THE CATALYST Vol. 46, No. 15 The Independent Student Newspaper of Colorado College February 5, 2016 Bluegrass and Banjos Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn visit CC By SOPHIA PRAY Tickets were sold out for Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn’s joint banjo performance this past Tuesday eve- ning—and rightfully so. The husband and wife duo began their tour across the U.S. in the hopes of keeping their family together after their son, Juno, was born in 2013. As Fleck mentions on his touring web- site, “We decided that the best way to stay together more would be to play together more.” The couple’s connection through music manifested itself beautifully in Tuesday night’s performance. Both of them have very unique styles of playing banjo—Fleck described his style as being bluegrass oriented, and Washburn’s as being old timer— yet they were able to blend them to- gether to create extremely alluring Photo courtesy of the CC Office of Communications. CC students and Colorado Springs residents, including the snowboarder pictured above, hit the slopes of the Preserve during the snowstorm at the beginning of the week. CC closed campus on Monday evening due to over a foot of snow. Continued on pg. 11 Paul-miki Akpablie Chosen for 2016 Conversations on Queen’s Young Leader Award Whiteness New student group meets first night of and biochemistry major and de- ing a huge chunk of their income Black History Month By ANNIE ENGEN veloped Kadi Energy in Colorado on the charging of mobile devices. College’s Big Idea Competition last Akpablie himself is from Ho, Gha- Earlier this January, Colorado year. Kadi Energy is a company that na. By BRITTANY CAMACHO College’s very own Paul-miki Ak- provides its consumers with top- “I will recommend students to On Feb. 1, the first day of Black dents often get the privilege to shove pablie, senior, was named a 2016 of-the-line energy products, most take part in the Big Idea Competi- History Month and the night of a [their history] under the rug, and not recipient of the Queen’s Young specifically a long-lasting phone tion but mere participation does full-blown blizzard at the Colo- notice a lot of these inequalities, and Leaders Award. The award, handed battery that uses solar power to not guarantee that you will be suc- rado College, seniors Justin Haas I think this group brings that to the out by Queen Elizabeth II herself charge cell phones. cessful at your venture,” said Ak- and Reed Young led an intimate fore.” at the Buckingham Palace in June, Akpablie used the $50,000 he pablie. “What is more important is conversation on whiteness at CC. Haas and Young wasted no time recognizes the achievements of ex- won in the Big Idea Competition dedication and perseverance. You Independent student group in bringing whiteness to the fore ceptional individuals between ages to distribute the chargers to people have to be willing to work hard and Conversations on Whiteness held on a personal level at the inaugural 18 and 29 working to transform the in Ghana, after he found out that its inaugural meeting in upstairs meeting. To guide discussion, the lives of others. many individuals living in under- Worner Center amidst treacher- co-heads posed three questions to Akpablie, age 22, is a CC math developed countries were spend- Continued on pg. 4 ous weather conditions pounding the members in attendance. This outside. 11 white students, includ- was the first: “When in your life have ing Young and Haas, cozied up on you acknowledged your race?” the black leather couches of the Discomfort was palpable in the air lounge space to tackle whiteness at being asked a question the stu- on both a personal and institu- dents either hadn’t foreseen or had tional scale. never been asked. Young and Haas Haas and Young traded off in- acted as peaceable moderators, al- troductory statements, asking stu- lowing ample time for students to dents to state their years, majors, answer at their own pace. and motives behind participating One by one, students spoke on in Conversations on Whiteness. their first experiences acknowledg- Once each student and co-heads ing their white identities. As stories had their turn, Haas, with an air of flowed, Haas and Young offered poised responsibility, introduced more critical questions to ripen dis- the purpose of the forum. cussion, the following two setting “I think that it is unfair for stu- the tone for candid, uncensored dents of color on this campus to conversation: bear the burden of trying to edu- “How does race play into how you cate white students,” said Haas, a identify others? How do you think sentiment he expressed both dur- race relations are at CC?” Photo by Emily Kim. Senior Paul-miki Akpablie, owner of Kadi