Kodie Butterfield Staff Writer Most of us, if not all of us, know the famous story of Rosa Parks and the bus seat but what about W.E.B. Du Bois, Louis Armstrong, James Baldwin, and Thurgood Marshall? If you know about all of these individuals I applaud you, but if you don’t then you are far from alone. These are a very few of the many influential African-Americans from history. February is coming to a close and the question on my mind as I write this is; what have we done to remember Black History month as a school? I know that DMACC has done a great job this past month of bringing in performers of different races but that is just about it. I am sure there have been informational sessions but how many of us really go to those? The concept behind them is great and it’s awesome that DMACC wants to create more diversity but that should be a goal year round. As individuals I don’t feel we do much either. Most of us will say that yes Black History Month is important but do we actually do anything to support that opinion? Do we take time out of our day to remember Black History? Personally I know I haven’t done anything differently this month compared to others. I will admit that I’ve seen myself as too busy to really pay much attention to it. When I was in middle school and high school I always remembered Black History month because it was a part of my curriculum. I remember doing different projects each year and I still remember the individuals I did my reports on but I don’t really think of them as Black History. I think of them as influential individuals who achieved something that no one thought they could. Black History Month takes February and makes it a specific time period to learn about Black History. It’s a great concept and presents learning opportunities. Something people need to realize is that black history is American history. I don’t believe we need to have a separate month dedicated solely to their history. I’m not saying that African-Americans didn’t have it hard or don’t still have it hard but I am saying we share a common history as a nation. We should be incorporating Black History Month into our regular history lessons. I think that college textbooks do an adequate job of having diversity in them. The problem is that there is only so much we can know. We need to remember that when history was being documented most people were incredibly racist and didn’t see a need to include people of color. Since we don’t have the information to be taught we can’t properly teach. There is however one particular idea I think we should all take out of Black History Month in general. That idea being that these individuals we learn about overcame racism and a numerous other obstacles in their life and were able to make something out of the lives they were given. Today we all sit around and complain about how horrible our lives are but do you honestly think that any of us would have survived racism and being enslaved under abusive masters? I know I couldn’t have. Simply put black history is a very important aspect of history but I don’t think it needs its own separate month. We should take the ideals of Black History Month and use them in our daily lives. As a nation we have done a good job of incorporating all history into our curriculum in the schools and so Black History Month has become an outdated idea. Brian Osborn Staff Writer Oh Valentine’s Day, a day of love, gifts, and time to spend with that significant other. But for those of you without that special someone, Valentine’s Day is like the new MTV show Buckwild, sad and pointless. So if you are going to be like me and order Chinese food for one and live in cynical bliss, here are some ways that you can redeem the day. The way I look at it is that you have to replace the emotion that you are missing with the next best thing. So how about laughter? The Funny Bone in West Des Moines would be a good option. Darrell Joyce, who has had spots on Comedy Central, will be performing on Valentine’s Day. So you could grab your buddies, sit around, have a good chuckle, and forget about the empty bed you will be going home too. What about excitement? There are many theaters in the area that should be showing some kind of a film that will trip your trigger. For guys, we can see just about anything because let’s face it, we’re pretty easy to please. “Django Unchained” (which is my pick for movie of the year) has many aspects to do so. Quick drawing guns, explosions, comedy, and even a love story that you can get behind instead of those movies with cheesy lines and vampires that sparkle in the sun instead of blow up. Unfortunately for women, theaters right now are soaked in masculinity and your options are pretty limited, unless you can get into a love story between a zombie and a living girl. The day after V-Day premiers a movie called “Safe Haven” staring dreamy eyed Joshua Duhamel (Transformers Series) and Julianne Hough (Rock of Ages) that shows promise if you’re into that type of thing. But if that doesn’t do it for you, you could always have a “Twilight” marathon with you and your other single girlfriends and get lost in Taylor Lautner’s washboard abs. For those of you trying to fulfill a sense of adventure, why not try and go on an