture, working closelywith the AmericanHeart Association and

serving myriad non-profit causes, for whichshe frequently makesappearances. Miss TeenTexas International 2013Kylie Boyd is a studentat Texas Tech Univer-sity, where she is also abarrel racer. She has ledthe Polar Bear Plunge atSea World of Texas, andhas shot forNationalGeographic magazine,in which she will be fea-tured later this year.

“The Internationalsystem allows women tobe at their best and tochase their dreams,” saidHedstrom. “It’s not aboutfitting into an unrealisticnorm; it’s about helpingthese women get to thatnext level and do some-thing meaningful and ful-filling. Competing isabout investing in whothey are, not trying to besomeone they are not. Inthat, these girls find suc-cess.”

To request an ap-plication to representyour area, please con-tact Rachel Hedstrom.

place at Prairie View A&M on January 25. Theall day workshop will feature classes from chil-dren to adults at beginner to advanced level. Therewill also be praise dancing and leadership classes.

On April 19 they will have their 10th anniver-sary celebration which will commemorate their 10years of ministry at the university. Founders,former participants and others who fostered thefurtherance of this ministry will be in attendance.

After the performance, Pastor Freemanpraised them for the amazing anointing they dis-played and marveled at the way the performersused their bodies to worship in this special way.

The cast showcased their well-practiced rou-tines to a variety of praise and worship songs.Many in the audience stated that they got turnedup as they watched them in routines of expressivepraise.

One Accord performed as a female duo.Leader Shaleetha Jackson and another female inthe quad group rendered excellence in their praiseperformance, as well.

The president of PV Mime is a junior major-ing in biology and minoring in chemistry. Hestated that he wishes to become an anesthesiolo-gist. Jaquan McIntosh hails from New Jersey, buthas lived in Texas for a number of years. He saidthis is both his third year miming and his thirdyear as a believer.

He recalled that another member of the groupinvited him to an open house event provided by

PV Mime and said it opened his eyes as to whatmime ministry is as opposed to theatrical miming.

He listed some of the benefits he gains fromparticipating, love, brotherhood, intercessoryPrayer, strength and humility, and a love for Godthat has continue to grow

“Even when we don’t have our paint on weare always ministering with our conduct and howwe live,” explained the 20 year old, who is believ-ing by faith that he’s bound for the school’s Un-dergraduate Medical Academy.

For more information, or to donate to theirfundraising efforts, contact pvmime@gmail.com orvisit www.pvmime.com.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

PV Mime

Page 6 ~ January 10, 2014/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

CITY ~ STATE ~ NATIONAL ~ WORLDCannon Runs forACC District 10

Now that the dis-trict line is set for theAustin City Council,there are numerous can-didates who have de-clared their intention torun for office. One of thecandidates running forthe Austin City CouncilDistrict 10 is Tina Can-non. Ms. Tina Cannonis a partner at NapkinVenture. PreviouslyMs. Cannon served asthe CEO and the Co-Founder of PetsMD.Com that was ac-quired by another com-pany. Furthermore sheserved as the "Entrepre-neur in Residence" atTexas State University.

As the campaignrolls out, Ms. Tina Can-non has already setsome core principles ofher campaign. Some ofthe core principles asstated by Ms. Cannonare to enhance, "Manygrowing local busi-nesses and entrepre-neurship; to ensure anopen and transparent

government; to increasefinancial accountabilityat the City Hall; to fis-cally have a responsibleapproach to energy con-

servation; to protect ourenvironment andAustin’s unique culture;to repair our broken in-frastructure; to reduce

taxes and to impactaffordability issues; tohave city budget re-views; to promote af-fordable housing; to cutwasteful spending; andto have a building con-sensus among new dis-trict leaders." These aresome core principlesthat she plans to elabo-rate on during the cam-paign.

