TPATPATPATPATPATEXASPUBLISHERSASSOCIATION

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Austin, TexasPermit No. 01949

INSIDEVol. 43 No. 44 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: vil3202@aol.com March 18, 2016

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

www.TheAustinVillager.com

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Diana Ross Featured on Tom JoynerFoundation Fantastic Voyage®

Diana Ross performs an exclusive“Night Under the Stars” on the 2016

Tom Joyner Foundation FantasticVoyage presented by Ford.

The Tom Joyner FoundationFantastic Voyage®

is presented by Ford.DALLAS, TX - Diana Ross will be a featured head-

liner on the Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage®

presented by Ford cruise with a special “Evening Un-der the Stars with Diana Ross.” The original Party witha Purpose® that sells out annually will also featureCharlie Wilson, Patti LaBelle, New Edition, andJazmine Sullivan as it sets sail to support students atHistorically Black Colleges and Universities. The Fan-tastic Voyage will take place on the Carnival Breezedeparting from Miami April 23, 2016. The customizedeight-day itinerary includes visits to St Thomas, St.Maarten and Grand Turk includes guest activities, em-powering seminars, theme nights, and day parties.

The Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage® pre-sented by Ford is hosted by renowned radio personal-ity and philanthropist Tom Joyner and is the longeststanding music themed and empowerment cruise. Theexciting line-up, that generally books over 60 enter-tainers, includes the aforementioned Diana Ross,Charlie Wilson, New Edition and Patti LaBelle; as wellas Johnny Gill, Angie Stone, Jazmine Sullivan, FaithEvans, Total, 112, Carl Thomas, The Bar-Kays, Con FunkShun, Switch, Brick, Steve Arrington, Tony Terry, Glenn

See VOYAGE RAISES MONEY FOR HBCUs, page 2

V for Vendetta Created the WinningMobile Application at the Second

Annual HT HackathonAUSTIN, TX - Two

days of engagement,brainstorming, and com-puter programming re-sulted in the V for Ven-detta team of CydneiMathis and OsahumenAghasomwan creating thewinning mobile applica-tion at the Huston-Tillotson University Sec-ond Annual <div>hackathon.

Mathis, a 10thgrader at Eastside Memo-rial High School andAghasomwan a first yearHT student, created amobile application as a

tool for locating affordablehealthcare for minoritiesin distressed socioeco-nomic situations. Themobile application allowsusers to enter a pricerange for the health ser-vices that they can affordin order to identify theclosest clinic within thatrange. The app was de-signed to improve minor-ity accessibility to healthcare.

V for Vendetta wasone of seven teams thatconverged upon Huston-T illotson University’sDowns-Jones Library for

two days to work withtechnology industry pro-fessionals from Dell Inc.,Entelo, Dev Bootcamp,Google, Google Fiber, SixFlags Entertainment Cor-poration, and The Big Ma-chine. The teams pairedwith mentors to buildwebsites and develop mo-bile applications to solveproblems in the business,education, health and fit-ness, and entertainmentsectors by the end of theprocess.

Guided by Autumn

See PROGRAM, page 2

Interest in New NeighborhoodDevelopment Grows as Community

Amenities are DetailedAUSTIN, TX - The

area just east of Interstate35 between 11th and 12th

Streets has long been asource of interest toneighborhood leaders.The community and cityplanners have hoped forthe space alongside I-35to provide mixed-use liv-ing, affordable housingand a full-service super-market.

Local developerHaythem Dawlett has aplan to provide all of thatand much more. Dawlettis currently developingOne Two East, a mixed-use apartment complex

on the block. Dawlett’s vi-sion for One Two East istruly a unique one.

A long-timeAustinite, Dawlett is fullycommitted to preservingthe integrity and characterof the neighborhood. Tobetter understand the po-tential impact, he spent aconsiderable amount oftime on the East Side,walking the streets andspeaking to neighbors,small-business ownersand community leaders.

He envisions twoseparate buildings withone providing living foractive adults 55 and older

and the other without agerestrictions. The averageage of the tower residentis believed to be 78. Alongwith the market-rate rent-als, Dawlett is offering toprovide affordable hous-ing.

The retail level willfeature a supermarket,which is something theneighborhood has beenlacking for years. The planmay include an on-sitepharmacy, either withinthe supermarket or thecomplex. Dawlett saysthree grocery chains areinterested in the project.The plan would generate

more than 100 permanentjobs. Steve Drenner, theAustin lawyer represent-ing Dawlett, said the gro-cery store and senior livingunits are part of city devel-opment plans for the areasince 1991.

Dawlett’s group alsoconducted a traffic flowstudy to better understandhow increased trafficwould affect the neighbor-hood. One result of that

See PROJECT, page 2

Hollywood starpowerlaunched

SXSWedu series.See LIVEPage 5

Activists hostcandid communitysolutions forum.See JUSTICE

Page 6

Physicians advanceneuroscience for

mental health victims.See COMMUNITY

Page 3

Will BlackOfficer be

thrown underthe bus?

Austin, Texas is one ofthe cities in America who hashad a history of unarmedBlack men being killed at thehands of Austin Policeofficers. For a number ofyears, it was expected that atleast one such shootingwould occur each summer.We were, sadly, not dis-appointed, as the list grewlonger each summer. The NAACP called for aninvestigation by the U. S.Justice Department. Theyinvestigated the situation andgave a set of recom-mendations to the PoliceChief. However, thesituation did not change.Each time such an incidenthappened, the communitywas told to wait for aninvestigation of the situation.After a month or so, thecommunity was told that it“was a good shoot.” And theoffice that was placed onadministrative duty duringthe investigation wasreturned to active duty. The most recent Policeshooting had one of theshortest investigationperiods of them all. Whatmakes this case different isthat the Officer is AfricanAmerican and the victimwas also African American.All of the other shootingshave been by Angloofficers who killed AfricanAmericans. On February 8, OfficerGeoffrey Freeman shot andkilled 17 year old DavidJoseph. The youth wasreportedly naked andunarmed. But OfficerFreeman said that he shotJoseph because he feared forhis life when Joseph chargedhim. The police chief has set adisciplinary hearing forFreeman in the next fewdays. He is said to haveviolated – neglect of duty,use of force and treatment ofsuspects who appear to have“excited delirium.” Freemancould face disciplinaryaction or dismissal. Whatever the outcomeof this case, it appears thatthere needs to be moretraining with officers onhow to use some of theother tools that they haveon their belt. Lethal forceshould always be the lastresort.

