Volume 23, Number 08
Www.broward.edu/observer
January 12, 2009
Center Spread
Central
Entertainment
Sports
Financial Aid
MLK
The Uninvited
Basketball
Debunking the myths
Central Campus preparing a big
celebration for Dr. King’s birthday
Q&A with the star of the new
Dreamworks movie, Elizabeth
Banks
Men’s hoops on
11 game winning
streak
Page 8-9
Page 4
Page 12
Page 13
A horrific tragedy
Shayla Llanos 1989-2008
File photo
School mourns death of star basketball player
By Igor Mello
Sports Editor
Freshman Shayla Llanos played lights
out. Nothing could stop the 5-foot-4 floor
general that night. She racked up 20 points,
six assists, eight rebounds and five steals with
approximately three minutes left, a career
game.
“The next thing you know I ran to the
court and she crumbled to the ground,” said
first year head coach Mike Schawe.
Paramedics came and everything appeared
to be fine. The officials chose to finish out
the final minutes.
Sophomore forward Tierra Allen was
driving home after a suspenseful night, the
entire team thought that Llanos was fine
until she received a call that she and the rest
of her teammates will never forget.
“When I found out, I basically screamed,”
said Allen.
Just like that in disbelief, on Dec. 29, two
days before New Year’s Eve, Allen and the
entire college community lost Shay.
When Llanos reached the hospital she
went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced
dead. Documents from the Broward County
Medical Examiner office weren’t available
immediately but according to Broward
medical examiner’s office investigator,
Wendy Crane, the cause of Llanos’ death
was sequelae anomalous of the left coronary
artery. Asthma was also a contributing
cause.
A tragedy like this was a first for the
school.
“I heard that on the way to the hospital in
the ambulance she told everybody that she
was okay and breathing and everything. I
went [to Westside Regional Medical Center]
an hour later and she passed away. It was
horrible, a horrific loss,” said Schawe.
Llanos, 19 passed away doing what
she loved the most, playing the game of
basketball.
“She was the only person I knew that
loved basketball so much. That was the only
thing she wanted to do was play basketball,”
said freshman forward Jennifer Hillmon
Playing basketball was Shayla Llanos’ first
love but her sweetness and her sense of humor
was her next love. Hillmon points out that
she will never forget the times where Llanos
and the teammates would joke around in
the team’s apartment and make funny music
videos every time they had the chance. Her
funny side was never concealed.
“She never cursed or drank or anything,
she just had fun without doing anything
crazy,” said Allen, who was a close, dear
friend of Llanos.
Recording music videos was just one of
the few things Llanos enjoyed doing. The
19-year-old cherished collecting Jordan
sneakers, she also loved to take photos with
her digital camera. Although some of the
teammates at first weren’t comfortable with
Llanos’ camera-friendly side, they began to
accept it and now they will always cherish
the photos they have with her.
According to her teammates, Shay was
always there for others. Despite being a
freshman she was the team leader, constantly
picking up her teammates when they were
down.
Llanos
continued on backpage
JANUARY 12, 2009
The Observer
SOUTH
3
Design revisions have delayed construction on 72
By Philippe Buteau
Copy Editor
Since the middle of 2006
the most students have seen
of Building 72 is the Learning
Resource Center (LRC). The rest
has been partitioned off due to
the remodeling project currently
underway.
The campus’ current library,
which is shared with the county,
was formerly housed in Building
72. After the new library was
built the campus decided to
remodel the building to hold the
English, Nursing and Education
departments. In addition to this,
LRC will be moved from its current
location to the second floor of 72.
The campus hopes to start
construction on the interior of the
building in March according to
South Campus Provost Lourdes
Oroza; however, construction
is already being done on the
roof of the building. James B.
Pirtle Construction Co. is the
construction manager for the
project that the college has hired.
What’s caused the delay?
In a previous article by the
Observer it was said that the
remodeling would be done in two
phases and that phase
one would be finished
by February of this
year.
Michael Hamilton,
Project Administrator
in
Facilities
Management
for
South Campus, said
that the college has
made some revisions
to the project. He said
that they have asked
Hanson Professional
Services, the architect
and engineer of the
project, to make some
modifications to the Pirtle construction workers placing tar on the roof of building 72.
existing
drawings.
Afterwards the college will meet there was anything wrong with the the campus’ budget.
with Hanson and Pirtle to review old design he said that wasn’t the
The college is hoping that
the modifications and, if approved case. “It was just a different scope the current state of the economy
by the college, Hanson will finalize of what we wanted to have happen will help them, Smith said. The
the design.
inside the building. And it’s better college hopes that the materials
Following that process Hamilton to do it in the design phase then and labor will be cheaper because
said that the college will request after they build something it and there currently isn’t a lot of activity
a building permit and once the remodel.”
in construction in this economy.
permit is approved construction
Prior
to
the
revisions, “Rather than paying $200 per
will begin.
construction was supposed to square foot we’re hoping that it
The reason for the revisions, have started in December 2008 or drops below that,” Smith said.
Hamilton said, was because January 2009 with a 12-18 month
Hamilton said the revisions
the college had some ideas of timeframe. Though construction mentioned earlier will have cost
modifying what was completed hasn’t started yet the timeframe is implications but wasn’t sure at
in the design. Regarding whether still the same.
the time what they would be. The
What’s the cost?
issue he said was the taking out and
South Campus Dean of putting stuff back in during the
Business Affairs Al Smith said design process.
that when the project started
On that subject Smith said the
the college was planning to college expects the cost to increase
spend an amount in the range and that they are guarding against
of $9-10 million. This amount that. He said that they did not
is separate and not included in know what the cost adjustments
photo by philippe buteau
would be and that the adjustments
were in the hands of Hanson.
What’s the effect on the
campus?
Oroza said the construction
process shouldn’t be too bad but
there will be days when people will
have to be relocated and things
moved around. She said that the
construction workers will have to
work around the people in LRC
and what’s going on in there.
