Thinking About Returning to College?

by Monique Bruner

Today, many adults are going back to school. In fact, adults are no longer the non-traditional students they once were, as the average age of undergraduate students continues to increase. The numbers and types of programs available to adult students is also increasing, with a variety of options including evening and weekend programs, telecourses, distance education and others available throughout the area. Choosing the best school for you can be a confusing process! The following are a few questions along with information to get you started on your search.

WHY DO I WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL? It is important that you think carefully about why you want to return to school so that you pick the best program to suit your needs. Your motivation might be: · career advancement or change · to learn more about a particular area of interest · to complete a degree you began years ago · to motivate your college-aged children Your reasons for returning to school may have an impact on your choice of schools or the type of program

WHICH SCHOOLS SHOULD I APPLY TO? Choosing which schools to apply to can be a confusing process. Here are some questions to help you narrow your options: (1) What are the Entrance Requirements? Requirements vary from school to school so you will need to consult the college catalog or admission advisor for each of the schools you are considering. Because you are an adult, there may be special requirements that apply to you. If you are interested in a particular college, call the admissions office and ask about special programs for adult students. (2) What will I study? If you have a very specific idea of what you want to study, you should choose schools that have a strong program in that area. Most schools offer career-counseling services to enrolled students to help you select career options that match your interest and skills. (3) Does the school have a special program for adults? It may be to your advantage to attend a school that has a special program for adults continuing their education. These programs may offer a variety of services for adults, including flexible schedules, accelerated degree programs, credit for prior learning or for life experiences.

(4) Can I transfer credit? If you've already earned some college credit you should check to see if the schools you are applying to would allow you to transfer the credits you've earned. This will help you to earn your degree faster and avoid paying more than necessary. (5) Does the school have a part-time program? If you want to work at a job while you are in school, you should find out if you can complete the program you choose on a part-time basis. Talk with an academic advisor to help plan a schedule that will enable you to complete your course work while maintaining a job and family. (6) How much will I have to pay? The answer to this question varies a great deal depending on the school you attend and your financial situation. Most federal and state financial aid programs are not based on age but on financial need. (7) Where do I plan to live while I attend school? Find out what your housing options are. If you want to live on campus, ask the admissions office about housing availability. (8) Do I want a two-year degree or a four-year degree? The type of degree you choose depends on your career goals and plans. The following information offers a brief description of various degrees: · Associates degree - generally two years of full time study or 60 credits. Associates degrees may be in career areas (registered nursing, automotive mechanics, accounting) or in transfer areas (humanities, general education, liberal studies, business). · Bachelors degree - generally four years of full time study or 120 credits. · Certificates - generally less than one year of study. Certificate programs may be offered at the pre-associates level (for example, a certificate in secretarial studies) or the post-baccalaureate level (for example, a certificate in conference management for students who have already earned a Bachelor's degree).

(9) What size school would be best for me? The size of the school may be important to you. If you prefer smaller environments where people know you and are concerned with your welfare, you may find that a smaller college is a better fit. If you like lots of activities, services and options and a very diverse, busy environment, a larger college may be a good choice. (10) Is the location of the school an important fact in my decision? Can you relocate? Does the school need to be within easy driving distance? Should it be closer to your home or your work? Does the school have satellite campuses that are more convenient and can you take all of your courses at that site? (11) What other services are available on campus? Will I need childcare (some colleges have child care facilities on site)? Are there career counseling and job placement services available to adult students? What about tutors?

Identity Theft

Shop Online Safely When purchasing online know the what steps to take to secure you identity. · Be Web Ready · Know Your Seller · Go Over the ABCs

How Do I Protect Myself? Don't let strangers use your personal information to ruin your credit and good name.

1. Know the Victim Signs 2. Find Out How Thieves Do It 3. Check Out Prevention Tips 4. Take Proper Steps if It Happens

Orange Dot Help for Victims: Follow these steps for victims, and be sure to file a complaint online. Orange Dot Restoring Credit: Find out how to dispute credit report errors. Orange Dot True Stories: Hear about identity theft incidents from victims and law enforcement agencies. Orange Dot Other Scams: Stay one step ahead of the fraud and con artists.

