The Boston Globe
2001 BOSTON MARATHON
Faith in hills
With a training regimen and a marathon dominance that is unequaled, Kenyan
runners are country stars
By Joe Burris
Boston Globe Staff, 4/13/2001
APTAGAT, Kenya - As dawn pushes darkness out of the Rift Valley skies, every rooster in the
area is battling for the right to announce that morning has come. Scores of them strut on
farmlands and bellow as if silence were going out of style. In many other parts of the world,
their crowing would usher in the start of a new day.
By Kenya's standards, they're late. Very late.
Drive here around 5:30 a.m., while it's still dark out, and your headlights will illuminate runner
after runner, many traveling along roads far away from any residence - an indication that
they've been out there for a while.
Kenyans run. They run along dirt roads that weave through forests too thick for much light to
pass through during midday, much less predawn. They run along craggy, hilly paths impassable
for most cars. They run on the dry grass that lines busy thoroughfares, along city streets that
runners must share with pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and farmers moving livestock - all
without the benefit of traffic lights or stop signs.
That is the first step in any attempt to join the ranks of the world's best long-distance runners,
winners of the last 10 Boston Marathons.
To run like a Kenyan, you must depend upon the soles of your shoes the way Americans depend
on their tires. Develop a stride and motion that is conducive to all that training - a light,
rhythmic bounce on the balls of your feet, so your steps kick up only a hint of dust in the driest
of earth.
Then you must move to a hilly, high-altitude region, where the air is thinnest. Kenyans swear by
the high-altitude lifestyle, and they say American runners would be just as prominent as they
are if they try it.
Keep in mind, however, they've been out there for a while.
When two-time Boston winner Moses Tanui was growing up in the Nandi District, a high-altitude area where most
of Kenya's top distance runners were born, he used to run 5
kilometers to and from the grocery store to get the ingredients when his mother baked cakes.
Two-time Boston champ Ibrahim Hussein was in charge of ringing the bell that signaled the
start of a school day in the area, so he had to run 7 kilometers to school each morning to make
certain he was there first.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Kipchoge Keino used to run 10 kilometers to school, then
home for lunch, then back to school, and then, at the end of the day, back home. And there
were two hours of mandatory physical activity at school.
At the time, none of the men had any idea that the high-altitude training would eventually
make them among the best in the world, physically and mentally, for distance running.
''What really keeps me going after all these years is here,'' said Tanui, pointing to his temples.
He is among several who have set up training camps in the Rift Valley region to attempt to
harness what they believe are the keys to Kenya's success: high altitude, a runner's psyche, and
a fierce dedication to training.
Tanui is among the few in the area who begins the day in an automobile. He arrives at his Fila-sponsored camp
- 40 minutes from his Eldoret home - just as the cocks' crowing has dissipated,
and apologizes for being late. He will employ his Boston training regimen today, and on this
morning, Tanui is in for what he calls an ''easy run.''
One hour. Sixteen kilometers. Eight thousand feet above sea level.
Tanui sets out with 13 members of his camp up a narrow, thinly paved road. One of the workers
at his camp, David Letting, follows closely behind in Tanui's truck, with a stopwatch in hand.
The runners move at a steady pace, and around the 5-kilometer mark they pass a group of
children walking to school. Letting pulls over and most of the youngsters hitch a ride on the
back of the truck. But one boy chooses to run with the group.
The boy moves stride for stride with Tanui and company for about 4 kilometers. Upon reaching
school, he waves to the runners, breaks away, and waits for his friends to arrive by truck.
Letting glances at the boy and smiles.
''Many runners got started that way,'' he said.
Keino: Game has changed
Kipchoge Keino is arguably Kenya's most renowned Olympic gold medalist, in part because he
won the 1,500 meters in 1968 (Mexico City) despite gallstones and competing against his
doctor's advice. Having collapsed in the 10,000 meters the day before, he jogged from his hotel
room just minutes before the 1,500 began.
