Univ. of IL BLSA Banquet
Support BLSA- Black Law Student Assoication.
BLSA host its 13th Annual Alumni Banquet. This banquet allows alumns of Colour and current students a time to interact. Alumns reminisce and students receive the wisdom of our forefathers. Some of this year's BLSA accomplishments are: BLSA president interviewed by Daily Illini, successful series of programs during Black History Month, BLSA member reaches national finals for negotiation competition and 1L appointed to the Midwest Regional National BLSA Board.
I encourage attendance to support a great organization!
BLSA Banquet
6-7:30 p.m. Reception with Open Bar
7:30 Dinner with Keynote Speaker: Cook County Bar Association President Bruce L. Cook, Esq.
Attire: Semi-Formal
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March 3, 2006
Jillian's Bar and Grill
1201 S. Neil Street
Champaign, IL 61820
6 p.m.
Jobs for Youth
Please feel free to post (Chicagoland area) summer job opportunities for young people. I hope this becomes a good bank of ideas.
Duck it's Dick!
While there is no political loss for Vice President Cheney's incident it does show some mishaps with this administration. However, let me be the frist to say this adds to my grand conspiracy theory. The President (being term-limited) will try to appoint his hier by letting Vice President Cheney resign mid-term and appointing the standard bearer for 2008. Combining his health and the need not to be a distraction to the administration I forsee Cheney resigning!
Congratulations to Maze Jackson
Maze Jackson, Young Democrat and entrepreneur was featured in the Red Eye on Feb. 14, 20o6.
A good month of media
Thank you for your kinds words regarding both the EBONY mention and the Daily Illini article. I will list a few e-mails I received. Feel free to share your thoughts too.
My high school, Morgan Park H.S., Chicago, IL
Chicago's Morgan Park High was buzzing Tuesday with news that the school posted world-class Advanced Placement results.
More African-American kids at Morgan Park passed their AP exams in two courses -- English language/composition and European history -- than at any other high school in the nation offering AP courses last year, AP officials said.
The number of Morgan Park students required to achieve that feat was 32 in English language and 26 in European history.
That may not sound like much, but those numbers translate roughly into 1-1/2 classrooms full of kids, all of them testing at college-level standards, and all of them African American -- the racial group most under-represented in AP classrooms across the nation, state and city. Two sections of each course were offered last year at Morgan Park, where the student body is 93 percent African-American.
Click here to enlarge graphic ยปSCHOOLS NOTED FOR EXCELLENCE
FOR HAVING LARGEST NUMBER OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS PASS* A 2005 AP TEST:
Morgan Park High, Chicago -- English language/composition and European history
Whitney Young Magnet, Chicago -- psychology
FOR HAVING HIGHEST PERCENT OF A SCHOOL'S STUDENT BODY PASS* A 2005 AP TEST:
Illinois Math & Science Academy, Aurora -- physics/mechanics and physics/electricity and magnetism (among medium-size schools)
Cristo Rey Jesuit High, Chicago -- Spanish language (among medium-size schools)
Northside College Prep, Chicago -- statistics (among medium-size schools)
St. Ignatius College Prep, Chicago -- government & politics (among large schools)
Reflects a score of 3, 4 or 5, the range that most colleges accept for college credit.
Source: The College Board
"I think it's awesome. It's kind of bittersweet," said AP English language teacher Marilyn Jackson, herself a Morgan Park grad. "You are excited that we have the most number of African-American students to succeed, but at the same time, that's just 32. You want more than that to succeed, not just at our school, but at every school."
Wide variety of texts
Jackson said AP English language can be challenging for kids weaned on rap music. "Students do not have many role models who use language well," she said. "They are very much into rap and movies that don't necessarily use standard English."
Morgan Park was among six Chicago area schools honored Tuesday for top AP results among 31 countries and more than 15,000 high schools across the globe -- including more than 800 schools outside the continental United States -- to offer AP courses last year. It was the only Chicago neighborhood school to be so honored.
As research mounts on the link between AP classes and college success, new data from the College Board Tuesday indicated AP courses are becoming more common nationally, in Illinois and in Chicago.
The data also showed that 73 percent of Illinois tests reflected a score of 3 or better -- scores that usually earn the student college credit. Nationally, 59.7 percent of the tests hit that mark.
However, fewer Illinois graduates took at least one AP course during their high school career than high school grads nationally -- 9.8 percent versus 22.7 percent.
In Chicago, where many high schools still offer no AP courses, City Schools CEO Arne Duncan called it "very encouraging" that Chicago's AP numbers are growing at a faster clip than the state's and the nation's. Officials attributed the boost to expanded AP teacher training and programs such as one aimed at getting kids with average GPAs primed for AP classes.
