OCTOBER 2014 OCTOBER 37 Issue FREE Syracuse, NY Syracuse, MUSIC: USING IT AS THERAPY www.mysouthsidestand.com south side news side south HIV/AIDS Stand PORTRAIT education MENS Project motivates Jon Speed’s new shop Jon Speed’s is his way to preserve ‘the printed word’ book scout people to stay safe, healthy SELF events community many at performs 315 Pride Elks the Meet popular drum line line drum popular Meet credits Talent Agency credits Talent college: Alexis Belt college: Alexis Belt From Corcoran to art From HER INSIDE|OCTOBER The Stand | October 2014 FOUNDER HEALTH | Through special events, education, interventions and case management, MENS Project strives to curb HIV/AIDS cases, especially among minority men. PROFESSOR STEVE DAVIS the COMMUNITY | The Elks Pride 315 drum line has a rich history — and, now, a new drum. Find out what makes these drum line members so special to the community. DIRECTOR ASHLEY KANG SCHOOL AND YOUTH | Meet Alexis Belt, who has chosen art as a career and has a good start as a freshman at SUNY Purchase. She credits Talent Agency for her drawing skills. BOARD OF COMMUNITY | While South Side residents wait for the Eat 2 Live Food Co-op to reopen, DIRECTORS they are finding fresh produce from other places and from other people willing to help. CHARLES PIERCE-EL FEATURES | Jon Speed has opened a bookstore on South Salina Street that has it all — used books, rare books and a comfortable place to put up your feet and enjoy the space. SHANTEASHIA HARRIS EL Stand ENTERTAINMENT | Jeff Houston, of the Jeffrey Houston Experience, is battling cancer a second time. He turns to his music to help him cope. There are ways you can help, too. REGINALD A. SEIGLER Cover image of a self-portrait of Alexis Belt provided by Dorene Quinn, Talent Agency NATHANIEL BROWN TAJUANA CERUTTI MYAH BAKER AND BABY AMARI REPORTERS, EDITORS AND Our cover story last month featured Myah Baker recalls that on the morning of Sept. PHOTOGRAPHERS Lynell Baker, an expectant teen living at the 5, she began to have slight labor pains and Salvation Army’s Transitional Apartments and opted to walk the hallways of the Parenting STUDENTS AT THE Parenting Center. Center for relief. By 1 p.m., labor was in full S.I. NEWHOUSE SCHOOL OF We are happy to share that Baker gave force, and an ambulance was called to take PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS birth to a healthy baby girl at 4:54 p.m. Friday, her to the hospital. Not long after Baker got Sept. 5, at Crouse Hospital. Amarionna Lynell settled in at the hospital, Amari was born. Baker weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces and was The pair stayed at the hospital two days and SPECIAL THANKS 20 inches long. returned home Sunday, Sept. 7. DEAN LORRAINE BRANHAM, Baker is calling her Amari. The biggest surprise, Baker says, is what STEPHEN MAHAN, ABBY LEGGE While Baker’s mother was not able to she calls her baby’s mean streak. “She has a make it to the hospital, she stayed on good mean face,” Baker joked. CONTACT US speakerphone the entire time Baker was in It was obvious baby Amari was in charge. SOUTH SIDE NEWSPAPER PROJECT labor, talking her through the process. Baker’s For example, as Baker attempted to wake (315) 882-1054 mother continues to call her daughter daily. her daughter for a final photo, Amari snapped [email protected] Ashley Kang, director of The Stand, and back at her mom’s touch and then gave a little BIO information photographer Jessica Suarez caught up with hiss of displeasure. But, we mainly witnessed Baker when Amari was only 4 days old. peaceful baby snores and happy sleep smiles. THE STAND IS BASED OUT OF THE SOUTH SIDE COMMUNICATION CENTER 2331 SOUTH SALINA STREET SYRACUSE , NY 13205 CALENDAR|OCTOBER What: Jazzuits at Jazz Central What: 7th annual Halloween Spooktacular When: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26 When: 4:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30 DISCLAIMER Where: CNY Jazz Central, 441 E. Washington St. Where: Beauchamp Library, 2111 S. Salina St. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE STAND ARE NOT Cost: $15 general public, $10 seniors, $5 students Cost: Free NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE ENTIRE STAFF. Details: The Le Moyne College Jazzuits joins Details: Join the Spooktacular event for games, THE STAND WELCOMES SUBMISSIONS FROM forces with Ronnie Leigh to perform the hits of crafts, food and activities for the entire family. ALL MEMBERS OF SYRACUSE’S SOUTH SIDE Johnny Mercer, including “That Old Black Magic,” Come in costume if you’d like. BUT RETAINS THE RIGHT TO PUBLISH ONLY “Autumn Leaves” and “Tangerine” More Info.: Call the library at (315) 435-3395, MATERIAL THE STAND DEEMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE PUBLICATION’S EDITORIAL PURPOSE AND More Info.: Call (315) 445-4200 and ask for