Keino, chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, runs two high-altitude training
facilities in his 500-acre Eldoret ranch - the Kip Keino training center and the International
Amateur Athletic Federation's high-altitude Regional Development Center.
It is the third such IAAF center in Africa. The other two are in Senegal (for jumping events) and
Mauritius (for multiple events). The centers are just one of the areas in which track and field in Kenya has changed since Keino's day.
He said the talent pool has existed for years, but changes in the country's laws governing
athletes who compete overseas has helped result in an explosion of Kenyan runners.
Athletes used to be allowed 15 days to be out of the country for competition, then had to apply
for an extension for additional meets, with the maximum being 42 days for the entire year. The
rules were changed in the mid-1970s.
''In those days we had less success in marathon,'' said Keino. ''People feared running marathon.
It was taxing. But today ... the price award is part of the incentive. Years ago, the price award
for someone who wins a local marathon, they would be given one cow.
''If you give someone a cow today for that mileage, you can't have him running the next week.
In the nationals they gave you a trophy, and what is a trophy?''
Today, runners see Tanui's elaborate, mansion-style home and cars, and the posh homes of
former marathon winners nearby. They see firsthand how Kenyans with similar backgrounds
have used running to improve their quality of life; that bolsters their dedication to the sport.
''Now, it's a business,'' said Keino. ''If you win you get a [financial] award and then you'll recover
in a short period to win something else.''
Training, said Keino, is different as well. Regimens weren't as detailed and technical. He said
athletes of his day put in a quarter of what the country's athletes do today, and that has helped
aid the Kenyan runner's psyche.
''An athlete has to prepare and most of that preparation is mental,'' he said. ''Competition is
easier than training.''
An altitude attitude
One thing that has been constant, however, are those who preach the benefits of altitude
training - people like IAAF development center director John Velzian, a 40-year coach who has
seen training techniques he taught in the 1960s used successfully today.
''Ultimately,'' said Velzian, ''the great middle- and long- distance runners are going to be guys
who have a massive pair of lungs, a very high proportion of slow-twitch fibers
and a well-established fuel system for eating the right sort of foods over the right period of time in which
to prepare their source of energy.
''[Nandi District runners are] born, bred, live, and train at altitude. That gives them an
enormous advantage in terms of their lung capacity - the ability to suck in and utilize their
oxygen intake. That's what the altitude factor is all about - it's about developing lung capacity
and oxygen intake. So when you get back to sea level, there is a residual effect.''
Surprisingly, though, Velzian said that the effects of altitude can be seen from 800 meters on
up, but from the 10,000-meter mark, the effects aren't as great.
''Which is why you see so many different body types doing the marathon,'' he said. ''And that's
what makes it such an exciting race. Everyone can have a go at it sooner or later.''
For Kenyan marathoners, the altitude factor lays the groundwork for what many here say is the
most important aspect to their success: an exceptional runner's psyche.
Having run or walked great distances all their lives, training that way is routine. A hard work
ethic is also ingrained in a country where most people farm to provide for their families.
Said Velzian: ''Having all the advantages in terms of the right body shape, having the right
proportions and quality of slow-twitch fibers, it's of no avail whatsoever unless you can put in
the tremendous volume of hard work that every single Kenyan thrives on. I have to stress that.
Ian Keino, Kip's son and manager for the Keino camps, said their athletes' regimens vary.
Generally speaking, runners train six days a week and begin on weekday mornings at 6, with a
minimum one-hour run. Some days are easy runs (jogging) and others are hard (fast paced).
They also undergo daily flexibility training and track workouts and on most days have
a late-afternoon distance run. On Saturdays, runners do speedwork, which consists of running two
kilometers 10 times. Sundays are for rest.
The regimen at Tanui's Fila camp consists of a 38-kilometer run every other day. On alternate
days, they run 16 kilometers. Tanui has selected 20 roads on which to run; several were chosen
because of hills similar to that of the Boston course.