For more in depth information, click the link below.

The Air You Breathe May Be Linked to Depression

by Monique Bruner

More than 17 million Americans suffer from depression and the exact trigger is difficult for physicians to detect. Recent studies have determined that exposure to various environmental toxins may be the most likely culprit of depression. We are exposed to these toxins daily in the air we breathe, food we eat, the homes we own, and the offices in which we work. "Pesticides, toxic mold and harsh chemical cleaners have become more prevalent in our homes today" as one physician has noted.

So check your use of pesticides in your home and garden such as washing produce from the grocery store, chemicals to kill weeds and dandelions, bug repellants, flea treatments and lice shampoos.

Watch out for environmental pollutants such as: some building materials, cleaning agents, printing and copying devices, combustion appliances, tobacco products, fungi, mold, radon and lead.

Don't forget that side effects of some prescription drugs can also lead to depression. Check with your physician on your prescription drug combinations.

How can you prevent this toxic invasion? Make the switch to organic - fruits, veggies, meat - since these items are grown without the use of pesticides and enhanced growing methods. Use natural pesticides that you can find at your local health food store. Read the labels on the items you currently use so that you are informed about the chemicals in them. Most importantly increase the communication between you and your physician.

See the following link for more information, clickthe link below.

SILENCE: In Search of Black FEmale Sexuality in America A Mya B. Film

by Yolanda M. Johnson

I had the pleasure of interviewing the beautiful, young and talented Mya B. The filmmaker's recent work is a documentary titled "SILENCE: In Search of Black Female Sexuality in America. The documentary, which was released in January 2004, has won the Urban Media Maker Film Festival Award in Atlanta, GA in 2005 and the Reel Sisters of the African Diaspora in March of 2005.

The interview was a short one as Miss Mya B is currently in Chicago for the ADFF. I want to thank Miss Mya for taking time out of her busy schedule to make me feel special by granting me the interview. Now, without further ado, I give you, Miss Mya B.

YMJ: Thanks for granting me this interview. I know you have been busy and know that you are currently in Chicago participating in a film festival. MYAB: Thanks for having me.

YMJ: What prompted you to write SILENCE? MYAB: I always had issues with my body. I was shy when it came to getting dressed in front of other people, and I found it difficult in relationships. I know these were things that were instilled in me when I was young. My mother never talked to me about sexuality. I mean I heard her talk about the birds and the bees, but I never knew what she really meant, so I decided to do something about the silence in our communities.

YMJ: So is it safe to say that you came up with the name SILENCE because the black women in our communities don't talk about or explore the subject? MYAB: I came up with SILENCE because the silent existence of not discussing it in our churches or our homes and not sharing it with our daughters. My mother always talked to my brother about it, but she never talked to me. You know mothers have this idea that they want their daughters to remain pure.

YMJ: How long have you been film making? MYAB: I graduated from Columbia College in Chicago, majoring in filmmaking. I did short films until 2002. I have a child so I had to put my career on hold and take on the role of mother.

YMJ: What was your first project? MYAB: I did a piece on Rastafarian women in Chicago. It dealt with spirituality of Rastafarian women. YMJ: Are you Rastafarian? MYAB: Yes.

YMJ: Do you think that black women today have expelled the myth that they are more inhibited than white women and do you see this also crossing racial lines? MYAB: Well I think that white women are more to more sexual practices. Now that doesn't necessarily mean that it is all good. I think America is a repressive culture. Blacks have a different story because of slavery. Many of our ancestors were raped in front of their families; their husbands and their children and I think that this has a lot to do with its perception.

YMJ: In light of videos and other forms of media where our black women are showing plenty of T&A and doing plenty of gyrating, do you really think that black women still have a problem with their sexuality? MYAB: We as black people tend to assimilate into a culture that is not ours. If you think back in earlier days, white women were being exploited in rock videos. But the difference is that white women protested and now you don't see that too much in the white culture. With blacks we have so much going on in the front, the middle and the back that one doesn't need to order or buy porn anymore, they can turn on a rap video. YMJ: Now, I found it interesting while I watch the film that there were a lot of men that had opinions about this subject. Do you really think that could add valuable opinions when the subject is female sexuality? MYAB: I think if the man is educated; yes. But if they are the kind of man that is into the whole T&A thing and likes the videos that portray women that way; then no. A conscious brother who knows the history and the purpose of Willie Lynch, and knows its purpose was to divide blacks; now he can give a valued opinion. Lately a lot of men have been coming to me and thanking me for shooting the film and they actually bring their sons to watch it with them.