“Anytime you do any kind of
renovation people are going to be
displaced and are going to be put
out, but it’s worth it in the long
run. And hopefully it’ll be for a
short time.”
“The renovation is a very
important goal for the campus
because of how big of an investment
it is and the fact that they have to
live with it,” Oroza said.
A look back on the Provost’s first term
By Philippe Buteau
Copy Editor
From the beginning to
the end of the fall semester,
Lourdes Oroza has served as
South Campus Provost for
roughly 114 days, give or take a
few holidays and weekends.
Regarding her first semester,
Oroza said that it was what she
expected, but it wasn’t easy.
She said that it was a
challenging semester, but she
expected things such as getting
to know people, getting to
know the campus and its needs
and learning how the campus
works to be challenging. “I
didn’t come in thinking it was
going to be an easy job by any
means,” she said.
Oroza’s staff, she said, helped
her in getting adjusted, making
things happen and informing
her what was going on. She
said her first semester was made
easier in that sense and that she
did not have any challenges
because everyone knows their
job and they know what to do.
Her job, she said, is to learn
and coordinate what people
have to do and bring resources
to the campus.
South Campus Dean of
Business Affairs Al Smith said
Oroza hit the ground running
because Oroza has been in
higher education previously.
Also because she has held
positions similar to the one she
has currently. Prior to being South
Campus’ Provost, Oroza was at
Miami-Dade College’s Wolfson
Campus as its Dean of Academic
Affairs.
Regarding the faculty, Oroza
said that she didn’t have enough
time to work closely with them but
that is something she’d like to work
on this term. “I want to start going
to faculty department meetings to
get to know them. That’s something
that I haven’t had the opportunity
to do yet.”
The Provost meets with the deans
every single week saying that it’s
very important for communication
that the deans know what is going
on at the college and she knows
what’s going on in their areas. She
said that she wants to “establish
that kind of communication with
all of the constituencies of the
campus.”
“I want to know what’s
happening in Student Life [and] it’s
very difficult for me to know what’s
happening on the campus from
this office,” Oroza said regarding
the monthly student leadership
meetings that she attends. Though
she admitted to not having started
the meetings, she said that she
asked for them to start happening
on campus.
The purpose of the meetings,
according to Oroza, is for student
leadership to address their issues to
the administration and the other
way around. “There will be times
when I will need the support of
the student body for different
things that we want to get done.”
However, she also said that they
aren’t meant for people to vent and
complain, but rather to discuss
serious issues.
Smith said the meetings are
very good and also very necessary.
He said that students need to know
where to go to find out about
things.
Looking forward, Oroza said
that the main thing the campus
needs to do for this semester is
get its approval for the bachelor’s
degree program from the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools.
Also, in addition to making sure
construction is started in Building
72, she said that people on her
management team were interested
in a wellness campaign.
Continuing to look forward, the
campus will need additional faculty
and staff, Oroza said. “As we cut
back to meet budget cuts, we don’t
want to cut back on our staff, on
our faculty. We need more.”
Regarding three things that
make South Campus special,
Oroza’s first pick were the people
(students, staff and leadership).
She said she was very fortunate to
be at this campus, and that it has
a family atmosphere. Her second
pick were the grounds, saying that
she loves driving into work every
morning and looking out her
window.
Finally, the potential of the
campus was her final choice.
“There’s so much more we can do
here.”
4
The Observer
CENTRAL
JANUARY 12, 2009
The history of an upcoming Pulitzer Prize winning play
Anna and the Tropics will begin playing in March.
By Brandon Audain
Central Bureau Chief
The Broward College Theater is
bringing Nilo Cruz’s 2003 Pulitzer
Prize winning play, “Anna in the
Tropics,” to Central Campus
March 19-28. The play is set in
1920’s Florida and tells of a CubanAmerican family who manages a
cigar factory.
Cruz’s original piece was set in
1929 Tampa, in the area of Ybor
City, a city that was founded by
Vicente Martinez-Ybor in the late
1800’s as a cigar manufacturing
center.
The Cuban-American family in
the story is led by Santiago, who
follows the Ybor City tradition, and
runs the family business of hand
rolling cigars. Inside the factory,
while the workers are rolling the
cigars, “lectors” are present to read
and educate the workers. The plot
takes a turn when the new lector,
Juan Julian, arrives. Julian reads
Tolstoy’s novel, “Anna Karenina”
to the workers, and the lives of the
workers and Santiago’s family are
changed forever.
With his Pulitzer Prize for
Drama in 2003 Cruz, a writer
became the first Latino to win the
award. Cruz, himself a CubanAmerican, immigrated to America
in 1970 with his parents on a
Freedom Flight. Along with this
play, Cruz also wrote the 2006
play, “Beauty of the Father.”
The
Broward
College
production doesn’t begin until
March 19; however, auditions are
scheduled to take place on Jan. 20
from 6-10 p.m. in the Fine Arts
Theater on Central Campus.
For further information on the
play, or auditions, please call 954201-6708.
Cast
members
will
be
researching the situation of Cuban
refugees in the 1920s as well as
taking a visit to a Cuban cigar
factory where they will learn about
the process of rolling cigars by
hand, in an effort to better connect
the cast with their parts.
A play review will be in an
upcoming issue of the Observer.
photo courtesy of theatermania.com
Actors from a Chicago production of Anna and the Tropics.
An epic event is planned for Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday
By Buzz Lamb
Staff Writer
The annual Martin Luther
King, Jr. celebration breakfast on
Central Campus could be huge
this year. Plans have been made
to incorporate the inauguration
of president-elect Barack Obama
with the annual commemoration
of the civil rights leader’s birthday
celebration.
