The Pace Chronicle - DJ Special Edition - 10.12.11

ThePaceChronicle Volume I, Issue V

Pace University, Pleasantville/Briarcliff Manor, NY

www.PaceChronicle.net

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011

Danroy “DJ” Henry, Jr.

Oct. 29, 1989 - Oct. 17, 2010 “Together We Stand,Together We Fall, All for One, One For All, By Myself, I Can Do Nothing, With Some Help, I Can Do Anything.”

DJ

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The Pace Chronicle

Poem for DJ It’s crazy cause this poem came to me in a dream, Somethin' like a musical you'll see what I mean..., We sat down amongst some greats and told them the story, And a few of them had some words for me, First thing Pac said to me, You think cops give a damn about a negro?

Pull the trigger kill a n****, he's a hero, Seems like every lyric touches me in different ways, Cops killing, showing me that crime pays, That's not the attitude you'd want me to have, But I can't help it I'm just so mad, I start thinking Biggie and Tupac when I think of this, Close my eyes, squeeze, and make a wish, I know your mom just wants one more kiss, All we got left is to reminisce, Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo type of stuff, I'm writing this wondering when enough is enough, Thoughts of living without you are rough, And knowing how you went out makes it even more tough, They killed you, no if, ands, or buts, so, I'm not Leon, you won't see me playing pick-ups with Nutzo, But here's a fact you can trust though, I'm here because every negative thought, word, idea of you must go, I remember the first day I met you in the summer of '08, We were all set up and ready and you came strolling in late, We were going through the group names you never raised your hand, And it wasn't until later that I was able to understand, When we got back to the dorms, I saw your name tag on the floor, I crossed out Danroy filled in DJ and put it back up on the door, I remember you thanking me for that sign of respect, And its that memory of you on which I'll always reflect, All these questions about Iona and how things would be, I told you wait till August man, then you'll see, You trashed Harlem and said you'd teach me how them Mass. boys stunt, And I always clowned the way your fitted was cocked to the front, Even when you left to Pace, it was always the same, Nothing changed but the jersey you rocked during the game, Your Supra kicks and Johnny Cupcake shirts, The Boston fitteds and all the works, Always repped your home with pride, Just a small symbol of the man inside, But to us all you were so much more, Which is why we're left with hearts so sore, And Ice Cube said MANNNN, "Eff the Police comin’ straight from underground, Young brother got it bad cause he's brown, And not the other color so police think, they have the authority, to kill a minority," When I heard the news my heart hit new lows, And for the next few days I'm convinced time froze, I struggled wondering why it was you God chose, Why is he taking another one of my Bros?

I had to remove you as a friend on my Facebook page, Cause all the messages to you were causing so much rage, Shut down inside; ain't know where to lean for a while, And then I closed my eyes & I saw your smile, As you sat down I started talking to you, Started thinking of all the things that I could do, You promised me that you'd help me through, And I swear I heard you tell me to write this too, Here's a message to anyone who's not sure who he was, And all those mixed up in the media buzz, He wasn't just another black kid; he was our star, His dreams and aspirations were gonna take him far, I wish he'd never even went to that bar,

Officer of the Year James Ward

Contributor James.K.Ward@pace.edu

What comes to mind when you hear, Someone was named officer of the year?

Do we think a citizen, loyal and good?

A hero who is admirable, as we should?

Unfortunately Westchester County doesn't agree, They've decided to reward a tragedy, A careless officer who made a mess, I speak of course, of Aaron Hess, How can such recklessness be rewarded?

Even after we saw what was recorded, In Thornwood that night when the fun ended Where a mother lost her son, as DJ ascended So what does this award mean to her?!

To us?!

Disregard, disrespect, all in the name of Aaron Hess.

Saroya Marsh Contributor

SMarsh816@Gmail.com

And if I could've I'd put a shield over that car, I don't care if I was there to witness or not, All the stories they're spreading on the news are shot, That's not the DJ we know and yeah people may change, But all of these conflicting views are just so strange, Saddest part about it all was seeing your mom, I'm having crazy thoughts and she seems so calm, Bob Marley said, "Woman hold her head and cry cause her son has been shot down in the street and died," But She say it’s all our thoughts and prayers givin her strength, If I was in her shoes I know I couldn't go that length, That's a load on the heart it must weigh a ton, Can't imagine how it feels to tell a mom she's lost one, Or how a dad copes without his first born son, Then Marvin say, "Mother, mother, there's too many of you crying, Brother, brother, brother, there's far too many of you dying," And it’s true, They gunned you down boy and you're not the first, Trigger happy cops need a way to quench their thirst, They made a big mistake and they will pay, trust this, We won't stop until we see justice, But justice for us would bring you back to earth, And give us more time to cherish your worth, But for now I'll do my best to keep your memory alive, And you save a place up there for when I arrive, So onto this memory to which we hold, The spirit of a young man oh so bold, Knocked down when he was only 20 years old, I pray for your soul As my heart turns cold, And my emotions run uncontrolled, By the word of the Lord I am now consoled, So I stand strong and will not fold, Cause I won't rest until your story is told, Not gon’ let a soul try and tarnish your mold, While we were talking DJ said, "Don't miss me," It was then I realized he'd always be with me, For anyone suffering he's with you too, Letting go is not what you do, Hold on tighter because he's still with you, Look into your heart & you'll know its true, DJ disappeared and I realize this is just a dream, Waking up won't stop this nightmare, I still wanna scream, And Diddy say, "Give any thing to hear half your breath, I know you're still living your life after death," Man this situation is just so hard, But sweeping up the pieces of my broken heart, Cuz now you're a soldier in the army of God, And this isn't sweat, these are tears, I can't pretend B’, You see I was honored to have had Danroy Henry, Befriend me, So in the name myself and my God I will defend thee, A little math in the aftermath of the bullets that caused the destruction of DJ's path, A life + A gun = another lost one, Let go to get one, lose some to win some Story of a Champion, DJ You're a champion, And I know your physical was only a shell, So its only temporary, never farewell, You were our angel now you're flying high..., So its see you later, Cause I, NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE, See you ONE SWEET DAY, Miss you DJ.

