11 10 2021

VOL. 18 ISSUE 41

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NOV. 10 - 16, 2021

Real Stories

Real People

MOLD & FLOODING

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Real Change

Howard University students protest safety concerns in student housing

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Howard students have been protesting unsafe housing for nearly a month.

The university received $140 million in donations and pledges for the first half of 2021.

Mary Coller Albert, Blake Androff, Jeremy Bratt, David Cloe, Clare Krupin, Jennifer Park, Michael Phillips, Dan Schwartz, John Senn, Aaron Stetter, Daniel Webber, Shari Wilson, Corrine Yu

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The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper Originally founded as a street newspaper in 2003, Street Sense Media has evolved into a multimedia center using a range of creative platforms to spotlight solutions to homelessness and empower people in need. The men and women who work with us do much more than sell this paper: They use film, photography, theatre, illustration, and more to share their stories with our community.

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EVENTS

// 3

AT A GLANCE

2-Day Virtual Hiring Fair: DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education Tuesday, Nov. 16 // 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 17 // 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

OSSE anticipates at least 34 positions available and is seeking candidates “interested in working to help students and families in D.C. have the opportunity to a quality education.” If you would like to be considered for any of the positions, you must register for the virtual fair. REGISTER: tinyurl.com/ossefair SATURDAY, NOV. 13

UPDATES ONLINE AT ICH.DC.GOV

Pod-a-Palooza to benefit So Others Might Eat

D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness Meetings

TUESDAY, NOV. 16

Tenant Engagement Group Meeting

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Virtual (Facebook Live)

Executive Committee Nov. 9, 1:30 - 3 p.m. // WebEx

12 p.m.

Virtual (Zoom)

A number of real estate and mortgage industry professionals who also podcast about their work have organized an online live charitable event and pledged all proceeds raised to SOME (some.org), an organization that works to break the cycle of homelessness in D.C.

Housing Solutions Committee Nov. 15, 2 - 3 p.m. // WebEx

Get involved with the mission to end displacement in D.C by joining this monthly virtual tenant engagement group meeting.

Help find a solution to the current eviction crisis and demand stronger rent control. Send questions to Eliana@dcjwj.org.

MORE: tinyurl.com/FBlive-pod

Strategic Planning Committee Nov. 23, 2:30 - 4 p.m. // Webex ***For call-in information, as well as meeting info for unlisted working groups, contact: ich.dmhhs@dc.gov

George Gray BADGE PHOTO

REGISTER: tinyurl.com/RRC11-16

Submit your event for publication by emailing editor@streetsensemedia.org

BIRTHDAYS George Gray Nov. 14 ARTIST/VENDOR

Jeffery Carter Nov. 16 ARTIST/VENDOR

VENDOR PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Street Sense offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day. • Take a Vendor Survey this week and get 10 papers.

See Leo, Darick or Thomas.

• The Street Sense Poetry Slam will be Wednesday, Dec. 1, at 1pm. A sign-up sheet will be available in the admin office.

• Vendors can bring in a complete CDC vaccination card for 15 free papers.

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NEWS

District selects company to develop former site of DC General Hospital

BY DEBBIE TRUONG // @debbietruong

This article was originally published by DCist. on Nov. 4.

The District has selected developers to convert a sprawling plot of mostly unused land in Southeast D.C. into a site that would include hundreds of apartments, retail space, a hotel, and a park.

Mayor Muriel Bowser chose Blue Skye Development and Donatelli Development to build out a large section of the underdeveloped land known as Reservation 13, which sits in the Hill East neighborhood. Another company, Community Partners, was selected to develop another section of the land.

Blue Skye and Donatelli have already developed two residential buildings on a small

parcel of land near 19th Street SE as part of the city’s larger effort to revitalize Hill East.

The mixed-use development would include more than 2,300 residential units, about one-third of which would be designated for low-income residents. Another third would be set aside for families that make between 60% and 120% of the median family income in the region, which is $129,000 for a family of four.

“We know that Washingtonians need jobs and housing, and that’s what we are delivering in Hill East,” Bowser said in a statement.

The project would also include retail space, a park along Independence Avenue SE and a 150-room hotel. The D.C. Council must still approve the development plans.

If the proposal moves forward, it would

mark major progress for a project that has remained at a standstill for years, in a neighborhood where residents have fought for more housing, grocery stores, and restaurants.

A collection of concrete and imposing buildings sit on Reservation 13, a 67-acre parcel of land that stretches from 19th Street SE to the western shore of the Anacostia River.

Many of the sites have closed, including D.C. General Hospital, which until 2018 served as an emergency shelter for families experiencing homelessness after the hospital closed two decades ago. The District demolished D.C. General last year and opened smaller shelters throughout the city.

The city commissioned a developer to begin working on a “vibrant, mixed-use waterfront community” in 2008 but drastically scaled the project down during the recession.

Nearly a decade later in 2017 the city

submitted a response to a request for proposals from Amazon, which was scouting locations for its second headquarters. D.C. included Reservation 13 as one of four possible sites for the online retailer’s sprawling offices, sparking outcry from local leaders.

That proposal did not go anywhere. And in November 2020, the D i s t r i c t ’s e c o n o m i c development office asked developers to submit plans for the site.

D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen, who represented the area that includes Reservation 13 before it was redistricted, said he is still learning about the plans but is encouraged by the progress.

“Today is a major step forward for a project that has stretched on for nearly two decades,” Allen said in a statement. “The winning bids commit to building more housing at multiple price points and for individuals and families at different stages of life.”

The mixed-use development would include more than 2,300 residential units, about one-third of which would be designated for lowincome residents.

SHARING GOOD CHEER Calling all gift-givers!

We are asking for new hats, gloves, scarves, socks and hand-warmers to provide 125 gift bags to our vendor/artists. Street Sense Media will also be including a gift certificate for 25 newspapers!

All gifts may be dropped-off Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM at our offices at 1317 G Street NW, Washington DC 20005. If possible, call us at 202347-2006 before you come by. Please have gifts to us by December 3.