Moreover, Austincity council district 10covers parts of Central,North and North WestAustin area. Accordingto the census report,District 10 is 86 percentWhite; 2 percent Black;9 percent Hispanic and8 percent Asian." Thedistrict includes neigh-borhoods like: OldEnfield; and BrykerWoods. Most Austinitesbelieve that the 10-1plans offers the besttype of representationon the city county level.But now the questionwill people show up tothe polls.

Tina Cannon, contender for Austin City Council.

by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

TexasHouseDistrictVotersWill CastBallot inSpecialElection

On November 5,2013 Central Texanswent to the polls to electa candidate to representthe people living in the

northern parts of TravisCounty which include

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon

Pflugerville, parts ofNorth and North-WestAustin, and parts ofManor. Democrats andRepublicans each hadthe opportunity to choose

their candidates at theballot box. For instance,Democrats choseamong Jade ChangSheppard, Rico Reyes,and Celia Israel. In thisvery much contested andwatched race, Celia Is-rael won. On the otherhand, the Republicanschose Mike Van DeWalle.

Moreover, GovernorPerry has set the electionday of the Texas HouseDistrict 50 on January28, 2014. The early vot-ing period for this specialelection is supposed tobe from January 20th toJanuary 24th and who-ever wins will serve theremainder of the StateRepresentative MarkStrama's unexpired term.In addition, each candi-date will have to runagain in their own politi-cal party primaries.

Since both candi-dates Celia Israel(Democrat candidate)and Mike Van De Walle(Republican candidate)did not receive 50%, thenthe race will go into a run-off. Moreover, the Texas

House District 50 is veryracially and ethnically di-verse. Texas House Dis-trict 50 is also consid-ered to have various hightech sector businessesin Travis County. In addi-tion it is considered to bea swing district whichcould be won by eitherpolitical party.

Celia Israel

Jade Chang Sheppard

Rico Reyes

Growing Ivorian Community

Mrs. Kobeman, Chantal Eldridge, and Mrs. Ndri at the IvorianAssociation New Year Eve event. Photo by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

On New Year’sEve, the growingIvorian Diaspora heldan event that was meantto build unity withintheir community. In thepast 3 years, the nationof Ivory Coast has comeout of a bloody civil warthat divided their nationbased on politics. More-over, this division wasreflected even within itsdiaspora living in theUnited States. Howevernow, the challenge of theIvorian Association is tocontinue to break thewall of division and tounite all of its diasporathat goes beyond politi-cal belief or ethnic back-ground. So far, thepresident of the Ivoriancommunity has beenbringing his communitytogether.

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon

During this event,the Ivorian Associationinvited its members,other African Diasporas,dignitaries, and poten-tial candidates runningfor offices in CentralTexas. Not only wereIvorian there, but therewere Africans of variouscountries such as Togo,Cameroon, Guinea,Burkina Faso, and Nige-ria. In addition, a poten-tial candidate likeChantal Eldridgeshowed up to the event.For Chantal it was anopportunity to meet theever growing Ivorianand African communityin Central Texas.

During the past de-cade, the Ivorian com-munity in Central Texashas steadily been grow-ing. According to thepresident of the Ivoriancommunity, there areabout 45 different fami-

lies that are members ofthe association. In addi-tion, there are hundredsof other Ivorian livingwithin the Central Texasareas that include citieslike Waco, Killeen,Temple, Round Rock,Pflugerville, Austin,Manor, and San Marcos.In general, the AfricanDiaspora has beengrowing in CentralTexas due to the grow-ing economy in the re-gion.

Moreover, theIvorian Diaspora hasbeen able to succeedhere in Central Texas.Some members of theIvoirian community arebusiness owners whosebusinesses contribute tothe tax base in CentralTexas. Some membersof the community areprofessionals, whileothers are students inCentral Texas.

THE TAX MANCOMETH

Business Tax ObligationsPart of operating a

business profitably con-sists of managing yourtax reporting require-ments correctly andmanaging your tax billsin the most advanta-geous ways. Non-com-pliance can, in somecases, completelycripple a business.