Page 2 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 18, 2016 THE COMMUNIQUÉ www.theaustinvillager.com

Jones, Michael Coo-per, Jon B, Case, ChristopherWilliams, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, DJ Quick, Rakim,Big Daddy Kane, Rob Base,Black Sheep, Dana Dane,Kwame, DJ Kool, JoeskiLove, Positive K, Mr. Cheeks,Whodini, Harold Melvin’sBlue Notes, Eddie Holman,Blue Magic featuring TedMills and Russell ThomkinsJr.& The New Stylistics.

Returning as the titlesponsor of the cruise isFord. Ford’s sponsorship ofthe Fantastic Voyage is partof Ford Motor Company’soverall support of education

The Tom Joyner Foundation startedits annual voyage to raise moneyfor HBCUs in 1999 continued from page 1

in the African AmericanCommunity. Each year, Fordinvests millions of dollars ineducational programs thatinclude scholarships, inno-vative elementary, middleand high school programs,STEM initiatives and otheropportunities. Since thecompany was foundedmore than a century ago,Ford has remained stronglycommitted to providingpathways to success in theAfrican American commu-nity.

The Tom Joyner Foun-dation started its annualvoyage to raise money for

HBCUs in 1999 as the firstto ever charter and programan entire ship. Now in its17th year, The Tom JoynerFoundation Fantastic Voy-age presented by Ford is theonly charter that promotesphilanthropy in an environ-ment that is fun and uplift-ing.

For more informationon The Tom Joyner Founda-tion Fantastic Voyage® anda full list of entertainmentplease visit the websiteBlackAmericaWeb.com.Itinerary, schedule and per-formances subject tochange.

Caviness, HT’s InterimDirector, W.E.B. DuBois Hon-ors Program, this is the onlyyouth and diversity-focusedhackathon in the UnitedStates that is 100 percentorganized and operated bystudents of color. Its mis-sion is to assist millennialsof color in recognizing thatthey can be more than con-sumers of technology—theytoo can be creators, innova-tors, and disruptors oftomorrow’s technology.More than 150 partici-pants engaged in applica-tions to disrupt the busi-

ness, education, healthand fitness, and entertain-ment sectors.

Last year’s winner dur-ing the inaugural hackathoncreated an app named“Pipeline” that aimed tosolve the School-to-PrisonPipeline that impacts pre-dominantly African Ameri-can and Latino youths, inthis country. Next year’sevent is scheduled March11-12, 2017 on the HT cam-pus.

In addition to HTPresident and Chief Execu-tive Officer Colette Pierce

Burnette sharing words ofencouragement, otherspecial guests included:Leslie Miley of Entelo,Whitney O’Banner of DevBootcamp, Amina Sawyerof Google Fiber, Kyle Ali ofGoogle, Ariel Bruce ofGoogle, Lynette Barksdaleof Google, Lisa Martinezof Google Play, John Grayof Six Flags EntertainmentCorporation, MelissaMcLeanas of Six Flags,Garrett Osumah of SixFlags, and Mark and TracyThompson of The Big Ma-chine

The program is the only youth and diversity-focusedHackathon in the USA that is 100% organized andoperated by students of color continued from page 1

The project is in City Council memberOra Houston’s district continued from page 1

study is that no truckaccess will be allowed onBranch Street. This street,adjacent to the complex,would be widened and theheritage oaks that runalong it would be pro-tected. In addition, all resi-dential and complex park-ing would be undergroundor screened.

Dawlett previouslystated that he plans to con-tribute $250,000 toward af-fordable housing initiatives.

Currently, zoningregulations prohibit theextra height required toaccommodate the super-market, the pharmacy, theactive adult living andother amenities. An addi-tional 35 feet of heightwould need to be approved

by the City Council.The project is in City

Council member OraHouston’s district.

While the additionalheight and density re-quires zoning changes,Dawlett is committed tothe vision, because hetruly feels that he is pro-viding value to the neigh-borhood. “It would beeasier just to accept theoriginal zoning limitations,but I want to do what isbest for this community,”Dawlett said. “The addi-tional height allows for thesupermarket, provides per-manent jobs, a pharmacy,affordable housing, betterlandscaping, hidden park-ing, senior living and ad-ditional amenities for the

buildings and the commu-nity. As someone wholoves this city, I truly wantwhat’s best for the peoplewho live here.” Previously,Dawlett has donated landfor libraries and schools.

The Planning Com-mission approved theproject with conditions onFebruary 9th and is sched-uled for City Council onApril 14th.

For people interestedin learning more about ev-erything One Two East hasto offer the communityand to contribute theiropinions, the Town Hallmeeting will be held onMarch 29 at the Lucky LadyBingo Hall located at 1107N Interstate 35 FrontageRd at 6:30pm.

St. Peter’s United Methodist Church 4509 Springdale Road Austin, Tx 78723Office 512- 926-1686 Fax 512-929-7281

Christian Web Site-stpetersaustintx.ning.com

stpetersaustintx@att.netTHE PLACE WHERE WE STEP OUT ON FAITH.

COME AND STEP OUT ON FAITH WITH USSunday 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.comRev. 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

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 ImageThe 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

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

Felix Bamirin, PastorGRACEWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Experience 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

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

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

Bus Ministry Call 512-478-1875

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

Dr. Ricky Freeman,Pastor

Sunday Services

Do you have church news? Would you like topurchase a monthly ad for your church?

Inquire TODAY!Send your information to vil3202@aol.com

or call 512-476-0082

ProphetessStephanie N’ChoAssociate Pastor

469-226-4679 | www.vainqueurs.org805 S. Sherman St. Richardson, TX 75081

La Génération des VainqueursMinistry Church

Tuesday - Friday: 3pm -10pmWalking and Appointment

Wednesday Bible Study | 7:45pmFriday Prayer |7:45pm

Sunday Service | 10:00am

Villager Youth Brigade will be taking sponsorshipsstarting summer of 2015.Your support has beenmuch appreciated over the years. Please continueto invest in Austin’s youth. We look forward toanother successful year with some promisingstudents. FMI Call 512-476-0082

DAVID CHAPEL Missionary Baptist ChurchSUNDAY | Christian Education 9:15a.m.Worship 10:30 a.m. (MLK)Nursery AvailableTUESDAY | TNT Bible Study(Pflugerville) 6:45p.m.WEDNESDAY | Prayer & Praise 7:00p.m.Bible Study 7:30p.m.

Dr. Joseph C. Parker, Jr.Senior Pastor

512-472-9748 www.davidchapel.org2211 E.MLK @ Chestnut St. Austin, TX 78702

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450l East Martin Luther King Blvd.*We cash ALL Tax Refund*Checks *Check Out

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DINE IN OR ORDER TO GOMon - Friday 11 am - 8 p.m.Saturday - 12 noon - 8 p.m.