It's hard work being a vendor. You can share the season's good cheer by helping ensure they stay warm while working.

If you have any questions, please contact Doris Warrell at doris@streetsensemedia.org.

D.C. General Hospital was used as a family shelter until recently and is one of the largest buildings on the 67-acre site known as Reservation 13. IMAGE COURTESY OF WAMU

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Legal Counsel for the Elderly to expand resources for veterans, incluing those facing homelessess

BY WILL SCHICK will@streetsensemedia.org

S

ince 2014, the D.C. nonprofit Legal Counsel for the Elderly (LCE) has run what is known as the “veterans advocacy project,” which helps seniors who served in the military navigate and connect with benefits they qualify to receive from entities such as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The project, which also assists surviving spouses, currently consists of two fulltime attorneys. About 442 veterans with disabilities over the age of 65 are living below the poverty level in the city, according to recent American Community Survey data. During fiscal year 2019, 2,663 District residents over the age of 65 were receiving veterans disability compensation.

This year, the small veterans advocacy project team has helped 57 veterans on 74 different cases regarding VA pension and compensation benefits. They also help elderly veterans apply for food assistance programs, file claims with the Social Security Administration, and resolve issues related to overpayment and debt discharges.

But they anticipate a greater workload in the months ahead given the looming threat of evictions.

Now, thanks to a $300,000 grant from the national AARP Foundation, the project is about to grow significantly. LCE plans to use the added funds to hire an additional staff attorney and expand outreach to better assist veterans who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless, according to JoAnn Mangione, the LCE communications manager.

This effort is influenced by data that reveal hundreds of veterans experiencing homelessness in the District. Every year, governments across the United States conduct a count of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. According to a regional analysis of the findings published earlier this year, 297 homeless veterans can be found in D.C. on “any given night,” which is about the same number as each of the previous four years.

“We believe that with the pandemic-related eviction and foreclosure moratorium ending, this number is going to increase beyond that,” said Swapna Yeluri, a senior staff attorney who joined LCE about a year ago after running similar pro bono legal clinics at various VA medical centers for five years.

The District stopped accepting new applications for its emergency COVID-19 rent and utility assistance program on Oct. 27, with the amount and timing of additional federal funding still to be determined. While the city allowed some evictions to proceed in late summer after the end of the public health emergency, the local pandemic-related eviction moratorium prevented most new cases from being filed until Oct. 12.

Throughout the pandemic, Yeluri said, the LCE’s veterans advocacy project has continued to do outreach, giving online presentations to educate elderly veterans about the benefits and entitlements available to them. But the new AARP grant will enable LCE to establish clinics at sites throughout the District where veterans are already accessing community programs and services. Yeluri said the organization has identified a list of three sites to date and hopes to launch the expanded program in January. By October 2022, the project aims to have six clinics in operation.

Like many seniors, elderly veterans face persistent barriers stemming from digital illiteracy and lack of access to computers or smartphones. This can prevent some veterans from accessing their previous service records, an essential element of successful applications, according to Yeluri.

She said one of the biggest challenges is that a lot of elderly clients’ records have not been digitized yet. Veterans often need to provide such records to the VA as proof of service before they can obtain benefits, but only about 10% of military service records are available digitally. The vast majority of paper records are held at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. But due to the coronavirus, the storage facility is operating at significantly reduced staffing levels, leading to an increased backlog of requests for records. Last month, the National Archives and Records Administration

Point-in-Time Count data on veteran homelessness in the D.C. metropolitan area.

TABLE BY WILL SCHICK, DATA COURTESY OF THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS

reported the facility had a backlog of over half a million records requests.

Challenges some veterans face with navigating entitlements Benning Heights resident Brian Clemons, 65, an Air Force veteran diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), tried filing a VA compensation claim in 2000 for a service-connected disability.

“I just kept thinking, ‘Well, once this comes through, I’ll get my place and bring my kids, and live my life,’” he said. “But once they denied it, I was in such a shock, I had a panic attack and suffered a breakdown. I couldn’t even talk.”

According to Clemons, the VA did send him a complete copy of his service records upon request. But the documents were missing crucial pieces about his service — namely, records of his training and his awards. The omissions not only added to his frustration but also complicated his efforts to obtain the benefits he’s eligible for.

“How could I go to basic training and tech school and there’s nothing there?” he asked.

Clemons, who served in the Air Force for about 16 months in the early 1970s before receiving an early honorable discharge, has long struggled with trying to process the trauma of his military experience.

An avionics technician, Clemons said that the predominantly white servicemembers working alongside him would often target him because of his race.

“Most of the Black airmen worked in the motor pool or civil engineering or refueling.

But Blacks moving into avionics — that wasn’t supposedly for us,” he said of the prevailing attitude. “I mean, it was really bad.”

Clemons recalls being singled out as the only Black airman working in his field. He described being intentionally left behind on a cold, wet tarmac and waiting during a freezing downpour while his commander took his white counterparts to lunch. Clemons said he was almost killed on two occasions because his crew chief removed the safety struts from the aircraft Clemons was working on.

An inspector general’s report published in 2020 revealed that racism continues to be a widespread problem in the Air Force, with Black servicemembers 60% more likely than their white counterparts to face a court-martial.

A study conducted back when Clemons served surveyed conditions across 15 air bases and documented just how pervasive racist violence and harassment were in the Air Force at the time. In 1971, a race riot erupted at Travis Air Base in California, with approximately 300 military police and civilian law enforcement called upon to quell the violence.

“I was dumb enough to believe that [the Air Force and the VA] would be fair. And when they finally declined me, I broke down. It was just too much,” Clemons said.

The challenge now is that the only way he can think of proving his training and awards is by gathering statements from others who served alongside him. But Clemons only remembers last names, which makes it difficult to find and reach out to those former colleagues.

Today, he is working with a lawyer from LCE’s veterans advocacy project to resubmit his claim. It’s already proving helpful.

“He says there are databases now that you can now go back and check” to confirm people’s names, Clemons said.

How to get involved in helping elderly veterans With a third staff attorney joining the veterans advocacy project soon, LCE is also trying to recruit volunteer lawyers and paralegals.