According to Adrian Carter,
Director of Student Life on Central
Campus, the event will take place
on Jan. 20, the same day Obama
is sworn in as the first AfricanAmerican President of the United
States. “The turnout for this event
should be enormous. We are trying
to work out a live feed of the
inauguration either by television
or by the Internet directly into the
conference room,” Carter said. The
party is scheduled to begin at 9:30
a.m. in Room 425 of the Central
Campus library and, according to
Carter, it will be broadcast on three
large screens located in the 100person capacity room.
Carter said the program this year
will differ from the celebrations held
in the past due to the inauguration.
When asked who was going to
be featured on the program he
immediately replied, “Barack
Obama.” Carter said he was not
scheduling any formal program for
the King celebration because there
is only a half-hour window before
the inauguration begins.
“We want to leave the majority
of the time for the inauguration,”
he said. Carter added that Donald
Cleveland, adviser to the AfricanAmerican Student Union (AASU),
would be the moderator of the
King celebration “There will be
an opportunity for students to
make remarks…to think about
what happened during King’s life
and how it relates to the current
situation.” He added, “A lot of
people will probably talk about
how, through this election process,
Barack Obama has been tied in to
the ‘dream’ that Martin Luther King
had, to see it come full circle…like
the civil rights movement back in
those days compared to where we
are today,” Carter said.
When asked about the tie-in
from then to now, Carter said,
in his opinion, one of the major
connections is the “we shall
overcome” theme. “The dream
realized comes across very well,”
he said. “There are so many things
in the bigger picture…the tip of
the iceberg is Obama becoming
President…the sum of the iceberg
is so much more.”
Carter said, as in the past,
breakfast will be served to all those
who participate. The event is free
and open to all students, faculty
and administrators. For further
information contact Student
Programming at 954-201-6756.
The Observer
January 12, 2009
NEWS
7
BC wins an award for environmentalism
By Buzz Lamb
Staff Writer
The first-ever Exemplary Practice
Sustainability Award was awarded
to Broward College at the Florida
Community College Association’s
(FCCA) annual convention awards
banquet in mid-November 2008.
Broward College (BC) Vice
President of Facilities and Chief
Financial Officer, William Pennell
announced the award to the Board
of Trustees at their December 3,
2008 meeting. Pennell said the
college was the recipient of the
inaugural award because of dozens
of years of effort.
According to Pennell, the
leadership of Dr. Peggy Green,
former chair of the college’s
Environmental
Sustainability
Committee and a senior professor
of environmental science on North
Campus, along with the guidance
of David Fowler, mechanical and
environmental engineer and current
chair of the committee, BC’s entry
into the award competition detailed
the extent of the college’s efforts.
College President J. David
Armstrong, Jr. added, “We expect
our students to be aware of our
sustainability efforts as well.”
Armstrong said that Pennell
accepted the award on behalf of
the college and dedicated it to
Professor Green.
Pennell told the Board that
the FCCA awards committee
looked at three specific areas when
assessing eligibility for the award.
“Leadership was the first area.
They wanted to make sure that we
have policies in place and that our
committee is active. They meet
once a month,” he said. “Next,
they wanted to verify that we have
made a declaration to sustainable
practices.”
Pennell went on to say the
third area was education. “We do
instruct new employees concerning
our sustainability practices and we
do have a curriculum available,”
he said. According to Pennell, BC
currently offers an A. S. degree
in sustainability (Environmental
Science Technology).
According to the BC website,
all new construction at the college
strives to attain Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) certification. The South
Regional/Broward College Library
on South Campus is the first LEEDcertified building in Broward
County and was completed on
time and on budget.
In other business at the December
meeting, BC Foundation President
Lloyd Rhodes announced to the
Board that since the inception
of the Endowed Teaching Chair
program at BC over 17 years ago,
the Foundation has recently funded
its 36th Endowed Teaching Chair.
“It will be called the Presidential
Endowed Teaching Chair,” he said.
The Board also approved
Members of the Board of Trustees with President Armstrong and William Pennell.
the
September
curriculum
recommendations for the Bachelor
of Science Teacher Education
courses. The program contains
18 new upper division course
recommendations for the first
Bachelors award at BC. During the
discussion period prior to voting,
Trustee Levi Williams asked what
the costs would be for the college to
implement the Bachelors program.
Pennell replied that the
investment required to initiate the
program would be a one-time cost
of $694,000 which has already
been set aside during the 2007
& 2008 budget process. “This is
a good program from a financial
stand point,” he said. According to
Pennell, 251 students is the breakeven point for the program. “We
expect to have 400 students enrolled
by the 2011-2012 academic year,”
he added. “The first two years we
will have some operating losses but
we project that by year three there
will be a $90,000 surplus.”
Pennell emphasized that the
BS program will not affect Level 1
programs (A.A. and A.S. degrees)
and any funding increases will
come from increased enrollment.
Photo by Buzz Lamb
According to President Armstrong,
the Bachelors Degree program
is scheduled to be given only on
South Campus but plans for the
future include expansion to all
campuses.
Armstrong indicated that the
administration intends to keep
a watchful eye on the progress of
the new program. “We will bring
the results of the B.S. program as
a separate issue to the Board so
that you can monitor our progress
as we evolve,” Armstrong told the
Trustees.
pg
MONTH dd, YEAR
Sect
The Observer
Are you eligible?
In order to qualify for Financial Aid you must:
• Demonstrate financial need.
• Be enrolled in classes for credit in a financial aid•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
approved academic program leading to a degree or
certificate.
Maintain satisfactory academic progress in a
selected course of study.
Provide transcripts for all other secondary and post
secondary institutions attended for evaluation
Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
Not be in default of a student loan.
Not owe a repayment on a state or federal grant.
Be registered for the Selective Service if male and
between the ages of 18 and 25.
Have a valid high school diploma and have passed the
FCAT exam.
Have a GED, if you don’t have a High School diploma.