adventure (if weather allows it). During the summer, my roommates and I would make a quick drive over to Ledges State Park night and just walk along the trails, talk, lay in the grass and look up at the night sky. I always found something peaceful about those trips. It just gave me a good time to think, put things in perspective and have a good talk with my friends about life and other things. But if all else fails and you are of age, there is usually a bar not to far away where you can have a drink, make some new friends, rekindle old ones, and just have a good time. And who knows, you might even find a valentine. Just don’t drink and drive or you could go home to an empty bed in a six by six prison cell. Kodie Butterfield Staff Writer The story of the origin of Valentine’s Day takes place during ancient Roman times. Emperor Claudius II made it against the law for young soldiers to marry. Saint Valentine was a man who went behind the ruler’s back and preformed marriage ceremonies for young couples. He was caught and put to death for repeatedly breaking the law. It wasn’t until after being put to death that he was considered a saint. What is Valentine’s Day really about? Is it about how many cards, flowers, or chocolates you get? Or is it where your significant other takes you for dinner? Valentine’s Day has been advertised for many years as a day to treat the person or people you love special. Today the stores start covering themselves in hearts and chocolates as soon as the new year begins. Couples start planning their dates and figuring out what that ‘perfect’ gift might be. Valentine’s Day like so many other holidays has suffered the disease of commercialization. The holiday has developed into a chance for stores around the country to make money off of unaware consumers. I work at a grocery store here in Boone Iowa and the holidays just don’t mean the same anymore. I have had first-hand experience for the past two years seeing all of these people scrambling around the day before Valentine’s Day to find that gift for their significant other. I’ve had the pleasure of watching the floral department become swamped by men sweating and rushing to get roses for their wives or girlfriends. Now commercialization isn’t the only thing that has made this holiday what it is today. There is also the stress factor. We can see this appear as early as elementary school. Even at this young age kids feel the pressure to get the “best valentine” or to get the most in your decorated shoe box. I remember myself as a kid working for hours with my Mom on decorating the perfect box for all of my classmates to put in my special Valentine cards. I would spend another hour picking the perfect card out of the set for each individual person. I know now that almost every girl in my class did the exact same thing. Then I look at my 8-year- old niece. Last year she was in second grade and I still remember her talking about her Valentine’s Day party at school. She went on and on about how a certain boy in her class gave her a “special” card. For her this meant it had her favorite cartoon character from some Disney movie. Then my niece continued to tell me about how there was a girl in her class that she didn’t like. My niece gave the girl a card that had one of the evil stepmothers from a princess movie. I had a complete mental flashback to when I was young and worried about the same thing. Valentine’s Day isn’t just a stress for the women or girls though. My best guy friend in elementary school did the same thing I did. He didn’t want certain girls to get the wrong idea, but I do remember he would always save his favorite for me. Then when I go to work on or near this holiday I see more men than women. They are the ones running around trying to get flowers, chocolates, and the perfect card. The idea behind Valentine’s Day today is to show that special someone how much you care. I personally think it is great that people want to shower others with love and gifts. The question remains though; why do we need just one day a year to do just that? Why do we need an excuse to treat the people we care so much about special? I’m not saying that Valentine’s Day is a bad thing, but much like many other holidays it is just a reminder of the things we should be doing every day. Personally, I would rather have a random act of kindness or love throughout the year then just have one day to feel extra special. Brian Osborn Staff Writer On Dec. 14, 2012, Adam Lanza is suspected of walking into Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut and opening fire on both students and faculty. By the end of it all, 20 children and eight adults including Lanza were dead in the second deadliest shooting in this country’s history. With this school shooting and already around 1,100 other deaths by guns in America since Sandy Hook, according to Slate.com, I have to ask: what the hell is going on? How can we fix a problem that already seems to be spinning out of control? According to the Center for Disease Control, as of right now we average about 87 deaths by guns a day in America and by 2015, gun deaths will surpass car fatalities as America’s leading cause of death aside from medical-related deaths. It is time for some sort of