YMJ: Have any of the men told you that it helped them to understand black women and that it has helped them in their relationships with women? MYAB: One man, who I met and now were are friends, told me that he had to walk out during the race scenes because his mother was raped and it touched him on a deeper level. I have not been told however, that it has helped in one's relationship. In the case of rape, one can tend to be over sexed or undersexed. It just depends. YMJ: You said that a lot of us as black women are taught the bible version of sexuality. Like it being moral and godly to wait until one is married before having sex. Can you expound upon that. MYAB: I'm not a religious person and I know that men wrote the bible. It is oppressive when it comes to women. I believe in the sanctity of marriage but I think it is important that women get to know themselves in terms of knowing what makes them feel good as a woman. Those are things we don't talk to our children about. We don't talk to them about things like periods or that there are certain times of the month that you can get pregnant. We don't talk to our children about masturbation and I think it is important to know how to please yourself. I believe that once you know how to please yourself, you are able to please a man. A lot of times, during sex, it is the man that is being pleased and the woman is programmed to do so. Men don't realize that they can't please the next woman as they did the last. They have the mentality that if Jane liked it, so will Rhonda. We as mothers have to set up a dialogue with our daughters so they know about safe sex and feel comfortable with their sexuality. I'm not saying that you should teach your sixteen daughter how to please herself but at some point their needs to be communication between the mother and the daughter on the topic. YMJ: What is your next project? MYAB: I'm currently working on a narrative that addresses HIV and brothers on the down low. I'm going to start it in September and try to finish it by January 2006. It will feature some animated scenes on how the HIV virus attacks the body from the inside. YMJ: Wow. Mya I watched the documentary, but I read somewhere that you filmed it with a digital camera. MYAB: Yes I did.

YMJ: You go girl! I would have never guessed that. Do have any plans for the big screen? MYA: (chuckle) Yes. I have projects working in my head, but you know when you have so many going on you tend not to complete them. So I am taking them one step at a time. YMJ: Now I know you have to go, but where is the film taking you next? MYAB: I will be at a film festival in Paco in February. I also have a new website. It's www.shootfilmsnotpeople.com.

YMJ: (chuckle) Now that is creative, where did you get the idea for that name? MYAB: The Rodney King drama. There was so much gang violence and so on going on, that I thought it was be nice if someone was filming it as it was happening. It would be nice if more people used their cameras to document subjects of interest. YMJ: Well Mya, I thank you again for allowing me to interview and want to say have fun in Chicago. MYAB: Thank you so much for interviewing me.

You can find out more about MyaB at her website www.shootfilmsnotpeople.com. There you can also get a bio on the talented filmmaker as well as order her works. This Chi-town native, who now resides in New York, is an inspiration to black women and the black race. It is refreshing to see one of our own, becoming aware and making the rest of us aware. I think all black women can relate to this documentary, especially if you have been victim to rape. I strongly suggest that you support this sister and purchase the documentary. Consider it as an investment in your future.

Malik Canty - Word Bird

YMJ: Tell us a little about yourself. MC: I've been blessed to tell the truth in the form of words. I believe that everyone has a mission to fulfill; have word will travel.

YMJ: Tell us about some of your appearances. MC: I did the Apollo once. I did the affirmation for the Unity Jam. I have performed in various places such as B.A.M.S. My church had a function there and I was on program.

YMJ: Do you consider yourself a spiritual poet? MC: No I'm flexible. If it preaches to the world then I give messages on it.

YMJ: How long have you been writing poetry? MC: For as long as I known how to pick up a pen. It's always been there. YMJ: What inspired you to write? MC: I started speaking for people were afraid to do it. People who did not know how to get the stress that was trapped on the inside to the outside.