If you did not pass the FCAT, may be eligible to complete
the Ability to Benefit test to gain eligibility.
source: broward.edu
Myths & Facts
You can apply
1:
Go to the Broward College website:
www.broward.edu
&
Click on “Current Student”
2:
Click on “Financial Aid”
3:
Myth: There is a fee to apply for financial aid.
Fact: There is no fee. Students can apply online free of cost.
Myth: My parents or I make too much money to be eligible for
financial aid.
Fact: Income is not the only factor to determine eligibility for financial
aid. There are other factors that play a part, such as household size.
Myth: I have to wait until I file taxes each year before I apply for
financial aid.
Fact: Students can complete the FAFSA using estimated figures
before their taxes are filed but should make the necessary corrections
later, after the taxes are filed.
Myth: I will not get a Pell Grant if I am enrolled for less than six
credits.
Fact: Depending on your eligibility after completing FAFSA, some
students can receive Pell if they are enrolled in as little as ONE credit.
Myth: You have to pay back the Pell Grant.
Fact: There is no requirement to pay back the Pell Grant however
loans borrowed must be paid back.
Myth: If I am denied the Pell, I am not eligible for any other aid.
Fact: There is other aid available provided the student meets certain
requirements.
Myth: I will never get financial aid if I am in default on a loan.
Fact: Students who have defaulted on their student loans may be
eligible for financial aid providing they have voluntarily made six
on-time consecutive payments on the borrowed loan or through
rehabilitation.
Myth: : Only US citizens can get financial aid.
Fact: Students who are US citizens as well as eligible non-citizens can
apply for financial aid.
sources: Sharlene Funchess, assistant director of scholarship &
Marcia conliffe, associate vp of student success & enrollment
4:
Fill out the form and submit it
electronically
tion
The Observer
MONTH dd, YEAR pg
By Buzz Lamb
Staff writer
y in 5
steps!
e:
The declining stock market has slashed college savings accounts for many people
and shrinking home values have made it difficult for families to borrow using their
houses as collateral to finance an education.
Getting into college can be a daunting task, but now students across Florida have
to also learn how to face a tough economy. According to Angelia Millender, Vice
President for Student Affairs at Broward College (BC), availability of scholarships
can be affected by tight economic conditions. Millender said the first thing students
need to do when they apply to BC is to fill out the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA). “Students need to understand that it is not intimidating and
we [student financial services] will help them complete it. That form is what drives
the whole financial aid program,” she said.
Millender said not only is filling out the form important for the student, it is
important for the college so that they can determine the need of the student body
collectively. “There is a pre-determined notion not only here in BC but across the
whole United States that ‘I don’t qualify for financial aid ’,” she exclaimed. “They
[students] only look at financial aid as need-based and that is not the case. A
student can’t even get a Stafford loan, unless they fill out the FAFSA!”
Real cost
Under “Useful Links” Click on “FAFSA on the web”
5:
Check your student e-mail for the results
“Let’s talk about how much it really costs to go to BC,” she said. Millender
added that here are two different scenarios to be considered. “There is the cost
of education, which is tuition, fees and books and there is the cost of attendance
which includes all of that plus the cost of transportation, room & board and school
supplies,” she cautioned.
Millender said the cost of education for a full time student at BC taking 12
credit hours is $934 plus books, estimated at $50 per credit hour, for a total of
$1,534 per semester. “Current students who have paid their tuition and fees and
bought their books but have not filled out the FAFSA can do so right now to see if
they qualify for any type of financial aid,” she said. According to Millender, once
the student submits the FAFSA application the information about qualifying for
grants and scholarships will be submitted to the student and the college within
about three days. “We get the information electronically but we need the student
to come talk to us or we can’t do anything with it,” she said.
Marcia Conliffe, Associate VP of Student Success & Enrollment, said, “If
someone is already admitted to the college that information goes directly to the
financial aid office and then we send the student an e-mail to their BC student
e-mail address telling them that we got the information and there may be some
things they need to do.”
Attend school for free!
Millender said it is possible for a student to attend BC free of charge. She went
on to explain how this could happen. “Let’s say Student Q filled out the FAFSA
and it came back that Student Q is very needy. So, he (she) qualifies for a Pell
Grant at the maximum, which is $4,731 for the entire year (two semesters). Now,
remember our tuition costs of $1,534 per semester…that leaves us with a surplus,”
she said with a grin.
“Now, since Student Q is very needy he (she) is also eligible for a Federal
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) for those who qualify
for Pell,” she continued. Sharlene Funchess, Assistant Director of Scholarship said
the FSEOG awards for 2008-09 are $600 per year. “That adds more dollars to
Student Q’s surplus,” Millender added.
“Since Student Q qualifies for Pell, the State of Florida says he (she) is eligible
for a Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG) which is a State need-based grant,”
Millender said. Conliffe said that BC gets almost $5 million each year from FSAG.
“Student Q will get another $600 from this grant so let’s do the math…he (she)
is now up to $5,931 just on need-based scholarships that he (she) doesn’t have
to pay back…and, we don’t even know how smart Student Q is,” she chuckled.
Millender was referring to the possibility he (she) could qualify for merit-based
scholarships as well.
Millender cautioned that there is a limit to the amount of grants and scholarships
an individual can receive. “This year we can give a student a maximum of $8,900,”
she said. “This is where the cost of attendance comes into play; we are well past the
cost of education. Student Q can use the surplus to pay for transportation, room
& board or anything else and never have to pay it back!”
Conliffe cautioned that there is one caveat. “As long as Student Q does what he
(she) needs to do…attend classes…don’t get Fs…don’t withdraw from classes…he
(she) won’t have to give the money back,” she said.
Millender said that some students have incorrectly said the financial aid
department has taken the money back. “We didn’t take it…they had to give
it back to us when they decided not to do what they were supposed to do. We
can’t take money from students…but we have to refund it back to the federal
government if they (students) don’t do what they are supposed to do. Legally they
can’t keep that money,” she exclaimed.