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011

The Pace Chronicle Editorial Staff Michael Oleaga Editor-in-Chief

Rose Fava Managing Editor

Tafasha Pitt Layout Editor

Adam Samson Erika Bellido Photography Editor Web Editor Kelly Povero Copy Editor

Mark Robertson Copy Editor

Jemma York News Editor

Alexandra Silver Feature Editor

Colby Hochmuth Melissa Recine Entertainment Editor Health Editor Martin Totland Gabrielle Davina Columnist Editor Opinion Editor Susana Verdugo-Del Real Sports Editor

Operational Staff Sungi Clark Business Manager Shiga Sunny Circulation Jeremy Kelley Alumni Advisor Prof. Michael Perrota Faculty Advisor mperrota@pace.edu

Featured Reporters Charles Link Charles.R.Link@Pace.edu Colleen Murray Colleen.C.Murray@Pace.edu Ebony Turner Ebony.Turner@Pace.edu

Contributors Prof. Howard Weishaus HWeishaus@Pace.edu James Ward James.K.Ward@pace.edu Saroya Marsh SMarsh816@Gmail.com

The Pace Chronicle is published by Trumbull Printing: (203) 261-2548 Written and edited by the students of Pace University, The Pace Chronicle is published weekly during the academic year. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of administration, faculty and The Pace Chronicle staff.

The Pace Chronicle encourages responses to the opinions expressed herein, and welcomes letters and comments. The Pace Chronicle cannot guarantee publication of letters to the editor or unsolicited manuscripts, and reserves the right to edit or comment editorially on them.

Appearance of an advertisement in The Pace Chronicle does not imply endorsements by the members of the editorial board, the advisor, or Pace University of the products or services offered. All photos and copyrights reserved unless otherwise indicated. Subscription and advertising rates available upon request.

The Pace Chronicle, Pace University 861 Bedford Road, Pleasantville, N.Y. 10570 Phone: (914) 773-3401 PaceChronicle@pace.edu www.PaceChronicle.net

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Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011

DJ

The Pace Chronicle Special Report One Year Later: The Death of DJ

Approaching the anniversary of DJ Henry’s death, The Pace Chronicle staff decided to dedicate an entire issue to the incident that touched the Pace community.

Many are still seeking closure, yet there are questions that still have to be answered.

Gabrielle Saulsbery

Columnist Editor Gabrielle.D.Saulsbery@pace.edu

Rose Fava

Managing Editor Rose.Fava@pace.edu

Michael Oleaga

Editor-in-Chief Michael.J.Oleaga@pace.edu

Alexandra Silver

Feature Editor Alexandra.R.Silver@pace.edu

Susana Verdugo-Del Real

Sports Editor Susana.VerdugoDelReal@pace.edu

Melissa Recine

Health Editor Melissa.Recine@pace.edu

Kelly Povero

Copy Editor Kelly.A.Povero@pace.edu

(Left to Right) The Henry family (Danroy, Sr., Amber, Kyle, DJ, and Angella) together for a Pace Photo From Angella Henry “He’s not gone, he’s just dif- football game. ferent.”

Center told the Henry family that decided to have days dedicated to MEMORIALIZED & That’s what Amber Henry DJ was shot for “running down spending time together, dubbing REMEMBERED said to her family the night she officers.” The blog also states that them “DADKAH” days. found out her older brother and ballistics and forensic evidence Angella and Dan remember DADKAH is an acronym role model, Danroy “DJ” Henry, prove that Hess shot DJ before with each letter representing their son as a young man with a Jr., was shot and killed by a po- being struck by the car. Despite each member of the family: Dan- big heart, great spirit, and incredlice officer in Thornwood. the evidence against him, a grand roy “Dan”, Sr.; Angella; Danroy ible work ethic. They say he was Almost a year has passed jury cleared Hess of any wrong- “DJ”, Jr.; Kyle, and Amber Henry. happy to wear Pace colors and since the event shook the Pace doing regarding the incident.

DJ’s death didn’t break the represent the University on and community to the core, and even Regardless of whether Hess strength of DADKAH. Although off the football field. more so, the Henry family.

Representative of his personwas justified in shooting the it will never be the same as be“I don’t think that there’s 20-year-old, a mother and father fore, the family tries to continue ality was his enthusiastic particia word that you can use. We are now without their eldest son, to spend time together and put pation in the youth football camp miss everything about him every and a brother and sister are now “family first,” a phrase DJ had Pace hosts annually. day—his voice, his presence, his without their eldest sibling.

“Like all requirements, some tattooed on his wrists. jokes, his smile,” said Angella “We have DADKAH mo- do them willingly and some reHenry, mother of DJ. DADKAH FOREVER ments now. It’s been harder to luctantly. I think he felt honored DJ was at Finnegan’s Bar and have days over the past year but and proud that they were looking Grill with friends and fellow Pace Like any close-knit family in we certainly have moments where up to him, [that the kids] wanted students on the early morning of today’s busy world, the Henry’s we’re all together and we feel to- his autograph and were really Oct. 17, 2010. He was inside his sought out ways to stay close and gether—we really feel connected, open to his instruction about how car, parked in a fire lane, when connected while DJ and his sib and where DJ is very much there to play and about how to be a police showed up in response to lings Kyle, now 18, and Amber, in his new form,” said Dan. good person. He was really happy an unrelated disturbance outside now 16, were growing up. They to do it,” said Dan. the bar. An officer tapped on DJ’s car window to signal him to move out of the fire lane and as DJ pulled away, Pleasantville Police Officer Aaron Hess stepped in front of the vehicle and shot through the windshield in the direction of the driver.

