…“I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2 This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, From every mountainside, let freedom ring! And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that: Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! LISTEN, LEARN, LIFT, LEAD! Title 1 JANUARY 2014 REMEMBERING DR. KING Photo Credit: LeftAHead.com STAFF Marthe Metayer Toussaint Angelita Dieudonne Albertiny Dorce Bianca Dudley Janece Martial Narrio Walks Roodyna Angelic Joseph A-J Prophete Kristina Latibeaudiere Quanne Webbe Donte Innocent Jeral Innocent Nelsen Brave Javon Charles DATES TO REMEMBER Teacher Planning Day: Feb. 7th Winter Interim Testing: Jan. 21 – Feb. 14th Valentine’s Day: Feb. 14th Presidents’ Day: Feb. 17th One of the most influential individuals in our history, regardless of race, color, or creed, is the honorable Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King, the famed Civil Rights leader, was shot and killed on April 4th, 1968. King fought for equality, wanting cooperation from everyone, blacks and whites alike. He believed in a nonviolence approach. This is something that may be foreign to many of today’s citizens what with so many videos of violence posted across social mediums like World Star, Vine, and YouTube. Born Jan. 15th, 1929, King would graduate high school at the age of 15 and received his Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Morehouse College at 19. He would continue his studies at other universities. Dr. King, like his father and grandfather, would end up becoming the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Along with other freedom fighters, King would take part in the famed Montgomery Bus Boycott that lasted 13 months. He led the March on Washington, in 1963, where he delivered the historic “I Have a Dream” speech. At the age of 35, King would become the youngest person to win a Nobel Peace Prize. The prize money, more than $54,000, was turned over to be used for the civil rights movement. He would go on to write five books, many articles, the manifesto “Letters from a Birmingham Jail”, awarded five honorary degrees, named Man of the Year in 1963 by Times magazine, and delivered over 2,500 speeches. Throughout all of this he endured threats on not on his life but his family’s. He was assaulted over four times, jailed around 20. During the bus boycott his house was bombed. Still, he never got violent. Despite having the support of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson when he was alive, it would take years before King would get a day in his honor. There was a lot of controversy surrounding King due to FBI files suggesting that he was a radical, influenced by Communists. It wasn’t until 1983 that legislation was passed to have a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The day is observed on the third Monday of January. The first nationwide one occurred in 1986. Dr. King would have been 85 this year. It would be quite interesting to see how he would view the world today if he were still alive. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others.” - Strength to Love (1963) “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” New Year’s Resolutions By: Janece Martial Did you have a New Year’s Resolution? Have you at least tried to complete one? New Year’s Resolutions are commitments people make to improve or change certain habits in the coming year. It can be as simple as “lose 5 lbs.” to “gain 10 more.” The only thing is most people never stick to their resolutions or don’t intend on keeping them. Some common attempts and failures are losing weight, eating healthy, and saving money. The reason why most people fail to comply is that maybe they’re taking too big of a step. You can’t make a resolution and think it’s automatically going to happen. You need to start small. For example, instead of saying you are going to lose weight, you can say that maybe you’ll only go to McDonalds once a month. Statistics say that about 88% of people fail to complete their New Year’s Resolutions meaning that there are about 1.5 million disappointed people every year. It’s silly, right? Yet people still make up resolutions for the following year. Maybe It’ll be easier if every one’s New year’s Resolution was to be themselves. Celebrity Beefs By: A-J Prophete and Donte Innocent Over the recent years celebrities have not been getting along. Rapper Chief Keef has not been getting along with another rap group called Migos. Chief Keef said that the group Migos dissed him in a song called “Jealousy”. Waka Flocka is not getting along with Gucci Mane. Waka Flocka said that Gucci Mane is getting jealous because he is getting more fame. Everyday we wonder, when will this nonsense stop? Goodbye Uncle Phil By: Jeral Innocent and Nelsen Brave James Avery the actress of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” born on November 27, 1948 in Pughsville, Virginia, U.S. He died in December 31, 2013 at the age of 68 in Glendale, California, U.S. His death was caused by complications following open heart surgery in a Los Angeles suburb hospital. New Year Twins By: Marthe Metayer In Washington D.C., Yaleni Tohaleno gave birth to a twin boy and girl at MedStar Washington Hospital Center as the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve. Twin brother, Brandon, and sister, Lorraine, were born during a different time and year. Lorraine Yaleni Begazo was born at 11:58 p.m. on New Year’s Eve (2013) and her twin brother Brandon Ferdinando Begazo was born at 12:01 a.m. on New Year’s Day (2014). The only difference between the twins is that the girl is more active and cries a lot while the boy likes sleeping. In Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Lindsay Salguiero gave birth to twin sisters Gabriela and Sophia who were also born in a separate time and year. Gabriela arrived at 11:52 p.m. and Sophia arrived 38 seconds after midnight. Gabriella was the last baby born in Credit Valley Hospital on 2013, while Sophia was the first baby to be born in 2014 at the hospital. Is it Splits-Ville for Gabrielle and D-Wade? By: Roodyna Toussaint and Angelita Dieudonne On Jan. 8, 2014 Gabrielle, on Good Morning America, recalled Wade’s marriage proposal in December. They went to brunch and toured their house, which is currently under construction. According to eonline.com, Wade asked Gabrielle many questions like, “Are you gonna to put on makeup?” “Are you gonna to do your hair?” The kids love to perform skits and songs so they decided to do one and told Wade and Gabrielle that they were ready. Next thing you know his kids are holding up signs