This class ex-plores most commontax situations that willaffect a small to me-dium size business.You'll learn how to pre-pare and file taxes forsales, payroll, fran-chise, federal income,personal property, realproperty, and non-Texasreturns. Taught by a Uni-versity of Texas AdjunctInstructor, the classcounts toward the six-course requirement toget a Small BusinessSuccess Skills Certifi-cation.

From 9 a.m. to 4p.m. at the Entrepre-neur Center. The is a

registration fee includeslight breakfast. Call formore information.

FMI Visit:austinsmallbiz.com orcall 512.974.7800

Good HopeMBC 2014LeadershipConference

Please join PastorMichael Oyedokun, IIand church leaders atGood Hope MissionaryBaptist Church for theannual Leadership Con-ference on Saturday,January 11, 2014.

Get ready for anengaging learning jour-ney as we discover theart and science of effec-tive communication.The conference will be-gin at 9:00 a.m. and willlast until 2:00 p.m.Lunch will be includedand a donation of $5.00is encouraged. Thetheme for the Leader-ship Conference is:

1 Timothy 4:1 – 6; 1Peter 3:13 – 16

Communication isat the Heart of the Mat-ter:

Encouraging oth-ers through the art of ef-fective communicationis important for a bodyof Christians. And aministry is incompleteunless there is the pres-ence of learning.

The Facilitator isLisa Pierce-Jones, whoworks as a CorporateTrainer/Consultant inthe Human Resourcesand Organizational De-velopment departmentat TG.

FMI: 512.934.4601

Cultivating ChristianCommunication:

"The Value ofKnowing the Scoop"

MLKOratory

Competition

The MLK Oratory

Competition will takeplace at the GeorgeWashington CarverMuseum’s Boyd VanceTheatre on Tuesday,January 14, 2014 from6:00 – 8:00pm.

www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/January 10, 2014 ~ Page 7

CLASSIFIEDS ~ PUBLIC INFORMATION

City of AustinPurchasing Office

EMPLOYMENTPROPOSALS

PUBLIC INFORMATIONFOR SALEFOR RENT

BIDSMISCELLANEOUS

The City of Austin Purchasing Office invitesyou to view current bid solicitations at https://www.c i . au s t i n . t x . u s / f i nanceon l ine /vendor_connection/solicitation/solicitations.cfm.Vendors are encouraged to register on-line in theCity’s Vendor Self Service System. Once yourcompany is registered, you will receive notifica-tions about new bid opportunities. For addi-tional information regarding current bid opportu-nities or Vendor Registration, please call the Pur-chasing Office at 512-974-2500.

For information on the City of Austin’s Mi-nority Owned and Women-Owned ProcurementProgram and the certification process, pleasecontact the Small & Minority Business ResourcesDepartment at 512-974-7600 or visit their websiteat http://www.austintexas.gov/smbr.

REQUEST FOR MBE/WBESubcontractor Participation

Alpha Building Corporation intends to submit a bid for the following project:

ABIA Building 60050Improvements – Phase II

The Work consists of Interior renovations ofoffices and meeting rooms, and associated MEPmodificationsLocated at: 2716 Spirit of Texas Dr. Austin, TX78719CIP ID# 6001.084 IFB# 6100 CLMC459You may contact Mandy Germany @ 512-473-0871 for more specific scope detail, additionalinformation for submitting your bid, and generalquestions in regard to qualifications required. Weask that interested subcontractors submit their bidsby January 15, 2014 @ 3:00 PM.Bid Documents may be obtained at One TexasCenter, 505 Barton Springs Road, Ste. 760, Austin,TX 78704. Copies will be available in CD formatat no cost.

Bright Horizons Family Solutions is an Affirmative Actionemployer, committed to diversity in our workplace.

You’re Unique!And we are honoring you and

celebrating MLK Day!Now Hiring at all locations(North, South & Central)

Please join us at our Open House event where you can findout why Bright Horizons has been named fourteen timesas one of FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies toWork For.” We are hiring for Infant, Preschool and on-call Substitute Teachers! Join us for an onsite interviewwith a hiring manager and find out information about ourcompany and program!