Another officer fired as well, hitting passenger Brandon Cox in the arm. A third passenger, Desmond Hinds, had bullets fly by either side of his head but was not injured. Cox survived; his friend DJ did not.

Much controversy surrounds the events of that night and the actions of the policemen.

According to the “Justice for (Left to Right) Kyle Henry, Danroy Henry, Sr., and DJ Henry.

DJ” blog, Westchester Medical Photo From Angella Henry

Timeline of Events:

Organized By:

Oct. 17, 2010: 1:25 a.m.: Reports of shots fired outside Finnegan’s Bar and Grill at the Thornwood Shopping Center, according to Mount Pleasant Police.

Michael Oleaga Editor-in-Chief MichaelJ.Oleaga@Pace.edu

Oct. 17, 2010: 1:35 a.m.: Danroy “DJ” Henry, Jr. is carried onto a stretcher and wheeled to an ambulance.

Rose Fava Managing Editor Rose.Fava@Pace.edu

Jemma York News Editor Jemma.D.York@Pace.edu

Oct. 17, 2010: Early morning: DJ is pronounced dead.

This year’s youth football camp, held on Oct. 2, was dedicated to DJ. The Henry’s said DJ was proud to be a member of the Pace community and in turn wants the Pace community to remember their son and to keep his name alive. They’re thankful to the students who have done so over the past year.

“We still feel like we’re part of the Pace community and we still appreciate what the students that are there now will do and the students that are coming in will do,” said Dan. About six months ago, the Henry’s created the DJ Dream Fund to remove financial barriers that prevent many children and young adults from playing sports, going to camp, or doing other things related to living a healthy lifestyle. It provides scholarships to help people, usually under the age of 18, the opportunity to go to sports camps, summer camps, gymnastics camps, and afterschool programs.

“We’re excited to be able to allow children to say ‘yes’ to sports like DJ could,” said Dan. “Sports and healthy lifestyles build selfesteem for them to feel good about themselves. Where they’ve had to say no in the past, we’re getting them off the sidelines.”

“We put a lot of energy into that because we realize it’s a way to keep him living through other children,” said Angella.

Their son will also be memorialized in an on-campus clock tower slated to be built in the first several months of 2012.

Pace and the Henry family aren’t the only one’s trying to keep DJ’s name alive.

Rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West dedicated a song to him on their newly released album Watch the Throne called “Murder to Excellence.” He is immortalized in Jay-Z’s first line of the song as he says “This is to the memory of Danroy Henry.”

Angella and Dan said they had no idea this tribute was in the works, and found themselves shocked and totally surprised when they heard about it.

After the album’s release, social media were abuzz with Pace students sharing links to the song that referenced their former classmate.

Continued on Page 4 Colleen Murray Featured Reporter Colleen.C.Murray@Pace.edu

Oct. 17, 2010: Early morning: Pace students Daniel Parker, Joseph Garcia, Joseph Romanick, and Yves Delpeche are arrested and charged with criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest or obstruction.

DJ

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Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011

The Pace Chronicle Special Report “We heard it for the first time the morning that the album was released,” said Angella. “Dan downloaded it after receiving a tweet that there was a song dedicated to DJ. We all listened to it and were just overwhelmed and shocked, and we appreciate that he uses his voice to bring attention to what happened to our son.”

LEGAL ACTION Despite a New York State grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Hess or any other policemen in DJ’s death, the US Department of Justice continues to investigate the incident. DJ’s parents are hopeful that the investigation will lead to the prosecution of the man who killed their son as well as any other officers deemed equally responsible.

Since Oct. 17, 2010, the fami-

action to be taken in the name of their son.

“The one thing that we hope continues is that the students use their collective voices to really demand some accountability because the folks that live in Pleasantville or on those campuses ought to feel like they can coexist in a community there in a way that doesn’t put them in any harm or danger, and if something wrong is done then there’s accountability for it,” said Dan. DJ’s parents describe their son as someone truly bothered by injustice in the world, and someone who would be fighting as hard as he possibly could to right a wrong like this if he were still physically here.

Angella’s advice to parents who find themselves in a similar situation in the future is simple: “Never stop fighting.”

are sold out.

In regard to the upcoming anniversary of his death, Dan said that the 17th is just going to be another hard day. After losing a child in such a tragic way, every day becomes difficult.

“Just remember to take the next breath. Honestly, that’s what we’ve tried to do.”

The family continues to feel part of the Pace community and are ever-grateful for the students’ show of support. They rely on that support, from friends and strangers, to get through each day. Most importantly, they rely on each other.

“It’s always going to be the five of us,” said Angella. “The story may fade away for other people, but for us, this is our life.

We need to stay connected and united and for us, we’ll always be DADKAH.”

Students gathered in White Plains on Oct. 22, 2010, protesting police brutality, just six days after DJ was killed.

Timeline

ly has conducted their own investigation and feel that they have a clear view of what happened that night despite what Dan described as Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore’s “unwillingness to cooperate and support us.”

The family is also in the beginning stages of a civil suit against Hess.

“We’re at the mercy of the dockets and the local courts so that could take a while,” said Dan. “We are attempting to gain access to evidence that the district attorney is not willing to release, including surveillance from that night and 911 audio that a year later she’s not allowing anyone else to view.”

Dan and Angella expressed a heavy amount of gratitude for the support that they feel from the Pace community and hope that the students will continue to rally behind them for proper legal

MOVING FORWARD JUSTICE FOR DJ As hard as it may be to understand at the time, life goes on after tragedy. DJ’s brother Kyle started his first year of college, and Amber is more than halfway done with high school. Their parents describe them as nothing short of amazing people.

