EDUCATION MAJOR USES NCAA bound TIPS FOR FINISHING ART TO RELIEVE STRESS THE SEMESTER PAGE 9 PAGE 8 RIGHT PAGE 4 WWW.THESOUTHERNNEWS.ORG NOVEMBER 29, 2017 VOL. 55— ISSUE 12 Sandy Hook Memorial to come next spring Intervarsity Christian Fellowship host a panel on Racial justice By Josh LaBella Before the event started, Sam Hollings lead the panel with a prayer. They asked that whatever people got out of it, it would be God’s Truth. “Does Jesus Care about Racial Justice?” hosted on Nov. 14 by the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (ICF), tried to answer that question. Sam Hollings, a Southern Connecticut State University alumni and staff worker for the ICF, said they organ- ized the event during social justice month because they feel matters of social justice are important to the Christian Faith. “Every year we want to be a part of Social Justice Month,” said Hollings. “We’ve done little events before, but this year we really wanted to prior- itize talking about social justice from a Christian perspective. According the Hollings, he and the five panelists would be discussing Outside of Jennings Hall, where the Sandy Hook Memorial will be. PHOTO | PALMER PIANA questions the average person might have about Christianity and race. He said they were talking specifically By Josh LaBella interact as real people.” it’ll make more sense and it will garden spaces could be built. about racial justice because it has Camenga said a core idea have more meaning.” Camenga said Southern been such a hot button issue. of the project was translating Jana Bryan, a landscape wants to support the commu- “I think, oftentimes, religion and social justice into a physical architect with Julie Moir nity garden. He said people Christianity seems to be involved in It has been five years form. He said it was not easy Messervy Design Studio, said should think about it holisti- those conversations so we wanted to since the shooting at Sandy because there are different she and two coworkers came cally and as being interrelated tackle some questions and even some Hook Elementary School that perspectives on what social to Southern last semester to supportive of one another. He common stereotypes about when that took the lives of 26 people justice is. The project, Camenga begin workshopping designs said they had raised around usually happens in the news and the – including four Southern said, was a group effort. with the community. She said 50,000 dollars for the project. national dialogue,” said Hollings. “The alumni. Southern plans to “Everybody owns this,” they wanted to get information William Faraclas, a professor answers might shock some people no commemorate those losses said Camenga. “We need the from students about the values of public health, said the matter what side you’re on, so we’re next spring with a new memo- community to own this thing. of dignity, civility, respect, project could be a 50 year plan, excited to bring that.” rial on campus. It’s not any one person’s kindness and compassion and a 10 year plan, or a 5 year plan. When answering the title question, Members of the Southern project. Many people have where and how they applied to He said the development of Jeremy Ogunba, the coordinator community attended a Nov. 16 shaped this.” campus. the garden would be resource for Black Campus Ministries New meeting in the Adanti Student Camenga said the meeting “I was amazed at the ease given but also philosophy England, said God is all about Center to view the proposed was to discuss both the larger with which the community driven. bringing people together. designs for the “Reflection vision and the legacy garden. speaks about these core values “We have a message about “When we look at race, and we Garden.” Daniel Camenga, the The legacy garden, he said, will and social justice in general,” social justice and I think our look at it as a social construct that associate vice president for include the SCSU Sandy Hook said Bryan. “There were country, the world, needs that was created primarily to create Institutional Advancement, said Memorial and will be an area of attributes to these spaces that message now,” said Faraclas. a hierarchy among people and in the aftermath of the shooting compassion. we really couldn’t even put “They’ll need that message in primarily to divide people , we see he recognized there needed to “The core, or the heart into words. They were quite 50 years also, but they quite that that is not in line with what the be some sort of action taken. of that, we will be looking remarkable.” urgently need that message Gospel and what Jesus came and “If there were garden spaces to install next spring,” said Bryan said the proposed now. We need to do it. Not just represented,” said Ogunba. that could