''When I start my training, it's every morning and every evening,'' said Tanui. ''I usually train
seven days a week until Boston. The 38 kilometers is very hard training. Then we have
speedwork.
''Then hill work, and you have to push yourself up the hill, and the hill we usually run on is 21
miles uphill.''
Said Paul Ereng, former 800-meter Olympic gold medalist and IAAF coach, ''You look at Moses's
group, and you say most people who run a marathon need six months' rest before they run
another one. They do 38 kilometers, just a few miles short of a marathon, every week.
''And out there the competition is very tight, because you can't have an all-Kenyan marathon.
So maybe there are 25 guys out there running these 38 kilometers every week, and six of them
will be selected for a marathon.''
That is why Velzian said it is not the regimen that sets Kenyans apart. ''If you asked the top
marathoners to put down a program most of them would be alike,'' he said.
''There are no secret formulas in training that are not known to everyone. The incredible
discipline for Kenyan athletes is to get out of bed, and day after day run close to their aerobic
threshold. They have total dedication and discipline to their training regimen.''
Many Kenyans scoff at talk that they are a superior race of marathoners, rather than a nation of
athletes whose work ethic and background make them ideal for the sport.
Said Ereng: ''The US has 260 million people. If I want to find 200 guys with the Kenyan
physiological appearance, you want to tell me I can't find those 200 guys?
''What I don't want people to believe is there are some special guys in Kenya, and everyone has
to be like that. That's not true. I believe what is going on in the US now is that people are scared
of Kenyan runners now, so they feel, `Oh, you can never beat them.' So you don't make the
personal commitment to make it a challenge.''
Keino, too, believes Americans could duplicate the Kenyans' success if they implore a similar
lifestyle. Then he smiles and raises an eyebrow when told most American children don't walk 10
blocks to school, much less 10 kilometers at high altitude.
Kenyans believe Americans should at least train in high regions. ''You cannot convince me of
otherwise,'' said Hussein. ''You can see the results. The Moroccans train in high altitude. The
Ethiopians train in high altitude. As long as the Western world doesn't believe in it, it's good for
us. We'll just keep pulling away.''
Equal Voice News
A Light on Injustice: A Talk With Two Alabama Activists
By Joe Burris
Program Officer
February 22, 2019
Black History Month is often embraced as a celebration of African American
pioneers, trailblazers, activists, and inventors who overcame dire odds and
obstacles to accomplish great feats. Sometimes their stories become chapters that
are easily inserted into American history books without reminding America of its
sordid past – one marked with barbaric treatment of Black people that has left an
indelible stain on the fabric of the American family.
Black history is replete with lynching – the practice of murder by a mob that
administers punishment for an alleged offense without trial. The term is said to
have derived from the name of Charles Lynch, a Virginia planter and politician
who formed a makeshift band of vigilantes to punish loyalists during the American
Revolution. But the practice was popularized in the South with senseless killings of
African Americans following the 1863 emancipation of slaves and continuing into
the 21st century.
“Two months ago, I had a nice apartment in
Chicago...I had a son. When something
happened to the Negroes in the South, I said,
`That's their business, not mine.' Now, I know
how wrong I was. The murder of my son has
shown me that what happens to any of us...had
better be the business of us all.”
~ Mamie Till-Mobley, mom of Emmett Till, a boy
lynched for allegedly flirting with a White
woman.
Emmett Till’s lynching in 1955 put a gruesome face on the barbaric practice – in
part because his mother publicly displayed his savagely beaten, disfigured and
decomposed body for the world to see – and it served as a precursor to the civil
rights movement. But the 14-year-old boy was among thousands of African
Americans who comprise more than 70 percent of people lynched in the United
States. Lynching ripped apart families and terrorized communities, taking the lives
of men, women, children and the unborn. As their stories are scarcely told, most
lynching victims have remained anonymous.