LCE works with a large number of pro bono lawyers who handle about 600 cases a year, according to their website.

“Even if they’re not knowledgeable at all about VA law, we will be able to provide them with the training to help them be able to handle these types of cases,” Yeluri said.

The volunteer attorneys and paralegals can contribute by informing clients about the ins and outs of various public benefit programs and helping them navigate complicated application procedures. In Yeluri’s experience, some clients are discouraged by “circular” bureaucratic processes.

“For instance, they’re asked to submit something and they submit something — and then they’re told, ‘Oh, you didn’t submit it this way’ or ‘You need to do it this way,’” she said.

This kind of response can be especially difficult for elderly clients who are also juggling various medical appointments and other commitments. Having someone familiar working on their behalf can make all the difference.

Volunteers and LCE staff attorneys can also assist clients with other kinds of legal issues or disputes they may be facing. But the veterans advocacy project’s lawyers often fill a more basic need — just by paying attention to what clients are telling them as they prepare to take on the role of advocate.

“A lot of times my clients say, ‘It doesn’t matter to me whether you’ve won my case or not — it’s the fact that you’re the first person who has actually listened to what I’m saying,’” Yeluri said.

This article was co-published with The DC Line.

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NEWS

‘The reason for my participation is for change’: Demanding more at Benning Terrace

BY ERIC FALQUERO AND RODNEY CHOICE // Editorial Director, Photojournalist

More than 100 people gathered at the Benning Terrace football field on Saturday, Nov. 6, for a conversation with the D.C. Housing Authority (DCHA), organized by the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN). Members of the advocacy group joined residents of the public community to bring a number of demands before the new DCHA director.

“Director Donald has been kind enough to meet with us and set benchmarks, but our ultimate goal is that Benning Terrace becomes a model community for public housing,” said Rev. William H. Lamar IV, a WIN member and pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. “And that will help to transform the city and the nation.”

A 2018 assessment commissioned by DCHA estimated more than $33 million was needed for Benning Terrace — more than $120,000 per unit — along with a $3 million annual cost to keep up with it. The property, built in 1958, includes 274 apartments across three buildings and 98 townhouses of varying sizes. According to DCHA, "life and safety hazards" at the property include missing or non-functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, widespread pest infestation, lead paint, and deteriorating electrical fixtures.

During the event, Donald outlined $17 million for repairs she acknowledged was only a start. “Meanwhile, we're going to be responsive. We're going to be respectful to our residents, and to make sure that they can live in a healthy and safe environment,” Donald said in an interview. “Benning Terrace is a large community that clearly has been, I don't want to say ‘neglected,’ but has a lot of needs, you know, structural needs.”

In addition to highlighting their concerns over housing conditions, residents who spoke stressed their desire to continue to live in the community and be a part of its redevelopment.

In a draft fiscal year 2022 plan, DCHA noted its intention to demolish or dispose of the 274 apartments at Benning Terrace, eyeing several ways to replace that capacity. A number of residents and their advocates are asking that DCHA “build first,” meaning that they would be able to move into the new housing before being displaced from their old homes.

“I’m here to fight to keep it together,” said Edith Floyd, who has lived at Benning Terrace for a decade. “I want to stay at

Edith Floyd, a 10-year resident of Benning Terrace.

PHOTO BY RODNEY CHOICE / CHOICEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) and residents protest at Benning Terrace on Nov. 6. PHOTO BY RODNEY CHOICE / CHOICEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

my place, I don't want to leave it.”

Brenda Perry, who has lived there 27 years and is a retired D.C. government employee, echoed Floyd’s sentiment. She attended to see change: “Change the lead that's in our house, and mold … be heard, be seen.”

Donald was appointed to DCHA after former director Tyrone Garrett's contract was not renewed. While she does not have a track record in housing, Donald is a long-time D.C. administrator.

She wrote a monthly column for Street Sense in the mid-2000s when she served as deputy mayor for children, youth, families and elders for former mayor Anthony Williams. She was tasked with coordinating Mayor Muriel Bowser’s initial foray into encampment cleanups as deputy mayor for health and human services. And she helmed the Child and Family Services agency for both Bowser and former mayor and current Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray.

As Donald settles in to her new role, the agency is wrestling with a spate of scandals. Board Chair Neil Albert resigned soon after The District Dig first reported alleged improper approval of a contract by Albert to favor a woman he lived with. The Office

Danno Lemu , a Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) organizer.

PHOTO BY RODNEY CHOICE / CHOICEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

of the Inspector General is looking into this, hostile behavior by another commissioner, a conspiracy by employees of a former contractor to steal housing voucher funds, and more.

Meanwhile, tackling billions of dollars in deferred maintenance and health and safety needs within DCHA’s portfolio of properties remains a monumental task. More funding or creative financing must still be identified to help current residents.

“I want to give the broader context. As I said [when speaking to the crowd,], public housing was a New Deal project for white people. And we had to press and fight. We were excluded. The only way it was passed is if Black people were excluded, Same with FHA (Fair Housing Administration). GI Bill,” Lamar, the pastor and WIN member, said. “You have, even today, tax dollars going from the poor to the wealthy. That's why we have wealth inequality. It's not that people are smart or brilliant. It's not God's blessing. It is theft. Tax dollars were stolen from Black people to build white property wealth. That's the history of the suburbs, underwritten by federal tax dollars. What we are doing here is working to undo white supremacist policy.”

Brenda Perry, 27-year resident of Benning Terrace.

PHOTO BY RODNEY CHOICE / CHOICEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

D.C. Housing Authority Director Brenda Darnold speaks to the assembeld crowd.

