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The Health Section
Page 9
events
Wilson on Obama Care
Pages 2-3
The Fitness Motivator Changing
Page 6
Page 12
Page 10
Where's the Music
Aspiring Youth Conference
Eating Seafood
Deltas' Founders' Day
Page 4
Page 7
Page 11
Fatherhood Initiative
Page 5
Black History Month
Alzheimer Book
Page 8
Central State Chorus at
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Third
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Wear Red
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IMA Officers
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Page 4
The Sojourner's Truth February 01, 2012
Jeff Johnson Insp=res Toledo Youth at EXCEL Conference
By Artisha S. Lawson
Sojourner's Truth Reporter
Leah
their children, all followed
McCormick of St. Ursula
Academy and Kayla Hamp-
selections
by
needed," said David Young,
by a moment of silence for
one of the program' s original
else, and people questioning
director of Toledo EXCEL.
me if my accomplishments
ton of Toledo School of the
advocates, Alice Skeens,
Arts; verbal narrations by
would ever happen," said
Johnson.
Ph.D.
Keynote speaker, UT
alumnus, award-winning
journalists, MSNBC contributor, White House correspondent and weekly commentator Jeff I. Johnson addressed and encouraged students and parents to strive
for excellence.
LaVelle Ridley of St. Johns
Jesuit High School, Camille
Gist of Toledo Christian,
Vincent Hill of Bowsher High
School, Adam Tran of Uni-
versity of Toledo and Elvhin
ist. Dr. Skeens walked in the
"It's important to recog-
nize when we're talking about
planning and success and as-
Action News opened the pro-
and thanked parents for at-
tending this morning with
Toledo's Student Union Auditorium for the 28th annual
Skeens, Toledo EXCEL in
all likelihood would not exproposal to Toledo EXCEL,
gram. Elected officials and
dignitaries offered greetings
bors, filled The University of
to remind us without the contributions of Dr. Alice
Sales High School.
Mistress of Ceremony
Over 300 aspiring young
of Toledo EXCEL and quick
Encarnacio of St. Francis de
Alexis Means of ABC 13
minds, accompanied by their
parents, mentors and neigh-
"Dr. Cooks is the founder
23 years later here we are.
Dr. Skeens passed away earlier this year, and we feel that
loss. She served on our joint
piring minority students that
we don't start at the success
point. It's sometimes over=
committee every year, tuwhelming to hear my resume
tored, wrote proposals, made read here, I made more misphonecallsandwhateverwas, takes here than anywhere
Conference for Aspiring Minority Youth last weekend.
The Saturday, January 28
event featured a variety of
talented Toledo-area EXCEL
students including musical
Jeff Johnson
(Continrted from Page 4)
The University of Toledo
The Sojourner's Truth, Fifth
Third Bank, Alpha Kappa
The afternoon concluded
with separate student and
parent sessions. While students were focusing on ways
to use foresight in day-to-
Joint Committee which has
worked in collaboration since
January 1985 has 23 members representing educational
institutions: UT, Monroe
County Community College
day decision making with
and TPS; nonprofits ONYX
presenter George E. Rice III,
CEO of Triple Threat Enterprises, LLC; parents learned
about ways to assist their children for future planning.
Facilitators Talmadge
Thomas of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church and
Teresa Quinn of Ella P.
Stewart Academy for Girls
worked with parents on tools
necessary for action plans,
understanding critical think-
and United Way of Greater
Toledo; corporations Owens
full-ride to Stanford to play
basketball."
ing and encouraging open
communication.
Alpha Sorority lnc, Zeta Al-
pha Omega Chapter, All)ha
PhiAlpha Fraternit3.J bw, Al-
pha Xi Lambda Chapter,
Financial, Superior Industrial
Supply and Services, Inc, and
Huntington; State Represen-
BASF Corporation, Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority Inc,
Toledo Alumni Chapter, Jack
& Jill of America, hÿc, Toledo Chapter, Paramount
Advantage, Promedica
Health Systems, The Coalition for Quality Education,
tative Michael Ashford and
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity,
Mt. Zion Baptist Church.
hw, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, NAACP Youth Organization, The National
Coming, Managed Wealth
Conference sponsors in-
cl,de UT, 13 ABC Action
News, TPS, NANBPWC, hzc.
Toledo Club, Lathrop, Buckeye Cable, The Andersons,
Cooper & Walinski, UPS,
Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa,
Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
He went on to encourage
young men in our communi-
ties to take advantage of all
opportunities. "There is a targeted attack on you to believe that the only you can
become successful is by using your body, or entertain
someone or believe the hype
that you will fit into a box
with thousands of people who
did not make it," said
Johnson. "If you can play
basketball then play, but play
enough basketball to get a
(Continued on Page 5)