Justice for Lennon Lacy still
evasive, Guilford students join
together in support of family
BY NOELLE LANE & NICOLE ZELNIKER
Guest Writer & SeniorWriter
Seventeen-year-old Lennon Lacy was beginning
his college search. He was on the football team. He
had dreams of going to college.
That is why his mother Claudia Lacy thought it
strange that the police claimed Lennon took his own
life.
On Aug. 29, Lennon was foimd dead in a trailer
park.
"His graduation would have been CQming up
next year," said Qaudia. "I see what his life could
have been, and I'm stuck with a lot of unanswered
questions."
According to Qaudia, much about Lennon's
death does not add up.
"He was taken," said Qaudia. "I know I would
have sensed if he had been depressed. Lennon
would never have given his Life like that."
A neighbor reported that they saw Lennon
hanging and called the police, but by the time the
police arrived, the body had been taken down.
'The woman said that somebody killed
themselves," said Qaudia. "I didn't know who it
was."
Though the police report he was depressed,
Lennon was not emotionally distant, according to
family and friends.
"ITs strange to me, they say he was depressed,"
said family friend Portia Shipman. "He was getting
ready to start the next day."
Aug. 29 would have been Lennon's first time
playing as the football team's starter.
"I talked to him a week before," said brother
Pierre Lacy. "He was so excited, he lifted me up over
his head. I'm 220 pounds and 6 foot 4. He picked
me up because he wanted to show me how much
stronger he got."
The National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People is backing the investigation of the
case and hoping that this is not the lynching it seems
to be.
"In 2014, we would hope that it was not a
lynching, (but) they're asking the (family) to accept
tire fact that their son might have walked out of Itis
home the night before his big football game," said
National Ni^CP Chair of the Legislative Political
Action Committee William Barber in an official
statement.
At Guilford, students are raising funds to
support the family.
"He's just Lennon, but what happened to him
is bigger," said Qaudia. "College kids are getting
GSO and WS light homelessness,
starting with military veterans
Pierre (L) and Claudia Lacy (R.) hold photos of
Lennon Lacy outside of their home in Bladenboro.
involved to look for closure."
The one thing the family asks of the Guilford
community is to keep asking questions.
"Get (Lennon's story) out into the public as much
as possible," said Qaudia. 'Things should not be
hidden. They should be known."
On Dec. 1, Shipman came to Guilford to speak
with a group of students during Community Senate.
"It makes it more real," said sophomore Mara
Stem. "It's really easy for people to think that
something's important, but to see someone that
was actually affected empowers people to do
something."
Students plan to join the family in Bladenboro for
a protest on Dec. 6. Each student is being asked to
bring a children's book for the community.
"Lennon's brother is going to start the first youth
program in Bladenboro," said Portia. "He wants to
do it in honor of Lennon."
Ultimately, Qaudia, Pierre and the rest of the
family just want to know what happened to Lennon.
"I would accept anything, if you can explain it to
me," said Qaudia. "I would accept the fact that my
son took his own life if you can explain it to me."
BY CARLTON SKINNER
Staff Writer
"Military service, particularly
during wartime, can leave lasting
mentd and physical scars that make
it very difficult to reintegrate into
civilian society," said Ross Kintzer, a
three-time veteran of the war in Iraq.
"There is absolutely a correlation
between homelessness and military
service. When you lose your capacity
to function normally, even in a safe
environment, you are losing a lot."
Kintzer suffers from debilitating
post-traumatic stress disorder, which
he developed while fighting overseas.
According to the U.S. Department of
Veteran Affairs, 50,000 veterans have
no home.
Eight percent of the homeless
population in both Greensboro
and Winston-Salem are veterans,
according to counts done by each
city last January. Now, both cities are
pooling their resources in an effort to
combat, and eventually end, veteran
homelessness by 2015.
"We are in the final stages of a
major funding effort to purchase
land and buildings that should allow
us to complete our mission of not
only ending veteran homelessness,
but also chronic homelessness in
general," said Winston-Salem Mayor
Allen Joines in an email interview.