“I appreciate how strong they’ve had to be under difficult circumstances moving with us through each moment,” said Dan. On Oct. 29, on what would have been DJ’s 22nd birthday, the Henry’s are hosting a DJ Dream Fund fundraising gala at the Seaport Hotel in Boston.

“We’ll be together with family and friends and complete strangers that purchased tickets to be a part of celebrating his life,” said Angella.

According to the Dream Fund’s website, tickets to the gala

Oct. 17, 2010: 9 p.m.: Pace University gathers for a candlelight vigil. Led by the football team, they walk silently to the field and return to Goldstein Fitness Center to share their memories about DJ.

A simple mission: Justice.

It’s right in the group’s name: Justice for DJ. This may seem like a simple concept but things are not always what they seem.

Justice for DJ was created by Aria Smith. Smith did not attend Pace, and she never met DJ, but after she read about his death she knew she had to do something.

“People asked me all the time why I stepped forward, but I mean, why not,” said Smith.

Smith started Justice for DJ after she went online to look for a group and couldn’t find one.

She created a Facebook page and never thought it would have been as big as it became. Only after about a week, the group had over 2,000 members in it. At that point, one of DJ’s aunts wrote on the Facebook page trying to find the creator of the group. Smith

Oct. 20, 2010: US Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) calls for a "thorough investigation" into DJ's death.

responded and was invited to the memorial service that was held in Boston on Oct. 29, 2010, which would have been DJ’s 21st birthday.

Justice for DJ has had multiple events within the past year.

Their first event was a balloon rally that took place in front of the county center in White Plains on Oct. 22, 2010, the Fri. after the death of DJ. After that, the group, along with some of DJ’s aunts and cousins, organized a march in White Plains in Nov. 2010.

The march was not something that was easy to make happen.

According to Smith, they were refused a permit multiple times.

It wasn’t until after the march that Smith met DJ’s parents.

Smith said that the Henry family was offered help by other people but those people wanted some-

touted on Facebook as a “Special Announcement.”

At the press conference, Brandon Cox, a friend of DJ who was shot while sitting in the passenger seat, will be announcing that he is filing a lawsuit against the Mount Pleasant Police Department. That same night there will be a vigil held for DJ in his home town in Mass.

There will also be more media coverage about DJ; ESPN will be airing a one hour special on Oct. 24, and BET is working on a second special.

Although Smith said she received help from Pace students, she says that Pace officials, however, does not want to work with her because of the fact that she is not a Pace student.

The hardest part of all this, according to Smith, is trying to get people involved.

Photo By Aria Smith thing out of it. When the Henry’s realized this wasn’t Smith’s intention they wanted to meet her.

After the march, more events were organized by Justice for DJ, including vigils and balloon rallies, the most recent was last Aug. in Grand Central Station after the release of the song “Murder to Excellence” by Jay-Z and Kanye West, which referenced DJ in the opening line.

Beyond getting justice for DJ, the group works to inform the public about what happened on Oct. 17, 2010, and what has been happening ever since.

Justice for DJ is still working on spreading the word, especially with the year anniversary approaching.

To mark the one year anniversary, on Oct. 17, there is a nation-wide balloon rally scheduled, as well as a national press conference in Boston that’s being

“It’s the most heartbreaking thing to plan an event and put all this energy into it and hardly anyone shows up.”

One thing Smith never thought was that she would be as involved in getting justice for the Henry family and all involved.

“I honestly thought I’d make a Facebook page to be helpful and that was it. Meeting DJ’s friends, especially his family…that never crossed my mind.”

The Justice for DJ Facebook page currently has over 5,000 supporters and has over 400 followers on Twitter.

For more information,” Like” Justice for DJ Henry on Facebook and follow @Justice4DJ on Twitter.

Continued on Page 5

Oct. 22, 2010: Pace students participate in 15th National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, in White Plains, wearing black to honor DJ.

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DJ

The Pace Chronicle Special Report THE LAST GAME Game day. It has become part of the vocabulary among athletic departments to refer to the days that have been scheduled for games. But in no one’s mind, does it first cross the fact that it could potentially be the last game for any Pace athlete.

With the adrenaline that comes before the game, and the focus that comes from playing hard, there’s no room to think about anything other than getting that win to improve the team’s record.

On Sat., Oct. 16, 2010, it was more than just a game day for DJ. It was his last game.

It was Homecoming at Pace and the game was against Stonehill College.

Although the Setters lost, DJ kept a positive and encouraging

DJ during an away game in 2010. attitude. It was a constant reminder that football was his passion, his sport, and a loss was not going to change that.

The Massachusetts-native first played college football at Iona College in New Rochelle, about 20 miles from Pace. When Iona dropped their football program, DJ couldn’t bare the thought of going to college and not being out on the field.

Although DJ could have stayed at Iona, he wanted the best of both worlds: that of academics as well as athletics, which Pace offered.

DJ came in as a transfer student after his freshmen year at Iona and took the opportunity to join the football team.

“As a coach, you wish you had about 85 DJ's on your team,” said Pace football coach, Chris Dapolito. “Besides the fact that

he was a tremendous athlete [and] that we were lucky to have him here at Pace, he was coachable and he understood the bigger picture of athletics.”

As wide receiver and defensive back, DJ had love for the game.

He went to Milford Academy Prep School before choosing Iona to further improve his experience and chances to play football at a college level.

Senior finance student, and longtime friend and teammate, Eshawn Armstrong, took this experience of losing DJ as motivation, making “the most out of everyday you are alive because you never know when your time is going to come… You can’t take anything for granted.”

As time passes, the pain may slowly ease and playing football becomes natural once again. Not

THE SCARS FOREVER REMAIN This wasn’t the way Joseph Romanick pictured it.

