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| Northern University High School students Dorian Hundley, left, and Danielle Snowden, second from left, react to an announcement made earlier by University of Northern Iowa President Ben Allen, that Malcom Price Lab/Northern University would be closing this July, at Northern University High School in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012. |
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier
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| Participants in the violence prevention program, Dare To Be King, gather in a unity circle and take turns pouring out water into a plant as part of their weekly ritual before beginning the program materials at Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in Waterloo, Iowa on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. The group of about 15 African-American boys ages 9-14 has been participating in the 16-week program since early November. |
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier
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| Seated, from left to right, Jalen Webster, 10, Dakar Carter, 12, Tymaine Beaman, 13, Taveon Hale, 14, and Keon Campbell, 9, all of Waterloo, are mentored by (standing, from left to right) Willie Johnson, Dairon Carter, and James Smith, during a small group discussion of a hypothetical situation as part of the curriculum for decision-making and violence prevention, called Dare To Be King, held at Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in Waterloo, Iowa on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. The group of about 15 African-American boys ages 9-14 has been participating in the 16-week program since early November. |
As a side note, Willie Johnson, above, is the father of Martavious Tavarous Johnson, 17, who was shot and killed in Waterloo on January 5, 2012. At a candlelight vigil honoring the loss of his son, Willie said, "We want to turn that negative energy to positive energy," he said. "Use this as a stepping stone to teach your children to do better and know better."