PHOTO BY RODNEY CHOICE / CHOICEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Magruder’s and Rémy Cointreau Team up to Support Street Sense Media Rémy Cointreau and Magruder’s (a DC liquor and gourmet food store) are partnering with Street Sense Media. All November long, Rémy Cointreau will donate $10 to Street Sense Media for each bottle purchased of select brands from Magruder’s of DC. These are: • • • • • • • • •

The Botanist Gin Rémy Martin 1738 Cognac Rémy Martin XO Cognac Rémy Martin VSOP Cognac Rémy Martin Tercet Cognac Cointreau Orange Liqueur Mount Gay Barbados Rum Bruichladdich Classic Laddie Single Malt Scotch Port Charlotte 10 Year Peated Single Malt Scotch As our community moves into the holiday season, we hope customers will be able to share some of their joy through supporting the 120 Street Sense Media vendor/ artists. While this partnership is new, Rémy Martin has produced exceptional spirits focused on craftsmanship and legacy since 1724. From their beginnings in Cognac, France, to the internationally recognized brands they produce today, Rémy Cointreau has maintained their emphasis on quality and luxury.

Rev. William H. Lamar IV, pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church.

PHOTO BY RODNEY CHOICE / CHOICEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Mr. Peedy, who coaches youth football at Benning Terrace. PHOTO BY RODNEY CHOICE, CHOICEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

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NEWS

Taiye Martin, a fourth-year Howard University student from California, said the protests at the university are about more than housing. Students have occupied the Armour J. Blackburn University Center since Oct. 12 in protest of the university’s response to student concerns over housing conditions. PHOTO BY SPENCER DONOVAN

Howard University #BlackburnTakeover occupation is about more than housing

BY SPENCER DONOVAN spencer.donovan@streetsensemedia.org

E

ver since she was told not to return to campus in March 2020 due to the pandemic, Jamaica Kalika had completed her Howard University classes from home in the San Francisco Bay Area. She planned to do the same for this school year until Howard unexpectedly announced on June 4 that most classes would meet face to face on campus.

Kalika, in her third year at Howard, had to scramble to find housing. Usually first and second-year students receive preference for on-campus housing, but her adviser helped her find a place on campus. Kalika signed a housing contract and moved across the country. Then, early on August 23 — the first day of the semester — she received an email saying all of her classes would be remote.

[Disclosure: Jamaica Kalika is also a Fall 2021 intern with Street Sense Media] The last-minute change of plans by Howard complicated an already tough situation for student housing. Howard officials acknowledged in August they were expecting a housing shortage as the university

anticipated a large first-year class, according to the Washington Post.

“A lot of students were experiencing housing instability going into this semester, not knowing where they would live, or if they needed to move, or if they were not going to be allowed on campus,” Kalika said. “I think that’s very indicative of just the entire situation and how Howard treats and expects to treat its students.”

Kalika said that even though she has housing, her dorm had a cockroach problem and other dorms have even worse conditions. Social media posts show mushrooms and mold growing in campus housing units. One video shows a unit flooding as pipes spill water.

In protest of the university’s response to student concerns about housing conditions, students have occupied the Armour J. Blackburn University Center, a building with student study areas and on-campus conference facilities. Friday will mark a full month of sustained protest, which started Oct. 12. Some sleep in tents outside, while others, such as fourth-year Taiye Martin, sleep in the building.

Although housing conditions sparked

the protest, Martin said it’s about more than housing. The students are demanding accountability for and transparency from the administration, and they want to see the restoration of student and faculty representatives with voting power on the Howard Board of Trustees. They question why they’re facing these issues even though the university has shattered its fundraising record. The university received more pledges and donations in the first half of 2021 — $140 million — than all funds it was able to raise between 2010 and 2019, according to the Washington Business Journal.

Nearly $20 million will support the faculty appointments of Nikole-Hannah Jones, who created the New York Times’ “The 1619 Project,” and Ta-Nehisi Coates, a former journalist with The Atlantic and a Howard alumnus. These appointments, plus the remembrance of actor and Howard alumnus Chadwick Boseman as well as the election of Howard alumnus Kamala Harris to the vice presidency, have brought significant celebrity attention to the historically Black university in the last two years.

Howard students looking off-campus for housing are unlikely to find cheaper options.

Students would need to agree to annual leases and possibly pay much more per month to live walking distance to their classes.

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Shortly after the occupation began, the administration threatened students who remained in the building with expulsion from the university, according to an email sent to students six days after the occupation began. The administration has consistently downplayed the severity of the students’ concerns.

“Since Oct. 12, President Frederick has participated in meetings with students engaged in the protest at the Blackburn Center on several occasions and consistently meets with their legal counsel,” the university said in a statement. “Students, parents, alumni, public officials and the media have also been invited to tour our residence halls and see the conditions for themselves.”

The university has invited some students to meetings with Frederick, administrators, and housing officials, but only to speak on concerns. The Howard Board of Trustees does not have any student, faculty or alumni representatives with voting power.

In a tweet, the university blamed the layoff of Sodexo dining hall workers on the student protesters. Kalika said this is an example of how the university puts a lot of the blame on the students. She described some of the communications from administrators as “gaslighting” — meaning intentionally lying — and “terribly inappropriate.”

“I view it as very immature coming from an institution like that,” Kalika said.

As of Tuesday morning, nearly 4,500 people have signed a petition calling for Howard to cancel its 40-year, $144 million contract with Corvias, a private company that manages housing for higher education institutions and the military. The company is facing a lawsuit for its management of housing facilities at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. In May 2020, considering the upcoming fall semester and the money it stood to lose if students did not need campus housing, Corvias told the University System of Georgia its Board of Regents did not have the authority to unilaterally close student housing, even for safety reasons, according to Inside Higher Ed. Kaedriana Turenne, a Howard student who resided in Baldwin Hall, sued the university and Corvias, claiming they violated the D.C. Housing Code and the Air Quality Amendment Act. According to the lawsuit, which was filed in D.C. Superior Court on Oct. 26, Turenne visited the emergency room after experiencing swollen tonsils, headaches, cough and sinus pain. A doctor told her the symptoms were “consistent with mold exposure” and would worsen as long as Turenne stayed in that environment.

Howard’s agreement with Corvias is private, and it’s unclear how much unilateral control the university has over student housing run by the company. The Hilltop, Howard’s student newspaper, reported that the university president told student leaders in October that he couldn’t divulge information about the university’s partnership with Corvias.

