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A LOOK INSIDE THE ISSUE
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THE MAROON TIGER
THE ORGAN OF STUDENT EXPRESSION
SINCE 1925
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE - ATLANTA, GA
1/31/14 - 2/5/14 * VoL.88, No. 9
NEWSLINE
JOHNSON FOR MAYOR:
KEVIN JOHNSON ‘96 RECENTLY FORMED
AN EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE TO RUN FOR
MAYOR OF PHILADELPHIA. HE IS KNOWN
AMONG THE MOREHOUSE COMMUNITY FOR
THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING A LETTER
HE WROTE AHEAD OF PRESIDENT OBAMA’S
MAY 2013 VISIT TO THE COLLEGE.
NEW ADMISSION CRITERIA:
MOREHOUSE IS AMONG A LIST OF SCHOOLS
COMMITTING TO INCREASING ACCESS FOR
LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. ACCORDING TO
THE AJC, THE PLAN INCLUDES A NEW PRE
COLLEGE ASSESSMENT TO IDENTIFY PROMIS
ING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE TEST WILL
FACTOR IN TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC SKILLS,
BUT ALSO "SOFT” SKILLS, LIKE A STUDENT’S
PERSISTENCE AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS.
WILSON TO BE INAUGURATED:
PRESIDENT WILSON IS SET TO BE OFFICIALLY
INAUGURATED AS THE 11TH PRESIDENT OF
THE COLLEGE ON NEXT FRIDAY. HIS CER
EMONY COMES JUST AS A HOST OF OTHER
EVENTS ARE BEING PLANNED FOR THE WEEK,
INCLUDING AN APPEARANCE BY MARVIN
SAPP AND AN EDUCATION SUMMIT.
THE SUPERBOWL UNITES ALUM:
THE RECENT SUPER BOWL FESTIVITIES
BROUGHT TOGETHER A NUMBER OF MORE
HOUSE ALUM INCLUDING JAMES KING AND
KAMERUN WHALUM, BOTH ARE MEMBERS OF
BRUNO MARS’ BAND.
NEW WEATHER TASK FORCEV:
AFTER A WINTER STORM THAT SHUT DOWN
THE CITY, GOV. NATHAN DEAL HAS AN
NOUNCED A TASK FORCE TO DEAL WITH
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IN THE FUTURE.
utm
MICHAEL ROMAN
STAFF WRITER
MJR2992@GMAIL.COM
With the stands packed, Forbes
Arena was overflowing with the type of
enchantment that can't be duplicated
by any other rivalry when the Maroon
Tigers’ basketball team hosted cross
campus rival Clark Atlanta Saturday.
The heart-wrenching 65-62 loss for the
Maroon Tigers had the acuteness of a
heavyweight title match. With eight ties
and seven lead changes, the Maroon
Tigers and Panthers traded blows and
competed until the very last second.
While Morehouse senior guard David Bu-
channon got a clean look from the top
of the arc as time expired, his long-range
transition 3-pointer fell short of the front
of the rim and failed to force overtime as
the Panthers prevailed.
In the final home game against
Clark Atlanta for Morehouse seniors,
guard Darrius Williams scored a game-
high 29 points and added nine rebounds.
Williams shot an efficient 62 percent from
the field on 13-for-21 shooting. Unfor
tunately for Morehouse (2-8 SIAC, 5-13
overall), the perimeter shooters on the
team, Buchannon and guard Austin An
derson, could not match the effective
ness of Williams in their respective roles.
Buchannon and Anderson combined for
5-for-22 (23 percent) from the field and
l-for-7 (14 percent) from 3-point territory.
Perimeter shooting has been a
dilemma for the Maroon Tigers all sea
son. Their 30 percent cumulative 3-point
shooting on the season has resulted in a
last-place standing in the SIAC East divi
sion.
When asked to name the Tigers’ top
three struggles against Clark, head
coach Grady Brewer replied, “Shooting,
shooting and shooting!”
After nearly two decades as the
Tigers’ coach, Brewer spoke about the
importance of guard play and perimeter
shooting, claiming that guards are the
most important position for winning big
games. Then he elaborated on this no
tion.
“There is a theory that I have
about the 3-point line with us, this team,"
he said “We must make five or more
3-pointers to have a chance to win.”