Closed SundayCall (512) 928-5555

*Mention this ad and get a FREE 20 oz. Drink*

www.theaustinvillager.com THE BULLETIN THE VILLAGER/March 18, 2016 ~ Page 3

We Want YOU!Advertise With

TheVILLAGER

AUSTIN, TX - Hi! My name is Alice Holland, it’sthat time again, to celebrate my birthday, I will be a106 years young, on March 26, 2016. I would appre-ciate if family and friends come celebrate with me.5305 Cloverdale Ln, Austin, TX 78723, Saturday 26,2016 at 3:00 – 6:00 pm.

Happy 106th Birthday

Alice Holland

Mrs. Osie Mae Kingborn March 12, 1915. Shewill be celebrating her101th birthday on March19, 2016. She is the proudmother of twelve childrenalong with her husband thelate James Nelson King, Sr.For wisdom is more pre-cious than rubies and noth-ing you desire can comparewith her. Proverbs 8:11.Happy Birthday mom! Welove you! Your children Osie Mae King

Happy 101st Birthday

Community Outreach DayJust for You..Come and Enjoy!

Saturday March 26, 2016 10AM to 2PMFree: Refreshments; etc. Clothing, for Children,

Women and MenMale Hair Cuts; Youth Books & Activities; Voter

Registration;Blood Pressure Monitoring

First Pentecostal Church of Austin7440 Ed Bluestein Blvd

Austin TX 78723 | 512-929-3881Suffragan Bishop Ruby F Hall, Pastor

Across Our Community,More Progress Is Needed in

Mental Health Care

William Lawson, MD

For much of history,psychosis was considereda result of demon posses-sion.

In the United States,slaves were diagnosedwith such disorders asdraptomania, describedby American physicianSamuel A. Cartwright in1851 as a condition thatcaused black slaves to fleecaptivity.The mentally illwere routinely imprisonedand only later put in primi-tive treatment facilities,where many were sub-jected to barely tolerablehot- and cold-water baths,inoculation of malaria, andeven the severing of brainconnections with an icepick.

Obviously, mentalhealth care has improvedwith time. With advancesin neuroscience and in-creased emphasis on theworth of people, individu-als began to receive rela-tively targeted medica-tion, doctors avoided pre-scribing long hospitalstays, and a community ofmental health profession-als arose with a focus ontruly healing patients andreturning them to thecommunity.

Nevertheless, themental health challengesfacing communities acrossthe United States remainstark – it’s a grim likeli-hood that future genera-

tions will look at ourpresent systems of carewith the sort of shock andregret with which we viewthe past.

In other countries –even places with muchless technology and re-sources than is found inthe U.S. – individuals arecared for with strong fam-ily support and sometimesexperience better healthoutcomes, while in theU.S., family members of-ten are separated frompatients, who receive newtreatments but still expe-rience worse outcomes.Unemployment andhomelessness are com-mon. More disturbing, thementally ill are too oftendemonized as a source ofcommunity violence, evenwhen they are far morelikely to be victims thanperpetrators.

These issues are es-pecially relevant to peopleof color, who suffer unac-ceptable disparities inmental health. AfricanAmericans are more likelythan whites to receive theleast optimistic diagnoses.In these communities,schizophrenia is consis-tently over-diagnosed,while more manageableconditions such as depres-sion or post traumaticstress disorder are oftenunder-recognized or mis-diagnosed – resulting inhigher incidents of seclu-sion, restraints and invol-untary commitment, andlower levels of support forpatients and their families.

This is a big reasonwhy African American andHispanics are far morelikely to be arrested andincarcerated than whites,and why jails have becomesuch tragically overusedcenters of mental healthcare. It contributes to thedeaths of Africans Ameri-cans, some of whom ap-pear to have mental disor-ders, at the hands of lawenforcement. And it helpsexplain why, at times,these generations of men-tal health advances feel soillusory.

So it was especiallyuplifting to attend the

See STIGMA, page 7

EAST SIDE BAPTIST 25THCHURCH ANNIVERSARY

Please join East Side Baptist Church as we cel-ebrate our 25th Church Anniversary March 20 at 3:30pm.

East Side is located at 2400 Northeast Drive. Ourguest speaker is Sr. Pastor Richard A. Coaxum of St.Mary Missionary Church in Pflugerville. To God be theGlory! For more information call 512.929.3722

Page 4 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 18, 2016 YOUTH BRIGADE www.theaustinvillager.com

Youth of TodayHope of Tomorrow

Jarian GallowayHarmony Academy

College Visit

On Saturday, Febru-ary 13th, Texas A&M hadtheir annual open housewhere prospective stu-dents and current studentscould go to different ses-sions pertaining to theirinterests.

My parents and I vis-

ited because I hadn't beenlooking at many collegesin Texas other than Univer-sity of Texas at Austin (ofcourse).

Over the course ofthe day, we went to aboutfour sessions dealing withchemical engineering,chemistry, and engineer-ing in general. We wereevn able to tour most of thecampus.

That visit made myparents and I realize thatgraduation, college, andmy future were all ap-proaching faster than wethought!

All in all it was amaz-ing to see and experience.I could even end up beingan Aggie!!

Damon Luckett IIHays High School

Hackathon

On Saturday, I wentto the 2nd annual DivHackathon for my secondtime. I got there alreadyknowing how much work Iwas going to have to putin so I got comfortable andhad fun. The Hackathon isbasically a place wherepeople from different back-grounds of life get togetherand compete in who canmake the best app that is

beneficial.The program is from

7:30 am to 11:00 pm thefirst day and the second is7:30 am to 8:30 pm thesecond day. They feed youbreakfast, lunch, and dinnerthrough out the days andthey bring snacks and drinksto help you while you'reworking. We made an appthat contained black filmsonly because we thought itwould be beneficial topeople who struggle findingblack films on things suchas Netflix, Hulu, etc.

I would recommend itto any body that is in tech-nology or just like to makenew things. You get to meeta lot of cool people and havea lot of fun. The DivHackathon is one of thegreatest opportunities youcould ever take advantageof!

Malakhi WashingtonCunningham Elementary

How to be successful

Do you know whatbeing successful is? Doyou know what the wordsuccessful means? Suc-cess to me means havingan accomplishment thatyou shoot for, and it comestrue. Being successfulalso means that you never

give up and you always tryagain. Some people giveup on their first try be-cause they are not tryingtheir hardest or they some-how failed and do notwant to try again.