Room and board at Howard University costs differ by building and unit type, but singles range between $5,000 and $6,000

per semester. Howard promised Corvias all revenue from the four properties it manages, according to a 2019 financial statement.

Howard students looking off-campus for housing are unlikely to find cheaper options.

Students would need to agree to annual leases and possibly pay much more per month to live walking distance to their classes. The D.C. Housing Authority has said fair market rent for a one-bedroom in LeDroit Park, where Howard is located, is $2,467 per month including utilities. Housing trends site RentCafe estimates a similar amount is the average rent paid for the area, but not including utilities. For a four-month semester, that comes out to almost $10,000.

Martin, the student protester, said they feel empowered by the support they have received from alumni, other students, and faculty. They have also received support from politicians and celebrities, including Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, both of Massachusetts, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who visited Blackburn to speak to the students.

“We feel that support, and it makes us confident that we have an opportunity that nobody else has had at Howard. We’ve had a lot of protests, but they haven’t been like this,” Martin said. “How can we be the ones who have this opportunity and let it go to waste, and we let this continue and waste all that potential?”

The university has a legacy of student activism. In 1989, students occupied the administration building to protest the naming of Lee Atwater to the Howard Board of

Trustees, according to the Associated Press.

Atwater was chairman of the Republican National Committee and an adviser to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush who made racist comments in an interview explaining the “Southern Strategy” of appealing to white voters in the South.

Atwater resigned from the board, and so did then-Howard President James Cheek.

Although Atwater’s nomination sparked the protest, the students were also concerned with housing, course registration and financial aid, according to the Washington Post.

In 2001, The Hilltop ran two articles on the same front page concerning mold growth and a housing shortage, according to The Hilltop’s archives.

“But with campus housing becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, students are urging the University to renovate and re-open the (Bethune) dormitory,” the housing shortage article states.

Housing issues surfaced again when, in 2018, students occupied the administration building for nine days after the housing portal crashed and financial aid misconduct came to light, according to Street Sense Media’s previous reporting. Housing conditions were a concern then, too, as the spring semester was delayed because campus buildings had no heat. The occupation ended when most of the students’ demands were met, including changes to the sexual assault policy, the creation of a food bank, and a review of weapons policies for campus polcie, NPR reported.

Martin said he has had issues with housing

// 9

and the financial aid department in the past and that he has heard similar stories from other students. He said those experiences are “just ridiculous” given Howard’s “illustrious” reputation and alumni. He said the university is “directing the funds towards things that aren’t necessarily at the core of the college experience” despite its record wave of donations.

MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, donated $40 million to the historically Black university in July 2020.

Eddie and Sylvia Brown, a couple who met at the university, recently gave $5 million, according to an Oct. 12 Howard news release.

That was the largest alumni donation ever.

Despite the administration’s response to student concerns, Martin said he doesn’t regret going to Howard. He said that if, before he went to the university, he knew everything he knows now, he would still attend. He said going to Howard changed him forever.

“That’s also why we’re here, it’s because we see that even with all this going on, lives are still being changed for the better,” Martin said. “Imagine what it could be if instead of having to focus on all of this and fixing this stuff, we could focus on amplifying those positive aspects and facilitating more of that.

“I mean, Howard already changes the world. We already put out something, I think it’s like 40% of the Black judges in the country, you know, a certain percentage of the Black lawyers, come from just Howard University. Imagine if we could just focus all our energy on that instead of fighting with the administration that is inhibiting that.”

Howard University students have occupied the Armour J. Blackburn University Center since Oct. 12 in protest of the university’s response to student concerns over housing conditions. PHOTO BY SPENCER DONOVAN

OPINION

Will Democrats reflect or be defiant?

PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA

1 0 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // N O V. 1 0 - 1 6 , 2021

BY JEFFERY MCNEIL

As we do a post mortem of the Virginia gubernatorial race, unfortunately, many of my left wing colleagues in Washington D.C. haven’t gotten the message.

What happened in Virginia wasn’t a win for Republicans but a win for the American system. While many were demoralized about what transpired in 2020, Americans picked themselves up and politically engaged.

Many voted for Joe Biden believing he was a steady hand that would get America back to normal, only to be blindsided by higher gas prices, inflation, supply chain shortages, and bumbling in front of world leaders.

While many suburbanites were turned off by Donald Trump, they weren’t Communists. At first they embraced safety measures for Covid-19, but vaccine and mask mandates went too far.

The Democrats have become like the man that’s left his wife of thirty years — i.e., the working class — to chase after a stripper who thinks the New Deal was when Gucci bags were on sale at Neiman Marcus. Democrats, sooner or later you’re going to have to come back home to your Trumpsupporting wife, only to discover she’s happily remarried and in love with the GOP. If Democrats don’t right the ship, they may not win anything for decades to come.

Wokeness is cancer and even if removed, Democrats have a credibility crisis. They went all-in on Covid-19, so they better turn up some receipts to justify destroying peoples’ lives for two years. They can’t point fingers — they run all of Washington D.C., and what policies can they show?

Democrats have become a coalition of interest groups that by nature aren’t harmonious. For decades, Democrats have tried to pander to African Americans, Hispanics, and single white women when these groups often have different priorities and interests.

How can I relate to a white female making $60,000 living in Georgetown when I’m a descendant of slaves and she grew up in the privilege she claims to loathe?

The election in Virginia showed that the Democratic coalition is at war with itself. Terry McAuliffe ran as someone who thought being governor was a foregone conclusion. Glenn Youngkin masterfully used the former governor’s ties to special interests such as the teachers unions against him.

Democrats thought they could use Covid-19 to transform education, but remote learning became their albatross. Parents could now see what the schools were teaching their kids. That was until a September debate where McCauliffe told Virginia parents the quiet part out loud. Your kids don’t belong to you, he said, but to the school boards and teachers’ unions. With a ten-point lead in September, McAuliffe couldn’t help showing contempt for angry mothers.

Tuesday was a historic night. Not only was Virginia’s tallest governor elected, at 6’7’’, but the first woman of color was elected statewide — Winsome Sears. Jason Miyares, who is Hispanic, was elected Attorney General.