He had been through enough already. The native of Slidell, Louisiana, was 17-years-old when Hurricane Katrina ravaged his hometown and forced him to abandon nearly everything he owned.

“The worst memory I have from Katrina is standing in my driveway when I first arrived home. Everything I ever knew had been destroyed,” recalled Romanick.

“We had to wake up at 4 a.m. to wait in line at a closed down Wal-Mart for three hours just to get MREs (meals ready to eat), ice, and water. The National Guard was handing out the food.”

Photo From The Henry Family only does the team play for wins but they also play in honor of their fallen teammate.

Emulating what DJ did to play football takes dedication and the kind of attitude that can take any beating and cause a person to still want to keep going.

“DJ inspired others on the field and brought his work ethic to the field every day, never shying away from a challenge and encouraging competition with hopes of making his teammates better,” said Dapolito. “There is not a day that goes by that we don't miss him.”

On this year’s Oct. 17, Pace will commemorate the anniversary of DJ’s death, but all will always continue to remember him on a daily basis.

put a finger on what he’ll miss most about DJ – there are too many things to list, he says.

His friendship, his voice, his humor, his positive attitude, his outlook on things, his dedication to his dreams, and Romanick says he can rattle of hundreds of great characteristics.

“Wait,” he said. “I know what I’ll miss most. What I’ll miss the most about DJ are all the dreams and goals we set to accomplish together, and how we will never get the chance to do so.”

He thanks his teammates and his close friends for sticking by him. He thanks his family, for supporting him through thick and thin.

“So many people have helped me through Hurricane Katrina and through DJ's death. Each situation has changed my life drastically and I am the man I am today

Photo From The Journal News (Left to Right) Delpeche, Garcia, Romanick, and Hinds outside the Mount Pleasant Court House last winter.

He relocated to three different homes, including one in Atlanta, before he could return home to rebuild.

It was long hours and hard work. But he did it. School in the morning, football practice in the afternoon, and then construction with his parents at night. His days were long and his nights restless.

He struggled in high in school and barely graduated and college was put on hold.

He needed a change.

He earned a scholarship to a Maine prep school and excelled.

He became eligible for Division II and III football and schools were interested in the Louisiana quarterback.

He chose Pace University.

It was a fresh start. It was New York – not quite Manhattan, not quite upstate. It was Westchester County, and as much as he loved

Dec. 16, 2010: Pace students hold a vigil to mark the two month anniversary of DJ's death.

quoted in media outlets as saying to the four men afterwards, "One chapter of your life is closed. You now have another chapter of your life moving forward."

Romanick, a business management major, is scheduled to graduate spring of 2013. He has another year of football to look forward to but Romanick admits it’s been hard for him to move on.

That night has never seemed to leave his mind and he admits sometimes it’s hard to fathom that it’s real.

“Every day I see things that remind me of DJ, and I try to stay positive. I think about the great memories we shared, but it’s hard not to think about that night and relive it. I'll never be the same from it.”

DJ was more than just a teammate to Romanick. He was one of his best friends. Romanick can’t

because of these situations,” said Romanick.

“I can’t thank them enough for the support that they showed for DJ, the Henry family, my fellow arrested teammates, and myself.”

Yet, there were others that didn’t support him. Romanick doesn’t get specific on who the “others” are, but he doesn’t have to. He says he learned the hard way about how some people don’t care about what others are going through because it does not involved them directly.

“Some avoided the situation and left me to handle it by myself, which was very difficult to grasp and hurtful during such a traumatic event.”

That night in Oct. wasn’t supposed to be this way. It was just supposed to be a night out of fun, Continued on Page 8

Jan. 30, 2011: A memorial mass celebrating DJ's life is held at Iona College, where DJ played football before transferring to Pace.

Timeline

Oct. 29, 2010: DJ’s 21st Birthday. DJ’s life is celebrated in Boston. Thousands attend to remember and pay respects, including many Pace students.

Louisiana, he needed something new. After his home was rebuilt, it was now time to rebuild his life.

At Pace, he had a shot to compete for the starting quarterback position, made new friends, and formed bonds on his new football team. He did well in school, he was popular on campus. Life was good.

Then Oct. 17, 2010, happened.

In the mayhem that followed after DJ was shot and killed outside of Finnegan’s Bar and Grill, four of DJ’s teammates were arrested - Joseph Garcia, Yves Delpeche, Daniel Parker, and Romanick.

Romanick was charged with felony criminal mischief, and it took over five months for the charges to finally be dropped against him. Judge Robert Panzini talked to the boys after dismissing the charges. The judge was

DJ

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Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011

Timeline

Gone but Nev

Feb. 16, 2011: A grand jury refuses to indict Aaron Hess, the Pleasantville police officer who shot DJ.

Feb. 17, 2011: For the four month anniversary of DJ’s death, the Vigil Against Violence is held at the Thornwood Shopping Center where Henry was killed. Students and friends of DJ from Pace, Iona, and the community attend.

March 24, 2011: All charges against students Garcia, Delpeche, Parker, and Romanick are dropped.

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Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011

DJ

ver Forgotten

Photo credits:

The Henry Family Adam Samson Aria Smith CSI Photos Gabrielle Saulsbery Michael Oleaga Rose Fava SusyVerdugo-Del Real

April 12, 2011: The Pleasantville police officer who shot DJ, Aaron Hess, is named “Officer of the Year,” by the Pleasantville Police Benevolent Association.

April 17, 2011: The six month anniversary of DJ's death was marked by a second "I am DJ Henry" event, as organized in March. Supporters again changed their profile pictures and statuses in order to attract media attention and not let DJ’s death be forgotten.

Timeline

March 25, 2011: The "I Am DJ Henry" event on Facebook and Twitter. Hundreds of people from around the country change their profile picture to these words and make their status "I Am DJ Henry." Participants were also asked to make a video clip stating “I Am DJ Henry” as well.