The Montgomery, Alabama-based Equal Justice Initiative, however, has brought
their stories to life, in a painfully graphic, yet artfully constructed memorial in
Montgomery, one of the cornerstones of the civil rights movement. The National
Memorial for Peace and Justice not only places the lynching of African Americans
in the proper context of Black and American history, it serves as a reminder that, to
echo sentiments of Mamie Till-Mobley, shining a light on injustice is something all
Americans must do.
Marguerite Casey Foundation commemorates Black History Month by exploring
the lynching memorial, as seen through the eyes of two Alabama activists, in video
presentation.
Scott Douglas is executive director of Greater Birmingham Ministries, a multi-faith, multicultural organization that advocates for policies to help improve the
lives of low-income families.
Kimble Forrister is the former executive director of Alabama Arise, a nonpartisan
coalition of organizations, congregations and individuals that helps low-income
residents advocate for equitable and effective state policies.
This coming together to discuss race, equity and the memorial reflects the
Foundation’s core values and longstanding, philanthropic commitment to families,
social progress, and dignity – especially in the U.S. South.
Through Marguerite Casey Foundation’s investments of multiyear, unrestricted
grants and embrace of family-led movement building, it stands with communities
in the South to create space for the poor, families of color and allies to elevate
voices and views so gruesome acts, such as lynching, are remembered, taught, and
understood and that racism and discrimination are confronted.
This movement for positive social change can be seen at policy levels and at
community meetings. And it is evident in a Foundation-coordinated conversation
involving a Black man and White man who reflected on thousands of Americans
who lost their lives merely because of their skin color.
___________
Joe Burris is Marguerite Casey Foundation’s program officer for the South Region.
2019 © Marguerite Casey Foundation
The Baltimore Sun
Staying power
New Smithsonian memorabilia and a new movie are a one-two punch for Stallone and his iconic Rocky Balboa
December 06, 2006
By Joe Burris
Sun Reporter
Washington-- --After 30 years, millions of dollars and countless minutes of fame,
Rocky Balboa still calls out to Adrian as if he's a nobody who never left the old
neighborhood.
"Yo, Adrian! How ya doin'?" bellowed Sylvester Stallone, imitating the iconic
movie character that long ago helped vault his Rocky films into American lore.
As the actor/writer/director yesterday donated items from his first five Rocky films
to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, he reflected upon the
scrappy, pugnacious, unheralded boxer, who time and again triumphed over great
odds and adversity.
After a dormant decade-plus, since Rocky V in 1990, it's been a busy time recently
for Stallone's Balboa. A new collector's edition DVD of the original Rocky hit
stores this week, and the actor is gearing up for the release in two weeks of Rocky
Balboa, the sixth installment of the series.
The concept of a boxer in his 60s trying to recapture the glory of the original - in
real life and in celluloid - seems more punch line than knockout punch. But it's
undeniable that the Rocky franchise has had legs few would have expected when
Stallone made the original movie in less than a month; he had $100 in his bank
account when he first pitched it. On Monday night, he was in Philadelphia at the
Eagles-Carolina Panthers football game. As he walked into Lincoln Financial
Field, 60,000 people cheered, "Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!"
Stallone says Rocky, the rare movie character immortalized in statue, has become
larger than life and has given the world a lasting image of the underdog.
"Rocky is part of everybody. I don't claim ownership anymore," Stallone said
yesterday. "The reason the story worked is because all of us have a need to feel
fulfillment in their life. And that battle never ends. That's why I put it in the body
of a boxer."
Visiting the Smithsonian yesterday was a bit of a homecoming. Stallone said he
lived in Silver Spring as a youngster and his family moved to Potomac "when it
was still a one-horse town with all hills."
The sixth - and Stallone says final - installment, Rocky Balboa, will be released
Dec. 20, the day before Stallone's donated items will be featured in the Treasures
of American History exhibit, which is on view at the National Air and Space
Museum while the National Museum of American History undergoes renovations.