America is a republic, which means if you want meaningful solutions, whether you like it or not, you have to deal with the Ron DeSantises and Joe Manchins. Throwing a temper tantrum and trying to ram through your agenda without any dialogue has put Democrats in this position.

If Democrats don’t right the ship, they may not win anything for decades to come.

Jeffery McNeil is an artist and vendor for Street Sense Media.

Be aware of what’s around you

What the changing climate means for people

BY JACKIE TURNER

BY ABEL PUTU

Let’s face it, the world is changing every day.

It’s getting hotter, the water is polluted, it’s becoming harder to feed the people.

Back in the 1960’s, people started talking about saving the planet. Some started to think about how.

Now in 2022, they are making change real.

Hopefully there won't be more car pollution because cars will be electric. Recycling makes a lot of trash into good stuff.

People being aware of what’s around them is number one. What you eat, drink and throw away, it all happens on earth.

Now we have to continue to work and try not to mess up space.

We need change for people on the street. Change for jobs. And change for people who are disabled.

I see a lot of disabled people on the street. Bad weather is hard for disabled people because when it freezes you can't move your wheelchair. When it snows you have to find places that are level, then when it's level, you can move your wheelchair. Not only me, but everybody that is disabled.

And at the same time most of the bus drivers leave lots of disabled people on the street. I experienced it a lot in the past.

Meanwhile, climate change is making things that used to happen not happen anymore. The weather is changing all around the world.

The way it used to rain, it doesn't rain like that, it rains once a month.

If the weather changes, the whole world changes. We’re having protests all around the world, that’s economic change too.

Jackie Turner is an artist and vendor for Street Sense Media.

Abel Putu is an artist and vendor for Street Sense Media.

Back in the 1960’s, people started talking about saving the planet. Some started to think about how.

Join the conversation, share your views - Have an opinion about how homelessness is being addressed in our community?

- Want to share firsthand experience?

- Interested in responding to what someone else has written?

Street Sense Media has maintained an open submission policy since our founding.

We aim to elevate voices from across the housing spectrum and foster healthy debate.

Please send submissions to opinion@streetsensemedia.org.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 11

ART Friends are forever and family is overrated

BY MARCUS GREEN Artist/Vendor

Friendship: Ben

BY ROCHELLE WALKER // Artist/Vendor

Ben, the two of us need to look no more We both found what we lookin’ for, forever It’s so great to have your friendship.

Ben, they push you here and there, they said you don’t care.

But when I am not around, you don’t put me down.

Wherever I go, in my heart you are there too.

They don’t see like I do And when you run to me, I know you are there It’s so good to have a friend like Ben. You are not an imaginary friend We both found what we was looking for: A friend, a friend, a friend.

Wherever you find yourself in life There’s one thing I want you to know That we both have a place to go, called Home— Home to my guinea pig Ben.

Some of my best family are my friends.

Sometimes family takes for granted that family will always be there. Guess what, It’s sad but true that family can be content to love you from a distance. Me and my sister’s relationship will never be the same — there was no excuse to bother my property. She had two vacant rooms and she still got rid of it. All together, I’d estimate my stuff was worth $12,000. And sentimental value is priceless. My wife Roberta gave me some of the stuff, which meant the world to me. God bless her soul.

My friends would have never stolen from me like that. Some are like brothers. Friends transcend all levels: family, love, diehard, etc. Some of my friends I would die for, my circle is so small. I like it like that.

People take it for granted.

My perspective on family and friends has changed over the years. I hope and pray you take this information and apply it to your life as needed. I’m not an authority on the subject, but through trial and failure I’ve learned that some of my pain I don’t want to relive. Learning from things that have happened over the years has shaped me into the man that I am today.

Looking forward, it would be nice to see old friends and family. Being though D.C. is reopening, yes, me and some of my friends can go out, party, and just try to get back to some of the old things pre-COVID. But really, speaking candid, most of my childhood friends

A kids’ section in Street Sense?

Several months ago, Street Sense Media artist and vendor Ayub Abdul suggested to our editors that a semi-regular children’s section should be added to the paper. We asked our Writers Group what they thought about the idea: Street Sense Media is a versatile newspaper.

Vendors mainly can write about anything they want to, it doesn’t have to pertain to homelessness — which can be devastating to think back through — but we write about that, too.

Street Sense Media readers that have children, in my opinion, do a d*** good job answering their children’s questions about how some people become homeless. Instead of saying everyone is on drugs or has a mental health issue, our readers talk about the effects of job loss, high rents, and the emotional turmoil of not living in a home of your own. Most school-age children aren’t afraid to be around vendors that sell our paper.

So I do not think we should have a kids section focused on homelessness. But if it isn’t about homelessness, who’s going to write the kids’ section?

I would prefer if Street Sense Media added a section to educate people who need resources or information that have language barriers, like Spanish, Russian, Italian, Arabic, etc. That way, more people could get help. -Aida Peery, Artist/Vendor

are dead, in jail, or on drugs or drinking. I made a lot of money and lost a lot of friends to drugs and the streets.

The moments you can’t get back are the ones you’d do anything to get back, the ones you hold close to your heart. For example, David was one of my best friends and we shared everything. I miss him dearly.

At my age, 60, you care about the little things. Rest in peace, David. I love you from the bottom of my heart.

Last but not least, I miss my BFF and my wife, Bobby.

Some know her as Roberta, the love of my life. I just haven’t been the same since she passed.

I beg you to tell your loved ones how you feel about them. Pray for them, let them know you cherish the moments that you spend together.

Thanks, all of you in newspaper land, for your support and love. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. I hope you take something from this article to make your life just that much better!

God bless.

Photo, “Bobby and Me,” courtesy of Marcus Green.

Mnemonics at work

BY FREDERIC JOHN // Artist/Vendor

#Social

Circumstances

BY LEVESTER GREEN // Artist/Vendor

Smh, I don't know what 2 say 4 the future generations that want 2 take the easy way of shortcuts & corner cutting as I’m watching this #deepfake on @CBSNews.