Christine IN KEEPING WITH COMMUNITY STANDARDS. www.mysouthsidestand.com LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR Last month, The Stand put together its first photo exhibit for our summer storytelling series, From Where We Stand. What a great and rewarding experience. It was the perfect way to display the project’s photo focus and celebrate the work of our eight participants and their mentors. This project’s goal was to put real families behind the camera to tell their own stories. Under the direction and guidance of professional mentors, the participants’ photography skills rapidly improved, their confidence grew and, for many, a new hobby developed. South Side resident Dale Harp worked with mentor Bob Gates. Both > Dale Harp, center, poses in front of spoke at the opening reception Sept. 11 at the Link Gallery and shared what they got his images with the directors of the out of the experience. Before this project, Harp said, the only camera he ever used Faith Hope Community Center, Ed was a disposable one. “Every step of the way, Bob has been with me to teach me how Beauford, left, and Bob Harrison. | Bob to use the camera, upload photos and answer my questions,” Harp told an audience Gates, From Where We Stand mentor of about 50 attendees. Gates, a professional photographer and retired professor at Syracuse University, shared how refreshing it was to work with Harp. He described how excited, eager and passionate Harp was to learn. “In all my years of teaching, I have never had a better student,” Gates said. A theme that emerged from participants’ final photos is that black fathers do play a role in their sons’ lives. In several images on display, a father playfully chases bubbles EXHIBIT with his young son, a father supports his son’s dream of becoming a boxing champion and a grandfather teaches his grandson how to ride a bike. Brenda Muhammad, a STILL OPEN participant in From Where We Stand, said it best when she shared remarks at the opening reception: “This project is important because it shows there are strong men From Where We Stand supporting and raising their sons in this community.” Gallery Exhibit Participants’ final photos can be seen at the Link Gallery through mid–October, When: Open through and you can also view the projects, including short films and slideshows, online at mid–October — weekdays FromWhereWeStand.net. during business hours Ashley Kang Where: The Link Gallery at Syracuse University’s Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., downtown Details: The gallery is located PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR FOCUS on the ground floor. When you enter the building from the DALE HARP EURAIN SCOTT THE ROTHWELLS main entrace off Washington Documented the youth at the Over the summer, documented Karaline and Isaac documented Street, take the elevator to the Faith Hope Community Center moving with his grandmother their community involvement on ground floor. You will exit the and preparing for college the Near Westside and captured elevator into the gallery. moments with their son TAMARA REESE Cost: Free and open to the Documented the love MARTHA CHAVIS-BONNER public experienced within her family Captured her family’s annual ARDENA HARVEY Fourth of July celebration Documented her experience of More Info: Call (315) being a single mother and 882–1054, email CEIKAIYIA CHEEKS recorded her son’s transition [email protected] Corcoran High School senior BRENDA MUHAMMAD from high school to college or visit FromWhereWeStand.net worked to hone her video skills Documented quiet, joyous and contemplative moments 4 HEALTH The Stand | October 2014 ACR HEALTH HIV/AIDS EDUCATION SIDE LOCATIONS MENS Project puts its focus on keeping people safe and healthy ACR Health is a legacy THE of AIDS Community Resources and has six offices providing services ON in nine counties: Cayuga, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego and St. Lawrence SYRACUSE OFFICE Location: 627 W. Genesee St. Phone: (315) 475-2430 Online: www.ACRHealth.org Testing available from 10 a.m. through > A local dance crew performs at the Red Carpet Extravaganza held Sept. 11 at Landmark Theatre. The event was a way to raise 2:30 p.m., by appointment awareness about HIV / AIDS in efforts to prevent its spread, especially among minority men. | Ricardo Imbert, Staff Photo or walk-in By | Ricardo Imbert While these two groups make up a small percentage Urban Affairs reporter of the population, they account for more than half of Testing, interventions, case management are new HIV infections in the area, Reed said. Dance crews and performers, such as rapper Good ways the group supports quality-of-life choices FREE VISION Guap and singer Martino Storm, entertained the crowd, SCREENING not-for-profit community health organization — seated around a runway in the theater’s second floor.