YDC Talks to Mabinti Yillah of Media House
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In this issue Entertainment 9–10 Humor 13 Lifestyle 5–7 YDC reviews News 1–4 Purple 365 Soapbox 15 checks out sites The Illusionist Sports 12 p. 8 Viewpoints 14 p. 5 Volume 20 • Number 2 • Winter 2011 Please display through Mardi Gras YDC talks to MaBintiDana Yillah Harrison of ism.Media With YDC, I was able Houseto learn how to combine Young D.C. style with precision,” she said in a recent interview. To celebrate its 20th year, Young D.C. is an- “Above all, YDC was the catalyst for my media swering the frequently asked question about career not only on the journalism side but the net- former staffers, “Where are they now?” working side as well. I have been blessed to inter- YDC started hearing about a venture at the Uni- view and meet a lot of cool people in the music in- versity of Maryland a few months ago. Details on the dustry.” Her experience has been key in developing Media House at College Park answered, “Where are the Media House. “It’s a networking, public and me- they now?” about former YDC staffer MaBinti Yil- dia relations agency on campus. I’m also one of the lah. As a YDC reporter, she was on top of new CD executive producers and co-creators of the DMV releases and nonviolent activism. These interests still Live Radio on WMUC. DMV Live Radio aims to be flourish as in her last year at UMd. She is a prime the mouthpiece and platform for D.C.-area talent. It source for Hip-hop info in the DMV. debuted on Jan. 28.” “YDC gave me my first break thanks to [vol- MaBinti Yillah, second from Media House co-executive Yillah doesn’t leave her passion at the Media left, flanked by artists Robert producer Juan Vargas at Rap ume 16 managing editor] Lauren Wells. I always had House. It goes to class with her. Assistant professor Lyriciss Bailey, left, and Phil Rocks, a mixed genre concert, a passion for journalism, especially music journal- Adé, second from right, joining Feb. 24, at DC9. SEE YILLAH , PAGE 3 photo courtesy of Media House After shooting, Rep. Gohmert calls for more guns while Rep. McCarthy calls for fewer bullets Emily Yang general public. This nation has come together before Young D.C. to support this simple, commonsense measure, and it Jan. 8, 2011, a mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., is the law in several states right now. It is a small shocked the nation. Nineteen people were wounded, sacrifice that law-abiding gun owners can make once six fatally. The gunmen shot US Rep. Gabrielle Gif- again in order to increase everyone’s safety.” fords in the head. She seemed to be the target of the A gunman using “cop killer” bullets in a 15-round shooting. The alleged shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, magazine killed McCarthy’s husband and several oth- enhanced his Glock pistol with a magazine that load- ers on the Long Island Railroad in 1993. ed 31 bullets instead of the standard 10. After the in- Despite Gohmert’s statement that proposed cident, two very different reactions arose from Gif- laws would infringe on the right to bear arms, Robert fords’ colleagues in Congress. A. Levy, a Second Amendment advocate, sees Mc- Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert (Tex., 1st Dis- Carthy’s bill differently. He told NBC, “I don’t see trict) proposed that members of Congress should be any constitutional bar to regulating high-capacity allowed to carry concealed guns in D.C. Gohmert said Gohmert McCarthy magazines. Justice Scalia made it quite clear some in a press release Jan. 13, “There is a rash of legisla- Democratic Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (NY, 4th regulations are permitted. The Second Amendment is tion further infringing on Second Amendment rights District) advanced legislation Jan. 18, which is to ban not absolute.” that has been unwisely proffered in the wake of events high-capacity magazines like the one used in Tucson. in Tucson. If members of Congress wished to carry a McCarthy said, “We need comprehensive reform to Emily Yang, 14, is a freshman at Churchill HS in weapon in the federal District of Columbia, it should reduce the number of people hurt or killed by gunfire Potomac, Md. be permissible.” No draft of his proposed bill was in America, but one simple way we can do that is by available to YDC as late as Feb. 21. keeping the worst tools of mass murder away from the See page 15 for teen views on gun control. News t Young D.C. t Winter 2011 Winter 2011 t Young D.C. t News Deadline for Through Your Lens is March 7 Passion for journalism National school facilities contest invites photo and essay entries Young D.C. is an independent newspaper