The exhibit includes the boxing robe Stallone wore to Rocky's stirring fight against
Apollo Creed in the 1976 film, which won the Academy Award for best picture
over All the President's Men and Network. The exhibit also includes Rocky's
signature hat from the first film, his boxing gloves from Rocky II and boxing
shorts and shoes from Rocky III.
Stallone acknowledges that his cinematic career much resembles the character he
created. He was a journeyman actor when he took his handwritten screenplay to
Hollywood and insisted he play the starring role. The film ultimately included one
of the most memorable scenes in cinema history - the title character's dash up the
steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to Bill Conti's tune "Gonna Fly Now."
"I've been here for 20 some years, and I see people run those steps every day.
Everyone in Philly sees it. It's like seeing waves on the ocean," author Michael
Vitez said in a telephone interview. A Pulitzer-winning reporter for the
Philadelphia Inquirer, Vitez spent a year watching people from all over the world
relive the famous scene, then recounted some of their stories in a recent book,
Rocky Stories: Tales of Love, Hope, and Happiness at America's Most Famous
Steps.
Vitez and photographer Tom Gralish chronicled visitors from as far away as South
Africa, Australia and Bulgaria re-enacting the beloved scene. Among the most
memorable, Vitez said, was a young man from France, with a Muslim father and
Catholic mother, who said he felt ostracized by his family.
"He was poor, his parents split up and he had no father figure growing up," Vitez
said. "Then he saw the film ... and identified with Rocky.
"He said that kept him on the straight and narrow, and when he grew up and had
the chance to come to America, he had to make a pilgrimage to Philadelphia and
run those steps," Vitez said. "What I've discovered is that running up those steps,
the Rocky steps, brings the message of the movie to life. It says that with faith and
hard work and a little luck, you can make dreams come true. They're celebrating
they're own lives and accomplishments."
Stallone said that after repeatedly hearing Rocky lingo used by children at schools
and politicians in speeches, he realized that he had created a character much like
Mario Puzo's Don Corleone or George Lucas' Darth Vader.
"It's got a life of its own," he said.
It's also given Stallone a life he scarcely imagined when he made the film with a $1
million budget. The first film grossed $117 million. Two of the four subsequent
films, though predictable in story line and ending, grossed millions.
"When Rocky opened, we opened in two theaters. Two," Stallone said. "Now we
are opening up in 6,000 in one night, and sometimes, worldwide, 15,000 in one
night. It's a whole different ballgame, and it's a money game now."
For a 60-year-old who performs his own fight scenes, Stallone appears to be
outrunning Father Time. Dressed in a black, pinstriped suit, he still has a
bodybuilder's physique. His tanned face is not as chiseled as in years past but
scarcely shows signs of aging. He said, however, he suffered a broken foot while
rehearsing scenes for the coming movie.
The man who created and starred as two memorable movie characters - the other
being Vietnam veteran turned killing machine John Rambo - can still draw a
crowd. Sixteen television cameras and a dozen photographers crammed into a tight
space at the exhibit, capturing Stallone's every move as he marveled at other
museum pieces set behind glass, including one of George Washington's suits,
Marilyn Monroe's gloves and Albert Einstein's pipe. His wife, actress Jennifer
Flavin, dabbed Stallone's face with a cloth when the hot lights made him perspire.
Stallone acknowledged that he's "very nervous" about the film's release but added,
"It's not about being No. 1. It just matters that we finished the film, and so far
people [who saw advance screenings] have liked it. To me, that's enough of an
endorsement."
He said he was so moved by yesterday's festivities that he'll likely donate two
items he previously said he wouldn't part with: a championship belt from the films
and the first-draft screenplay from Rocky.
Said Stallone, "I think they belong here."