Are you looking for a great place to work?Stop your search, you found us!

Friday, January 17, 2014 @ 12:00pm-3:00pmLocation: Bright Horizons at Oak Hill6111 Davis Lane, Austin, TX 78749

Apply online www.brighthorizons.com/careersand be sure to RSVP by contacting: Christie Hall, Recruitment Manager

christie.hall@brighthorizons.com p: 512.926.2786

Austin Travis CountyIntegral Care is currentlyseeking applications throughan open enrollment processfor each Request forApplication (RFA) shownbelow:· RFA for Non-TraditionalCommunity Based Sup-port Services· RFA for Licensed,Certified Professional andCounseling ServicesThe open enrollment processbegins January 6, 2014; thedeadline to submit anapplication is April 7, 2014.Please click on the link belowto download the RFA andfollow the submissioninstructions in the RFA.http://www.integralcare.org/?nd=provider_rfaIf you have any questionsregarding the RFA, pleasesend an e-mail to Provi-ders@atcic.org.

By Terry DavisSports Media Caster

Bill O’Brien takes over the helm at the Houston Texans

Bill O'Brien (photo courtesy of USA Today SI)

The Houston Tex-ans after winning theSouth division of theAmerican Football Con-ference (AFC) fired GaryKubiak after a going 2-11 this season. Defen-sive coordinator WadePhillips assumed thetitle as interim headwith 3 games remainingin the season.

Former Penn Statehead coach and NewEngland Patriots offen-sive coordinator BillO’Brien was named thethird head coach inHouston Texans fran-chise history by ownerBob McNair, chief oper-ating officer Cal McNairand general managerand executive vice presi-dent of football opera-tions Rick Smith, it wasannounced today.

O’Brien, who has21 years of coaching ex-

perience at the collegeand NFL levels, spentthe last two years lead-ing Penn State to a 15-9record. He was the BearBryant, Maxwell Foot-ball Club and ESPNNational Coach of theYear, as well as beingnamed the named theBig Ten coach of theyear by the media andcoaches following hisfirst season at the helmdespite working underextraordinarily difficultconditions.

O’Brien took overthe head coaching du-ties from legendarycoach Joe Paterno, afterhe was force to resignafter the Jerry Sanduskyscandal. From manymedia reports and fromO’Brien himself, manyof the Paterno loyalistnever really acceptedhim has the coach. De-spite very hard NCAAsanctions against PennState O’Brien was ableto be successful.

In O’Brien’s firstseason at Penn State, theNittany Lions overcame

heavy NCAA recruitingsanctions, the transfer ofseveral key contribu-tors, a four-yearpostseason ban and thenegative attention thatcame with it to post an8-4 record. O’Brien alsoserved as offensive co-ordinator and directed aunit that averaged 437.0yards per game in con-ference play to the leadthe Big Ten and pro-duced the conference’stop rusher, receiver andpasser. O’Brien re-turned in 2013 to leadthe Nittany Lions to a 7-5 record and upset winsagainst 18th-ranked

Michigan and 14th-ranked Wisconsin in theseason finale.

Prior to taking overat Penn State, O’Brienhelped lead the NewEngland Patriots to apair of Super Bowlberths in his five yearson staff with the team.From 2009-10, O’Brienserved as quarterbackscoach with the Patriotsbefore adding the du-ties of offensive coordi-nator in 2011. WithO’Brien directing theoffense in 2011, NewEngland led the AFCwith 32.1 points pergame and ranked sec-

ond in the NFL in totaloffense (428.0 yards pergame) and passing(317.8).

Quarterback TomBrady ranked second inthe NFL with a career-high 5,235 yards pass-ing and wide receiverWes Welker (1,569yards) and tight endRob Gronkowski (1,327yards) both set careerhighs while ranking firstand second, respec-tively, among AFC re-ceivers. Gronkowskialso set an NFL single-season record for tightends in 2011 with 17touchdown receptions.Brady was named NFLMVP with O’Brien as hisposition coach in 2010after throwing for 36touchdowns againstonly four interceptionsand a league-best 111.0passer rating. O’Brienjoined the Patriots’ staffas an offensive assistantin 2007 and was pro-moted to wide receiverscoach in 2008.

