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Dec. 22, 2023 - Jan. 5, 2024 - Dayton Weekly News
Vol. 30, Issue 5
Dec. 22, 2023 - Jan. 5, 2024
Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy New Year From All of Us at The Dayton Weekly News
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Why the Principles of Kwanzaa are Important for more than Six Days a Year
While Kwanzaa is traditionally celebrated over a seven-day period from December 26th to January 1st, the principles, and values it represents can be incorporated into daily life throughout the year. Kwanzaa, which means "first fruits" in Swahili, was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga as a way for African Americans to reconnect with their African heritage and celebrate their cultural identity. The celebration is centered around seven principles
known as the Nguzo Saba, which are: • Umoja (Unity): To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. • Kujichagulia (SelfDetermination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves. • Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together. • Ujamaa (Cooperative
Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together. • Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. • Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited Continued on Page 4
Central State University Ramps Up Program to Teach Future Teachers How to Teach Reading
Wilberforce, Ohio A recent report indicated that less than half of Ohio’s elementary school teachers graduated from higher education institutions whose teacher prep programs received a satisfactory “A” or “B” according to standards analyzed by the Fordham Institute. Now, Central State University is renewing its commitment to bolstering its College of Education courses that teach future teachers how to teach effectively. The Fordham Institute’s report is especially pertinent to Central State students and faculty, as it found that Black, Hispanic, and povertystricken students, in particular, are more impacted by the low institutional grading.
“We are doing what we can to prepare our students to become licensed teachers,” said Associate Professor of Reading/Literacy Sandra Sumerfield, Ed.D. Sumerfield, a native of Cincinnati, has been spearheading Central
State’s ad hoc program to prepare College of Education students for their Ohio state reading instruction licensure testing since first joining the faculty six years ago. “I love the vision of serving and helping at Central State,” Sumerfield
said. “I just feel like this is my place. At the time I was interviewed, the information I got about the school and the feeling I got about it is what really pulled me in.” Those who wish to teach in Ohio must unContinued on Page 5
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Another top-five ranked recruiting class is headed to Columbus, as Ryan Day announced that 20 student-athletes signed national letters of intent to further their academic and athletic careers with Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ class, which is No. 1 by every service among current Big Ten schools, comes in at No. 4 overall by 247Sports, No. 3 by On3 and No. 4 on Rivals.com. Six of the prospects are top-100 rated players by 247Sports, including the classes’ No. 1 overall player: WR Jeremiah Smith of Miami Gardens, Fla. The Buckeyes signed five composite five-star prospects according to 247Sports’ rankings, the most of any program in the country. “We got a lot of things
covered with this class and that’s really good moving forward,” Day said at his signing day press conference on Wednesday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. “A lot of hard work was put in by a lot of people for this class and we’re fired up about that.” Ohio State also had success in its home state, inking three of the top five players in Ohio. That group is particularly strong in the secondary, highlighted by CB Aaron Scott of Springfield and CB Bryce West of Cleveland Glenville. Overall, the Buckeyes signed players from 10 different states. The class has 11 players on offense, including four offensive linemen, and nine on defense. Ohio State’s secondary was bolstered with the addition of five players – three cornerbacks and
two safeties – along with two linebackers and two defensive linemen. Eddrick Houston, from Buford, Ga., is the units top rated player overall, checking in at No. 26 in the 247Sports composite ranking while holding a fivestar designation. While Smith is the highest-ranked player Continued on Page 7
Ohio State Signs 20 on 2023 National Signing Day
Preservice Teacher candidate Jahari Hannah, introduced research on the importance of Phonemic Awareness, hearing sounds in language, as a foundational skill for teaching students to read. This widely distributed study comes on the heels of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s prodding of state legislators to require K-12
schools to utilize specific teaching practices, such as those that would demand more phonics and reading skills.
Wright State University Take Flight Program
Wright State is pleased to offer the Take Flight Program. This is a need-based program for academically-accomplished students. The program covers the cost of up to 18 credit hours of in-state undergraduate tuition for qualifying students. To fund the program, Wright State combines federal and state grant funds along with institutional grants
and/or scholarships to meet the cost of in-state tuition. Institutional scholarships and grants awarded as a part of the Take Flight program are renewable. Students in the Take Flight program will be provided with a laptop, take part in a summer leadership experience, and have access to other unique benefits. Students will also have a dedicated success team, including a
success coach and career consultant. To be considered for the program, students must meet the following: Enroll at Wright State University's Dayton campus directly from high school as a first-time, fulltime student for Fall 2024 • Be an Ohio resident and meet all other requirements to be considered a in-state student Continued on Page 2
What’s Inside
National 3 Editorial 4 Education 5 Religion 6 Sports 7 Health 8