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Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011

DJ

The Pace Chronicle Special Report

Photo From Dean for Students Lisa Bardill Moscaritolo Model of the Danroy “DJ” Henry Memorial Clock, set to debut in early 2012 outside The Ann and Alfred Goldstein Health, Fitness, and Recreation Center.

Timeline

a rite of passage for all college students. He doesn’t comment on what exactly happened to DJ that night, what he saw, and his opinion of the police action. Again, he doesn’t have to.

The boy who came home to find his house under four trees and nearly five feet of water became the man who watched one of his best friends’ fired upon by police.

He is moving forward with a civil lawsuit against the police. It is believed that some of his teammates are doing the same.

Romanick admits that he is a different person now. If Katrina didn’t make sure of that, Oct. 17, 2010, certainly did.

His life over the past year has changed in every possible way.

He has had no choice but to look at everything differently now.

“I gained an appreciation of life, and how anything can happen on any day,” he said. “I just take every day one day at a time with a positive attitude, and I'm just truly blessed to have the people in my life that support me.”

THE DJ MEMORIAL CLOCK Pace is dedicating a memorial clock in DJ’s name, outside the Goldstein Fitness Center.

After the death of DJ last Oct., Dean for Students Lisa Bardill Moscaritolo and Athletics and Recreation for Student Affairs Joseph O’Donnell sat down with then Student Association (SA) President Vincent Birkenmeyer along with Delpeche, Garcia, Hinds, Parker, and Romanick to discuss what can be done to remember DJ. “Some of our planning focused around the tragic part of his death, but also it was real clear that he affected a lot of people the short time he was here,” said Bardill Moscaritolo.

After tossing around some ideas, one idea the group came up with was a youth football clinic, the DJ Memorial Youth Clinic.

“We were talking about him as a person and it was evident he was about giving to children and how important sports was to him,” said Bardill Moscaritolo.

April 20, 2011: Individuals from all over the country participated in the “Wings of Hope: National Balloon Rally for DJ” carrying white balloons with the number 12 written on it with angel wings.

Though the clinic was executed successfully, the group realized there needed to be a more physical memorial for DJ that symbolized who he was and the impact he had on campus.

According to the dean for students, O’Donnell keeps a little clock on his desk and ultimately came up with the idea for the memorial clock. The group realized it would be perfect due to the fact DJ’s football number while at Pace was the number 12.

Once the dean for students got approval from DJ’s family of the project, it was time to fundraise.

Pace President Stephen J. Friedman, the athletics department, and the Office of the Provost has offered to help pay for the memorial clock. Also, last year’s SA helped raise money through the J. Cole and Travie McCoy concert last spring.

Fundraising for the memorial clock will continue throughout the remainder of the semester.

A speed bump the faculty and staff have hit many times along the way is unhappiness from the student body.

Following DJ’s death, students voiced disappointment that Pace was doing very little to acknowledge events surrounding the tragedy.

“I think a lot of it was miscommunication,” said Bardill Moscaritolo. “We did not know that was something we were supposed to be part of. We are not on Facebook like a lot of the students are; so if something happens and we are not aware of it, there is not much we can do.”

She also mentioned the fact that during the first few months after DJ’s death they were dealing with the media issues just like the students were (i.e. dealing with the press, making pins, handing out bracelets, the balloon rally, and the vigils).

On Oct. 16, there will be an event where students will be given flags with the number 12 written on one side and the other side will be left blank for people to write personal messages on. The flags will then be placed along Shirley Beth’s Way. The memorial clock dedication ceremony is expected to take

Aug. 8, 2011: Jay-Z and Kanye West dedicate the record "Murder to Excellence" to "the memory of Danroy Henry."

place early next semester. According to Bardill Moscaritolo, DJ’s family will attend the dedication, where they will be presented with a certificate of DJ’s completed credits.

COPING WITH DJ’S DEATH Death is something that no one understands until it is experienced firsthand. College students look at death as something that is happening to our grandparents’ era and something that will happen to us years from now.

Unfortunately, we had to learn how to grieve sooner than we expected.

People deal with death in a variety of different ways. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross introduced the five stages of grief in 1969 through her book Death and Dying.

This model has been a guide for people everywhere when dealing with people who are coping with death. The five stages in orContinued on Page 9

Aug. 12, 2011: A peaceful group, including Pace students, plan to release balloons with the words from ”Murder to Excellence” in DJ's memory, but are hassled and stopped by police in Grand Central.

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The Pace Chronicle Special Report der are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Of course these do not apply to everyone and the way they handle a death close to their hearts, but it does give an overview of what many people endure following a sudden death.

Dr. Lauren Saler from the Pace Counseling Center shared her best techniques for how students should effectively cope with death.

“I think taking part in tributes and contributing in other initiatives, like the remembrance flags and the memorial clock, is a very important way for students to address, cope, and continue to work through the many emotions that will come up as we approach the anniversary of this tragedy.”

Many students also contributed their thoughts on coping with death.

Although senior communications student Jake Perillo did not know DJ personally he did reveal the way he felt when he first heard about everything that happened.

“I woke up from a dead sleep, saw all the commotion going down at the houses, but I had no idea what was going on. One of my fraternity brothers came by my house crying and then he got into a fight with someone. No one was thinking straight. Everyone lost someone special to them, one of their peers. Although we may not have known him, it feels like the whole student body has made some sort of connection with him since his passing.”

Junior business management student Sarah Friedson said, “Although I didn’t know DJ, after hearing all the wonderful things people had to say about him, I felt as though I had known him. I was constantly thinking about how it could have easily happened to me or anyone that I knew. I tried to do my part as a fellow Pace student to stand up for him. To this day I tell people about the (“Murder to Excellence”) song and everything that happened. I went to the balloon rally in White Plains, and I’m constantly following the news for updates.”