The fraud is very real! Seems 2 me like only old folk trying 2 maintain a level & standard of living of integrity & morals.

I mean, even as a @SocialSecurity recipient, I find it 2 be the youth who wanna have a go at it as far as swindle, deceit, & lies as they try 2 deny or alter the already established facts of history & the past...

Did they get it from they mommas?

Were they 1970$ #Blaxploitation characters!?~ #DoAMiracle #JesusWereRunningOutOfWine

I’ve feared loss of verbal connection/meaning ever since I sustained a severe concussion as a child, falling off the back of my sister’s bike in the 1960s. (I was seven!)

Though quite gregarious (if not overly garrulous), I am at heart, a lobo - lone wolf. I write mostly in solitude, up in my small studio/cubicle. My primary strength, truth be told, is my mind — and its concomitant singleness of purpose.

Since ‘rounding the bend’ of my 60-year commemoration. I have found crossword puzzles and the televised “Jeopardy!” game are proven brain savers.

With my beloved cheering me on, and tossing in occasional gems such as ‘Baja’ California, or RBI (“a baseball stat”), we steamroller thru the less challenging “olios” of words — mostly but not entirely in English. (Alternate example “Heidelberg host: HERR.”) I use certain chains of mnemonic phrases to prod my conscious mini-buttons into digging up a name or neologism just out of reach.

This arduous (but ultimately rewarding) process reminds me of yet another mnemonic trope: Jeff Fahey as Jobe Smith, “The Lawnmower Man,” in the long-neglected Stephen King knock-off film. (King sued because the movie was marketed as being adapted from his writing, but there were few similarities.) In the movie, possessed with new-found cerebral circuitry, Jobe surfs a vast honeycomb screen of tempting possibility, again and again the demonic red buzzer flashes “access denied” ‘til finally, in a woosh, he gains the precious “access granted” button , key to all limitless wisdom!

Happily, despite a few lesser head blows, I have not sustained any appreciable loss.

1 2 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // N O V. 1 0 -1 6 , 2 021

ART Good day.

ILLUSTRATION BY QUEENIE FEATHERSTONE

While hanging at the Wharf this weekend, I got the chance to see two boats race. ☺ ILLUSTRATION BY CARLOS CAROLINA

Good day.

ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL BALL

The making of a great day with the sun out, no rain, and a cookout.

ILLUSTRATION BY CARLTON JOHNSON

Life, sometimes it sucks

BY JACKIE TURNER // Artist/Vendor

People are the best thing on earth. No one asks to be born, but tens of thousands are born every day.

They don’t choose their families, where they are born, what sex they are either. They only have the power to live. Sure, there is a lot of confusement Life is difficult. You live, you learn. Some have the choice of what they learn. They only take interest in what they want to know. Your environment is a strong influence. If you have parents that aren’t busy all the time, and trying to make a life for you, that can push you to take interest in things. If all you have are friends, they can still change your life, for better or worse. Like, an 8th grader addicted to opiates or an alcoholic.

People are fortunate to have people that are a good influence on them. Lots of people have no one.

There is foster care, living on the street, jails, and hospitals. These places have little hope. People try to escape them. Change is all they have on their mind. Some don’t know what they want, just change.

If those people can hang on to hope, there is outside influence. A woman dressed for work is inspired to look for success. A police officer that stops and talks. The old lady that makes cookies for the children.

Keep hope alive.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 1 3

Rain

BY DANIEL BALL // Artist/Vendor

Some days

BY COREY SANDERS // Artist/Vendor

Some days, I wish the sky was blue, Some days, I wish we all was true, Some days I’m happy, Some days I’m sad, But through all these rough days, I never get mad.

Life will get better as long as you keep the faith, And never give up.

Don’t let Satan take God’s place.

Believe in yourself and smile! ☺

Now, let me talk about the word rain.

Yes, when you talk about the word rain, you also got to talk about the weather, and also the words climate change too. I’ve learned that some people like the rain and some people hate the rain when it comes down very hard.

But, I do have a new rain coast I got from my good friend: Thomas. Now, I really want to thank our editor Eric for letting me be in the Street Sense paper every other Wednesday.☺ Now my last words, my brothers and sisters, is this: don’t say goodbye, just stay out of the rain and get dry. ☺

Rain

BY JACKIE TURNER // Artist/Vendor

Rain, fog, dew, clouds, thunder — the weather — it affects people. Weather changes your mood: sometimes sad, sometimes happy.

How many times have you woken up and it was rainy and you wanted to just go back to sleep? Or, when you awake and the sunshine made you feel like you wanted to hurry to get started. The fog or cloudiness can make you have a sense of gloom. I have learned people say that fog makes them fear, but maybe it’s the horror stories and monster movies.

I remember one morning I woke up tired and didn’t want to go to work. I dragged myself up, got dressed, and ate. On my way to the bus stop, I turned the corner, and the sun shined directly on my face. The song “Want to Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Shining Your Light on Me” popped into my mind. It changed my mood instantly putting a smile on my face.

Bad day.

ILLUSTRATION BY QUEENIE FEATHERSTONE

Rain ILLUSTRATION

BY DANIEL BALL

Bad day on the streets of DC. ILLUSTRATION BY CARLTON JOHNSON

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Author Gene Weingarten is a college dropout and a nationally syndicated humor columnist for The Washington Post. Author Dan Weingarten is a former college dropout and a current college student majoring in information technology. Many thanks to Gene Weingarten and The Washington Post Writers Group for allowing Street Sense to run Barney & Clyde.