In eight of the team's 13 losses this sea
son, Morehouse has failed to make at
least five 3-pointers. In four of the team’s
five wins, they have made five or more
3-pointers. Brewer's theory may not be
perfect, but it is an indication of the
importance of perimeter shooting for this
team.
As teams continue to prepare
for Morehouse and notice their struggles
from the 3-point line, it is inevitable that
Morehouse will continue to face zone
defenses. The offense must become less
stagnant and move the ball. Also, the Ti
gers must attack soft spots in the zone to
free up their shooters on the perimeter.
With better looks from deep, Morehouse
has a chance to improve on its unim
pressive 3-point percentage.
After a tough loss
in an emotional rivalry
game, the Tigers look
ahead to their next op
ponent with hopes of
leaving their shoot
ing woes behind.
Brewer said the
new mantra for the
team during Feb
ruary is "fresh legs,
fresh mind, fresh body
and fresh spirit.”
This game was
the Maroon Tigers'
fifth consecutive loss
overall and second
consecutive home loss
in the heart of regular
season conference
play.
It is surely too late for
a fresh, complete
restart to the season.
However, the team
still has time to finish
strong for the seniors
and make this season
one to remember.
SNOW BALL FIGHTS THAT WERE NOT VERY INNOCENT
Tuesday morning, a tweet posted to the
official Morehouse College Twitter ac
count read, “ATTN: Due to the inclem
ent weather, @Morehouse College will
be closing today at 1 pm!!!” Three hours
later, at 12:20 p.m., students received an
email informing them of cancellations,
just 40 minutes before they went into
effect.
According to CNN.com, The National
Weather Service "put the entire Atlanta
metro area under a winter storm warn
ing at 3:38 a.m. Tuesday.”
The college was also closed on Wednes
day and Thursday, but these announce
ments were made one day in advance.
“The way [the college] handled com
munication was a bit off,” said freshman
Kyree Bey, who recommended that
Morehouse use a texting alert system
similar to other institutions. Other stu
dents said administration should have
cancelled all classes on Tuesday so that
students would not have driven in those
conditions at all.
City of Atlanta Mayor Kasim
Reed faced similar criticisms over his
response to the storm. In response to the
blame placed on Reed, a CNN article
reported, "Metro Atlanta comprises 140
cities and towns - most of which have
their own leaders making their own de
cisions.”
The article went on to say that
the condition of the highways - which
is where most accidents and traffic oc
curred - was the responsibility of state
officials. Reed admitted that he should
have recommended that schools, busi
nesses, and government offices release
citizens at varying set times, rather than
all at once. Those factors caused many
people in Metro Atlanta to take 10 hours
or more to drive home.
For this week, local news stations
are predicting multiple days filled with
JAMES PARKER
CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR
JAMESJR.PARKER@GMAIL.COM
"It didn’t matter if you were a
police officer or a girl, if you were in a
car coming up Brown Street, you were
getting hit [with snow]." - Morehouse
freshman Christum Noel.
After last Tuesday’s snow storm,
students from the AUC filled Brown
Street to participate in a snow fight in
volving anyone else who happened to
be on that road.
The very little car traffic on Brown
Street was made even less because of
the weather, but the few motorists who
did travel this stretch of campus were
caught by surprise.
Some students threw snow at all cars
that passed by, including a Campus
Police vehicle and the vehicle of an
unidentified female who got out of her
car in frustration. Reportedly, students
continued to throw snow at her until she
abruptly returned to her vehicle.
Later, students walked to the area
on Clark Atlanta University’s campus
referred to as the "pedestrian prom
enade” to continue the snow ball fight.
Several videos were posted on YouTube
depicting different parts of the night’s
event.
After the initial excitement wore
off, many students had a less positive at
titude about the snow and the college’s
response to the subsequent weather
conditions.
"They didn't put the salt out until
.[the snow] had already started
melting,” said freshman Eric Clark. He
rsaid ice was left on campus for days
before any measures were taken to
clear the roads and walkways.
Other students, such as sopho
more Thahal May, said a lack of
food in the cafeteria
was also an issue. He
suggested that the
college keep more
food in stock when
storms are forecast
ed, but he under
stood the conditions
in the cafeteria
have also been
caused by the short
age of staff due to
the storm.
Some students
expressed more dis
pleasure with the
way and time that
class cancellations
were announced.
if