Met I would love to ask tracy if ah dis ah go gwan ah burgs party next week i cant wait fi this…. Im curious to know who he’s going to be stepping in with with it be Glama or Tracy

Calabar boys deliver ‘Champs’ for 100th year
GREEN PLATTER!
BY HOWARD WALKER Observer Senior Reporter [email protected]
Sunday, April 01, 2012

CALABAR High last night captured their 23rd lien on the Mortimer Geddes Trophy for the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium to celebrate their 100th anniversary in fine style.
The green and black-clad standard bearers from Red Hills Road amassed 287.5 to beat Kingston College (KC) 265, and dethroned champion Jamaica College (JC) 220.5, with Wolmer’s Boys’ fourth on 140.
Calabar coach Michael Clarke is hoisted by jubilant athletes and supporters at the National Stadum last night after winning the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ Athletic Championships for the 23rd time and on the 100th anniversary of the school. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
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It was “Utmost to the Highest”, a fitting tribute to the school established by the Jamaica Baptist Union in 1912 for the children of Baptist ministers and the children of the poor blacks and was named after the former slave port Calabar in Nigeria.
It topped a fine week in which they also won the Schools’ Challenge Quiz title for the fifth time for the double triumph referred to as “Quamps”.
Calabar, who last won the title four years ago in 2008, are second only to KC’s 31 titles and ahead of JC on 21 victories. They finished in style with a wonderful victory in the 4x400m in a creditable 3:10.19.
Moments after capturing yet another event, Bob Marley’s Rat Race echoed from the sound system to a loud roar from the Calabar faithful. Only recently, Calabar had to close after being infested by rats.
The Michael Clarke-coached boys showed good all-round strength, especially in the field events, with Fedrick Dacres, Ashinia Miller, Demar Robinson, Shamar Kitson and Andre Beckford, while Michael O’Haro copped a fine display on the track, winning the Class Two 110m hurdles and the 200m.
But Calabar didn’t have things their own way and had to stave off a renewed challenge from KC who scored a pair of victories in the 800m and the Class One 4x100m relay.
KC’s victory in 1,600m Medley Relay reignited the famed Purples’ chances, with the anchor leg runner erasing a 40-metre deficit held by JC had to win in 3:30.55.
Calabar’s skipper Demar Robinson, however, gave his team some breathing space after outjumping David Hall of KC on the countback in an intense high jump battle. Both leaped 2.10m.
Calabar, who started the day ahead by 16 points, drew first blood in the Class Three 400m, grabbing 14 points after Aykeeme Francis won in 50.96 and teammate Gawayne Porter placed fourth, and went on to earn 31 points to JC’s 24 and KC’s 10.
Calabar’s Javon Francis upset the favourite in Class One 400m, winning in 47.58 ahead of Lennox Williams of Manchester High, 47.85, and KC’s Jovan Williams, 48.04.
KC responded in the 800m, winning the Class One and Two events en route to 34 points, compared to Calabar’s 22.
The outstanding Sanj Powell used his blinding burst of speed to win the Class One race in 1.53.17, ahead of Danielle Richards of Holmwood, 1:53.40, and teammate Alex Saunders, who set a blistering pace, in third with 1:53.47.
Powell was winning his second event, having broken the 2,000m steeplechase Open record on Thursday night.
JC’s Waquar DaCosta ended his ‘Champs’ career in a disappointing fourth spot with 1:54.54. DaCosta had dominated both Class Three and Class Two.
Chad Miller of KC won the Class Two event in 1:56.63, ahead of Alex Hutton of Calabar, 1:56.97, while third went to Ricardo McKenzie of Cornwall College in 1:57.68. KC’s Miguel Morrison was fifth and earned four points.
In Class Three, Calabar garnered 13 points courtesy of first- and fifth-place finishes. Chevenne Hamilton won in 2:05.04.
After 28 finals, Calabar were leading by 24.5 points with 204.5 to KC’s 180 and JC falling to third with 140. But Calabar didn’t rest on their laurels. Immediately, the impressive Michael O’Haro, who had earlier won the 110m hurdles, completed his double by sprinting clear of his rivals in 21.56 seconds in the 200m.
The fancied JC pair of Rohan Walker and Devaughn Baker were second and fourth, respectively.
Meanwhile, the outstanding Delano Williams of Munro Colege completed the Class One sprint double, easing to 21.18 to win the 200m.
KC’s Travane Morrison finished well for second in 21.67, ahead of Nethanee Mitchell-Blake of JC, 21.72. Jevaughn Minzie of Bog Walk was fourth in 21.74.
Raheem Chambers of St Jago also won his second gold, stopping the clock at 22.78, well ahead of Munro’s Rushane Edwards, 23.01, and KC’s Jhevaughn Matherson, 23.25.
Stefan Fennell, who will be taking up a scholarship to the University of Arkansas despite having a year left at KC, won the Class One 110m hurdles in 13.74, ahead of arch-rival Yanick Hart of Wolmer’s, 14.12.