Business management alum Patrick Finnegan, former teammate of DJ, shared the way he felt right after the tragedy occurred.

“I was lost and hurt and I know everybody on the team was feeling the same way. No one really knew how to react or what to do.”

Finnegan added, “It was tough at the time, but coming together as a team helped out a lot. Just being around a group of people who had the same ties to DJ as I did, who really knew him as the ever happy kid that I knew him as, and who were going through the same thing really helped out a lot.”

Photo From Def Jam Recordings, Justice for DJ Henry, photoshopped by Kelly Povero Kanye West & Jay-Z dedicate a song on their most recent album, Watch the Throne, to the memory of DJ Henry.

Finnegan went on to share his strategy for long term coping, “It is something that I deal with daily, but I try to keep the same mentality whenever it gets me down: celebrate his life. As the one year approaches, I kind of get this shaky feeling that is hard to explain, but I’m going to do my best to handle it in stride. I will be going to the tributes and everything. I will try to be there for my teammates as much as I know they’ll be there for me.”

MURDER TO EXCELLENCE Nobody could have imagined the emotions that would resurface when Kanye West and Shawn Carter, more commonly known as Jay-Z, released their first collaborative album Watch the Throne on Aug. 8, 2011.

The tenth track on the album, “Murder to Excellence,” features an opening verse by Jay-Z, the first line saying, “This is to the memory of Danroy Henry; Too much enemy fire to catch a friendly.”

in Atlanta while Jay-Z is a Brooklyn native, and together they acknowledge “314 soldiers died in Iraq” and “509 died in Chicago.”

The song indulges in murders in Boston, Detroit, and other major cities too.

It is commonly said in the music industry that people remember your first line, your last line, and nothing in between. This is one reason that DJ’s shout out is so important and so utterly fantastic for those seeking to shine positivity to those who continue to suffer.

That one line gives Pace students hope that people out there still care and is craving the justice that DJ and his family so genuinely deserve.

Senior art student India Burgess stated, “If even celebrities are supporting the fight for justice for DJ, then it’s obviously of importance and should be recognized by mainstream media and by political agendas.”

The Henry family released a video on YouTube shortly after the release of the song and Dan, DJ’s father, said “I want to thank

Oct. 12, 2011: The third “I am DJ Henry” rally takes place on Facebook and Twitter. The Pace Chronicle publishes its first special edition for the Pace student.

Kanye West and Jay-Z on behalf of my family for joining us to bring attention to what is for us, real life.”

In an report by NBC New York’s Natalia Martinez, DJ’s mother Angella admitted that the song “will always hold a special place in our heart…I would just love to meet them just to be able to say ‘thank you’ in person.”

The album was produced by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings – all operating under Island Def Jam Motown Music Group.

To say that the dedication of “Murder to Excellence” to DJ is a small feat would be a lie.

Two major recording artists, in a joint collaboration album, sat down and decided that they were going to make it a point to tell the world about DJ and to honor his memory through their own lyrics.

If this isn’t a step forward in the fight for justice, then what is?

Prof. Michael Perrota contrubuted to this article.

Oct. 16, 2011: A tribute to DJ will take place at 8:30 p.m. at the Goldstein Fitness Center.

There will be students sharing their memories, a slideshow, and a documentary made by students to remember DJ and last year's tragedy.

Timeline

Aug. 22, 2011: A golf tournament was held in West Bridgewater, Mass. with all proceeds going to the DJ Dream Fund.

This alone was enough to send Pace students, as well as DJ’s family and other supporters into a wild frenzy. It had been 10 months since the atrocity and despite the fact that students were mostly home for summer and in a different mindset, the song blew up on social network sites from one side of the country to the other.

West introduces the song with the hook, “The paper read murder, black-on-black murder. The paper read murder, black-onblack murder.”

History alum Tina Pilla was a friend and next-door neighbor of DJ. “When I first heard the song, chills went down my spine. My entire body was numb. I grew teary-eyed. It was an incredible feeling knowing that Kanye and Jay-Z even knew about what happened to DJ, let alone wrote a song about it. Even the thought of it now amazes me.”

The song not only addressed DJ’s tragic death, but those in other areas of the US as well.

West described his early life

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Is Pace Acknowledging DJ? Ebony Turner

Charles Link

Featured Columnist Ebony.Turner@pace.edu

Featured Reporter Charles.R.Link@pace.edu

Murder to Excellence: More than just another statistic What is 40 Acres and a MacBook?

Whether it’s the questionable news headlines on Fox or when we walk into Kessel and see all the same kids sitting comfortably on opposite sides of the cafeteria, it’s time to stop ignoring racial issues within our youth with our 40 acres and a Macbook - a modernized compensation for the world in which we are forced to live in.

No one truly understood what Gil-Scott Heron meant when he declared repetitively on wax that the “revolution will not be televised,” but if he had the chance to re-record the song, the message would be no different.

The revolution of our society has been televised, but this revolution of terror, murder and racism covered under the guise of authority is certainly something that can only be internalized when witnessed live.

We have reached a time where our society is so conditioned to accept the injustices of our protectors and our government that we figure there is no use in doing anything about it. It is not until the injustice happens to our friend that plays football for our university that we truly understand the need for a revolution.

It is not until injustice happens to our housemate that would make sure we walked around campus with a fresh shape-up that we understand the need for a revolution. It is not until the injustice happens to our son who we just watch play his last homecoming football game that we need a revolution. It is not until the injustice happens to our best friend who we will never speak to again that we are in need of a revolution.

We all saw the beating of Rodney King, and we all heard the story about Oscar Grants’ life ending on that New Years evening, but for the distant reader they are nothing but tragic stories that we can only hope receive the justice it deserves.