help bring people Camenga. “That’s significant. location for the memorial for ourselves on this campus. together,” said Camenga, It’ll be in time for the 125th garden would be behind Not just for the communities “communities could come anniversary of the university. Morrill and Jennings Halls and neighborhoods that SEE RACIAL JUSTICE PAGE 2 together and get to know each This is a big deal on a lot of overlooking the pond. She said surround this campus. But to other. We need to talk to each levels and as people experience her company also mapped out broadcast our beliefs about other. We need to be able to it, learn about it, understand it, other spots on campus where social justice.” Program offers transgender students clothes to match their identity By Josh LaBella one student using it, that’s better Since last March, during the than not having that opportunity Week of Transgender Visibility, for students to not have that Southern has had an “Open Door resource.” Closet” for Transgender students According to Carney, they are who wants clothes which better looking for all types of clothes match their gender identity. but are in need of more mascu- Olivia Carney, a Student line and men’s style clothing. She Affairs graduate intern, said the said they also need more shoes idea behind the program was to and accessories like scarves or have a collection of accessories jewelry. and clothing for transgender “Also, something that we students. She said the Open haven’t gotten many of, because Door Closet, run by the Sexuality they are kind of expensive and a and Gender Equality (S.A.G.E.) little bit harder to come by, are Center, had been going well even wigs,” said Carney. “That would though they found there was not be another thing, particularly for huge percentage of students on someone who is transitioning, campus who needed to use it. for example if they want to grow “People are really excited to their hair out but it hasn’t grown support it in terms of donated out yet, then if they were able to gently used clothing or acces- wear a wig they would be a little sories to us,” said Carney. “We bit more feminine presenting.” figure that, even if we only have SEE TRANSGENDER CLOTHING PAGE 3 Michael Archer, sophomore biology major. PHOTO | JOSH LABELLA PAGE 2 NEWS NOVEMBER 29, 2017 ‘Black Lives Don’t Matter’ film focuses on injustices in society By August Pelliccio year ago, but his work began in earnest roughly over the course of the last month. All media in the film is from the public domain, save for a few video clips and photographs that are original to In the heat of the slave trade, Harris. Africans were not brought to Narration in the film begins, “There America for liberty and justice, but is a reason why it is said, ‘black lives for torment and terror. Attitudes matter.’” Harris continues, “These from those times are still present three words are an affirmation, and a today. recognition that throughout the history Professor Frank Harris III, the of the descendants of black Africans in man behind these words, sparked America, whether those lives are young conversation amongst students or old or somewhere in between, they during Southern’s social justice have not.” event, Black Lives DON’T Matter. Harris explained that freedom means The event also featured a showing of liberty, and liberty means life. When Harris’ in-progress film, tentatively freedom and liberty are taken away, titled either “Black Lives DON’T Harris said, an individual’s life ceases to Matter,” or “Through the Blood of matter. the Slaughtered.” Ammajah Sweeting is a sophomore, Harris was asked to host an who after attending the event said that event for Social Justice Month in she thought it went well. September; he pitched this idea to “I feel he was very proactive in the Social Justice Month committee, explaining the ‘Black Lives DON’T and they approved. Harris said last Matter’ title,” said Sweeting. year he previewed his then in-pro- Sweeting said her main concern was gress film, “Journey to the Bottom of when the conversation turned in the the n-Word,” so this year he wanted direction of white privilege. She said it to preview the new film. did not seem like everyone in the audi- “I just love this medium for telling ence was on the same page during that stories,” Harris said. Professor Frank Harris hosting “Black Lives Don’t Matter” event. PHOTO | AUGUST PELLICCIO turn. Harris said in working on these two “For the most part, I agreed with films, he has become more comfortable For a portion of the clip, natural sound “I was asking so many questions [Harris], but I saw it from a different with the medium, and he said he enjoys effects and music were present, aligned because it was only seven minutes,” said perspective,” said Sweeting.