The key to being suc-cessful is to always keeptrying. You also have to putyour heart into whatever itis that you are trying ac-complish. Another thingabout being successful isthat you have to patient.Everything happens in itsown time. I would love tobe successful one day inbeing a professionaldancer. I love to dance andmy dream is being on a bigstage somewhere as a ca-reer as well as teachingothers how to dance.

My Spring Break

Ava RobertsSpring Hill Elementary

March 14 is the weekof spring break. My fam-ily is going to Louisiana.My Mom says that Louisi-

ana has four seasons:crab, crawfish, oyster, andshrimp. It is now crawfishseason.

On the ride to BatonRouge, I will watch dvdmovies, take naps, and lis-ten to the radio. When Iget there, my family hasa lot of things planned forme. My grandma will takeme fishing. My cousinswill let me eat lunch withthem at school. But mostof all, I will eat lots ofcrawfish!

Genesis StiggersElgin Middle School

Zachariah WashingtonCrockett High School

Should Ukraine join the EU

Joining the Euro-pean Union means thata country must followthe European Unionlaws and that countrymust follow the Criteria.Ukraine best fits the cri-teria to join the EU. Hu-man rights in Ukraine arebetter than they wereback in the 20th centurywhen Ukraine was a partof the country The SovietUnion who treated theircitizens horribly. The So-viet Union was a oneparty state and a Com-munist Country that lim-ited there citizens andthe entire populationwas mobilized to sup-port of a state Ideology.Still today Russia limitstheir citizens to whatthey can do and whatthey put on the Internet.Ukraine is def in i te lyready to jo in the EUcompared to the otherTurkey and Serbia.

We f ind thatUkraine is the best fitfor the EU pos i t ion.They have caught ourattention because theUkrainian religion fitsthe Idea of the key reli-gion of the members inthe EU’s faith. The keyrel igion in Ukraine isEastern Orthodox. It isnot exactly Christian butit is better than the re-ligion in Turkey. In Tur-key 97% of the popula-tion is Muslim and the

EU doesn’t want a fullMuslim country in theEU because it doesn’treally follow the reli-gion that most Euro-pean countries follow.

Women in Ukrainehave the same Constitu-tional rights as men butare still talked about inthe work p lace. Thiss i tuat ion is posit iveand Negative becausecountries in the Euro-pean Union l ike Ger-many, England, Spainand France both men andwomen have same andequal rights. In Turkey thefight for women’s rightsis still on and the womenin Turkey do not haveequal rights as in com-pared to Ukraine, Ukraineis leaning towards themore modern approach tothe situation.

In Ukraine re-formed police depart-ment is taking selfieswith locals whi le onduty to show the worldthat about the new Po-lice department. This isPositive for Ukraine toget that EU position.Ukraine is trying to showthe world that they cannotice a problem and fixit and that is what the Eu-ropean Union is lookingfor a country that can dothat and Ukraine fits thatspot perfectly.

Ukraine is ready tojoin the European Unioncompared to Serbia andTurkey. The reasons whyare the equals rights thatMen and Women have inUkraine, The Ukrainianpolice reform, The humanrights now compared toRussia and the religionthat Ukraine shares withthe countries in the EUcompared to Turkey. Itwould be a dumb mistakeif Ukraine was not thenext country to come intothe EU.

Cruises

A cruise is a fun, ex-citing way to spend a vaca-tion. It’s full of activities andgames that will fill your dayfrom the moment you wakeup, to the time you collapsewith exhaustion. There aresome really good cruisesout there and for springbreak, my family is going onone of the top cruises in thecountry, The Royal Carib-bean. The preparation forthe cruise will be very pre-tentious, but I can make itin time.

Before we even get onthe ship we will be going invarious type of transporta-tion. We will first go to Aus-tin and take the Amtrak toHouston, after that we willspend the night at a hotel,then, to top it all off we’re

taking a airplane to take usall the way to Orlando,Florida, where we will takea shuttle to the cruise ship.With all that transportationit’s will be dangerous for usto trust the different modesof movement with our lug-gage, which is why we planto carry our luggage with uswherever we go. I love air-planes and when my momtold us we were going onone, it made my vacationthat much sweeter.

Because we are goingto go so far carrying our lug-gage we have to packlightly so we won’t die oflugging heavy weightsaround. It’s going to be afantastic trip and finally atime to sit back and relax.Wearing a comfy outfitalong with hanging out withmy family is the perfect wayto spend such an importantweek off of school. After all,star testing, band UIL, andexams are coming up soonand I need something, any-thing to get my mind off ofit. Next time you see me, Iwill be able to say I went ona cruise, keep reading myarticles, because I’ll tell youabout my trip in two weeks.

Huston-Tillotson

UniversityQualifies forPrestigious

Honda CampusAll-Star

ChallengeNational

ChampionshipTournament

Quiz bowl team willtake-on the nation’s

brightest HBCUstudents in California

this April

AUSTIN, Texas —Huston-Tillotson Universityhas qualified to compete atthe Honda Campus All-StarChallenge (HCASC) NationalChampionship Tournament,a prestigious competitionthat showcases the aca-demic prowess of thebrightest students fromAmerica’s Historically BlackColleges and Universities(HBCU). Forty-eight studentteams have qualified forthis year’s National Cham-pionship Tournament,which will run from Satur-day, April 2nd through Mon-day, April 5th in Torrance,CA.

Approximately 76HBCUs vied for a spot at theNationals. After sevenqualifying tournamentsheld in early February, 48emerged from the group,earning the opportunity tocompete for the title of “Na-tional Champion” and a$50,000 institutional grantfrom Honda. Team HT iscomprised of CaptainAndranique L. Green, LynnG. Nanjala, DarrionJemerson, and Olivia Tho-mas. Dr. Alaine S. Hutson,Associate Professor of His-tory, is the coach. Green andNanjala are returning mem-bers and Joshua Jones com-peted on the team duringthe qualifying rounds.

“Huston-Tillotson Uni-versity students overallhave set a high bar with na-tional wins in several com-petitions,” said ColettePierce Burnette, HT Presi-dent and Chief ExecutiveOfficer Colette PierceBurnette. “This year’s teamis following in the footstepsof a team that barely missedthe playoff for theUniversity’s best showing in2015. We anticipate a strongacademic challenge to thefinish.”

“Earning a seat at theNational ChampionshipTournament is no easy feat,and we congratulate eachand every student for dis-playing the drive and deter-mination necessary to doso,” said Steve Morikawa,Vice President, CorporateRelations and Social Re-sponsibility, AmericanHonda. “Over its 27-yearhistory, Honda Campus All-Star Challenge has becomea multi-generational com-munity event, and we lookforward to hosting the stu-dents and providing theirfamilies with an opportu-nity to watch them competein California.” The finalround of the 2016 NationalChampionship Tournamentwill be live-streamed onMonday, April 4th starting at12:00 ET on HCASC.com.