Why was Morgan Park so successful? In English language, students cited lots of writing assignments -- many of them timed, just like on AP tests; heavy but innovative vocabulary work; and an emphasis on analyzing a wide variety of texts, from the classic Shakespeare and the letters of Lord Chesterfield to the more contemporary Amy Chan and Richard Rodriguez. To prove they understood The Merchant of Venice this week, Jackson's students had to translate it into a series of articles for a newspaper they're calling The Bill Shakes Times.
'Kind of a cool thing'
Of all races, blacks are most under-represented in AP classrooms, often because they haven't received enough preparation for such classes, said AP executive director Trevor Packer.
But at Morgan Park, since 2003, teachers have been meeting weekly across grades to discuss what kids need to be primed for AP. At this point, AP courses are part of the culture of the school, said AP English language student Willie Valentine, who is also on the football, baseball and bowling team.
"It's gone into a kind of cool thing," said Valentine, a senior. "It's not nerdy. It's accepted today. If you can hang out at the AP class, it shows how intelligent you are."
rrossi@suntimes.com
Support President John H. Stroger, Jr.
I will post many entries telling you all to support the current leadership of the Cook County Board. He is my mentor and the right man for these trying times. More to come.
Newspaper article about me
There comes a time in a politicians life where he/she know longer seeks media attention. Why? Because most stories will be negative stories. I am not at that point in life yet!
My school newspaper, the Daily Illini wrote a piece about me yesterday. Most say the story was complimentary. I encourage you to read it and get back to me.
One note, I am not the heir apparent to State Rep. Marlow Colvin. I told the reporter I'd hope to be considered as a successor once the Representative moves on to greener pastures. So I want to clarify any confusion.
Also, thank you to Tracy Culumber who authored the story. She worked tirelessly and accepted my phone calls and mutliple e-mails. I am sure she will go on to be a great reporter with some large media conglomerate one day.
Thank you all for supporting me, I definetly could not do it without you.
http://www.dailyillini.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=6ecdf46a-80e1-44d2-8fe7-56ca2268e9d5
My friend, Frank Avila
On a personal note my friend Frank Avila is one of the coolest. He is who the guys want to have a beer with and he's exactly what the ladies objectify when speaking of a man in uniform.
Frank is a civic leader, attorney, Army Reservist and candidate for Metropolitan Water Reclaimation District Commissioner. This municipal agency is one of the most obscure but one of the most important. The MWRD is responsible for treatment of waste water for the entire Chicagoland area. To do this job effectively one must be well versed in environmental matters and aware of regulations. Frank knows both.
The District is composed of 9 commissioners. Each election year you may vote for 3 commissioners. One of my 3 votes will be for Frank Avila.
Over the next few weeks I will tell you all more about candidates I like and why I support them, I hope I am persuasive.
Mr. Tony goes to Monday Night Football, officially!
Compliments to ESPN.com
Updated: Feb. 8, 2006, 9:54 AM ET
ESPN names new MNF team; Breen to call NBA games
ESPN.com
Monday Night Football will have a new broadcast team when it debuts on ESPN in 2006.
Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser will be part of a three-man booth calling the games on Monday nights next season and Suzy Kolber and Michelle Tafoya will be sideline reporters. Kolber and Tafoya both reported from the sidelines for ABC during Super Bowl XL.
"I'm just thrilled to be the next person to take the greatest franchise in television sports history forward," Tirico said on ESPN Radio Wednesday morning.
Also, ESPN announced that Mike Breen will be its new lead NBA play-by-play announcer, teaming with analyst Hubie Brown for ABC telecasts beginning Feb. 12 and including the NBA Finals.
"This Monday Night Football team enthusiastically embraces our vision for sports television's signature series. We will propel MNF into a 21st century, all-day, exclusive, multi-media event that will engage fans in entirely new ways. This team will develop great chemistry," ESPN Executive Vice President John Skipper said.
"Mike Breen is widely respected for his depth of NBA knowledge and his consummate play-by-play skill. We are very excited to provide such a spectacular forum as the NBA Finals to showcase his talents."
In addition, Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will take Pardon The Interruption on the road on Mondays during the football season. The shows will air from the site of ESPN's Monday Night Football games.
"We look to the future with great enthusiasm and a strong commitment to enhance the presentation of the NFL and the NBA, two of our most important sports properties," ESPN and ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer said.
Al Michaels, the play-by-play voice of Monday Night Football on ABC from 1986 through Sunday's Super Bowl in Detroit, will not return to either broadcast.