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Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/GREEN-PLATTER_11179115#ixzz1qnBtohI4

Wayne Campbell, Contributor

JUST WHEN one thought all the factors negatively affecting and impacting Jamaica’s education system have been analysed, another form of impediment has reared its ugly head, that of sexual bullying. Sexual bullying involves comments, jokes, actions, or attention that is intended to hurt, offend, or intimidate another person. It is more common than we think, and it affects pupils in both single-sex high schools and co-educational high schools alike.

As with any form of bullying, the perpetrator seeks out that individual who is considered the weakest among the pack. Sexually bullying is no different. This form of harassment is usually seen more often in high schools as against primary schools. The focus of sexual bullying is on body parts, as well as the victim’s appearance and or perceived sexual orientation. Boys can harass members of the opposite sex as well as members of their same sex. Girls can harass members of their same sex and even members of the opposite sex, although I suspect the later is not as common as the others in our society. Adults can sexually harass children also.

Sexual orientation has to do with whom one mostly finds sexually and romantically attractive. A girl who gets crushes or who is sexually attracted to a member of the same sex may consider herself lesbian.

As a society, we have always operated in a hypocritical and paradoxical nature regarding sexual orientation. We have always viewed lesbians more favourably than gays, despite the fact that Jamaica is seen and considered by the outside world as a highly homophobic society.

As a nation we have failed our young people in terms of providing good role models. Our parenting skills leave much to be desired. A significant number of our children live in dysfunctional family units. Single-family female-headed households are now the norm. This, in itself, is the genesis of most of the problems/issues affecting the Jamaican family today. A working single female cannot adequately supervise her children, especially if she does not have the financial resources to employ a helper to assist her. The breakdown of the concept of the extended family is quickly disappearing from the Jamaican family. Many fathers’ names do not appear on the birth certificate of their children. The absence of our fathers in the rearing of our children, especially our boys, continue to add stress to the family structure. Our children no longer attend Sunday and or Sabbath schools. The moral teachings the church provides is, therefore, absent. The teaching of religious education as subject is quickly dying; this was also another avenue for moral teachings in our schools. Sunday is now a day for horse racing and other forms of entertainment. Additionally, our crude and sexually-laced popular culture, namely dancehall music, also adds to the destruction path we are on.

abandonment of values

Our proximity to North America and the influx and influence of subscriber television (cable television) are all factors which have greatly contributed to the abandonment of old values and good family life practices to that of new questionable values. As we become more sophisticated and modern, pornography has become more rampant in the society. Sexting” is now the norm rather than the exception for many teenagers. This is one way in which gossip, and sexually laced comments may be spread to destroy people’s self-esteem and character, especially in a relatively small space such of that of a school.