New applications for the Fall/Winter semesters of 2009-10 will be accepted
after Jan. 1, 2009. “Students have to apply every year and they can get the FAFSA
application on our website,” Millender said.
Funchess indicated that even thought the FAFSA application is four pages long
it is relatively easy to fill it out. “There just seems to be a phobia about filling out
the form,” she said with a shrug. All three women agreed that there seems to be
a stigma attached to applying for financial aid. “There are a lot of first generation
students at BC, some with parents from foreign countries. We are trying to reach
out to those parents and make them aware of what is available,” Conliffe said.
“Some have a fear of immigration. Some don’t speak English.”
According to Millender, Florida is #2 in the nation with the highest number of
increased students applying for financial aid over last year. “We know that more
students are applying but what we don’t know if they are following through. We
know that last year we awarded 9,346 Pell Grants…we would say a little over a
third of our students are applying for financial aid…we want 100% to apply,” she
said. “Education is affordable at Broward College and money is available.”
JANUARY 12, 2009
The Observer
COMICS
11
12
ENTERTAINMENT
The Observer
JANUARY 12, 2009
Elizabeth Banks talks “The Uninvited” and more
Banks discusses her character, how she prepared and what the idea of the movie is.
By Philippe Buteau
Copy Editor
Elizabeth Banks, who stars in
Dreamworks Pictures upcoming
horror “The Uninvited,” was a
part of a college conference call to
discuss the movie. It releases Jan.
30.
Q: Were there any film or
television characters that inspired
your character in The Uninvited?
A: I based this character on
three of my favorite femme fatales:
Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction,”
Rebecca De Mornay in “Hand
That Rocks the Cradle,” and a
little bit of Sharon Stone in “Basic
Instinct.”
Q: You’ve been through getting
married and being introduced to
a whole new family, you use any
of that experience when getting
prepared for your role in this
movie? In addition what else did
you do to get mentally prepared
for the role?
A: I did think about blending
families. I also thought a lot about
what I thought of older women
when I was Emily [Browning]
and Arielle [Kebbel’s] age. It was
a very natural situation we found
ourselves in, in that the two of
them were very sisterly throughout
the making of the movie. We had
a natural separation just by our
ages which made doing the scene
work and making the movie very
natural.
Q: Is it more exciting to play a
character that is fighting the villain
or to play the villain?
Banks in her role as an evil step-mother in The Uninvited.
A: There’s good in both of those
but I really relished being bad. It’s
very fun to be a villain.
Q: Since this movie is an Asian
horror remake in the vein of “The
Ring” and “The Grudge” which
have been very successful, what
do you think makes these films so
appealing to a western audience?
A: There’s a whole sense of
spirituality in Asian horror that
is just not endemic in our culture
because we’re a Judeo/Christian
Puritan culture that’s only been
around for 200 years; whereas Asian
movies get to draw on this crazy
mythology, the warrior culture
and thousands of years of spiritual
questioning. They’ve been asking
“What happens to us when we die”
for a very long time. And they have
a different take on everything from
suicide to the afterlife.
Q: What do you think the
movie says about problems within
the family and how kids deal with
divorce?
A: I think it’s a really relatable
concept, the idea of a parent
remarrying after the loss of [the
other] parent whether it’s because
of death or divorce. This idea of
“when this new person comes
into your life,” if you don’t want
photo courtesy of imdb.com
to replace your mother, the other
way to think about that person is
as a friend. But if you’re not willing
to look at them as a mother figure
or a friend, then what are you left
with? And how do you live with
that person under the same roof?
I think this movie is very much
about control and power, and who
has the control and power in a
household at any given time.
Q: What do you enjoy making
more, horrors or comedies?
A: It’s always fun to laugh, and
although we laughed quite a bit on
the set of “The Uninvited,” it’s our
job to laugh on the set of comedies.
It depends on the day but comedies
are more fun to make.
Q: How does it feel doing so
many movies in one year?
A: I feel like a gypsy, like I belong
in the circus. [I’ve been] living out
of bags [and] going from place
to place to place. Also it’s slightly
embarrassing frankly to have them
all out one after the other but fun
as well. I’m also happy that all the
roles are really different. And I
hope it’s fun for audiences to see
different sides of myself.
Q: Do you find it difficult to be
taken seriously in comedy because
you are attractive?
A: Definitely. You have to
remember I wasn’t always this good
looking; I’m definitely getting better
with age. I have the appearance of
a winner but I feel like loser on the
inside and that adds to my comedy.
There are a lot of pretty girls who
don’t have to develop their funny
bone because they’re beautiful, but
I had to develop my funny bone in
order to get attention.
Q: What was your favorite
movie among the ones you made
in 2008?
A: My favorite movie was “Zack
and Miri Make a Porno.” I thought
that the character of Miri was one
of the best I’ve ever played; she’s
really well-rounded in terms of
having a great arch. She starts out
as a loveable loser and finds love
in the movie. She was one of the
funnier female characters that I’ve
read and played in a long time.
The story of Slip-n-Slide’s new singer, Shonie
By Ashley Moncrieffe
South Bureau Chief
Twenty-year-old singer Shonie
has the gift of versatility; she went
from playing the drums between
the early ages of 5-6 years old,
to being the newest member of
popular Miami-based Slip-n-Slide
Records.
A native of Bronx, NY, Shonie
moved to Miami when she was two
years old. While traveling back and
forth from Bronx to Miami, she
finally made a permanent stay in
Miami at the tender age of nine.
Shonie proudly calls Miami her
home. “Miami is a sexy place that
is why everyone wants to come
here,” said Shonie.
While the youngest and only
girl amongst her siblings, it paid off
to have a brother who had a lot of
connections. While living in Palm
Beach as a teen, Shonie’s brother
became her manager. Running
into an independent record label
called South Beat Entertainment,
Shonie was eventually signed to
their label.