The death of Danroy “DJ” Henry did more than unite an entire group of people who otherwise would never embrace one another; it opened the minds and scope of our student body and community. It opened our eyes to a tragedy that we normally see from our 22-inch televisions, having us swallow whole the gritty reality of the world in which we live. Rather than swimming in the fishbowl that is Westchester County thinking we are exempt from other people’s reality, we realized we are all one in this world and not exempt from any experience. It inspired unity, but also inspired action and a demand to not allow for DJ to be just another statistic or tragic story to be read from afar. We did not want him to be a victim tossed with other black men who are only remembered by the families in which they came from.

His story touched an entire community of youth from different backgrounds and races, all coming together in the name of

one isolated goal: Justice.

It’s ironic that with tragedy comes the stripping down of people’s everyday walls we walk around with daily, bringing out raw emotions that we would otherwise leave jailed inside; if only we could embrace one another daily and not allow death to be the only time we appreciate human life.

It speaks volumes to the power of DJ’s life, and lives of many men who become victims to the discriminatory deaths we have been so conditioned to expect.

Just because we live in a world where we live amongst beings that do not all have respect for human life, does not mean that we should become victims to that ignorance. Let the injustices we see daily inspire the change it deserves so we can prevent seeing another story of a young youth gone too soon.

Thank you DJ for your life and the lesson it taught us: to live with purpose everyday and be aware of the world around us and not within us. The revolution can be televised, but like the late great Heron said 42-years-ago, “…the revolution will have no rerun brothers; the revolution will be live.”

As the one year anniversary of DJ’s death approaches, it makes one think, is Pace doing enough to remember DJ? In the year after his death the University has held vigils, buses to a memorial service, held a concert where the funds went to the DJ Henry Memorial Fund, a youth clinic for local football students, and the most recently announced plans for a DJ Henry memorial clock.

Though it seems like a relatively short list, there were many memorial services including balloon releases at football games and walks to remember his legacy and fight against police injustice. But is the university doing enough?

In my opinion, Pace is doing a good job at remembering DJ and honoring his life.

The one year anniversary of someone’s death, especially one as tragic as this is, is something that should be recognized. On Oct. 16, Pace will be having a vigil for DJ in Goldstein Fitness Center.

As time goes on, life goes with it, and we, as humans, must follow along like a dog on a leash. We must understand that now that it has been the one year anniversary of DJ’s passing it is time we remember, but

continue in life’s endeavors.

We may miss DJ and know what happened to him is wrong, but we cannot freeze time. Time has pushed forward and so must we. Everyday someone’s life changes by a death and some are tragic like ours, but people go back to work, school, and the daily grind. We don’t need to forget about our lost loved ones, but we must learn to move forward, carrying their memories with us.

As for the Pace, I believe they have done everything right. Slowly their ending the amount of remembrance services to finally allow that wound to heal. That’s not to say they should not do anything else. They understand that time heals and the more times they hold memorial services and events to remember DJ the harder it will be to continue on.

Pace should work to keep DJ’s legacy alive. Building a memorial, such as the planned DJ Henry Memorial Clock, is a great way to do this. I think that the university could create a scholarship, in honor of DJ, for student athletes, possibly just football players, as well.

Things like this will allow us to remember DJ, but at the same time be able to move forward.

In Memory of My Friend Prof. Howard Weishaus Contributor HWeishaus@pace.edu

Timeline

I had the pleasure of knowing and teaching DJ Henry in my Modern Latin American History course. He was a pleasant, diligent, and caring young man. I recall that he sat in the first third row from the window. We sometimes chatted in Miller Hall or on the sidelines of the football home games.

On the terrible day of his death, I spoke to him before his last game.

“DJ,” I said. “You left your notebook in my class, stop by my office in Miller 20A, I’ll return it to you.

Sadly, I sent that notebook

to his parents by route of Jason Washington, his close friend.

I spoke to hundreds of students in the Goldstein Fitness Center at this Vigil. So many great, responsible, and caring students came there that night. I remember telling the football team, in particular, to be strong.

I still teach in Miller 21. I still look at the desk he sat. I think of what might have been for him on his journey. Well, he passed through my long career.

I’m glad we met, even for a brief time. DJ is in my thoughts and in my heart.

I miss you DJ.

Oct. 17, 2011: The one year anniversary of DJ's death will be marked by a press conference and vigil in Boston and a National Balloon Rally. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the balloon rally, regardless of location.

Photo By Michael Oleaga/The Pace Chronicle Professor Howard Weishaus of the Economics, History, and Political Science Department taught DJ in fall 2010.

Oct. 24, 2011: ESPN set to air a one hour special on DJ.

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The Pace Chronicle

Photo By Michael Oleaga/The Pace Chronicle A stuffed T-Bone Setter with a DJ Henry pin, in Dean for Students Lisa Bardill Moscaritolo’s office.

Photo By Rose Fava/The Pace Chronicle The release of white balloons with the phrase “I Am DJ Henry” on it during a balloon rally.

DJ

Photo By Rose Fava/The Pace Chronicle Wristbands dedicated to the memory of DJ Henry, #12.

Jan. - Feb. 2012: The Danroy “DJ” Henry Memorial Clock will be unveiled outside the Goldstein Fitness Center on the Pleasantville campus.

Timeline

Oct. 29, 2011: The DJ Dream Fund Gala in Boston takes place to raise money for the fund on what would have been DJ’s 22nd birthday. There will be a silent auction with items donated by Jay-Z, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Carmelo Anthony, members of the Boston Celtics, and many others.

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011

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Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011

DJ

“Together We Stand, Together We Fall, All for One, One For All,

By Myself, I Can Do Nothing, With Some Help, I Can Do Anything.”

In the Memory of Danroy “DJ” Henry, Jr.

Contribute to The PaceChronicle: write, report, photograph. Contact The Pace Chronicle at PaceChronicle@Pace.edu