Category: Campus Life

By Alexia Davis

The League for Women Voters (LWV) and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) hosted a debate for the 5th (and 7th) U.S. Congressional District on Oct. 25 in the Large Auditorium at Marple Campus.

The candidates are the first to run in an election for the 5th District, which was established after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court redrew district lines for the congressional map.

The 5th District includes Delaware County and part of Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

The debate between Republican Pearl Kim and Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon drew a large crowd. The room was packed with people, all sitting or standing in aisles and along the back wall.

“I just want to hear what both candidates have to say,” said Kadin Bard, a Delaware County resident. “My main thing is the economy, and I hope that one of them is able to keep taxes low.”

The 7th District will be listed as a special election on the ballot. Kim or Scanlon will be elected to complete the term for the U.S. House seat left vacant after the resignation of U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-7) in April of this year.

Scanlon, 59, is pro bono counsel for Ballard Spahr. She oversees approximately 600 lawyers in 15 offices across the country who provide pro bono legal services to low-income clients and nonprofit organizations.

Scanlon has been a civil rights lawyer for more than 35 years and has addressed issues including immigration, child advocacy, and voting rights. She explained her motivation for running for office.

“The administration is telling us not to believe what we can see in front of our faces,” Scanlon said. “And Congress isn’t listening.”

Kim, 39, a former special victims’ prosecutor, has led the attorney general’s campus security initiative before leaving to campaign full-time.

Prior to that, Kim served in the Special Victims and Domestic Violence Division at the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office. She explained to the audience why she is running for office.

“I was frustrated with the current climate of Washington, …and politicians [who] could not work across the aisle for the common good,” Kim said.

Regardless of the results on Nov. 6, history will be made when, for the first time, a woman is elected to represent the Delaware County region in the U.S. Congress.

The debate started with each candidate delivering her opening statement. The moderator then asked questions which were created by audience members and screened for relevance by the LWV prior to the start of the event.

Delaware County residents Sara Arnold and Jonathon Wilson wanted to hear where the candidates stood on climate change and the environment, as well as how immigrants are treated in this country.

Dawn Maxfield, a copy editor and Delaware County resident, said her primary concern is healthcare.

“I have a son with a pre-exiting condition, so that’s what’s important to me,” Maxfield said.

The candidates covered a range of issues, including healthcare, the national deficit, gun control, education and the opioid crisis.

Toward the middle of the debate, the exchange between Kim and Scanlon on the topic of campaign finance reform drew “oohs” from the audience.

Kim spoke to the importance of campaign finance reform so that qualified individuals have the means to run for political office.

According to Kim, majority of her campaign funding comes from herself, family and friends.

“[While] we do agree that we need significant campaign finance reform, I didn’t know Senator [Patrick] Toomey (R-Pa.) was one of your family, friends, or an immigrant.” Scanlon told Kim.

Kim responded by expressing her appreciation for the campaign support she has received from local Republicans and Sen. Toomey.

“But let’s be very real,” Kim retorted. “This is Pearl Kim versus Ballard Spahr.”

The debate lasted about an hour and ended with closing statements.

Both candidates thanked the LWV and NAACP for organizing the event and told the audience why each of them deserves the vote in the midterm election.

“Congress is not doing its job,” Scanlon said when describing what she hopes to change if elected. “It’s not legislating in a way to help the people in this district, and it’s not acting as a check on the worst impulses of the Trump administration.”

Kim spoke last, and stepped out from behind the podium to deliver her final statement.

“I am running to change the narrative,” Kim told the audience. “I am running to shake up both establishments, both Republicans and Democrats, and to remind everyone that the government is supposed to work for us!”

As this newspaper goes to press, Scanlon has a significant lead in District 5 and District 7.

Contact Alexia Davis at communitarian@mail.dccc. edu

By Keona Bonamy

Delaware County Community College’s Marple campus held an event titled “Movin’ on up: Living the African American Dream” on Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to noon in the STEM building.