YMJ: What type of poet do you consider yourself? MC: I'm a conscious poet. I try to get a message across. YMJ: Who are some of your favorite poets? MC: Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni and 2pac. I have to give him his props.

YMJ: Do you plan on eventually publishing your poetry in book form? MC: I have poetry published in the Millennium: Our Worlds Best Poets anthology and New Voices of New York, which is a monthly publication. YMJ: Have you won any poetry awards? MC: I was selected for best poet in 1999 at a poetry convention in Washington, and I was chosen out of 5000 poets. I got various plaques and acknowledgements from magazines and churches. I was a semi finalist in the McDonalds Gospel fest in 2004. I'm doing it for the mission and not the recognition.

YMJ: Is there a particular place that write or is it just when the feeling hits you? MC: The activation button takes place wherever. The atmosphere changes around me, I could look into an eye and there is a story to tell. So it can happen anywhere. YMJ: Is there anything that you would like our readers to know about you? MC: I want people to know that .. "Feeding Time for the Mind" is my motto. Everything happens for reason. I'm a conscious writer and it is my duty to get into the conscious. I want to use whatever it takes to get you to understand. I am do readings and I cover all areas. I am not a one track poet. You can also send me email .

YMJ: Where did Word Bird come from? MC: It came about a while ago in my writings. As I was writing it stuck with me. YMJ: Thank you for taking time out to talk to me. MC: Thank you.

You can email Malik at MalikCanty@yahoo.com

CONCERN

THEIR EYES NO LONGER HAD FIRE IN THEM VACANT, EMPTY, DEFEATED was the dominant expressions on the faces of the men. Angry, desponded, no lights, no life could be clearly seen as they moved as if driven by unseen hands that choke them with every step. Voiceless warriors, loveable zombies, street casualties, living while dead VENOM flowing out their lips, snarling at the life they live and angry about some of the things they did. The HEAT of LIFE is like an unwanted SUN that they want no part of. THEIR EYES NO LONGER HAD FIRE Nothing to live for, no one to love, don't believe there is no GOD up above Body language, clothing, all reek with defeat. Black faces, white faces, Brown faces all showing traces of agony..All showing signs that they have GIVEN UP and accepted their FATE. I have seen them moving aimlessly to and from with eyes that don't believe GOD HAD A SON. These men who walk the streets, ride the subways, roaming without purpose, cursing, hurting, never certain where they will eat, where they will sleep are STILL GOD'S LOST SHEEPS. Pray for them, pray for the men whose very presence makes you uncomfortable. There eyes no longer have fire and living is something many of them no longer desire Malik Canty Word Bird @6/20/05

Do you think that single mothers should be congratulated on Father's Day? And do you think that single fahters should be congratulated on Mother's Day? What say you? Email us at woym@awarenessmagazine.net

A Talk With Mark Anthony

by Yolanda M. Johnson

I'm here with Mark Anthony, founder of Qboro books. Qboro books is the force behind such authors as Mo Shines, Anna J, Gayle Jackson Sloan and T.L. Gardner. YMJ: Mark, thank you for agreeing to this interview. MA: Thank you for considering me. YMJ: How was Qboro books founded?

MA: I founded Qboro Books in 2004. I started off self publishing in the late 1990's. I had success but didn't stick with it. I made some mistakes, like with printing. I didn't have the knowledge at the time. Carl Weber and me were good friends. I went to Black Print Publishing and that experience wasn't the best. "Best wishes" ended up on the best seller list, and they didn't pay things such as royalties etc. I published my first book through my own company being my own guinea pig but I wanted to bring on other authors. "Doggism" was the first one I did with Qboro. "My Woman His Wife" was the first book I did with another author. From the money I made, I funneled it into the company and then published "My Woman His Wife', then "Ghetto Heaven". I made a routine of taking money that was made from one book to help with the next.

YMJ: What would you say the differences were between Qboro and traditional publishers? MA: The difference is that traditional publishing houses have a longer publishing time frame. Let's say they commit to a book in June 2005, that book may not hit the shelves until Jan 2007, whereas with Qboro we try to not be that long. There are pros and cons to putting it out early. We also have more flexibility in the sense that we can try different things and see if they work. Major publishers, they want to see success before they go full force.

