The 6th Annual Black Brown and College Bound took place at the Grand Hyatt Tampa, February 29th- March 3rd, 2012.This year’s theme was- “And still we rise”. Among the many seminars held; Professor Jy Hon Vance of Baltimore Community College Presented The Quest Program- which he described as an initiative to build “A learning community to connect, recruit, and retain African American Males in Higher Education”. Many keynote speakers were in attendance and the three day event provided a multitude of concurrent sessions, roundtables, and opportunities for students to network with summit professionals.

Stefon John competing in the Olympic Trials in Brazil

  Tampa, Florida- The students of Hillsborough Community College may or may not know that there is an athlete of the world class caliber walking the halls of our campus.  You will not find him on the basketball court or the baseball diamond; you may, nevertheless, find him at a nearby gym training in the “sweet science.” Yes, that’s right, criminal justice and criminology major Stefon John will be competing in the sport of boxing in the 200 pound heavyweight division in Rio de Janeiro to earn a spot on the Grenada Olympic team.

  The Tampa resident moved from Grenada-located in the Caribbean Sea-last August and enrolled in the school’s Criminal Justice program. He was excited about the move, feeling that Tampa was the place to be to start off his boxing career. His introduction to the sport was like many who participate in athletics, a friendly rivalry with a family member. “I started play fighting with my cousin, we were slap boxing and he smacked me up pretty good so I said, ‘I am going to learn how to box for real, and I’m going to come back and I’m going to whoop you;’ up to this day I never got that rematch.” As Stefon started to learn the sport, he continued to progress and realized his potential. “I started to take it a little bit more serious; I took it to the level that I want to be the best. It was a dream of the guys in the gym to make the Olympics; my opportunity has arrived now.

  I’m training harder and harder now to push myself to the next level, it is a great experience. To get picked to go to the Olympics is not something that happens every day. I look at it as a blessing, that’s the only thing it could be. You have other fighters who have been boxing for years [trying] to get this opportunity, just to be able to finalize their amateur careers, and it never happens.” Stefon John already has many accomplishments in his young career, one of which is the 20-2 record that he holds as an amateur. His record, however, may not mean as much to him as the approval he received last year from the late-great Angelo Dundee, who passed away on February 1st in Clearwater, Florida. Dundee was a Boxing Hall of Fame member, and trainer for 15 world champions, one of which was Muhammad Ali. “It was a blessing for him to see me spar,”  Stefon said “he told me ‘you have a lot of talent, you have something great,’ by hearing that from him, Muhammad Ali is someone I look up to for boxing, to hear that was a blessing.”

  Receiving high praise from a legendary figure in the sport, along with meeting local greats in the sport such as Jeff Lacy, Winky Wright, and Antonio Tarver, has helped Stefon focus on the task at hand. “It’s not any regular boxing event or sporting event it is global, the whole world is watching; the best of the best are coming at you so I have to be on top of my game. I start my training at 4 o’clock in the morning until 5. I get back home, eat breakfast and go back at it again. So many doors could open up by winning just the trials and then going to London, I’m not going up there to lose, that is just the whole mind set I am going with.” With all the success Stefon has had, his top priority is still getting his degree. He adjusts his courses to specific days in order to have the time to train and study.

  He has decided to turn professional shortly after the Olympics, but he will not let go of his goal of receiving his criminal justice degree. Stefon also wants to do more with his success then be a self-absorbed athlete like many we have become accustomed to seeing. He wants to stand for something greater than money and attention. He is letting people know about his life so that they can become inspired. “The things I’m trying to do with boxing it is really going to make a difference. I’m not just trying to do it for flash or for fame; I am really trying to make a difference in the world. The directions that I am trying to go it will be positive.

  Anybody that has a dream, trying to do what they want in life, no matter what it is, anything that they are trying to accomplish in life don’t let anybody stop you, the only one that can stop you from reaching your own dreams is yourself. If you’re able to not care about what anybody says, rely on yourself, and have a good spiritual and a strong faith, the world is yours, and my whole boxing career is going to be a testimony to that. Just stay positive and any dream is accomplished.” John may soon make some of his own dreams come true. He will represent Grenada in the 2012 Olympics if he wins gold, silver, or bronze in the Olympic Trials in Brazil May 4th-13th.  If he wins first place at the Olympics in London it will be the first time his home country will see their flag raised and hear their national anthem being played. Furthermore, it would be the first overall medal captured by Grenada since their Olympic inception in 1984. When the Olympics are over he will have to decide when the time is right for him to turn professional, yet the time and place for the rematch with his cousin is still undetermined.