The Baltimore Sun
CHILD SAFETY STARTS
WITH ALERT PARENTS
Joe Burris
THE BALTIMORE SUN
JUNE 22, 2009
Parents who fear getting separated from their children at amusement parks,
beaches and other vacation spots are turning more often to new high- and low-tech safety devices.
GPS tracking devices with wander alerts emit beeps or vibrations when a child
strays too far. Digital watches and apparel have high-decibel alarms. And
there's the SafetyTat, a waterproof tattoo created by a Baltimore-area mom
who wanted to attach her phone number to her child; a half-million have been
sold.
But even as these products allow adults to breathe more easily, experts caution
that they shouldn't replace parental monitoring - and common sense.
"Obviously it's another layer of protection, but nothing takes the place of
supervising kids," said Debra Holtzman, a Florida-based safety expert, herself
a mother of two, and author of the new book The Safe Baby: A Do It Yourself
Guide To Home Safety and Healthy Living. She added, "The most important
thing is keeping an eye on them at all times."
Gary and Cathy Newton agree. The San Antonio couple took their two children
to Six Flags America in Bowie on a recent weekday afternoon when the
expansive amusement park was virtually empty. Still, the Newtons made
certain their kids stayed close.
"We always try to keep an eye on them," said Gary, "and we make sure that
they understand that they need to keep an eye on us."
The Boston-based Center to Prevent Lost Children says that 90 percent of
families will momentarily lose track of a child in a public place; 20 percent
have lost a child more than once. Forty-five percent of the children get
separated from parents in malls and stores, and 27 percent in amusement
parks, according to the center, which consults with employees at amusement
parks, airports, beaches and similar areas.
That means tens of thousands of children go missing for some period of time
each year. Most are reunited with their families within minutes.
Often, parents believe they can rely upon monitoring devices more than they
should, said Alyssa Dver, executive director of the center.
Six years ago, she launched Wander Wear, clip-on tags for kids on which
parents can write their cell phone numbers. She was surprised to hear how
often parents let their guards down once they began using the tags.
"I found parents who would stick the tag on their kids and say, 'Everything's
cool,' " she said. "I say this: You might install LoJack on your car, but you
don't then leave it in an unsafe place with the doors open. The reality is that
the parent, the caregiver and the child need to know what to do" if a child and
parent are separated, she said.
Donna Worthy of Annapolis, who was touring Six Flags with her daughter and
niece, says that from a very young age, her daughter learned to give authorities
her phone number and her mother's name "so if anyone asks them, she
doesn't just say, 'Mom.' "
Often, parents feel overwhelmed by the possibility of losing a child, as Michele
Welsh of Phoenix, Md., did once as her family entered a crowded Hershey
Park in Pennsylvania. She wrote her cell phone number on her kids' wrists in
marker. After parents at the park marveled at her idea, she invented SafetyTat,
a temporary tattoo on which parents can write their cell phone numbers. The
tattoo is waterproof and lasts up to two weeks.
Welsh launched her safety tattoo venture two years ago and soon discovered
that other parents shared the same concerns about losing kids in a crowd. She
has since sold 500,000 SafetyTats, and has retailers in Sweden, Australia,
Canada and South Africa.
"It's all spread by word of mouth, from mom bloggers like me," said Welsh,
whose product can be purchased online and at several amusement parks. "I
haven't talked to one person who hasn't had that fear or hasn't experienced
losing a child momentarily in a crowd."
Officials at Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, Pa., offer a similar approach,
giving kids free wristbands on which parents can write cell numbers. At Six
Flags in Bowie, there are four security booths around the park and a station
for lost children inside the first-aid office.
The Freemasons of Maryland took another approach, creating the Child
Identification Program, which collects basic data such as a photo, fingerprints
and identifying characteristics. The free program provides parents with a
permanent record on paper and CD.