YMJ: Does Qboro publish only "street lit" titles? MA: We don't limit ourselves to urban and street literature. There are some companies that are just one genre, but to that me it is risky. You never know where the customer's appetite will go. "My Woman His Wife" is more like fiction. When I chose to do that book, I studied what sells and what doesn't. I knew "My Woman His Wife" would sell because there wasn't much competition. We want to do 'chick lit' like Terry McMillan. We want to get into horror because there are not many AA in that genre. If it is a good book, people will buy it and read it. It doesn't matter what genre it is. We don't want to have one horror book we want to have five or six and have things even out. We do Christian fiction because there is a void. "Drama In The Church" is out in October. That one is by an author by the name of Dynah Zale who is out of Jersey. It's like diversifying the company. The "street" genre is growing, but I think the Christian genre has good potential If you look at what some of these others authors are selling, such as Stephen King and John Grisham, everything is stuffed into one genre. It makes more sense to me to diversify and go where the market is.

YMJ: What is the correct term? Street Lit or Urban Lit? MA: I don't think there is any one particular term. It could be street lit or urban lit. Me personally, its too early to define it. I would call street lit like "The Coldest Winter Ever", true to the game street lit. Urban lit is so broad. Anything can be urban. If you look in the urban setting, there are churches, crimes, relationships and so on. It is so broad.

YMJ: Would you agree that this booming genre is merely 'rap into books'? MA: In some aspect I would definitely agree with it. Some people would call it hip hop literature and I like that term. What I think happened, myself and other key players of publishing houses are parts of the hip hop generation. We grew up listening to rap music and hip hop music. I can definitely see where one would say 'rap to books'. No one thought it would last. Same thing with the publishing companies. A lot of the authors that got rejected had to do it on their own. It's like within the hip hop generation, there are struggles, and no one is going to give it to you. It has that similarity; some of the things that are rapped about and put in a book. There are 250 pages in a book and it allows you to be more descriptive. You have more time to show the moral of the story. As opposed to a rapper trying to squeeze a story in a three to five minute song. Now you see a lot of males that didn't read before and now they. Even 50cents is trying to start something called G-Unit books.

YMJ: What was your first book? MA: "Paper Chasers" and "Doggism". I co-wrote, a book called "Streets of New York". I have a book coming out September 1st called " Ladies night". It will be released by St Martins Press. YMJ: When did you being writing or when did your love for writing start? MA: I started pretty much with five subject notebooks and just wrote stories. When I wrote, I did it for fun and never intended on doing a book. When I was around seventeen, I would hang out on the scene and come home and put it into story form and it started from there. "Paper Chasers" I wrote in four or five notebooks. In the early 90s I was going to throw it out, but my sister told me not to. So I let people read it and they liked it. When I look back, there are different things that my mother said and things that happened in elementary school, and I see how things happened and why I wrote things but I never thought I would be making a living at it.

YMJ: What are some of the pros and cons of the industry. MA: It's not really difficult, as long as you have all the info. I always tell everyone, if you know that Puffy started a clothing company, knowledge was the biggest factor. Money played a part yes, but the key is that as a small publisher you have the same access to Borders and Barnes and Noble as Simon and Schuster. When I go into the book store and I see one of our books sitting next to a big house publisher's title, you can't tell the difference. And you can do that if you have the information. You have to figure out a cost effective way to print that is going to make you money and not lose it. I was printing one book at like four dollars per book. I was loosing money. But now I know that you can print them at $75 cents. Distributors will only pay 45% or 50% of cover price. You're going to make $6 a copy. So if you printed it at $1 you now are getting money back and you have a cushion. But you have to be smart with the profit from the book. If you don't understand the way the money flows, you'll spend more on printing the books and make less on the profit side. Once you understand those numbers its easier to navigate. Another thing you need to understand that if you put out a book today, there will probably be no money for like ninety days down the road. So you have to plan if you have to pay out royalties. You have to know how to prepare for it. You could go out of business because the money doesn't flow right and you don't pay your bills on time. Understand how the cash flows, pick good books, and get all the information you can. Know how to promote the book. That is important. That is what keeps the books selling. That's the short version, but there are so many more things that go with it.