  Get a new phone recently? Something high-tech, high powered, and high cost that makes your old phone an obsolete junk hunk? Well, good for you; being able to afford such nice things on a college student’s budget. But what about that old obsolete phone we just talked about? What will become of it? Are you going to just toss it in the trash, where it can rot all sorts of chemicals and acids into the Earth? So many questions, but HCC has an answer: Cell Phone Recycling.

  This March, Hillsborough Community College partnered with The American Red Cross to aid them in their fund-raising needs through a Cell Phone Recycling program. Cell phone recycling is a great way to assist Red Cross Tampa Bay while getting rid of your old phones in a socially responsible and environmentally conscious manner. Any phone, no matter what condition it is in, will be accepted; just drop off your phone at the designated location at any campus.

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  Yes, they’ll even take this.Photo by vintagemobilephones.com

  If you choose to donate your phone, it will go on to a wide range of different uses; depending on what condition it is in. If your phone is functional and still commands a market value (such as an iPhone 4), then it will be sold and the proceeds will go to The American Red Cross Tampa Bay Chapter. If your phone is functional but no longer holds a market value (like a Motorola Razr or even a Motorola Dynasty), then it will be sent to a women’s shelter or an elderly-care facility to be used for 911 call capabilities. If your phone is not functional (read that as “busted brick of plastic”, and include as many swear words as you deem appropriate), then it is designated as scrap and will be recycled for its precious metals and other recoverables. This program is environmentally compliant and 100% Green.

  The American Red Cross uses a machine called ZeroIT Data Erasure system to destroy all electronic data, so you don’t have to worry about any private information (contacts, late night texts, etc.) getting into the hands of total strangers; The machine is used and approved by the Department of Defense to erase high priority classified data.

   So, what’s in it for you? The American Red Cross Tampa Bay Chapter will give a certificate to those who donate to the cause. If you would like proof of donation, contact Maginda Montero at mmontero3@hccfl.edu or (813) 253-7119. What’s more, you also have the simple satisfaction of knowing your phone will be going to good work and helping others who might otherwise get no help. And, of course, that old phone will be out of your hair and not cluttering up your space. In a world where a new iPhone or Droid seems to be coming out every six months, the new partnership between HCC and the American Red Cross is ecological, economical, and inspiring.

  It was nearly midnight on a Friday on Ybor City’s famed 7th Avenue, and you could barely set one foot in front of the other without stomping on the back of a club goer’s stiletto heel. Crowds decked out in barely-there spandex dresses and glitter encrusted Ed Hardy t-shirts braved the summer heat and record breaking humidity to pour into clubs like Prana and Empire. A line nearly half the length of a football field was at a standstill outside of Club Honeypot. You could smell the cheap liquor and Axe body spray in the air. A group of drunken sorority girls decked in matching “Finally 21!” shirts cackled as they entered Habib Hookah lounge; smoke and incense poured into the air. My friend Drew and I were en route to Coyote Ugly, a bar known for cheap whiskey shots and girls dancing on bars. Always a good place to start the night. We held hands as we maneuvered through the thick crowd of twenty-somethings.

  I spotted a young man dressed in a concert t shirt and jeans headed toward us, almost running. He was probably around 25, but his face looked innocent, almost child like. I couldn’t tell from what direction he had come; all I noticed was the huge smile on his face. He greeted us like he was greeting old friends he hadn’t seen in years. “Guys! How’s your night going?,” he exclaimed, as he stopped in front of us, leaning in close. My friend and I were both polite, yet confused as to how we knew the guy.

  The unnamed man flirtatiously raised an eyebrow as he glanced up and down Drew’s body, stopping at his feet. I laughed at the nervous look on my friend’s face, not familiar with being ogled. “Hey man,” said the stranger, “what kinda shoes are those? They’re nice.” Drew, confused even further because he was simply wearing old sneakers replied, “Um, just Nikes.” Quicker than I’d ever seen anyone move before, the man dropped to his knees and balanced his weight on his palms as he squatted in front of my friend. He was clearly not phased by the sticky, grimy, possibly urine soaked pavement of 7th Avenue. Exhibiting unusual strength for such a skinny, petite guy, the man lifted one of Drew’s Nikes. He stuck his tongue out and slowly, almost sensually licked the entire length of the shoe from bottom to top, as if it were a pool of water and he’d been lost in the desert for weeks. Never before had I seen a 250 pound man look as terrified as my friend did. Shocked, I looked down at the strange man’s glistening, spit smeared smile. He looked satisfied, but seemed to be debating going for seconds on that Nike. Instead, he bolted up, and speed walked away from us, probably off to shock some more unsuspecting Ybor City patrons. My friend had been yet another victim of The Tampa Bay Shoe Licker.