Therefore, we should not be surprised that our children are now experimenting with sexual diversity in this digital era we now live in. Children receive formal and informal messages about their gender identity from a multitude of sources. Some of which are families, peers, communities and, of course, the media. Your gender identity is who you feel as if you are on the inside (male, female, both, neither, flexible) While your gender expression has to do with how your act on the outside, that is, how you walk, talk, sit, dress and so on. Both gender identity and gender expression impact whether one sees him/herself as more masculine than feminine or vice versa. This always impacts how other individuals see and respond to you.

We can almost be sure that the problem highlighted at the specific Corporate Area all-girls school is not unique to that institution. All our educational institutions, co-educational and same-sex, are dealing with similar issues.

What can and should be done? The first line of defence against sexually bullying is the Ministry of Education, and as such, the Ministry of Education needs to take the lead in setting policies to address the issue of sexual bullying. A sexual-harassment policy or a bullying policy should be put in place to clearly inform all stakeholders that this type of behaviour is unacceptable. This policy should also outline the sanctions and penalties that will be applied if anyone decides to go ahead and bully another person. Clearly, we need to address the wider issue which presents itself. The wider issue here is our unwillingness to have a mature and frank discussion with all stakeholders regarding sexual orientation as a human-rights issue. By now, we should realise that by by ignoring or wishing the problem to go away has not worked and will not work.

therapy to change

Clearly, these students are in need of much therapy and counselling. Many experts believe one can change one’s sexual orientation through therapy. Our guidance counsellors are well-trained professionals and, therefore, their services should be made available to those troubled students as well as their parents. The perpetrators of the lesbian attacks should be asked to withdraw from school until they have sought counselling. By allowing them to remain at the school, we are sending the wrong message, not only to the victims of their attack, but the wider school community.

Counselling should also be provided to the victims of such sexual attacks. Maybe a change of school would also be in the best interest of those students. To remain at the school may only serve as a reminder of the horrible and horrific ordeal they experienced.

Additionally, administrators must be more vigilant in terms of what takes place at their school. After all these incidents occurred at the school. Measures must be put in place to have some sort of supervision and monitoring of what takes place on school grounds, regardless of the time of the day.

We should also encourage our children to speak out whenever they have been abused and or threatened.

Schools could and should create bathroom messages that emphasise that no one has the right to abuse and or invade another person space, this by itself will not prevent some students, so a list of teachers to contact would have be most useful also.

The Ministry of Education could also have workshops for teachers to remind and expose them to the rights of children. By so doing, teachers will be better able to assist wherever the need presents itself. We could and should incorporate all the agencies of the state that work with children, as well, in this fight.

preventative measures

It is quite possible the events of recent times can serve to strengthen our Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs) and provide avenues for them to find creative measures to improve the security of schools in which they operate, such as investing in high-tech security measures. Maybe more PTAs could install surveillance cameras at central points to ensure that their children, especially those in the lower grades, are adequately supervised after hours. Maybe they could employ additional security guards to bolster the existing security; this may just serve as a deterrent to the predators. The truth is these older girls have become predators.

Our schools should be a safe place for teaching and learning. No one should be bullied, preyed upon, whether sexually and or physically. Our schools must reclaim what they once were; a clean and protected environment for all to fully maximise their potential.

Wayne Campbell is an educator and gender-rights advocate [email protected]. Send comments to [email protected].

Enraged ex with three names attacks former lover
BY CANDIESE LEVERIDGE Online reporter [email protected]
Saturday, March 31, 2012
A man who police said uses three names, is facing charges of assault occasioning bodily harm, malicious destruction of property and larceny from a person, after he attacked his former lover in a fit of rage.

Police say Marlon Harvey, also known as Devon Stewart or Devon Soares was ordered to return to court on April 16 when he will know his fate.

The police report that Harvey was arrested and charged after he attacked his ex girlfriend and used a hammer to destroy several items of furniture belonging to her, he then took the items outside and burnt them. He also tried to steal her cell phone, police say.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges when he appeared before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

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