The event, which featured EPA program analyst Ryan Maxwell, was sponsored by the Black and Latino Male Empowerment Initiative.

A dozen people attended, including faculty and staff, to hear Maxwell speak on her journey, successes, and difficulties as an African American woman, from her college years to her position as a program analyst for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

During the event, Maxwell contrasted the “American dream” and the “African American dream.”

“The typical American dream is a house, a car, two kids, dog, and a white picket fence,” she said. “[However], many of us do not live in neighborhoods where we can have white picket fences.”

Maxwell received her Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University and her Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland.

As a wife, mother, landlord and program analyst for the U.S. EPA for over nine years, Maxwell had many life lessons and experiences to share.

One significant experience was being the only African American woman on the board of directors of the Harrisburg International Airport.

“People don’t realize or understand how much diversity really just adds to the conversation,” she said.

Although this job was completely voluntary, Maxwell believed this was an avenue for change in her community.

She decided to take this opportunity to be a “voice for [her] people, at the table,” adding that money cannot always be the motive for doing things.

This mindset was present when Maxwell served as councilwoman for her small hometown of Steelton, Pa.

When Steelton’s mayor stepped down, Maxwell reviewed all the application letters wherein people described what they would do for the community if given the opportunity to serve as a council member.

Maxwell said she then realized none of the letters included why they were not doing anything for the community presently.

With that in mind, Maxwell agreed to serve as councilwoman for seven months. She described the experience as a “short, but a worthwhile experience” because it allowed her to get to know her neighbors and serve her community in a capacity she never imagined.

Maxwell explained what the African American dream means to her.

“I wanted to be college educated,” she said. “At one point that means having a PHD…something about ‘Dr. Ryan’ sounded good. That wasn’t in the cards for me, mainly because of student loans.”

Maxwell said she feels that the students at the college are already on the right path.

“College can be one of the biggest financial decision that you will ever make,” Maxwell said, elaborating on the financial benefits of community college.

Maxwell began her lecture by posing the question “What is the African American dream?” She followed up by asking each student to share their 10-year goals.

A student member of the Black and Latino Male Empowerment Initiative, who preferred to be known only as “Freddy,” shared his goals.

“Ten years, God willing, I start a motivational speaking company,” Freddy said. “My goal is to grow my business to the point where I can create generational opportunities for my family.”

Maxwell said that she understood and respected what Freddy said about creating a legacy. She described the first step to a legacy, life insurance and a will. Maxwell said in the African American community life insurance and wills are overlooked.

“When I look back at my time at Penn State and my Caucasian classmates, then I look to where I am at today, the difference between me and my friends is a will and life insurance,” she added.

Next, Maxwell discussed her voluntary position at Harrisburg International Airport, which led to another voluntary position as councilwoman for her hometown of Steelton.

According to Maxwell, her councilwoman position allowed her to have a “seat at the table” and offer an African American presence at meetings attended by majority white committees.

During the candid lecture, Maxwell emphasized that she does not want students’ goals to be something they turn away from.

“You never know which opportunity is going to build on something else,” Maxwell added.

Later, Maxwell explained that 10 years ago, she was unsure of what she wanted to do with her life, and that taking opportunities and stepping outside of her comfort zone helped her achieve her goals.

Maxwell’s said that her African American dream was to be married to a black man that would love her, care for her and understand her struggles and experiences. She also wanted a six figure income and a college education.

Afterwards, Maxwell discussed her experience as a student at a predominantly white institution.

At the time, Penn State had an African American population that was less than three percent. She visited her alma mater recently for a black alumni reunion and learned that the population has grown to about six percent.

Maxwell concluded her presentation by offering advice to the students. She encouraged them to not be embarrassed for who they are.

“As young black people, you will face so many issues,” Maxwell said. “It is very important to live your life above the fold. To live in a way where you make people proud to say they know you.”

Contact Keona Bonamy at communitarian@dccc.edu