  Little is known of The Tampa Bay Shoe Licker. Though he operates a Facebook fan page, it’s still very hard to track down his name, let alone details about his life. Though several HCC Ybor students describe similar experiences as mine with the Shoe Licker, HCC Security has never heard of him. The Shoe Licker has nearly a thousand fans on his Facebook page, which seems to make a joke of his hobby. One status update, for example states “Nikes are red. Converses are blue. All I want for Valentines is to lick a shoe.” But it seems to me that, for the Shoe Licker, licking is more than a silly hobby. It’s a way of life.

The candidate: Mitt Romney

  Experience: Co-founder of Bain Capital, organized the 2002 Winter Olympics, Governor of the state of Massachusetts (2003-2007).

  Bio: Mr. Romney is a very unique person, this much can’t be denied. The son of a Detroit auto giant- turned governor-turned-failed presidential hopeful. It’s hard to imagine Romney not being consumed by the shadow of his father’s failed 1968 presidential bid. Commentators and politicos believe his father’s defeat has led him to become overly cautious and afraid to slip up in front of the camera, thus explaining his robotic and artificial demeanor when trying to convey his sympathies for the common man. These fears have also made him risk adverse in business. When he headed the Bain & Company spin-off, Bain Capital, he only agreed to it after he was assured by head honcho Bill Bain, that if the start-up failed, he would be guaranteed his position back at the company, including his benefits.

  Another aspect of Mr. Romney’s life that doesn’t get a lot of attention is his religion. He doesn’t like to talk about it much but his Mormonism is a vitally important part of who he is and how he views the world. He grew up in and went on missions for the church and eventually become Stake president for the church’s Boston area. He was known to be very generous to his parishioners and kind to people seeking advice. Though his devotion to his religion is admirable, there are accounts of his lack of compassion for single mothers and other types of family units.

 Why you may or not vote for him

  Pros: Mr. Romney has had years of business experience in the financial services market. The company that he helped co-found; Bain Capital was and is a very successful company. He obviously has a good understanding of Wall Street and could use that skill and knowledge to fix the broken financial sector.

  Cons: Unfortunately Romney’s close ties with Wall Street also comes with some baggage. We know he understands the market, but will he protect the American public from the predatory practices of some of his most craven friends? We saw what happened last time when we gave the keys to our economic engine to these guys. Can we really trust someone from their inner circle? Coupled with his non-inclusive viewpoints, this might turn off certain voting demographics.

The candidate: Rick Santorum

  Experience: Associate at the law firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart in Pittsburgh, Congressman for Pennsylvania’s 18th district (1991-1995), Pennsylvania Senator (1995-2007)

  Bio: Rick Santorum was born to a clinical psychologist and a nurse in Winchester, Pennsylvania. He had a short career in law and then turned to politics. His politics have been marked by a strong sense of social conservatism and hawkish foreign policy position. Though a Catholic, he has found more common ground with Evangelicals, strongly opposing abortion and contraception, though he has flip-flopped on whether it should be allowed legally. These questions have hounded him on the campaign trail and to a certain extent have defined him.

  He has positioned himself as the anti-Romney and is hoping to use Romney’s more moderate positions taken while he was Governor of the liberal state of Massachusetts. Whether he will emerge victorious out of the primary election is largely reliant on him edging out Newt Gingrich as the conservative alternative.

Why you may or not vote for him

  Pros: He has a certain knack for connecting with conservative voters and a great deal of passion for “family issues.” To voters not sold on Romney’s conservative credentials, Santorum provides an exciting alternative.