Unfortunately, things with
South Beat Entertainment didn’t
work out. Out of the bad situation
something good happened. She
met her current manager James
Jackson of Slick Salt Entertainment
and he practically took her “under
his wing.”
Shonie strongly acknowledges
that the real reason she got noticed
was by “going through South Beat
Entertainment and meeting current
manager James Jackson.”
Although Shonie admits that
she is a fresh look and voice to the
entertainment world, her favorite
singer has been Brandy since she
was a little girl, followed by Lauren
Hill and Keyshia Cole as the
influences of her music now.
Shonie currently has a single out
featuring Fabolous called “Can’t
Let Go,” she encourages everyone
to listen to it. She wishes to work
with Rihanna because of her island
vibe that she hopes to include in
her music because of her Bahamian
descent.
Shonie has worked with
producers Midas, Kane da
Kameleon (who also worked on
Trina’s single featuring Keyshia
Cole “I Got a Thing for You”),
Cool n Dre, Lamb (who worked
with Jazmine Sullivan on “Need
You Bad”) and many more. She
has also worked with Trina before
and while signed to Slip-n-Slide
records.
“When I got signed to Slip-nSlide records I was more focused on
the business side, because I wanted
a fair contract. The excitement
came after I signed the papers. I
was like ‘oh snap… this is big,’”
said Shonie.
Understanding that hard work
will pay off, she finds refuge in one
of her favorite artists, Beyonce.
“Beyonce works very hard including
keeping her body type. You may
not be the biggest fan of Beyonce,
but you have to respect how hard
she works” said Shonie.
Knowing how the media and
the entertainment business can
dictate ones physical appearance,
Shonie informs “You can go into
the industry looking perfect and
they will still try to change you, you
can’t let people change you, then
you are not yourself anymore.”
Having self-esteem issues in
the past and later overcoming
them, she continued, “People will
try their best to break you down,
because they feel like crap, but you
cannot let that get to you, you have
to block it out,” said Shonie.
Though busy with her music,
Shonie still finds time to enjoy
writing, listening to music, soul
food, sushi, hanging out at Sobe
Live on the beach, grooving to her
iPod (with songs like “Need You
Bad,” “The Kissing Game,” “She’s
Playing Hard to Get” by Hi5 and
the entire Full Moon album by
Brandy) and watching re-runs of
Martin, her favorite comedian.
According to Shonie, “I am
still very normal, genuine, real,
working from the bottom and
willing to work with anyone.
Shonie at the Slick Salt Entertainment office.
I’ve been through a lot and my
manager James Jackson has seen
everything I’ve gone through and
keeps me going and that is why I
value Keyshia Cole because she
puts her life out there on TV, and
very little people do that.”
She continues with a challenge
photo by ashley moncrieffe
to the public, “People should
listen to my music because I talk
about different things. My CD will
be something fresh, soulful and
something to dance to; it will be
the kind of CD that when you get
into your car and turn it on, you’ve
got Shonie CD in your car.”
The Observer
January 12, 2009
SPORTS
13
Opposition in for triple double trouble
Men’s hoops team have a player with a triple double in back to back games.
by Igor Mello
Sports Editor
Although the new year has
begun, nothing has changed for
the men’s hoops team. They could
still be rusty. The wins just keep on
coming despite not having access
to the school’s gym to weight
train and having practices held on
inconsistent locations.
In fact, the team has not lost a
game on the court since Nov. 7 of
last year to Lackawanna College,
a top 30 team in the National
Junior College Athletic Association
(NJCAA) Division-II.
During the winter break the
Seahawks hosted their annual
holiday tournament where they
won three games in fairly simple
fashion, except against University
of Waterloo where they survived by
two points (79-77).
Coach Robert Starkman has
praised his team to play unselfish,
his theory is that this year’s team
has no superstar. He feels that a
player will rise to the occasion in
each game.
The Seahawks capped off their
holiday tournament on Jan. 3 where
they cruised over the Community
College of Rhode Island, 80-65.
The most significant thing
about the game was that freshman
center Kervin Bristol was the most
noteworthy player that night,
rising to the occasion as Starkman
predicted.
Bristol, who is often called
‘Mutombo’ (from NBA player
Dikembe Mutombo) by his
teammates for his shot-blocking
abilities, accumulated 25 points,
16 boards and ten blocks. His
first ever triple-double. He almost
played a perfect game only missing
one out his twelve field goals all
Freshman guard David Brown (15) has his first triple double of his junior colliegiate career.
night.
“He [Bristol] doesn’t know how
good he can be. I’m on him every
day,” said Starkman. “He must lift
weights, he has to get stronger. He
can be highly recruited, but he has
to grow up and understands the
seriousness and the commitment
to the game.”
According to Bristol, who is
originally from Haiti, he has never
played organized basketball until
this season. Although the 6-foot10 giant is pretty new to the sport,
he is beginning to show signs of
prominence.
Photo by Igor Mello
“This is new to me. I’m just
trying to go hard and do my best.
Give 150 percent,” said Bristol,
who is ranked sixteenth in the
nation in rebounds with a little
over ten a game and thirteenth in
the nation in blocks, swatting three
per game.
With the way the team has been
playing lately, some players are
beginning to wonder if this is the
best team that they have ever been
part of.
“Just the personnel that we
have, our coach,” said freshman
guard David Brown, who admits
that this is his greatest team ever.
“We push each other in practice
and encourage each other. We’re
like a family.”
Talks of this squad becoming
one of the best ever have even
caught on to the coach, who admits
that he could be coaching one of
his best teams since his second year
coaching at Broward.
In order for them to be even
considered in that manor they
must win their conference.
Southern conference play
began for the Seahawks on Jan.
7 against Brevard CC. The team
stretched their winning streak to
11 consecutive games outlasting
Brevard 88-75.