The cities were among the 69 cities
selected to participate in Zero: 2016,
a collaborative effort in communities
across the Unites States to end
chronic homelessness by 2016. It
is led by Commuivity Solutions, a
nonprofit organization based in New
York. While homeless veterans are the
effort's initial focus, the ultimate goal
of the partnership between cities is to
combat homelessness as a whole.
"We work with homeless
individuals with the objective of
getting them into permanent housing
as rapidly as possible," said Mayor
Joines. "So far, this has included
making available, as well as building,
over 600 housing units."
The cities hope to share data
and strategies for dealing with
homelessness in a coordinated way.
Community Solutions will work
with each city to help them improve
their methods of data gathering,
while sharing solutions for facing the
problem, between cities throughout
the nation.
The mayors of both cities
understand that a full-scale
elimination of the problem is not
possible, but say their cities hope to
quickly establish programs that will
give homeless veterans the resources
they need to cope with being
homeless.
Other cities in the U.S. have
had great success in implementing
programs that are focused on not only
providing people living on the street
shelter, but also resources for their
survival. In Portland, Oregon, the city
has implemented a plan called "A
Key Not a Card" as part of their 10
year plan to end homelessness. The
program enables agencies working
with the homeless to set up those
who qualify with permanent housing
for up to two years while they
secure lasting employment or public
benefits.
Elsewhere, in Memphis, Tennessee,
two Rhodes College students started
a newspaper called The Bridge. The
paper gives a voice to members of
the community — personal accounts
of experiences of homelessness are
printed alongside supplemental
material from staff writers.
People experiencing homeless are
interviewed and trained to sell the
paper in the city, providing them with
an income.
By providing lasting resources
and training, those employed by
The Bridge are empowered and
encouraged to take control of their
lives.
"I'd say almost half of the homeless
in the country are homeless as a
result of unemployment," said
James Shields, director of the Bonner
Center for Community Service.
"So, I think it is important to try to
empower people, but I think part of
that empowerment involves taking
a look at our government's policies
regarding the homeless. It's important
for Greensboro and Winston-Salem to
attempt to provide a solution to the
problem, and not just be a Band-Aid."
POSTER
Campaign encourages healthy, consensual relationships
Continued from Page I
other "My Strength" messages included in the campaign
aim to combat date rape and other forms of sexual violence.
"This is the year 2014," said sophomore Darion Bayles.
"With all the resources we have we should be able to show
each other love, regardless of race or sexuality."
According to sophomore campaign leader Molly Anne
Marcotte, rather than taking a blind eye to sexual violence
and refuting those who come forward with experiences
of inappropriate behavior, it is important to embrace each
other with love and support.
"First, in every (sexual) situation you are in, not only
asking for consent, but also listening and respecting that
person's boundaries after they give it is necessary," said
Marcotte.
"Second, help others feel as though these are accessible
options that are not so stigmatic.
"Third, if someone does come forward about an
experience they had, support and listen to what they need
instead of blaming them for what happened."
Campaigns such as these encourage students and faculty
to consider how we can improve Guilford's policies. ,
Guilford College President Jane Fernandes recently
approved updates to the Policy on Harassment and
Intimidation for Guilford employees.. . > ■ •
According to Section 3.2 of the Staff Handbook, "sexual
harassment of job applicants, employees or students
at Guilford College is defined as unw.elcomed sexual
advances, requests for sexual favors or otl\ef physical or
verbal conduct of a sexual nature." ' v , ’'
The revised policies intend to tiiore clearly address
unacceptable behavior. / ; .
Found in Section 3.2 are several updates, including
specific instances of inappropriate conduct, third-party
situations, types of harassment and details on consensual
relationships among teaching staff arid students.
* *1., h(^mrg:s
Community members hold the posters and forms for the
campaign explaining why they stand up against violence.
"Our community does not stand for sexual assault,"
said Director of Student Leadership and Engagement
Steve Moran. "We stand for a community that is healthy,
well, supports one another and is consensual."