HT’s 2015 team barelymissed the playoffs with 3-2 in round robin play fortheir best showing. HT hasbeen a consistent player inthe tournament since thelate 1980s, earning approxi-mately $52,000.

For more informationon the 2016 HCASC, includ-ing a full list of the 48 quali-fying teams, visitwww.hcasc.com.

www.theaustinvillager.com THE COURIER THE VILLAGER/March 18, 2016 ~ Page 5

Andy Roddick, Brooklyn Decker, and Austin Officials JoinAustin Teachers & Students At “Think It Up Live”

Brooklyn Decker and Andy Roddick at EIF'sThink It Up Live Event at David Crockett HighSchool on March 10, 2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photoby Rick Kern/Getty Images for EIF)

Local Austin students at EIF's Think It Up LiveEvent at David Crockett High School on March 10,2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/GettyImages for EIF)

Naomi RichardThe Austin Villager

Newspaper

LOS ANGELES -PRNewswire-USNewswire— Think It UpTM, the newinitiative from the Enter-tainment Industry Foun-dation (EIF), joined Brook-lyn Decker, Andy Roddick,Austin officials includingIndependent School Dis-trict Superintendent Dr.Paul Cruz, and hundredsof local students andteachers on March 10thduring SXSWedu for thesecond in a national se-ries of Think It Up Livepitch competitions.Alongside a panel andbooth activation on-siteat SXSWedu, the livepitch event was designedto empower students,celebrate teachers andbuild optimism aboutwhat ’s possible inAmerica’s classrooms.The event drew studentsand teachers from 24 tra-ditional district and pub-lic charter schools in Aus-tin.

Think It Up LiveBrings Spirit of SXSW toLocal Austin Studentsand Teachers At Think ItUp Live, student-teacherteams across Austincame together to pitchVIP judges and Austin-based husband/wifecouple Andy Roddick andBrooklyn Decker on their

innovative learning ideas.Roddick, the founder ofthe Andy Roddick Foun-dation and retired tennisstar, and well-known“Grace and Frankie” ac-tress Decker, listened asstudents put their bestideas forward at this sci-ence fair-meets “sharktank”-type event de-

signed to promote em-powered, engaged learn-ing.

The winning teamwas selected from agroup of 50 teams andcame from Ann RichardsSchool for Young WomenLeaders, and received$1,000 to fund theirproject, which created aproduce spoilage trackerto reduce food waste. Allparticipating teams re-ceived $100 in fundingcredits to kick-start theirprojects.

All funding creditsare applied once teach-ers will post projects atThinkItUp.org – a first-of-its-kind platform avail-able to all public schoolstudents and educators(grades 7-12) in partner-ship with DonorsChoose.org, the popular teachercrowd-funding charity. Tohelp bring to life more stu-dent-powered, teacher-led projects, Think It Upcovers half each of eachproposals total cost byEIF’s supporters, includingAshoka’s Start Empathy

initiative, ExxonMobil andthe Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation, with the restraised through crowd-funding.

The event follows

the success of EIF’s inau-gural Think It Up tele-cast that aired in Septem-ber, and first Think It UpLive event in Denver heldin December.

Carol Burnettinducted into the

Austin Film Society’sTexas Hall of Fame!

Naomi Richard | The Austin Villager Newspaper

On March 10, 2016,Carol Burnett was inductedinto the Austin Film Society’sTexas Hall of Fame.

Carol Burnett is on ofmy favorite sketch comics ofall time. I grew up watchingher on television and she al-ways made me laugh. Seeingher comedy shows, Mama’sFamily, The Carol Burnett

Show and more was a de-light. She is just a funnywoman and grew up in aman’s world for sure!

To my delight, I wasable to see Ms. Burnett inperson during the 2016Screen Actor Guild Awards®in Los Angeles, California inJanuary. Her presence on thered carpet was amazing andshe pulled her ear for us aswe took her picture. This is atrademark of her comedyshows.

After returning homefrom the award season in LosAngeles, I found out that Ms.Burnett, a San Antonio na-tive, would be honored byThe Austin Film Society! I im-mediately thought, “Couldlife get any better. My idolwas coming to Austin!”

As fate would have it, Iwas invited to the Austin FilmSociety’s press conferenceheld at the Gibson Show-room. Moderated byVariety’s Executive EditorSteven Gaydos, the pressconference included TexasFilm Awards honorees CarolBurnett, Jesse Plemons,Chandra Wilson and MichaelBarker. Austin Film Society’sArtistic Director, RichardLinklater, and SXSW’s Headof Film, Janet Pierson, also

took part in the conversa-tion.

To my surprise, I wasone of five reporters permit-ted to ask questions duringthe press conference, and ofcourse I immediately di-rected my question to Ms.Burnett. “When I was grow-ing up and had a bad day, wasdepressed and in despair, Icould go home and watchyour show and by the end Ihad no concept of what myproblem was. So my ques-tion to you today is, whomakes you laugh?”

Ms. Burnett, “I’m asucker. I’m a great audience.Who makes me laugh? Well,

still today Steve Martin does,certainly Amy Poehler, TinaFey, Christian Wick. I’m intothe sketch performers be-cause that’s what I was...am.I like to lock eyeballs withpeople. I was never one todo stand up. So that’s notnecessarily my interest, butwhen I see a good sketchperformer…Morley Short,Maya Rudolph. Thosepeople, they make melaugh.”

What an honor, to haveThe Austin Film Society inconjunction with South-By-Southwest, bringing suchmajor Hollywood Star Powerto the ATX!

Legendary comedic actress Carol Burnettstops for a photo with Austin Villager

Entertainment Reporter Naomi Richard.Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images.

Page 6 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 18, 2016 HEADLINES www.theaustinvillager.com

Connecting the Dots For JusticeOn March 10, 2016 a

group of Central Texascommunity activists, busi-ness leaders, and intellec-tuals came together to dis-cuss ways, on how variousorganizations can connectthe dots that would makethem more efficient. Theevent was held at HustonTillotson University whichsought to enlighten stu-dents also. According tothe organizers, it was a“candid discussion aboutsolutions to racial injus-tice, poverty, poor educa-tion, conflict resolutionand the need for unity.”

At this event, therewere numerous panelmembers who sought tocover various aspects ofcommunity activism. Forinstance, Bertha Delgadothe President of an EastAustin neighborhoodspoke on the need of theAfrican American and

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon |Villager Columnist

Latino/Hispanic communi-ties to unite. Moreover,this unity would allowboth communities to bet-ter fight against certain is-sues, such as, police mis-treatment, imprisonment,and gentrification.