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Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9128 425 2nd St., NW jobshavepriority.org

Charlie’s Place // 202-232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org

Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org

Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org

Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW food (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach

Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org

Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org

Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 Eye St., NW fathermckennacenter.org

Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.org 2375 Elvans Road SE 2204 Martin Luther King Ave. SE

Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org

My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org

N Street Village // 202-939-2060 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org

New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE Línea de salud del comportamiento

1-888-793-4357

Laundry Lavandería

Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org

So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org

St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-333-4949 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org

Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org

Unity Health Care 3020 14th St., NW // unityhealthcare.org - Healthcare for the Homeless Health Center: 202-508-0500 - Community Health Centers: 202-469-4699 1500 Galen Street SE, 1500 Galen Street SE, 1251-B Saratoga Ave NE, 1660 Columbia Road NW, 4414 Benning Road NE, 3924 Minnesota Avenue NE, 765 Kenilworth Terrace NE, 555 L Street SE, 3240 Stanton Road SE, 3020 14th Street NW, 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, 1717 Columbia Road NW, 1313 New York Avenue, NW BSMT Suite, 425 2nd Street NW, 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 1333 N Street NW, 1355 New York Avenue NE, 828 Evarts Place, NE, 810 5th Street NW

Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org

The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW. epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable

Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave., SE // 202-797-3567 whitman-walker.org

Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW

Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org

// 1 5

For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide

HELP! WE’RE LOOKING FOR

volunteers Become a Street Sense Media volunteer and help further our mission to empower people experiencing homelessness by amplifying marginalized voices and meeting the information needs of people in poverty.

Our editorial team seeks volunteers skilled in either Adobe InDesign or the WordPress CMS to help expand two teams for publishing our content in print and online, respectively.

If interested, please contact our editors, Eric Falquero and Gordon Chaffin: editor@streetsensemedia.org 202-347-2006 (x 201) For more information about these opportunities and other volunter positions, visit StreetSenseMedia.org/volunteer

FRENEMIES, PART 3:

PHOTO COURTESY OF VD PHOTOGRAPHY / UNSPLASH.COM

Fake Coworkers

Pawn Game

BY MARCUS MCCALL Artist/Vendor

They say the game of chess is the game of life.

When I was a child, I was never told things that could save my life or better me as a person. Now, playing back the past at the age of 32, I see I was a pawn on someone else’s chessboard. I didn’t know what I was doing or getting into — just moving.

My own people dogged me out at a young age by holding me back

from school some days to babysit or to be transferred to another school, which never happened.

There are people in your life that want to see you become successful and others who want you to just be a pawn.

But a pawn can take a king, or become royalty itself. Think before you move, it could cost you.

Life is like chess, you really look at the whole board. I had plenty of

street coaches that showed me the street life, so that’s what I know: how to sacrifice the offering of something precious. The mind is a million dollar weapon, use it right, don’t let no one play with your life, King.

Please, everyone, before you start your day with your family, just think before you move your life onto someone else’s cheesboard, young pawnzie!

BY LATICIA BROCK, A.K.A. “PWEZZY” Artist/Vendor

Why are my tents still sleeping with ants?

Can Pwezzy please get a government grant?

I’ll show you what to do with the money, It makes my heart hurt when I see all this dilapidated property.

It could be put to good use, I can have a shower and meal hall, served with healthy food.

Y’all sitting there collecting property tax, When my baby sitting there rotting in tents.

Talking about y’all gonna help clean the city, One term, two terms — while y’all property’s lookin’ very pretty.

Wondering why Corona is out to attack, God don’t like evil, he’s taking his angels back.

Y’all ain't seen nothin’ yet, He's coming soon, this ain't no big hype.

Federal workers He gonna be quick, like a thief in the night. cleaned up a small So be prepared and clean y’all temple, park in Capitol Hill last month. PHOTO BY That’s what Pwezzy call a little plain and simple.

MAYDEEN MERINO

Celebrating Mom's birthday month It is a bright shining morning. Mom rises up energetic with wild excitement and smiling, showing off her special dimples in her cheeks.

She starts moving toward the dining table. She see what we laid out for her, a vase filled with pink, white, red, and orange lilies, with a plate full of beef-bacon, scrambled eggs, and buttery grits. I read her a beautiful warm-felt card that speaks to the heart. Then my brother and I take her shopping for clothes and crochet supplies.

We take her on a cruise inside a humongous, pretty white and blue Carnival cruise ship. While we are coasting, some cute dolphins swim alongside with us.

Have you ever met a coworker that couldn't stand you?

Real frenemies that wanna ban you?

Fake coworkers that think their better than you?

Fake coworkers that's really jealous of you?

Fake coworkers, they wanna steal and watch; Then fake coworkers wanna steal your spot.

Fake coworkers wanna steal your shine; Fake coworkers wanna leave you behind.

Fake coworkers love to lie to the boss; Fake coworkers like to get you involved.

Fake coworkers like to get to work late; Fake coworkers like to steal off your plate.

Fake coworkers be having attitude problems; Steal out the register then act like somebody robbed them.

A few of my fake coworkers, they lied to my face; Said he hit a home run but got struck out at the plate.

Fake coworkers, they be acting like spies; If I was a Venus flytrap they would be acting like flies.

Fake coworkers, they can be so annoying; When they know you love your job they wanna act like it's boring.

Fake coworkers like to act like your friend; Like to call you on the phone and ask if you can clock them in.

Fake coworkers make up every excuse; Then play victim when you don’t want you to take their abuse.

Plain and Simple

BY BRIANNA BUTLER Artist/Vendor

BY RON DUDLEY, A.K.A. “POOKANU” Artist/Vendor

We dance to the ‘60s and ‘80s that she loves very much.

Next morning, Mom takes pictures of birds flying through the air. As the pearly moon rises, Mom reflects the positivity of life. That night is movie night. They play “Wrath of Man” with Jason Statham. The chairs in the boat are comfy like a sofa. For dinner, we are served a mouth-watering pizza with steak on top, aside a double-fudge cake with french vanilla ice cream, drenched in chocolate.

On several days we played sports, go dancing, take strolls, swim, and do lots of eating until we reach land.

Then we take a stroll through the sandy beach where we buy souvenirs. Later, we coast home that afternoon but not before we receive a pleasant massage from nick to toe.

Fake co workers love to smile in your face; but the whole time they wanna take your place: Backstabbers.

Thank you for reading Street Sense!

From your vendor, NOV. 10 - 16, 2021 | VOLUME 18 ISSUE 41 NO CASH? NO PROBLEM. WE HAVE AN APP! SEARCH “STREET SENSE” IN THE APP STORE

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