A new streak also began as this
time it was Brown who stepped
up to the plate, mounting up 13
points, 11 rebounds and ten assists,
the Seahawks second triple double
in just as many games.
“We’re playing good as a team
and we’re playing unselfish,” said
Brown.
The team’s last nine games are
all conference games, including the
next three games which will all be
played at the OMNI Auditorium
starting Jan. 16 against arch-rival
Miami Dade College.
Following the three home
games, the Seahawks will face a
tough stretch where they will play
five out of their last games on the
road.
These final ten games will truly
test If this team is indeed great.
Freshman guard Rick Katz going strong for a lay up.
Photo by Igor Mello
The Observer
january 12, 2009
OPINION
15
Someone tell BET that dreams never die
Brandon
Audain
COMMENTARY
What exactly is BET (Black
Entertainment Television)? A few
years ago it was Bow Wow, B2K,
and raunchy women. Now it’s old,
syndicated sitcoms with a movie
thrown in here and there.
In 2009, the questions must be
asked, “What purpose does BET
serve” and “Will it ever reach its
potential?” This is the state of the
BET network.
When you name your network
Black Entertainment Television,
you are almost setting the bar higher
than you can reach. However, this
problem is easily remedied with a
quick solution: trying. No one can
fault you for trying, but when you
have basically given up, what’s the
point?
I mean, look at the facts - the
network is showing upwards of
20 episodes of “Smart Guy” each
week. Not only is that pointless,
it just shows what the people
in charge of BET think of their
audience, because there were
only 51 episodes of “Smart Guy”
ever made. That’s not a typo, 51
episodes of “Smart Guy” exist, and
the network shows at least 20 of
them each week. Every third week
you can see the pilot episode. Is
this what the people want? Is this
what the people deserve?
Even if it wasn’t always top
notch material, gone are the days
of original programming, and care
for the viewer; these days are filled
with the notion of “who cares,” and
that is sad, and pathetic.
I’m only 21 years of age, but
even I can remember the days of
“Teen Summit,” and that was only
a Saturday show. On weekday
nights you at least had a chunk of
time devoted to news, but now that
is not the case.
As the times have changed, so
has BET. That’s fine, but as long
as they are going down this path,
they might as well change their
name, because as a black man,
what BET is throwing out there
isn’t representing me, nor is it
doing anything for my culture. If
BET really wanted to represent
the black people of the United
States, the network would look a
lot like a PBS station. Instead, it’s
just a joke of a network, which
basically exists for the sole purpose
of broadcasting 106 & Park, and
showing commercials to advertise
the Obama coin, and the Obama
plate.
I refuse to accept that a few
reality shows, some old sitcoms,
and 106 & Park is the best that my
race has to offer, and you shouldn’t
either, even if you did turn off BET
many moons ago.
In this month, in this year,
it’s time for BET to reach up and
grab that bar. Not only is this
the month that we celebrate the
birthday of Martin Luther King
Jr., but in this month, Obama will
be inaugurated. With the positives
that have been happening in the
Black community as of late, it’s
time for the glaring negative to be
addressed.
In this time of recession, it’s
time for BET to educate the young
Black youth, and stop feeding
them lies, or in the case of sitcoms
and reality shows, nothing.
BET can take the first step for
example by not showing these
ridiculous videos with artists
flaunting extravagant wealth. In
these times, more than ever, it’s time
for BET to take a stand, instead
of doing nothing. Martin Luther
King had a dream, and so do I: that
one day Black people can take BET
seriously, and can use it for the tool
that it can be. If BET chooses to
not reach up for the bar they set for
themselves, then a name change is a
must. Their representation of Black
people is far too narrow, and saying
it’s entertainment is a stretch. Let’s
just call it T.
We have ignored this problem
for far too long. It’s time for us to
hold the network accountable for
its blatant disregard for intelligence.
Stop accepting this nonsense that
they have been shoving down our
throats for the past couple of years.
How does that make us as a people
look?
If you have the gumption to
name yourself after black people,
you better showcase the best that
we have to offer, and in that regard,
BET has been failing us for quite
some time. Even as I write this, I
know that nothing will change, but
for some reason I keep hope. I have
a dream.
Happy MLK day
T-shirt or tux - it’s about time to figure it out!
By Buzz Lamb
Staff Writer
Ever have a day when you feel
like you’re on top of the world and
everything is going just right but
for some reason you notice that
people are giving you funny looks.
You believe everything is fine, but
things are not fine because you
have a sartorial inadequacy.
Before you run for the
Merriam-Webster or Google the
word sartorial, let me clue you in.
Sartorial comes from the Latin
word sartor, meaning tailor and
the -ial was added to Americanize
it into an adjective. Thus, sartorial
refers to how men dress.
I realize that “business casual”
Layout Editor
Bruno
Melissa Correa
is the norm in most companies
today but I wonder if we haven’t
forgotten how to dress for all other
occasions. Years ago, when we
attended church, we were expected
to dress up as a sign of respect, but
I don’t see too many men in suits
and ties anymore.
There was also a time when you
flew on an airplane or went to a
fancy restaurant you were expected
to dress up. Several years ago the
former “Down Under” restaurant
along the intercostal waterway
in Fort Lauderdale had loaner
jackets and ties for those men
who were sartorially inadequate
and shorts were not allowed in the
dining room after 5 pm under any
editors-in-chief
Niccoli
Section Editors
Copy Editor
Philippe Buteau
South Bureau Chief
Ashley Moncrieffe
Sports Editor
Igor Mello
Kevin Rosenberg
Staff Writers
Buzz Lamb
CONTRIBUTors
Adrianne Rhodes
Brendan Connolly
Hannah Giles
Jessica Rosenberg
D’Andra McIntosh
Layout Editor
Melissa
Correa
Central
Bureau
Chief
Jerilyn De Los Rios
North Bureau Chief
South
Bureau Ramirez
Chief
Stephanie
Philippe Buteau
Central Bureau Chief
Brandon Audain
Adviser
Adviser’s assistant
Jennifer Shapiro
Chris Cutro
The Observer is a bi-weekly consolidated newspaper produced by students of
Broward College. The editorial office is located at South Campus, Bldg. 68-268,
7200 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines, FL 33024. The newsroom can be contacted
at 954-201-8877, or [email protected].