After the panel mem-bers spoke, the floor wasopen to a Question & An-swer session. During theQ& A session, one of theattendees asked of howthe various groups cancome together? One ofthe panel members men-tioned that, “Conflict reso-lution skills would helpgroups find commongrounds.” Moreover, Cen-tral Texas communitygroups have been able tomake some significantchanges. For instance, agroup like Diaspora Votehas managed to getpeople registered. Nowthe event like “Connectthe Dots for Justice” canhelp this group work withother groups to have agreater impact.

Connecting the Dots for Justice Panel. Pictured from left to right are; Gina Tillis, Rachael Neal PHD,Robert Muhammad, Bertha Delgado and Stephen. Photo courtesy of Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

Although ConstableDanny Thomas is the in-cumbent, he came in sec-ond during the Demo-cratic Party Primary elec-tions. In other words, Mrs.Janie Serna the challengercame in first. Despite Mrs.Serna coming in first, shefailed to win the majorityof the vote or the 50% and1 vote needed to stave offa runoff. Now, the race willgo into a runoff betweenthe incumbent ConstableDanny Thomas and thechallenger, Mrs. JanieSerna.

In the runoff, the dy-namic of the race willchange because there willbe two contestants ratherthan three; so there will beextra votes to secure. In ad-dition, Rick Schumancheranother challenger whocame in 3rd can sway theoutcome of the election ei-ther way. If Mr.Schumancher endorses acandidate then, that willsway the race in the favorof that person. For instance,

Democratic PartyPrimary Election Results

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon |Villager Columnist

Terrorists Attack the Ivory Coast

by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon | Villager Columnist

President of the Ivorian Community of Central Texas,Mr. Ndri and Mrs. Ndri. Photo by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

Mr. Schumancher receivedabout 25% of the voteswhich means that whoevergets his voters will win.

Moreover, it is notthe first time that Con-stable Danny Thomas willgo into a runoff election.In other words, he has

managed to squeeze a winin the other runoff elec-tions. Unlike the othertimes, there are numerouscommunity leaders whoare backing the challenger.Consequently, ConstableDanny Thomas will have towork harder to win.

Constable Danny Thomas

Early Sunday morning, a group of terrorists attacked the nation of Ivory Coastin West, Africa. The terrorist strike was at Grand Bassam, a very popular touristlocation. Furthermore, the terrorist strike and killed 16 civilians and 3 military per-sonals, along with harming 30 other civilians. Among the dead included four Euro-peans and Africans. Moreover, terrorists like to strike tourists destinations becausethey believe that killing Americans and Europeans visitors will make a greater me-dia coverage. The terrorists attacks have left numerous bewildered as to why suchan act can occur?

For a very longtime, the Ivory Coast has been spared from the terrorist acts.While its neighbors were struck numerous times by terrorist acts, the Ivory Coastwas not. For instance, both its neighbors to the north Mali and Burkina Faso wereattacked very hard by a group of terrorist before the Ivory Coast. In Mali, the terror-ist killed over 20 people at a hotel that caters to foreigners. In addition, the nation ofBurkina was also attack in which 29 people died.

Over the years, terrorist groups have decided to attack African countries as apart of their war on terror. Terrorists have chosen the African continent due to po-rous borders and also availability of numerous soft targets. First of all, most bordersbetween various African countries are not well guarded; therefore, terrorists caninfiltrate very easily. In addition, there are numerous soft targets such as hotels andother tourists’ destinations that are not well guarded also. Consequently, these Af-rican countries should start increasing the security of their countries.

MARCH 19 |AUSTINBLACK

BLOGGERSCO-

WORKINGSESSION &

ONLINE ADSDEMO

Austin Black Bloggers are getting togetherto do the work. We'll be gathering again atPatchwork Austin in the Mueller area for a 4-hour co-working session.

Don't have your own project to work on?No problem, you can QUIETLY look over theshoulder of the founder of the Blogging WhileBrown Conference while she creates andlaunches ad campaigns on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram.

For More Information call 512.853.8686

Keep AustinReal: Capital

City Black FilmFestival Gears

up with DiverseFilm Offerings

The third annualCapital City Black FilmFestival is back and bet-ter than ever Aug. 13 toAug. 15 at Austin’sPalmer Events Center.The screens will featuremore than 60 films in two

days, with both feature-length and short-films innearly every genre: ro-mance, action, drama,comedy, horror, docu-mentary, post-apocalyp-tic.

Events kick-offThursday night with theHarlem Lights! reception,which will be adornedwith rare photographs,film clips, live music andlocal actors. Austin-basedactor and producer JuliusTennon (Small Soldiers,Dazed and Confused,Faster) will host a presen-tation by the Austin His-tory Center celebratingAustin’s Harlem Theatreand Blacks in film, alongwith a presentation ofthe classic film Cabin inthe Sky, starring LenaHorne.

The festival’s fi lmlineup is powerfully re-vealing: Black Film is real,and it means depth, vari-ety, relationships,beauty, and smart per-spectives. The line-up ex-plodes any notion thatBlack Film is a synonymfor Tyler Perry. At thesame time, these are not(white) films with Blackcharacters. There’s no-ticeable diversity amongthe actors, but the filmsare bound by a blackthread. Also clear is thepresence of women aswriters, producers, direc-tors and actors in BlackFilm—and not just in afew films or a few kindsof film. They are inter-spersed throughout fromtop to bottom, just like inthe real world!

TCRP DismissesJail Call Lawsuit

City of AustinPurchasing Office

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 additionalinformation regarding current bid opportunitiesor Vendor Registration, please call the Purchas-ing 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.

City of Austin Featured JobOpportunities

Apply at HRMiddle Fiskville Rd.

6th Floor, Austin, TX 78752Job Line (512 223-5621hhtp://www./austincc.ed

EEOC/AA/M/F/D/V

The City of Austin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Please visit the City of Austin employmentwebsite at www.austincityjobs.org to view

requirements and apply for these and other jobopportunities. We encourage you to check the

employment website often as new jobopportunities are posted daily.

If you have any questions or need assistance,please call 512-974-3210 or email us atemployment.services@austintexas.gov.

