page 5 New Year’s Edition December 2015 / January 2016 Racism in Missouri A Cause and a Voice A Case of Overreaction proached him on these grounds, to which though — the nonsensical demands of the Jamie Razler (277) Michael Moroz (275) Managing Editor Brown responded by attempting to grab student groups at Mizzou and elsewhere. Staff Writer the officer’s gun and fight him. The students formally demanded racial di- In case there is still doubt that Brown versity classes (this is college, folks) and On November 9, 2015, Tim Wolfe, the from the University of Missouri began If anyone wants to see a case study of was, at worst, justifiably killed, and at for the percentage of black staff and fac- President of the University of Missouri, a hunger strike on the campus, saying he the puerile politically correct campus cul- best, a thug, the grand jury cleared Wil- ulty to be increased to 10% (higher than resigned from his position due to the de- would not eat until Tim Wolfe resigned. ture that pervades modern colleges, they son of any wrongdoing. Further, President the black student population at Mizzou, by mands of several students. The reasoning The football team also pushed for Wolfe’s need only look at the incredible overreac- Obama’s Department of Justice could not the way). I was under the impression that for his departure branches back to over a resignation by refusing to practice or play tion at the University of Missouri. find any civil rights violations in the case, colleges should hire professors based on year ago. any games until he stepped down. Over a period of months, a few ter- and it definitively proved that the common qualifications alone, not skin color. Ober- On August 4, 2014, Michael Brown, After vigorous protests, demands, boy- rible occurrences were recorded at Miz- “Hands up, don’t shoot!” moniker had no lin College’s black student group brilliant- an unarmed, black, 18 year old male, cotts, and hunger strikes, Wolfe resigned zou — a black student was the recipient of basis in fact. ly fit into their demands divestment from was shot and killed by a police officer in from his presidency on November 9, 2015. racial slurs from unidentified individuals, More broadly, the students issue sev- Israel — insofar as these activists write Ferguson, Missouri. Many students from The attention drawn not only to the Uni- and a swastika was written in feces. These eral suspect claims about American so- absurdities, they might as well include the University of Missouri participated in versity of Missouri, but also to other col- events spurred massive protests calling ciety, and such claims deserve their own vaguely anti-semitic ones, too. protests regarding Brown’s death near the leges and universities across the country, for president Tim Wolfe’s resignation. (In columns to be refuted. The claim that When supporting facts don’t exist, the city. was caused by the voices of the students. case readers are missing a causative link, it police officers generally kill black people activists invent them, of course. Jonathan Over the next year, a series of events Payton Head addressed the magnitude of doesn’t exist unless Tim Wolfe draws fecal indiscriminately, for example, is nonsense. Butler, a student at Mizzou, went on a hun- occurred on campus to deliberately objec- the situation in Missouri by stating, “Stu- swastikas in his spare time.) If one adjusts for the significantly higher ger strike after blatantly lying about being tify and offend black students and other dents are empowered to speak up about We can trace these protests ultimately murder rates of black people, there’s ac- hit by Tim Wolfe’s car; he stepped in front minority groups at the university. The what is happening here, and that is em- to the events in Ferguson, where Darren tually a slightly higher cop homicide rate of the car, and it’s on video for anyone to student body president, Payton Head, who powering other students around the nation Wilson, a white cop, shot Michael Brown. for white people. In St. Louis, whose po- watch. The appropriate response to this is a black male, had racial slurs yelled at to speak up about what is happening at There are, of course, a few problems with lice department has been pushed to take nonsense should’ve been — starve. These him. A white male intruded upon a school their campuses as well.” this underlying cause. First of all, Saint over Ferguson’s, studies have shown that activists have not heeded the Michael play rehearsal and called students the n- Because the students raised their voic- Michael of the Gentle Giantedness (all black and white officers shoot suspects at Brown ruling, nor will they accept any of word. Two swastikas were drawn around es about something that they felt needed credit to Ben Shapiro for that particular the same rate, suggesting no evident racial the aforementioned claims about the jus- the campus, one in feces. to change, the entire country knows what epithet) was a delinquent who robbed a disparity. tice system as even debatable. The campus As the students took notice of the ongo- happened at the University of Missouri. convenience store, manhandling the store There’s one place where one can cer- left doesn’t engage in debate; it engages in ing problem at the university, they urged owner in the process. Wilson then ap- tainly and inarguably find discrimination, hunger strikes and sit-ins instead. President Wolfe to take action in regards to the hate crimes that were being com- mitted. The students blocked his car from passing by during the school’s homecom- ing parade. Wolfe, however, did not ac- knowledge the students. “Concerned Students 1950,” a group at the University of Missouri, called wrote

a list of demands concerning the hate (275)