Energy, will be going to England in June to meet the ing and in conversation after the Queen. meeting. “I think that white stu- Continued on pg. 4 News Opinion Sports Life 10 Questions CC Senior Organizes Political Authenticity Vital Women’s Basketball Wins The Men Behind Your Sushi Journalist-in-Residence NEDA Week for Block 6 Genuine products and political Coincides with CC’s Celebration CC’s sushi chefs share their pas- Hampton Sides debriefs us on his Voller a driving force in preparing figures resonates with consumers of Women in Sports, page 6 sion for the cuisine, road to journalistic success, CC for NEDA week, page 4 and voters, page 15 page 12 page 13 Trans Activist Trade School Resurgence Hockey Wins One, Loses One Find us online at: CeCe McDonald A perceived antiquated pedagogy CC Tiger Hockey plays against catalystnewspaper.com Widely lauded activist to come makes comeback as an alternative Nebraska-Omaha, page 7 Facebook: /CatalystNews speak at campus, page 2 to four-year colleges, page 15 Twitter: /catalystnews 2 February 5, 2016 News The Catalyst Trans Activist CeCe McDonald Shares Story of Wrongful Imprisonment sota. She ended up serving 19 months, and more widely acknowledged, the CC commu- any other racial group. was released on good behavior. nity has begun to engage with them. How- CeCe’s story ts many of these molds. Rel- By MONICA BLACK e of-the-moment lecture will consist of ever, Delman emphasized the work students evant evidence produced by her pro-bono at- McDonald’s story, as well as her thoughts on have yet to do. torney was rejected, including testimony on CeCe McDonald’s story is the story of a mass incarceration and the queer and trans “CeCe McDonald has an inspiring story, the lives of trans women in the United States. lucky exception. liberation movements. She will also host a and hopefully the CC community takes in She was incarcerated in a men’s prison, plac- McDonald, who will be speaking in Be- workshop for interested students on Friday what she has to say and begins to think about ing her well-being at risk. With “male” and mis Great Hall this ursday, Feb. 4 at 7:00 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Glass House on self- their role in the work of social justice. We are a felony on her job applications, no one has p.m., has overcome many struggles as a trans care, intersectionality, and activism. all bound up in each other’s liberation,” said hired her despite her celebrity. woman of color: she was homeless, su ered “Colorado College students have brought Delman. In light of the rst-hand experience she has sexual assault at a young age, and experi- the campus community’s attention to the McDonald herself, in a past interview with with violence against trans women, racial in- enced suicidal ideation and job discrimi- issue of violence against trans women of Prison Abolition UK, challenged those with justice, and the prison-industrial complex, nation. As a child, she was forced to turn to color through protests and education about privilege to make changes. Hiring, being she is working on a documentary lm en- prostitution in order to combat the oppres- #blacktranslivesmatter,” said Liliana Delman, friends with, and protecting trans women is titled FREE CeCE!, co-produced by Orange sive poverty she endured. the Coordinator of Mentoring and Diversity of paramount importance to the cause. Being is the New Black actress Laverne Cox, who In St. Paul, Minn., on a late-night run to Initiatives at the Butler Center. “We thought a true activist, she said, is when “rich white claims her role as Sophia Burset on OITNB grab some groceries and avoid the daylight that bringing CeCe to campus aligns with a people can call out their other rich white is in part inspired by McDonald. rough stares she was used to getting, McDonald national narrative that demands justice for friends when they say something wrong.” McDonald’s story, FREE CeCE! explores the and four friends were provoked and attacked this community.” e protest movement #freecece that Mc- epidemic of violence against trans women of by Dean Schmitz outside a bar. He yelled rac- Delman is referring to the protests last fall Donald’s imprisonment inspired confronts color. ist, transphobic comments at them, to which in the Colorado Springs area led by Colo- the injustices that trans women of color suf- It was through connections to co-produc- McDonald verbally defended herself. rado College students, as well as the uproar fer daily in this country. 67 percent of anti- er Jacqueline Gares that the Butler Center After delivering a blow to McDonald’s face, surrounding the screening of Stonewall last LGBT homicide victims are trans women of brought McDonald to campus for the rst Schmitz charged again.