He began hiscoaching career at hisalma mater, Brown Uni-versity, in 1993 as a tightends coach before serv-

ing as inside linebackerscoach in 1994. O’Brienspent the next eightyears at Georgia Tech,rising from a graduateassistant position from1995-97 to assistanthead coach by 2002. Hecoached the YellowJackets’ running backsfrom 1998-2000 and wasoffensive coordinatorand quarterbacks coachin 2001.

From 2003-04,O’Brien served as therunning backs coach atMaryland before takingover as the offensive co-ordinator and quarter-backs coach at Duke forthe 2005 and 2006 sea-sons.

Born in Dorchester,Mass., O’Brien grew upin the Boston suburb ofAndover and playedlinebacker and defen-sive end at Brown from1990-92. He graduatedwith a double concen-tration in political sci-ence and organizationalbehavioral manage-ment in 1992.

O’Brien and hiswife, Colleen, have twosons: Jack, 11, andMichael, 8.

WorldReligion

Day& TheGolden

RuleJanuary 18, 2014

marks World ReligionDay across the globe.The day was imple-mented in 1950 by theBahai faith. Their objec-tive was to get followersof the faith to observethe day publicly wher-ever they might be.While the celebratoryday encapsulates all re-ligions, inarguably oneof the most common re-ligious verses or quotesacross several religionsdeal with treatment of

the fellow man. In Chris-tianity, the words, “Dounto others as youwould have them dounto you,” are found inLuke 6:31. This scrip-ture translates in Juda-ism to “What is hatefulto you, do not to yourfellow man. That is theentire law; all the rest iscommentary.” Other re-ligions have their ownversions of this verse ormaxim, and it is oftencalled The Golden Rule,or the ethics ofreprocity.

In the UnitedStates, the Protestantfaith (which includesChristianity) is prac-ticed by 61% with Ro-man Catholic followingat, 25% and Jewish at2%. The remaining 12%included those report-ing to be followers ofanother faith or none.

The Protestantmovement was tracedback to Martin Luther,who in the 16th centuryis credited with pub-lishing a thesis that in-cluded salvation, justi-fication andecclesiology.

According to theWorld Religion Daywebsite, the aim is tounite everyone, what-ever their faith, byshowing us all thatthere are common foun-dations to all religionsand that together we canhelp humanity and livein harmony.

The concept of“world religion” is his-torically based on a sub-jective perception oftemporal or theologicalimportance, usuallyfrom a Western, “Chris-tian” (or at least“Abrahamic”) perspec-tive.

Also at the site,you can find out allabout this day and waysto get involved and in-spirational poetry, suchas God’s Garden. Ex-cerpts from a poem byRobert Kogan and MarySullivan found on thesite follows: GOD’SGARDEN; God’s loveis not a secret; It’s etchedupon each face; Thepeople garden is butone; The budding hu-man race.

Ideas for WorldReligion Day: Memo-rize a verse or poemabout one’s faith, a fam-ily activity would be tostudy the 8 pillars ofcharacter and discusshow they can be prac-ticed, children (as wellas adults) can write apoem about their faith,develop an action planfor practicing randomacts of kindness, script-ing prayers to pray andmeditate upon, andlearn more about TheSilver Rule.

For more informa-tion, and ideas for cel-ebrating one’s faith, visitwww.worldreligionday.org/

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3 x 10.5 $504.00

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We MakeAdvertisingAffordable

Call Now!512.476.0082

Page 8 ~ January 10, 2014/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

PROGRAMS ~ AWARENESS

Your classified listing in theBlack Registry Directory

for 2014The only classified directory

of African AmericanBusinesses of the

Austin metropolitan area.Deadline extended to renew is

January 31, 2014Call (512) 476-0082

To be included.