 

EMPLOYMENT | PROPOSALS | PUBLIC INFORMATIONFOR SALE | FOR RENT | BIDS | MISCELLANEOUS

www.theaustinvillager.com CLASSIFIEDS THE VILLAGER/March 18, 2016 ~ Page 7

The City of Austin is currently acceptingapplications for the following positions:

• Public Event Worker, (15 TemporaryPositions)

• Community Recreation ActivitySpecialist

• Lifeguard (100 Temporary/SeasonalOpenings)

• Facility Service Coordinator

• IT Application Developer Senior and ITApplication Developer (2 Openings)

• Street & Bridge Operations Crew Lead

• Power System Engineer Senior

Austin Travis County IntegralCare is currently solicitingproposals through a Request forProposals (RFP) process for BankDepository Services. RFPs may besent electronically, by contactingBrody Ballard at brody.ballard@atcic.org or (512) 440-4022beginning March 7, 2016. Thedeadline to submit a proposal underthe RFP is 4 p.m. CST on April 11,2016. Historically UnderutilizedBusinesses, including Minority-Owned Businesses and Women-Owned Businesses, are encouragedto apply.

Austin Community CollegeDistrict (ACC) is solicitingproposals from qualified firms toprovide Media Buying Services.

Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 915-16007VJ

All proposals must be submitted toACC Purchasing by no later thanThursday, April 7, 2016 at 2:00p.m., Central Time. Solicitationpackages are available on the ACCPurchasing website at http://w w w. a u s t i n c c . e d u / o f f i c e s /purchasing/advertised-solicitationsor in the ACC Purchasing Officewith advance notice (512) 223-1044between the hours of 9am and 4pmCST, Monday through Friday.A mandatory pre-proposal meetingis scheduled for March 23, 2016 at2:00 pm CST, at the ACC ServiceCenter, Rm 168.All proposals must be sealed andreturned to the ACC PurchasingOffice, ACC Service Center, 9101Tuscany Way, Austin, Texas 78754,by the date and time indicatedabove. Electronically transmittedbids will NOT be accepted unlessotherwise stated in the documents.The ACC Board of Trusteesreserves the right to reject any and/or all responses and waive allformalities in the solicitationprocess.**NOTICE OF HOLIDAYCLOSURE** ACC will be closedfor the College spring break fromMarch 14-18, 2016. Offices willreopen on Monday, March 21,2016.

New Jobs for theWeek of 03/13/2016

Technician, Culinary Arts LabEastview Campus

Job# 1603004Faculty, American Sign Language

& Interpreter TrainingRio Grande Campus

Job# 1603001Specialist, Workforce Tutoring

Eastview CampusJob# 1602013

16th Annual CentralTexas  African  AmericanFamily  Support  Confer-ence last month.

The  conference,hosted  by  Austin  TravisCounty  Integral  Care(ATCIC), provided  informa-tion and educational oppor-tunities to consumers, fami-lies  and  the  communityabout  mental  health,chemical dependence, co-occurring  disorders,  andphysical health issues. It in-cluded scientific presenta-tions,  student poster  ses-sions,  first-party accounts,and interactive workshops.Roughly 500 people of allraces  came  together  tolearn, share personal expe-riences and promote col-laborative efforts.

Such  programs  areimportant,  especially  inthe face of the persistentmisconceptions  andstigma surrounding men-tal  health. Unfortunatelyand in the face of evidenceto the contrary, too manypeople  still  believe  thatpeople  struggling  withmental health issues are toblame for them – that dan-gerousness is rampant, re-covery  is  rare  and  treat-ment is ineffectual.

But there are reasonsfor hope. One is the Cen-tral  Texas African Ameri-can  Family  Support Con-ference.  Another  is  thehistoric  collaboration be-tween  Huston-TillotsonUniversity, the Dell Medi-cal  School at The Univer-

sity of Texas at Austin, andATCIC  to  address mentalhealth  disparities  acrossTravis  County,  in  partthrough the developmentof  the Sandra  Joy Ander-son  Community  Healthand Wellness  Center  onthe HT campus.

These  sorts  of  vitalefforts  promote mentalhealth  literacy,  reducestigma,  and  increase  ac-cess to mental health ser-vices.  They  deserve  thecommunity’s support andmust be expanded.

In the future, mentalhealth  will  be  treatedmuch sensibly, humanelyand  equitably  than  it  isnow. We  need  to movetoward  that  future  asquickly as possible.

Such programs are important despitemisconceptions and stigma surrounding

mental health continued from page 3

AUSTIN, TX - Saturday, March 19, fans are invited to Historic Downs Field, 2816E. 12 St., to cheer on the Huston-Tillotson Rams as they play a double-header againstLSU Shreveport. Gates open at 11 a.m., and the game starts at 12 noon.

“We’ve invited the Libertad Orquesta Salsa Band to play during thebreak between games, because the Latino community has a special  relationshipwith baseball.  We want all of our fans to feel apart of the community spirit we’rebuilding at Downs Field,” says Lisa Byrd, Executive Director of Six Square – Austin’sBlack Cultural District.

Downs Field is the past home of the Negro Baseball League’s AustinBlack Senators, and has hosted baseball greats such as Satchel Paige, Willie Wells,and Buck O’Neil, and countless other players who went on to contribute to America’sMajor and Minor League Baseball.

In 2013, Downs Field was designated a historic landmark by the TexasHistorical Commission.  Today, it is home to the Huston-Tillotson University Ramsbaseball team and the Austin Metro Baseball League.

When: Saturday, March 19, 2016Gates open at 11 am, Game starts at noon.

Where: Downs Field2816 E. 12th StreetAustin, TX

Who: Huston-Tillotson Rams v. LSU ShreveportLibertad Orquesta Salsa Band

VIVA BASEBALL!HBCU Celebrates Latino HeritageRams Baseball March 19 Double Header

The YMCA of Austin is the first YMCA in the coun-try to partner with MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition,Do It! in offering a childhood obesity intervention pro-gram for children and their parents.

Through generous grants from St. David’s Foun-dation, the YMCA will be offering programs over thenext year at different  locations,  including YMCA ofAustin and community locations. Each program lasts10 weeks and meets twice per week, typically a week-day evening and Saturday morning. Parents must at-tend with their child.

Children must  be  ages  7-13,  overweight  orobese, and may not be  suffering  from diabetes ordebilitating  asthma.  Physician  consent must  begranted before program participation. One parentmust be able to participate with their child in eachsession.

Take the first step toward a happier, healthierfamily. Register  today! Call  512-236-9622 or emailprogramservices@austinymca.org.

Program Starts April 2016.http://www.austinymca.org/programs/child-

hood-obesity-intervention

YMCA ObesityProgram

On April 29, 2014, theTexas Civil  Rights Projectand others, filed a federallawsuit  against  TravisCounty,  The  Sheriff’s Of-fice  and  other  TravisCounty  Elected Officialsconcerning the alleged re-cording of attorneys’ tele-phone calls at the jail.

