Newspaper Page Text
MAROON TIGER
he Organ of Student Expression Since 1925
ttOREHOUSE COLLEGE, ATLANTA, GA
Wednesday, October 15,2003
www.maroontiger.net
Volume 78, No. 7
DNA
research
may yield
controversial
results
by Christian Nwachukwu Jr.
christian_nwachukwu@maroontiger.net
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
It’s all the rave. If it were a woman, it
would be the lady in red; if it were a demon it
would bedazzle us in a blue dress. It is
genetics—the little science that could and the
flashpoint for the definition of mankind.
Everything, from paternity verification, to
tracing one’s ethnic ancestry, to pinpointing
genes for obesity, is being debated in the
maelstrom where science meets society. But
in the msh to pinpoint our questions in the
context of a tiny gene, we may miss answers
as blatant as an idling bus.
Howard University, in conjunction with
First Genetic Tmst, who partners with such
giants as GlaxoSmithKline and Hewlett
Packard, announced plans late this past
summer to compile the largest database of
DNA from black Americans in the United
States. The goal: to study genes involved in
diseases that disproportionately affect African
Americans. It makes sense. African
Americans have disproportionate incidence
and mortality rates of hypertension, high
Please see DNA, page 3
Breast Cancer Awareness
Can a relatively small liberal arts college for men be
actively conscious of an issue that primarily affects
women? Please see CANCER, page 2.
Sharpton
rocks the
vote
by Jonathan Blocker
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
On October 7,2003, the Reverend A1
Sharpton spoke to an overflowing crowd
of AUC students and interested
community members at Spelman
College’s Cosby Auditorium. The event,
hosted by Spelman’s Student Government
Association (SSGA), provided Rev.
Sharpton an opportunity to enlighten and
appeal to potential young Black voters.
The animated Sharpton immediately
leapt into the issue of Black suffrage. He
challenged the assembled students and
Atlanta residents to have their voices heard
and to help make political decisions. “You
cannot thwart the political actions of
government officials if you are not
involved,” he asserted. “Only by voting
will the Black community be recognized.”
As was widely publicized last year,
the Black vote in America, and specifically
in Georgia, was at an all time low. In the
six AUC institutions, it was reported that
only 300 students registered to vote in
Georgia and voted at the polls set up in
Morehouse’s Archer Hall. Sharpton stated
that such lackluster turnout by Blacks
contributes to the domination of
conservative politicians in federal and
state offices.
Please see SHARPTON, page 2
Goodbye Gray, hello Arnold
by Marcus Newman
marcus_newman@maroontiger.net
WORLD AND LOCAL EDITOR
On Tuesday, October 7,
2003, approximately 10
million voters marched to the
polls to decide who would
become the next governor of
the state of California. Less
than a year ago, the people of
California voted to re-elect
incumbent Gray Davis to a
second term. However, with
growing dissatisfaction over
Davis’ performance,
California constituents were
clamoring for change - as
demonstrated by the results of
the recall vote. The results
submitted by 96 percent of the
precincts showed that 54
percent of the people voted in
favor of the recall. Republican
candidate Arnold
Schwarzenegger led the
crowded pack with 3,391,278
votes, while Democrat Cruz
M M You’ve
| given me
your tmst by
voting for me, and
I will do
everything I can to
live up to that
tmst. I will ■ m
not fail you. w w
Bustamante garnered
2,286,547 votes and
Republican Tom McClintock
earned 936,000 votes.
As a result, Austrian-born
bodybuilder and political
newcomer Arnold
Schwarzenegger has become
the governor of the nation’s
most populous state and the
world’s fifth-largest economy.
Despite recent reports about
allegations of
Schwarzenegger’s sexual
misconduct and misplaced
political ideologies, Arnold
proved victorious where it
counted - in the polls.
“Today California has
given me the greatest gift of
all,” declared the new
governor. “You’ve given me
your trust by voting for me,
and I will do everything I can
to live up to that trust. I will
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Please see ARNOLD,
page 3 page 3
Soccer gets red card
by Bryan Wallace
SPORTS DESK
In a world of million-dol-
lar endorsement athletics, it is
a rarity to find a person over
the age of eight playing sports
for the love of the game. This
rare phenomenon once existed
at Morehouse, in the souls of
its soccer team players. Unfor
tunately, like most rare things,
the team and its players were
undervalued, overlooked and
eventually disbanded.
The Morehouse Maroon
Tigers soccer team began as a
club, chartered in 1993 by
Liberian History professor Dr.
Augustine Konneh. A former
professional soccer player
himself, Konneh felt that the
sport could be used as a tool
to bring international and
American students together. In
1996, the club became NCAA
competitive, transforming it
into a major tool in the recruit
ment of international students.
Although working with a
part-time coaching staff and
insufficient facilities, these
athletes, armed with dedica
tion and a love for the game
traveled to local parks and
fields to practice. According to
former captain Michael
Samson, “There would be
times in which we would be
in the middle of practice when
other groups would come and
lay claim to the field,” leaving
them no option but to defer
practice until the end of their
next nomadic journey. Be
cause of the deep dedication
demonstrated by these indi
viduals, however, they were
able to accumulate many ac
colades, including the Geor-
gia-Perimeter Championship,
Augusta Tournament champi
ons, and many winning sea-
Please see SOCCER,
page 9
QUICK READ
OUR WORLD
• Around the Globe
Middle East: Kofi
Annan condemns Israeli
air strike, page 3
FEATURE
Street Beat
The MT keeps an ear to
the streets, page 4
ARTSETC.
Music In Review:
Dead Prez’s new
album, RBG, page 5
AUTOMOBILES
An homage to man’s ^ ^
best invention, page 6
LIFE
A day with Mrs.
Massey
The first lady of Morehouse
speaks about the love of her
life and her role in the
Morehouse community,
page 7
SPORTS
20 Questions, page 9