NEWS
October 31, 2014
Students congregate for a die-in against police brutality
BY MOLLY SCHNEIDER
Staff Writer
Trayvon Martin, Shantel Davis, Shaqur
McNair, Tawana Sampson and Michael
Brown. Look up any of these names online
and you find one common theme: all of
these men and women suffered at the hands
of police.
Protests against police brutality picked
up after the shooting of Michael Brown
in Ferguson, Mo. Acts of resistance have
become widespread throughout the nation,
and on Wednesday, Oct. 22, Guilford College
began its own chapter in the fight against
police brutality.
Concerned students organized a
demonstration where people lay on the'
ground as if they were dead, also known as
a die-in.
"I was mad, and I wanted to do
something," said Chelsea Yarborough,
senior and organizer of the die-in and the
National Day of Protest at Guilford College.
Students gathered and lay down on
the pavement as other students outlined
their bodies with chalk, symbolizing those
who have died at the hands of police.
Simultaneously, students used a microphone
to engage everyone in chants, as well as
express overall thoughts they wanted to
share.
"It was very powerful that so many
students not only showed up, but were
also willing to get written up for such an
important cause," said Jon Macemore,
another senior and organizer. "It shows
that students on this campus care about
receiving justice for humanity."
Despite the peaceful nature of the protests.
HOWARD
a number of Guilford students were written
up. Most students were not informed of
what the violation was, a protocol step
ignored.
"I was sitting there thinking, my
institution is telling me to live by my core
values of justice, equality and diversity,"
said Yarborough. "Yet you're going to sit
here and punish me for living that out and
standing up in front of my peers speaking
truth to power."
According to Public Safety, however, it
was strictly a matter of safety.
"I would hope no one would do this,"
said Ron Stowe, director of public safety.
"But, it would be easy in diat situation
for someone with opposing beliefs of the
protesters to walk by and 'accidentally' step
on someone's hand or 'stumble' and fall
over, injuring both parties."
Although they are trying to maintain a
safe environment for everyone, the officers
involved were thought to have acted
discourteously.
"I was very surprised that they acted so
abruptly," said sophomore Najha Zigbi-
Johnson, a participant who was written
up for 'being in the way.' "Their inherent
negative reaction and inability to take
themselves out of the role of an officer was
an issue when it came to seeing what we
were doing as positive."
Despite these setbacks, around 15 to
20 students carpooled downtown to join
different communities of Greensboro,
totaling 86 protesters together, at a march
at Smith Homes. The number later doubled,
reaching 156 protesters by the end of the
night.
"Students, even if the don't directly
Students participate in a demonstration as part of the National Day of Protest on Oct. 22,2014.
experience it, have a responsibility,"
said Scott Trent, organizer of Stop Mass
Incarceration Network in Greensboro.
"They have to do something, and it really
makes a huge difference when they do."
Love and xmity appeared to prevail as
people from all different backgrounds
marched through Smith Homes, the
destination of a recent rights violation of an
African American resident and mother.
"Seeing everyone march together was
awesome," said Demetrius Noble, a spoken-
word poet and professor in the African
American & African Diaspora studies
department at UNC-Greensboro. "It not only
demonstrates that this is an important issue
that affects everyone, but shows that people
are actively overcoming unnatural social
dividers to band together for the necessary
fight of making the world beautiful and
egalitarian for all."
People's voices chanted with passion,
"No justice, no peace, no racist police" and
"No more stolen lives."
"For people here to actually step off the
campus and engage the conununity, that is
obviously an education in itself," said Tun
Hopkins, a revolutionary communist activist
and organizer of Stop Mass Incarceration
Network in Greensboro. "We all, including
students, have a pivotal role to play in this
local chapter."
Ron Howard speaks about
his career in film and
television for Bryan Series
Continued from Page I
similar opinion.
"I thought this was one of
our best (Bryan Series events),"
said Beal. "I like the stories that
the speakers tell. I think that's
what all of Guilford's about"
Howard spoke about his
experiences being a child actor
and transitioning to becoming
a director.
"I did (The Andy Griffith
Show) from the time I was six
to the time I was fourteen,"
said Howard. "Fourteen-
year-olds don't want to cry,
but when filming was done,
I cried. I loved those people,
and I loved that environment."
He also told the audience
about his family and how his
father helped him throughout
his career.
"(My dad) was a great
teacher," said Howard. "He
was always there helping me
learn my lines before I could
even read."
He also spoke about the role
of his family in his films.
"(My dad) twisted my arm
to put my mom in 'Apollo 13,'"
said Howard. "He came to me
and asked, 'You know who I
think would be good in the
part of Tom Hanks' mother?' I
wound up auditioning her ...
She was great."
Chris Plott, a Greensboro
native, also enjoyed the event.
"(Howard's visit) was a
good insight on what it is like
to spend your whole life as
an actor and director," said
Plott. "He pointed out some
interesting things that I would
have no idea about otherwise
like the schooling of a child
actor."
Howard also spoke about
how he discovered his passion
for directing movies.
"I liked talking to the sound
people and the camera people,
and the actors were fascinating
people too," said Howard. "I
liked working with them all. I
realized who got to hang with
them all? Who got to laugh
with them all? The director. So
that job must be pretty good."
This event was a huge
opportunity to learn
information not normally
found anywhere else.
"I heard pieces of
information about his
background and the films he
did that I think you would
never find out in previous
articles about him," said Janet
MacKenzie, a Greensboro
resident.
In*^pite of this, there were a
few criticisms of the event.
"(The event was at) a
different place than they
normally have it," said Joe
Dimaio, a Durham resident
and parent of two former
Guilford students. "Before
it was in the War Memorial
Auditorium, which I liked
better."
Another problem was
getting Guilford students to
the event.
"It is a shame that more
Guilford College students
aren't partaking (in events
like these) because it is free,
and these are some serious,
dynamic and interesting
people we have talking to us,"
said senior Lillie Reiter in an
email interview.
Upcoming speakers for
the 2014-15 Bryan Series
include Bill Bryson, Robert
Reich, Margaret Atwood and
Anderson Cooper.
Friday, 10/31
12:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Quake Talks: Stories
Worth Telling
Founders Lobby
4 p.m.-5 p.m.
Quake Talte:
Stories Worth felling
from alumni arUsts
Art Gallery
5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Alumni Art Bdiibition
& Reception
Art Gallery
7 p.m.-9 p.m.
40 Years of Pride:
Gayla Banquet & Award
Ceremony (must register)
Gilmer Room
1 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Jazz at the Lake
8 p.m.
Graveyard Tour
New Garden Friends Meeting
9 p.m.
Aii Hailows Eve Musicale &
Hailoween Costume Contest
Chora! Room/Dana Auditorium
10 p.m.
Masquerade & Dance Party
Dana Auditorium
FtJ Schedule @ www.guilford.edj/homecoming
9 p.m.-12 p.m. _
Quake Talks: Stories Worth Telling
Founders Lobby
10 am
Pre-Game Tailgate Party with DJ
Wes Eiam & more
1 p.m.
Footi)ali Game
12 pm-4 pm.
Art Department
“PrintmaWng Paiooza’
Sunday, 11/2
1 p.m.
Meeting for Worah^ &
message from President
Jane Fernandes
. Moon Room