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FEBRUARY 2016
NEWS
Tutoring program is a slam-dunk ASU JOURNALISM STUDENTS SEEK at Tucson Muslim community center CROWDFUNDING FOR BORDER COVERAGE By Tracey Tong
By Megan Smith
Nobody can be too loud and no one can be too quiet according to the rules at tutoring day at the Muslim Community Center in Tucson. Ahmad Safdar is a sophomore at the University of Arizona and is the brains behind Dunk and Learn. His goal was to run a program for kids of all ages to learn through affordable tutoring. “I wanted to create an environment where both the students and their parents felt comfortable and motivated to come to,” said Safdar. The Muslim Community Center of Tucson (MCCT) is open for many different kinds of community events, including family fun days and health screenings. Safdar found that the center was a good market for his tutoring services. His efforts have created an environment that is welcoming to students of all grades. The tutoring program is open to K-12 students on the first and third Saturday of every month. Each session runs from 10 a.m. to noon and is free. The tutors are all U of A students who have excelled academically. The first session began in January with about 10 students. Within two weeks the amount of students more than doubled. Students from a local charter school attended the second session. Safdar reported that there is generally an equal mix of boys and girls. All students study for an hour and a half and then are allowed to play basketball. Though basketball is the most popular activity, the kids actually are encouraged to play any sport. Soccer is also a group favorite. Safdar is very proud of the potential that his program brings to the community. “The community is able to come together to strive and work towards the success of our future generations,” Safdar said. Safdar believes that Dunk and Learn tightens the bond between children and their families when they see the progress that has been made. Not only does the program raise test scores but it strengthens relationships. Safdar hopes that this will teach kids to work and play together. Bullying is not an issue that the group experiences. The fact that everyone is welcome creates a warm environment. Younger students look up to the older ones.
Tutor works with student one-on-one during session.
A Phoenix-based news service seeking to ensure fair coverage to a frequently overlooked population is looking for financial support. Cronkite News, which focuses on a population of 15 million people living on both sides of the United States-Mexico border, is holding a crowdfunding campaign in hopes of raising $50,000. Cronkite News is a professionally led news service staffed by the students of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. It produces an evening program daily and is estimated to reach two million households in Arizona. The coverage is also shared with news services across America. The issues of the residents here – immigration, the economy,
security and the environment – are important issues, but are frequently overlooked. Cronkite News has covered numerous important topics from a border perspective, including the possibility of legalizing marijuana, fatal shootings, obesity and low-cost medical care. The goal is to raise $25,000 by February 25. All funds pledged will be matched by Beacon, a platform for funding journalism, for a total goal of $50,000, which will go towards funding sustainable reporting on both sides of the border. Cronkite News is also looking for news tips, residents’ experiences and feedback through its Public Insight Network, a community of people who help inform media coverage in their own neighborhoods.
MUSLIM SCHOLAR: DR. KING’S ‘THREE EVILS’ PERSIST IN TODAY’S ISLAMOPHOBIA Students work on assignments during tutoring session at Muslim Community Center
Tutors and students work on assignments on subjects including English and Algebra
Even siblings are getting along better now. Not only are the college tutors teaching the elementary students but they are learning from them as well. Safdar said the privilege of watching the shy kids come out of their shells to assist others is one of the things that makes this well worth the time and effort. Future plans to expand the program include SAT preparation. For more information on how to sign up for Dunk and Learn, contact Ahmad Safdar at 520-904-3788.
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conditions that embolden people to take their fists to Muslim faces in the first place,” Bazian said. Bazian concluded by stating that the hatred of Muslims is an easy way to diverge from the real societal problems. “Muslims today are an instrument that shapes and reshapes power disparities at a time when all existing modalities have failed,” Bazian said. Audience member Sarah Syed, who is also the president of ASU’s Muslim Student Association and a health science senior, said she watched Bazian’s lectures featured his website in preparation for his lecture at the university. Bazian is a co-founder and professor at Zaytuna College and a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley. “He’s an intellectual authority in the Muslim community,” Syed said. “He speaks about power and politics, as well as orientalism and Islamophobia, and has the religious and academic background to do so.” Like Syed, Johnny Martin, president of ASU’s Sun Devils Are Better Together and a religious studies senior, found Bazian inspirational. “I know first-hand
that Islamophobia is a real issue on our campus,” Martin said. “And I’m glad Bazian talked about how it is deeply interconnected with issues like racism and all of these other forms of bigotry.” Martin also said that he is excited to be a part of ASU’s new initiative to be more religiously inclusive on campus. “ASU’s Dean of Students Office will begin responding to issues of Islamophobia by bringing Muslim students together to share their experiences and strategize solutions,” Martin said.
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