YMJ: I know this is a personal question and you don't have to ask it if you do not feel comfortable. What are Qboro's yearly earnings? MA: We have been in business a little over a year. Last year was a blip in the sense that we only had the "Doggism" book. It sold approximately 20,000 copies, but we made a little over $100,000. This year we are going to top over $500,000. "My "Woman His Wife" came out late last summer. The half million dollar figure could be more. It all depends how the project books sale. But the books that come out in October or later will probably not profit until 2006. As you get more books into the system, you're going to make more money. We have an advantage being in New York. We have street vendors that come to us and buy books on the spot, and there is not a ninety day wait on your money etc. We have several sales channels like Bakers and Taylor that can get your books into your regular book stores You want to try to create as many channels as you can. We shipped out a lot of books to Jamaica. We have goals that we want to hit until we get over the million dollar mark. In comparison to a company like Harlequin, who does like four hundred and million in sales, it makes you see how poor you are, but it also makes you want to continue to build. We don't currently have the infrastructure in place but you make sure you build up to that.

YMJ: How many titles does Qboro have? MA: Currently we have seven titles. As of July we will have ten in print. YMJ: How many books does Qboro plan on adding annually? MA: For long range plans, I want to get to the point where we are doing ten books a month and maybe one hundred ten titles a year. You have to go into the various markets because you can't do that many in just one market. When the time is right, we'll go into mystery. Our goal is to reach African Americans but we want to be able to eventually grab all genres. I'm looking at major publishing companies and using them as a benchmark. It takes a lot of money and things to have in place to do one hundred and twenty books a year. You need support and if you don't have that support you may want to think about partnering with a company that is financially beneficial in some ways or have access to stores like Wal-Mart that you don't. That's always in the back of my mind.

YMJ: Have you won any awards or recognition? MA: My book was on the Essence best sellers list, but its not until you get on the New York Times best sellers list that you're really doing something. I've also found out recently I was in the Self Publishing Hall of Fame. YMJ: What about Qboro? MA: We were selected to speak at the Harlem Book Fair. We are so new that we are building our track record. So we are kind of immature we haven't made our mark yet. We were ranked #1 in publishing in a reader's poll. YMJ: If an author wanted to contact you regarding submissions and consideration for their work, how would they contact Qboro? MA: They can either send it in regular mail or email. If we can get the entire manuscript we can manage the flow of it. Some authors don't feel comfortable with sending the entire manuscript, and we understand that so you can send the first three chapter.

YMJ: I've added Qboro's contact information at the end of this interview. Would you accept books from self published authors? The one's who actually have their own books self published but used a P.O.D. to print them? MA: I don't think those print on demand companies are that good because of the expense. Amy Fischer did her book POD but she can go on Oprah and so on and push that book. But unless you can do things like that, it's not a good thing. If you can come up with $2500 and $3000 you can do it yourself. Because with that money you can get your hands on 3000 copies of that book and get them into the book stores. Some are scared, but once they take a chance, you've gotten your foot in the door. With companies like I-Universe you may not get that chance. Word of mouth is very important. Anna was with Genesis Press. They published one of her books but it didn't do well and another book they turned down even though it was a good product. The publisher has a lot to do with how well a book does. But if there is not a demand created for a book it won't do well. We did a good cover and put the title out there. YMJ: Are there any last words or anything you would like our readers to know about Qboro Books. MA: I want people to know that I am happy about the industry. I am committed to this. Writing and running the company is not like work to me because I love it. I know Qboro Books will be around a long time. We support the other companies but at the end of the day we want to sell more books than them, but it's not like a hating thing. We want to make an impact on the publishing industry.

Phone: 718-977-0885 Fax: 718-977-8548 Email: info@Qborobooks.com Mailing address: Q-BORO BOOKS PO Box 310907 Jamaica, NY 11431 For appearance or signing requests, contact: Literary Consultant Group Nakea S. Murray - Publicist Phone: 267-235-5545 Fax: 215-871-0890 Email: literaryconsultantgroup@yahoo.com