Doug Bassett, director for the Freemasons Grand Lodge of Maryland, said that
since the program was launched in April of last year, the group has identified
more than 5,600 kids, seniors and at-risk adults at 54 events in the state. The
group also conducts videotaping, fingerprinting and DNA sampling of children
for parents.
Many parents recommend teaching kids what to do in the event that they are
separated.
In his new book, Parking Lot Rules and 75 Other Ideas for Raising Amazing
Children, Tom Sturges says that children should remain in one place once
separated from their parents and draw as much attention to themselves as
possible by flapping their arms up and down like an angel's wings. He calls the
practice the Fly Like an Angel Rule.
Sturges, an executive vice president for Universal Music Publishing, said the
book speaks to real-life experiences in raising two boys. As a toddler, the older
child once got away from him while the family was checking into a Las Vegas
hotel.
"I look up, and there's our 3-year-old son getting into an elevator across the
lobby," said Sturges. "He gets in and the doors close and he disappears, and
time has no meaning because you've lost your child. But it was much ado
about nothing: Three minutes later, the elevator comes down and he comes
out."
Some child-safety items are designed to be hidden until activated.
The AmberWatch child alarm is made for digital watches and backpacks.
When activated, it emits a 110-decibel alarm that can be heard 400 yards
away. The digital watches sell for about $30, while the backpack sells for about
$35.
Safety 1st offers a Keep Child Close Tracker, a two-unit set (one for parent, one
for child) that alerts the parent when a child wanders out of 80-foot range; it
sells for about $25.
Hand-held GPS devices, meanwhile, allow parents to track a child's
whereabouts on a digital display screen with a press of a button. Some allow
children to activate distress signals as well. The devices sell for about $250.
Although some high-tech safety products might be out of a family's price
range, they can be vital, as every second counts when a child is lost.
"If they help to find one missing child," safety expert Holtzman added, "they're
worth it."
Keeping kids safe
Here are some low-tech child safety tips from safety expert Debra Holtzman,
author of Safe Baby: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Home Safety and Healthy
Living
* Don't advertise your child's name to strangers. Don't put your child's name
on the outside of clothing or possessions.
* Make sure that your children know their first and last names, as well as their
complete address and phone number. Make sure children know how to
contact you at all times. Children must also know how to dial 911 or 0 for
emergencies, and know how to make collect calls.
* In public places, never let a small child out of your sight. Teach children not
to run, walk or hide from their parents. Also, provide children with
instructions on what to do if they get separated from you. Point out and
identify specific people the child can ask for help. Teach your young child to
stay put and to not go looking for you.
* Keep everyone unplugged. Don't let kids listen to their headphones or play
hand-held video games while walking with you
Baltimore Sun
Coppin State suffers $2.5 million shortfall
BY JOE BURRIS
THE BALTIMORE SUN
OCT 07, 2014
Coppin State University suffered a $2.5 million revenue shortfall this fall
because of a drop in enrollment, and school officials said Tuesday that the
deficit is being offset with cuts to the administration and other cost-saving
measures rather than tuition increases.
Coppin State spokeswoman Tiffany Jones said Tuesday that the school
enrolled 3,133 students this fall, 250 less than a year ago. Tuition, plus fees,
for in-state students is about $6,000.
To offset part of the shortfall, a school vice president and an assistant vice
president have been let go, Jones said. Another assistant vice president has
assumed the duties of the vice president.
Jones said Coppin State faculty was not affected by the deficit.
"We've also implemented cost-saving measures. When all cost-saving
measures have been realized, they will have made up the $2.5 million
shortfall," Jones said. "We have not passed that deficit on to our students.
There are no conversations on the table to have student tuition impacted."
Rodrick Johnson, Coppin State's Student Government Association president,
said students were informed of the moves during a town hall meeting in
September.
Jones said another vice president has left the school because of a family
emergency and the position has been filled temporarily at a lower salary by a
former employee that has come out of retirement.
Jones said the school also has eliminated frozen positions and vacant
positions, and has scaled back expenditures.