  Cons: He has become a very controversial national figure. If Mitt Romney is vanilla ice cream, Rick Santorum is rocky road. Throughout his career he has been somewhat of a neo-con firebrand, espousing conservative values that are even to the right of America’s most conservative voices. Probably his most controversial policy is his belief that states should have the ability to make contraceptives illegal.

http://www.bayarearenaissancefest.com/index.html

On Feb. 14, 2012 David shared some memory techniques on  CW23 WNLO. ”If you’re seeing someone new or going on a first date this Valentine’s Day, memory expert David Farrow…”

   Chasing a life long WWE dream

   Sweat and blood collect on his brow, as he glares at Derrick Bateman, the reigning Florida Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Champion, and he fearlessly heads to his side of the ring. Thousands of fans go silent as Jacob Novak performs his fatal finishing move, the Novak Attack, and defeats Bateman in the ring.

   Novak makes lifting a 270 pound man look almost effortless, and the crowd goes quiet as Bateman’s body smacks onto the mat. Silence erupts into ear ringing applause as Novak’s frown turns up into a cocky smirk, and he throws his hands into the air, as FCW Champion.

   A few years ago, Jacob, born Drew Molzhon, in Kent, a sleepy suburb of Seattle, Washington, would have probably laughed at the idea that he’d one day entertain thousands of fans. Molzhon was always a fan of World Wrestling Entertainment, and idolized stars from the 90’s like The Rock, Randy Savage, and Bret “Hitman” Hart. When he graduated high school in 2005, he bought his mom’s mini van with cash he’d scraped together waiting tables, and packed up for California with a couple hundred dollars to his name, now Jacob Novak. Eager for any opportunity to wrestle, and with no formal training, Novak was signed on to wrestle in New Mexico.

   Scouts felt that his size and dedication were enough to get him started, and over the next year, he learned the ins and outs of professional wrestling. World Wrestling Entertainment’s developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling, contacted Novak about making a move to Tampa to further his career. Without a second thought, he drove his minivan straight to Tampa, and signed his contract with WWE. Novak was shocked that his dream job wasn’t exactly lucrative. “Wrestlers get paid way less than people think,” he explained. “I started out making only 500 dollars a week for the FCW. It’s just kind of weird to have thousands and thousands of twitter followers, and to get fan mail daily, yet receive tiny paychecks.” Novak was always hoping for that next big break.

   Opportunity knocked when he was selected to compete on WWE NXT in 2010. Fans responded to his cocky personality and fan blogs predicted that he would be selected as a finalist, and contender for a lucrative touring contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. However, Novak’s dreams of stardom came to an abrupt halt after a hip injury forced him out of competition.

   World Wrestling Entertainment released him from his contract, as it was indefinite how long rehabilitation would take. Drew was crushed, but didn’t give up. He continued grueling three hour per day workouts at Tampa’s choice fitness. He fought depression, as he worried that his lifelong dream had been ripped away from him. Today, Novak is debating wrestling opportunities in Japan, China, and Mexico.

   He’s also considering re-auditioning for WWE, now that he is fully rehabilitated. “I honestly could see myself being happy anywhere,” says Drew, “As long as I’m wrestling and doing what I love I’ll be a very happy man. I’m honestly just grateful for the journey.”

   As the Guinness World Record holder for his astounding memory, Dave Farrow shared with HCC students his secretes to developing a memory that will make anyone increase their memory seven-times or more with several very simple steps.

   In a packed room of HCC students and faculty, we were all asked to remember a list of 20 unrelated items on a page.  As noted, the average person would remember 4 or 5 items on that list and a genius may remember upwards of ten.  As each member of the attending audience tried to recant items off the list, few of us recalled more than 5 or 6 and laughed at the idea that anyone could see a list of 20 or more items and remember all of them.

   According to Mr. Farrow, within the 45 remaining minutes of his presentation, all of us would be able to recall the entire list and remember most of it even weeks or months later!! Unbelievable as it sounds, Dave demonstrated a few basic concepts that taught each of us to create a visual story that contained all of the items on our list.  We all laughed at the picture we all mentally drew in our heads.

   Then, by the last 5 minutes of our time together, virtually everyone attending could recall the entire 20 item list in their correct order!  In less than 50 minutes, the collection of students and faculty had the memory of a genius!!  This was, by far, the best use of 50 minutes that anyone could have believed! Dave Farrow is a two-time Guinness Record holder for Greatest Memory and is featured in the 1997 and 2009 editions of the Guinness Book of World Records.

   Diagnosed in high school with ADHD and dyslexia, he was told by a teacher that he would never excel in anything other than a blue-collar job. Not only did he prove everyone wrong, but he now advises some of the top organizations in the world and their chief executives.  For those unable to attend his demonstration, more about Dave Farrow and his techniques can be found on his web-site www.davefarrow.com.

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