gun control to be enforced, but what kind, and where do we draw the line between freedom and tyranny? The problem can’t be fixed with external tinkering alone. How can we be sure that all the laws we make will actually fix the problem or prevent the inevitable? Plus, laws can also lead to exaggeration. You can’t fix one extreme with another extreme. For example, if you lose control of your car, you aren’t going to gain control by turning your wheel from one side to other. But if each and every one of us made little adjustments within ourselves, like being nicer or more appreciative of the people around us, or just trying to better ourselves from the inside, wouldn’t the problem begin to work itself out? First we need to identify the problem. Does it lie with the guns? By Emily Rinehart Guest columnist As class finals are approaching, many students do not have much time to think about what to eat, or even whether there is time to eat at all. Though breakfast may be the last choice during the busy school schedule, a research article done by the Harvard Medical School states students who ate breakfast were “...significantly more attentive in the classroom, earned higher grades in math, and had significantly fewer behavioral and emotional problems.” Eating breakfast jump-starts the metabolism, feeding the brain so you can think more clearly. Breakfast can actually benefit with weight loss when protein is consumed as it is one of the vital building blocks for the body to stay healthy and strong. Protein fills the stomach making the body feel more full longer throughout the day so you do not eat as much food. As eating breakfast is very important for the brain to think and function clearly, I have put together a few easy recipes that can be enjoyed for breakfast to begin your day. If any of these recipes are not able to be eaten, make sure to get some kind of protein in your diet such as a glass of milk with oatmeal, a bowl of fruit, peanut butter on whole wheat toast, or even a banana with peanut butter spread on it. All of these recipes are great to make the night before class and enjoy for breakfast. Enjoy and good luck on finals.
By Cainon Leeds Editor-in-Chief Finals week is upon us. The studying, the cramming, the all-nighters, in short, the stress is all back. It gives me nightmares just thinking about it sometimes. In the midst of finals, it is often good to look back over the semester and think about the things that helped and the things that hindered success. We succumb to distractions of all kinds and refuse help when we need it most. I would like to remind all students that the Academic Achievement Center, Writing Center and library are great resources of knowledge and tutors, instructors and librarians are always willing to help. For exam time schedules, students should feel free to check page 2 of this issue. And while I believe finals and good grades are important, I would also like to reach out to the overachievers on campus. I’ve been called an overachiever on more than one occasion and I can relate to stressing out over the smallest details. Why else do you think I chose to apply for the editorship of the Banner? What some students need during the long studying hours is a pat on the back, a nice conversation or just a little break from all the essays and formulas. Maybe someone needs a study buddy, maybe someone needs an early Christmas gift. Whatever the issue, I would like for students to know that they don’t have to go it alone. I would encourage all students to let a friend, or family member, or maybe a little-known acquaintance know to do their best on finals, but that finals will not get the best of them. Also, DMACC’s new Honors program has also successfully made it through its first semester with more than 40 Honors students enrolled. Two DMACC Boone students, Lynette Taylor and Mia Pierson, will be the very first from the program to graduate with Honors. Congratulations to Lynette, Mia and all of the other students who will be graduating from DMACC and moving on to new opportunities at the end of the semester. In addition, this issue is the last issue of the Banner for the fall 2012 semester. For any students interested in joining the Banner News staff next semester, sign up for Newspaper Production (JOU 125) with Julie Roosa from 11:15 to 12:10 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, get approved for work study for the Banner or come in and work as a freelance writer, photographer, cartoonist, web designer or help layout the paper. Any assistance would be appreciated. This will be the end of my first semester as Editor-in-Chief of the Banner News. It’s been a rough semester. We’ve had our ups and down, but mostly downs. Without the constant support of those who pitched in here and there, I would have been lost. I would also like to thank Julie Roosa, the Banner’s advisor, for instructing me in the ways of journalism, regardless of my failures and putting up with my leadership style. I will be back as Editor-in-Chief in the spring as well. Thank you for allowing me the chance to serve as your student newspaper editor and get to know the student body better. Enjoy winter break, everybody. |
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