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o t o for mental health programs. The list of ph demands reached Wolfe who again failed to take action. Once the media drew attention to the predicament, students undertook more drastic measures. An alumnus of Last year, Central students showed solidarity with Black Lives Matter. “Creed” Is A Knock-Out Film For All Throughout the film, fans will notice nally confront the anger and discontent he Natan Yakov (275) familiar elements that make Creed identi- had for his father and for being his father’s Editor-In-Chief cal to . Like Rocky, Donnie falls in illegitimate son. Donnie is only able to love with a girl while training, struggles overcome this ongoing spiritual conflict In 1976, Philadelphia became the city to work cooperatively with his trainer, and through the lessons he learns when he of the underdog when Rocky became a faces struggles to find his own identity in interacts with people like Rocky--people blockbuster film. It spawned a franchise an environment where all forces seeming- that must also face daily battles that take that grossed over one billion dollars and ly go against him. To Donnie, Philadelphia a toll on the soul. It is Donnie’s fight with left a tremendous impact on Philadelphia’s slowly transitions from a city of hope and his father, not so much the fight he faces in culture. However, after the failure of opportunity for change to the ring the ring at the end of the film, that will stay and satisfying closure presented itself. Donnie takes many punches, both with fans during and after they see Creed. in , the Rocky series seemed literally and figuratively, as he fights his Lastly, fans of the original Rocky series all but completed. With the release of way to be the best. will be seeing Creed with one question in Creed, fans are presented with something This description of Creed’s basic plot mind - what ever happened to Rocky Bal- unexpected - a story that, although is re- almost makes it sound like an exact copy boa? Photo is copyright of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. markably distinctive on its own, presents of Rocky’s plot, and in many ways, is set The film does takes an incredible step and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. the same challenges and emotional obsta- up for disappointment from fans who were back to the original Rocky film to revisit cles that were found in the original Rocky hoping for something new and exciting. the qualities of Rocky Balboa that made In this way, Rocky and Donnie both Creed’s ability to be a fantastic film that made it a film for the ages. However, the film doesn’t save itself in him an underdog icon. In the original film, have to face their own fights while help- on its own makes it convenient for people In Creed, Adonis “Donnie” Johnson Donnie’s love story or Donnie’s interac- Rocky is honest, devoted, and true to his ing each other. Rocky is able to provide the who haven’t seen any of the Rocky mov- Creed attempts to distance himself from tions with Rocky. The key element to this principles. However, in Creed, Rocky is mental support Donnie lacks, and Donnie ies to still be able to understand the plots the image of his father, , film that makes moviegoers want to see no longer the same youthful character. is able to provide the spiritual and physi- and themes that were presented in the who, in the original Rocky series, was the Donnie succeed is how he must come to He is a well retired boxer that now takes cal strength Rocky desperately needs as he Rocky movies. Creed will definitely leave heavyweight boxing champion, a famous terms with his relationship to his father on the role of trainer. He no longer sees encounters complications with his health. audiences cheering when Donnie deliv- celebrity, and Rocky’s closest friend. Don- and his father’s image. life with the same optimism as he once This exchange of support between mentor ers powerful punches, heartbroken when nie is the illegitimate son of Apollo, and Donnie’s struggles and victories in did nearly forty years ago. Rocky must and apprentice is something that the origi- Rocky mourns the loss of his friends, and decides to separate himself from the Creed Philadelphia are able to physically make address his own inner conflicts, which nal Rocky never really presented to fans, hopeful once more when the protagonists legacy to make a name for himself. To do him stronger and mentally prepare him- include his mortality, failing strength, and further providing to Creed’s uniqueness as overcome the famous steps preceding the so, he heads to Philadelphia to find Rocky, self as he focuses on boxing, but it takes ability to keep own going , a both an independent film and addition to a Philadelphia Museum of Art. hoping that the retired boxer can train him. more than just training for Donnie to fi- common theme in both Rocky and Creed. great franchise.

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