written by and about metropolitan area teens. In late 2009, three nonprofit organizations created a contest that gives stu- ington, D.C., many more entries will be published in a book and online photo gal- and Hip-hop yields new Address correspondence to: dents, teachers and community members the chance to share their views of school lery and student entries have a chance to win a prize.” Young D.C. buildings–the good, the bad, the ugly and things that could be improved. The con- The contrast between a new addition on Langley HS in McLean, Va., and the 1904 18th Street, NW Unit B test coordinators compiled the winning photographs and essays of the inaugural deterioration of the original 1965 building led Christin Boggs (Langley Class of Washington, D.C. 20009-1707 venture at College Park competition into a 52-page book. The book was presented to members of Con- 2003) to enter the contest last year. Boggs’ work made the book. Read Boggs’ blog tel: 202.232.5300 YILLAH , FROM PAGE ONE fan of soccer standout Kaká (Ricardo Izec- gress, the Obama Administration and education stakeholders across the nation. on the subject at http://christinboggs.blogspot.com/2010/01/healthy-schools-cam- fax: 202.232.5306 of English Randy Ontiveros told YDC, son dos Santos Leite), on Real Madrid so a Critical Exposure, the 21st Century School Fund, and the Healthy Schools paign.html www.youngdc.org “[She] took a class with me last spring on stint in England or Scotland would improve Campaign launched the second Through Your Lens contest Feb. 1 They invite While it’s important to show derelict and dangerous situations, examples of Copyright. All rights reserved. the literature of the Chicano civil rights her chances of seeing him play. But the lure everyone with a view of the nation’s school buildings to show the world what stu- money well spent on school facilities could also contribute to discussions. D.C. movement, and she brought with her a sharp of law school appeals to a trait she had back dents, teachers and community members see every day. Public Schools offers updated environments to students at the Columbia Heights Reporters: Charity Ajayi, McKinley Tech (D.C.); Faith Ajayi, historical mind and a deep commitment to when she was a teen journalist, “ I remem- The deadline for submissions is March 7. Students, teachers, and community Educational Campus (home of Bell HS, Lincoln MS and the Multicultural Career McKinley Tech (D.C.); Mohammad Diallo, Syracuse University social justice. Students in my classes often ber reading some the fan mail from a Chris members are invited to submit their stories and photos of conditions in their school Intern Program) in Ward 1, McKinley Technology HS and Phelps Architecture, (NY); Alex Greenhill, The Lab School of Washington (D.C.); Dana struggle to make connections between the Brown piece and it put a smile on face not buildings by March 7, using www.ThroughYourLens.org. Organizers say, “By Construction, and Engineering HS in Ward 5 and School Without Walls in Ward 2. Harrison, Wootton HS (Md.); Eyen Zame Johnson, homeschooled, literature that we’re reading the political is- because the response was positive (it sharing what is seen every day at school, students and teachers will provide elected YDC wonders how or if these environments changed the lives of students, teachers Christina Lee Oakton HS (Va.); (D.C.), Abigail Melick, Woodrow sues that we face today, but MaBinti is quick wasn’t), but because it was negative. It’s not leaders with an honest window into today’s school buildings and encourage debate and communities? What is expected as Woodrow Wilson HS in Ward 3 nears the Wilson HS (D.C.); Matt Nguyen, Lafayette College (P.a.); Olivia to understand how the arts relate to society our responsibility to make people feel com- about state and federal funding for public school repair, renovation and construc- completion of its renovation? Patch, The Lab School of Washington (D.C.); Andrew Pollowitz, as a whole.” fortable and content; it’s our responsibility tion. Selected photos and stories will be displayed at a special exhibition in Wash- Check out http://www.throughyourlens.org/ for more information. The Lab School of Washington (D.C.); Abby Seitz, Fauquier HS Early experiences seem to back up to make them think and make them feel (Va.); Imani Thompson, The Madeira School (Va.); Priscilla Ward, what Ontiveros described. Yillah told YDC, something even if it means taking the rug Temple University (Pa.); Emily Yang, Churchill HS (Md.) “I knew I wanted to be a journalist when I from underneath. read Ernest Hardy’s review of Aaliyah’s Aa- Artists: Lisa Hu, Wootton HS (Md.) “Through Young DC, I not only learned liyah.