Letters to the editor are encouraged. The writer’s name must be included, although requests for anonymity may be honored at the editor’s discretion. Letters
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circumstances.
Alas, no more. In fact, we now
look pretty grungy all of the time.
My wife and I recently attended a
holiday concert at Parker Playhouse
in Fort Lauderdale. We saw an
eclectic group of people dressed in
a wide variety of tastes. Older men
tended to dress up for the occasion,
some in suit and tie but most with
a sport coat and slacks.
The younger men tended to wear
chinos or jeans with a collared shirt
or a polo shirt. Some scored low
on the sartorial scale by donning
a t-shirt emblazoned with sayings
or pictures which I suppose they
though made some sort of fashion
statement. It did, but probably
one they would not like to hear
from me.
One gentleman attending the
holiday concert really caught my
eye. I’d say he was in his midfifties…he wore a polo shirt, cargo
shorts, sneakers (with no socks)
and a baseball cap. To me, he stuck
out like a sore thumb, looking like
he belonged at a tail-gate party as
opposed to the theater. I wanted
to go up and ask the guy, “If this
is how you dress for the theater,
how do you dress for the bowling
alley?”
There are several other
circumstances which can lead to
sartorial inadequacies: having a tag
sticking out of the back of your shirt
or sweater; mistakenly buttoning
your button-down collar to the top
button of your shirt; having your
shirttail hanging out over your
butt; or the worst of all…missing
a belt loop on your pants.
Most of the time it is one of the
back loops that you can’t see. Your
pants are still up (that’s a good
thing) so you have no idea that you
have a sartorial belt-related issue.
Here’s the thing…as I mentioned
before, you’re walking around all
day, thinking things are great. To
you, you’re kicking butt and taking
names, you’re looking good and on
top of the world, but, the rest of
the world is thinking…look at this
idiot…he can’t even dress himself!
4
We
Pla
y
“She was just a coaches’ dream. She never had a problem with grades, never had a
bad word to say to anybody. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her say a negative word.”
-Coach Mike Schawe
“She was a very sweet girl, always laughing and joking around, always talking
about God, overall a very sweet person and a good friend that you can talk to
whenever you need to talk to.”
-Tierra Allen, teammate
“The death of a student is always tragic for the college. She touched the lives
of so many including her team mates on the girls’ basketball team, her fellow
students at North Campus and the faculty and coaches that knew her ….We
mourn her loss, and send our condolences to her grandparents here in Florida
and to her parents in New Jersey.”
-B.C. President J. David Armstrong
“She was just the leader, anywhere. Outstanding person, everywhere she
went she made people laugh.”
- Jaclyn O’Connor, teammate
“She was the greatest player ever.”
-Assistant Coach Kevin Johnson
Shay
“I think she’ll be remembered as the best point guard that I think
ever came here.”
- Brittany Cameron, teammate
Name:
Jersey #:
Class: Height:
Position:
Hometown: High School: Points AVG: llanos
continued from frontpage
“Shay will be remembered for her determination.
She was always dedicated and ready to go out there
and work hard and ball,” said Hillmon.
“I’d never forget the first time she had her asthma
attack, it was the second day of practice when we first
started the season,” said Allen. “That really scared me,
but then Jennifer [Hillmon] and I just took care of
her and brought her machine everywhere. She would
always call me ‘mom’ and that was something I would
never forget.”
Llanos played high school ball in her hometown
of Salem, New Jersey where she was named 2008
Player of the Year, scoring over 1,000 points in her
high school career.
Shay wanted to play NCAA basketball. Although
she had excellent grades in high school, she was listed
as a non-qualifier because she didn’t test well. This
caused her to become a Seahawk.
She was just beginning to find her groove as a
freshman. In fact, she recently won FCCAA Women’s
Basketball player of the week, averaging a little over
20 points a game, about three rebounds, three assists
and three steals in a four-game span.
“She was heading toward being a Division-I
prospect. She was definitely a Division-II prospect
Shayla Llanos
4
Freshman
5-4
Point Guard
Salem, NJ
Salem HS
17.5 (Twentieth in the Nation)
any way, Barry was looking at her,” said Schawe.
Schawe left it up to the players to decide on the
future of the team. In the end, they chose to play the
last game of the three-game holiday tournament on
Jan. 3.
The school held a pre-game ceremony and had a
moment of silence on her behalf. Following that game
the team held a memorial service to honor her. Llanos’
funeral was held Jan. 8 in Salem, NJ. The school
was represented by Assistant Coach Kevin Johnson.
Win or lose the players have agreed to finish out the
remainder of the season, dedicating it to Shay.
“We dedicated everything for her, even if we don’t
want to play,” said freshman guard Jaclyn O’Connor.
“She gave 110 percent to us so we need to do the same
for her.”
During warm-ups, the players now wear a shirt
that says, “We Play 4 Shay” and during the games a
number four is now placed on the top-right corner of
the front of every player’s jersey.
According to coach Schawe, BC will place her in
the school’s Hall of Fame. They will also change the
name of their annual holiday tournament to honor
her.
Although Shay was the smallest player on the
hardwood, she played like a giant. For that and the
way she carried her life as a Seahawk, Llanos’ legacy
will never be forgotten.
photos by Igor Mello
Llanos during a match against the Fort Lauderdale Lyons.
The plaque with Llanos’ jersey signed by her teammates.
Before the first game after her death, players from both teams got together in a circle for a moment of silence.