saying: Will you marry us? Gabrielle turned around to see Dwyane Wade on one knee asking, “Will you marry me?” Gabrielle said, “This is a thing! Yes! Of course, yes!” According to miamiherald.com, Gabrielle Union showed up in a tight black dress on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Wednesday (Jan. 8) with the teeniest bit of tummy bulge. Is she faking or is her tummy really baking? Faking or baking? Dwayne Wade confirmed, on mstarz.com, that he is the father of a one-month old child with his “female friend”. According to an anonymous letter that was sent to mediatakeout.com, we wouldn’t think twice about Dwyane Wade’s confession. The question that seems to be on everyone’s mind is not about whether or not Wade cheated while on their break or while they were together. In fact, it’s whether or not Gabrielle Union is really pregnant. Only time will tell. FSU Tops Auburn to Win BCS Championship By: Javon Charles Florida State defeated the Auburn Tigers 34-31. Florida State was down 14-3 in the second quarter, 21-10 at halftime, and came back for a big win. Jameis Winston, FSU quarterback, stated, “Any quarterback can go out there and perform when they’re up 50-0 in the second quarter.” Quarterback Tre Mason scored the last touchdown for Auburn with a 37-yard run. Christian Jones (No. 7) ran a kick return back for a big FSU touchdown.Kelvin Benjamin (No. 1) would score the winning touchdown for FSU beating Chris Davis. Gamma Blue Madness By: Angelic Joseph and Quanne Webbe The Gamma Blue 11s were released on Dec. 23, 2013, and the Gamma Blue 12s were released on Dec. 28, 2013. According to fox2now.com, there were about 300 people lined up outside of Hibbett Sports (St. Louis, MO) before the mall even opened up just to get one of the hottest shoes of the holiday season, the Air Jordan “Gamma” shoes. One person said, “fighting for shoes is just awful. As always we will see a restock on these probably multiple times so this madness is just unnecessary!” Quanne stated, “I went to Simon’s the day the 11s came out. I saw people with chairs, drinks, devices, and food. There was an argument between this young man, a grown man and a woman. The young man skipped and made the man and the woman furious. They began arguing but the young man didn’t move not once. People would actually fight, kill, and steal for shoes; not me, you could keep the shoes!” Best of the Best By: Albertiny Dorce and Narrio Walks It’s that time of the year again where the best of the NFL face off in one game known as the Pro Bowl. The teams are usually divided into two conferences, AFC and NFC. We get quarterbacks like Peyton Manning from the AFC North going up against defensive backs such as Richard Sherman from the NFC West. This year’s Pro Bowl will be one like no other. It was said that for this year’s Pro Bowl, instead of AFC vs. NFC, a draft will be held on the 22nd of January by Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders. They will be selecting players from each team and will be giving the AFC and NFC new team names. Notable names making it to the game include: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Dez Bryant, Calvin Johnson, Jimmy Graham, Robert Quinn, Tamba Hali, Troy Polamalu, Richard Sherman, and Justin Tucker. Miami Dolphins players Cameron Wake, Brent Grimes, and Brandon Fields will be a part of the game. A Message From An Educator Excuse me as I take the time to address something I’ve wanted to for some time now. Students, you need to do better. It doesn’t just pertain to academics, though that is a big part of the problem. We need to take more pride in ourselves, students. We must respect one another and ourselves. We must let go of the pettiness; the things that won’t matter in the grand scheme of things. I shake my head at the fact that so many of our young people allow the silliness of social sites like Facebook and Twitter cause so much “drama.” The amount of “he said, she said” nonsense that may get a handful of “likes” or “retweets” is a miniscule dot in the overall portrait of your life. Supposed friends suddenly enemies. The fact that young men and women from the inner cities continue to be discussed for their inappropriate actions on social networking sites should be reason enough for you to think twice of what you do. For those who are planning to go to college, or get a dream job, those institutions do check your history. You don’t want one silly post, video, or picture be the reason you don’t get accepted or hired. For those who think that just making their Instagram or Facebook account private will negate certain things from being found out, think again. For those who think deleting something that was once posted on the Internet will make it all go away; think again. Once something is online, it leaves a trace forever. I’m sick and tired of our young ladies acting very unlady-like, getting into fights on and off school grounds. I’m sick of a select few causing problems for the rest of the hardworking, respectful students. Know your place. You are not an adult so stop speaking to adults as if you are on the same level. I want our students to get on the ball academically. Stop procrastinating and then scrambling at the last minute to do assignments. Stop accepting Ds and Cs and strive for As and Bs. Clean up after yourself. Stop leaving trash all over the school. Many students feel that school is not fun and the rules in place make it a boring place. Students need to know that many, if not all, of the teachers here would love to do more but if students can’t be trusted to do certain things, how can we ease up and make things fun? Do more field trips? You must know that you have to give us something so we can give you something. It’s called a working relationship. Let’s work together! Five Facts About the December Students of The Month What is your favorite color? Pink and blue What are some of your hobbies? I love to sing, dance, and cook for my family. Favorite food? I love rice and beans with fish. Do you know what you want to be? If so, what? Roodyna Toussaint Yes, a lawyer. I love to defend myself. Ultimate dream vacation? Hawaii or Columbia Who is your favorite artist (musical)? Michael Rosenberg What is your dream job? Marine biologist or work for the FBI Favorite food? Pomegranate Giuliana Rizzo Favorite color? Blue Favorite animal? Chameleons and turtles Do you have any poems, songs, artwork that you want to be submitted in future issues for our Art Corner? Or do you need advice from Miss Sally? Get your work or questions to Mr. Howard (Room 955). Be advised that artwork will come out in black and white due to ink.