It’s Time To Renew

For more information go to theaustinvillager.com

Cover To Cover…‘Nothing to Lose’By Terri Schlichenmeyer - Special to the NNPA from the New Pittsburgh Courier

“No” is definitelynot your favorite word.

You can’t stand tohear it in any form. Youcan’t stand to read it andyou very rarely say it.You hate the word be-cause it only means youcan’t have somethingyou want. That’s a wordyou’ve removed fromyour vocabulary.

So how far wouldyou go to get yourheart’s greatest desire?In the new book “Noth-ing to Lose” by AngelaWinter, three friendswant what they want—and they’ll destroy livesto get it.

Sherise Robinsonwas “demanding andspoiled, and that wasthe way she liked it.”She’d grown up on inSoutheast D.C. and hadclawed her way towhere she was, workingwith the man whowould surely be the

next President of theUnited States.

Yes, she was at thetop of her game, but ithadn’t been easy.Sherise had slept with alot of men, both for re-venge and for social po-sition. It had almost costher marriage but sheand Justin had been intherapy and were nowmore in love than everbefore. Sherise onlyhoped that would beenough if, for some rea-son, the lid was everblown off the biggestpotential scandal of all-time.

It had been a longyear for Billie Carter, butthings were finally look-ing up.

She’d made a ca-reer-altering mistake ather D.C. law firm, andwhile the partners werereluctant to fire her, sheknew they were re-lieved when she re-

signed. After six monthsof joblessness, though,her old lawschool chumoffered her a plum job—

with strings attached.Billie had to win over aheadhunter and, onceshe did that, she would

have to work with herex-husband on a bigcase. The first partwould be a piece ofcake. The second partwould almost ruin ev-erything.

Erica Kent had dis-covered the truth abouther paternity by mis-take. It was a bigger mis-take to confront power-ful Jonah Nolan about itbecause now he wantedto control her life, forher own good, heclaimed. But Erica wasfully capable of makingdecisions and findingher own love. Wasn’tshe?

Oh, my. Where doI begin?

Let’s start with this:I fully believe there areway too many charac-ters in this book; eightof them before you’reeven at the end of pagethree. Add in an ex-tremely convoluted

tangle of infidelity thatultimately matters littleto the storyline andyou’re off to a not-so-good start.

If it got better, Iwould tell you. But Ican’t.

From this weakopening, more charac-ters are added: manipu-lators, alcoholics, liars,sniping “girls,” notmuch to like. The scan-dals are ho-hum, toss ina silly faux-intriguestory-with-a-story, andit’s all quite hard to fol-low. No matter: I prettymuch stopped caringlong before the con-trived ending is re-vealed.

There are betterbooks out there—some,by author Angela Win-ters! but I just can’t rec-ommend this one. Youmay want to try “Nothingto Lose” but I don’t seeanything to gain by it.

Number ofBlack-OwnedTV StationsPlummets to

Zero

By Joseph Torres andS. Derek Turner

Special to the NNPA fromNew America Media

We just experi-enced a shameful mile-stone in the history of

U.S. media – and barelyanyone noticed.

There are now zeroBlack-owned and oper-ated full-power TV sta-tions in our country.

This sorry state of

affairs is the culmina-tion of a trend thatstarted in the late 1990swhen Congress and theFederal Communica-tions Commission al-lowed massive consoli-dation in the broadcast-ing industry. This policyshift crowded out exist-ing owners of color andensured that it would

be nearly impossible fornew owners to accessthe public airwaves.Recent FCC actions (andin some cases, inaction)have only hastened thisdecline in opportunitiesfor diverse broadcast-ers.

When Free Pressreleased its first reporton the state of TV own-

ership in 2006, we foundthat there were only 18African American-owned and operatedfull-power commercialTV stations – repre-senting just 1.3 percentof all such stations.

By December 2012,those 18 had shrunk tojust five. And nowthey’re all gone.