We are pleased to in-form everyone that on Fri-day, March 11,  2016,  allclaims  against  all Defen-dants,  including  TravisCounty  Sheriff  GregHamilton and the Sheriff’sOffice, were  finally  dis-missed. The Parties to thislawsuit  have  entered  asettlement agreement re-sulting in dismissal of the

lawsuit. Prior  to entry ofthe  settlement  agree-ment,  the  Plaintiffs  dis-missed their claims againstSheriff Hamilton and  theother  Travis  CountyElected  Officials,  andamended their lawsuit toacknowledge  that  therewas no evidence of know-ing or  intentional wrong-doing  or misconduct  bythese officials or their of-fices,  including  theSheriff’s Office. The Plain-tiff attorney organizationsalso agreed to inform theirmembers of how  the  jailphone  system works andhow to use it properly.

Sheriff  GregHamilton said, “We accept

that  there  are policy  re-finements  that make  theprocess better. Addition-ally,  the  instructions  forhow the system works willbe made  clearer  for  theattorneys  using  the  sys-tem. We will be updatingour website  and makingthe instructions clearer forall  involved. We are alsopleased that, pursuant tothe settlement, the Plain-tiffs acknowledge there isno evidence of knowing orintentional misconduct orwrongdoing  by  TravisElected County Officials,and  further,  no  taxpayermoney was paid to Plain-tiffs  to  resolve  this  law-suit.”

BlacksPlayingMen’sHoops,

FootballLag

Behind inDegrees

by: Errin HainesWhack Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP)— Young Black men play-ing basketball and footballfor  the country’s  top col-lege teams are graduatingat  lower  rates  than Blackmale students at the sameschools — despite havingfinancial  and  academicsupport  that  removescommon hurdles prevent-ing many undergraduatesfrom earning a degree, anew report has found.See PLAY, back page

onetwoeast

Page 8 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 18, 2016 THE DISPATCH www.theaustinvillager.com

While 58 percent ofBlack male undergradu-ates at the 65 schools inthe Power 5 conferencesgot degrees within sixyears, 54 percent of Blackmale student-athletes atthe same schools gradu-ated, according to ananalysis of the 2014-2015academic year by Univer-sity of Pennsylvania re-searcher Shaun Harper.

Harper said thegraduation gap representsa wide and systemic issueworse than isolated scan-dals seen on individualcampuses.

“It happens justabout everywhere,” saidHarper, director of Penn’sCenter for Race and Equityin Education. “Genera-tions of young Black menand their parents andfamilies are repeatedlyduped by a system that liesto them about what theirlife chances are and whattheir athletic outcomesare likely to be.”

Just as the attentionof the sports world shiftsto March Madness, thehome page for the NCAA’swebsite features data onhow few student-athletesare drafted to play profes-sional sports, promotingits efforts to educate col-lege players. The NCAAmen’s and women’s bas-ketball tournaments beginthis week.

According to esti-mated data from theNCAA, only 1.2 percent ofcollege men’s basketballplayers are drafted by theNBA and only 1.6 percentof college football playersare drafted by the NFL.

“Although there is agreat deal of interest inbasketball this time of

In this Aug. 6, 2011, file photo, University of Alabama students receivetheir diplomas during the morning commencement ceremony for spring andsummer graduates at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala. While 58 per-cent of black male undergraduates at the 65 schools in the Power 5 confer-ences got degrees within six years, 54 percent of black male student-athletesat the same schools graduated, according to an analysis of the 2014-2015 aca-demic year by University of Pennsylvania researcher Shaun Harper. (MichelleLepianka Carter/The Tuscaloosa News via AP, File)

“You're going to graduate me, orI'm not going to play for you.”

continued from page 7

year, we think it is impor-tant to remind fans ofwhat our mission is — toprovide student-athleteseducational opportunitiesthat will last a lifetime,”Bob Williams, NCAA se-nior vice president of com-munications, said in astatement to The Associ-ated Press.

The statement alsosaid graduation rates rose13 percentage points infootball and 15 percent-age points in basketball forBlack student-athletes atall Division I programs be-tween 1995 and 2005.

Nationwide, Blackmen comprise 2.5 percentof undergraduate stu-dents, but make up 56 per-cent of college footballteams and 61 percent ofmen’s college basketballteams. Harper says collegeis failing a large number ofthese students, who alsograduate at lower rates thanstudent-athletes overall (69percent) and undergradu-ates overall (75 percent) atthese schools.

A recent NCAA reporton graduation data showsthe graduation rate forBlack male players at allDivision I basketball pro-grams was 72 percent forthe class that started in2008. For football, thenumber was 69 percent.On its website, the NCAAsays graduation rates arehigher than ever, and 15percent of student-ath-letes say they wouldn’t bein college without sports.

But the numbersdon’t hold up when look-ing at the NCAA’s main rev-enue-generating sports atelite programs.

“When coaches arelooking for the best ath-

letic talent, that’s whatthey’re looking for,”Harper said. “They’re notreally concerned with aca-demic talent.”

Harry Swayne, whoplayed football at RutgersUniversity for four yearsbefore a 14-year NFL ca-reer from 1987 to 2001,said he saw the shift inmentality from the idea ofcollege as a path to edu-cation to a pipeline to aprofessional sports career.

“Statistically, morethan likely, they won’tmake it,” Swayne said.“We don’t want to talkthem out of their dreams;we just want to give themsome reality, too. We wantto introduce them to someother possibilities forwhen football is over, be-cause it is coming to anend sooner than theythink and sooner thanthey’re ready for.”

Swayne said schoolsshould look at student-athletes more as peoplethan players, and helpthem prepare for life be-yond the game.

Harper said the solu-tion is less likely to comefrom colleges than parentswhose children are beingrecruited. He encouragedfamilies to ask coachesabout their overall stu-dent-athlete experiencebefore committing toschools.

“Sometimes, youngmen get so excited aboutthe prospect of playing fora particular place andcoach,” Harper said.“We’re going to have tosee more student activ-ism, where Black playerssay, ‘You’re going to gradu-ate me, or I’m not going toplay for you.’”

President Obama picks Kansas to winin his NCAA Tournament bracketPresident Barack

Obama has the KansasJayhawks cutting down thenets with a win over NorthCarolina in the final NCAAbracket of his presidency.Obama is most intrigued bythe East, where he thinkssome of the best games of

the tournament could playout. To this end he hasNorth Carolina meetingKentucky in the Sweet 16,which we all agree wouldbe magical. When it cametime to the NationalChampionship the presi-dent said "Bill Self owes

me!" referring to severaltimes the Jayhawks havebeen Obama's pick andcome up short. He's goingwith them again in 2016and thinks they have thesteady game that can takedown North Carolina inwhat he calls "a squeaker."