kris ex is a writer who played a key role in the creation of hip-hop journalism. Starting in the early 1990s, his work at Ego Trip, One Nut, Rolling Stone, The Source, and especially Vibe helped set the template for what it meant to write about rap music and the people who make it. His eye for the perfect detail, love for the music and culture, and willingness to challenge pretty much anyone and anything has made him arguably the most well-regarded writer in a peer group that includes many heavy hitters.

kris has profiled stars like Jay Z, Aaliyah, The Lox, and A Tribe Called Quest; and reviewed the highest of high-profile albums by the likes of Nas, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem. He also co-wrote 50 Cent’s 2005 memoir. These days, you can find him writing for Mass Appeal, Pitchfork, and Billboard, among other outlets.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/224/ for full show notes and comments.

Mathematics, or Allah Mathematics, is a DJ and producer who has been part of the Wu-Tang Clan since before there was a Wu-Tang Clan. He DJ’d for GZA in the early 1990s, back when the rapper was known as “The Genius.” At the same time, Mathematics kept seeing a young rapper named Rakeem around town. That guy, Rakeem, would soon become the RZA, and would assemble an all-star team of MCs to form one of the most influential rap groups of all time.

Mathematics DJ’d for almost all of the Wu members at different points, as well as spinoff groups like Red and Meth. But starting in the mid-1990s, he really made his mark as a producer. Mathematics produced some of the best-loved songs from Wu-related projects, including “Mighty Healthy,” “Cobra Clutch,” “Wu Banga 101,” and more. He also designed the crew’s famous “W” logo.

In recent years, he’s been heavily involved with group albums like Iron Flag and A Better Tomorrow. All of this culminated in his new album, Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues. The record features contributions from almost every member of the Clan, and is executive-produced by RZA himself.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/225/ for full show notes and comments.

DJ Statik Selektah has been on his grind since he first started DJing in his very early teens. He made a name for himself as a mixtape DJ, but really broke out once he started making beats on his own. He has released seven solo albums, with his latest, 8, coming out this Friday, December 8th. Those records have featured guest appearances from almost everyone in hip-hop, from Kool G Rap and Bun B to Smoke DZA and 2 Chainz. In addition, he has released collaborative albums with Bumpy Knuckles, Termanology, Freeway, KXNG Crooked, Freddie Gibbs, and others.

As an artist and producer, Statik has played an important role in the careers of Mac Miller, Action Bronson, and countless other up-and-coming stars. And he has had a special role as a big brother for Joey Badass and his Pro Era crew, serving as the collective’s tour DJ for years and producing many of their best-loved songs.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/226/ for full show notes and comments.

Percee P is a rapper whose reputation and influence far outpaces his relatively small recorded output. The Bronx-born artist grew up right alongside hip-hop - he started rapping as a young kid right as the first rap records were coming out, and was in the mix as hip-hop was being created in his neighborhood. Whether it was watching DJ’s at park jams, being around noted graffiti writers, or watching up-and-coming groups rehearse their routines, Percee was right there.

His first record was 1988’s “Let the Homocides Begin,” which was featured on an EP put out by Gotham City Records. That track, along with others like “Now They Wanna See Me” and some guest verses on tracks by Lord Finesse, Kool Keith, and others built up Percee’s reputation as a pioneer of fast-rapping virtuosity.

In later years, Percee took to selling music - both his own and from his voluminous collection of early hip-hop tapes -all around New York City, particularly in front of the influential Fat Beats record store. Contacts he made there ended up getting him signed to Stones Throw, and he released his long-awaited debut album Perseverance in 2005, along with an album of remixes. At around that same time, video was unearthed of a 1989 battle between Percee and Lord Finesse, giving new shine to his early career.

And make sure to stay tuned after the Percee interview for a very special bonus. If you miss it, it’ll be the greatest mistake of your life.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/227/ for full show notes and comments.

Bill Adler is…well, you probably already know who Bill is. Publicist, journalist, author, gallery owner, archivist - Bill has done it all. From helping to popularize acts like Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys to defending free speech alongside Luther Campbell to boycotting the Grammys with Public Enemy and the Fresh Prince, there’s very little Bill hasn’t done.

But most importantly, Bill Adler is a Christmas music obsessive. Every year since 1982, he’s created a mix of seasonal music that he actually likes, called the Christmas Jollies. And the past five years, we’ve been lucky enough to sit down with him to discuss the music on it.

You can find this year’s collection here, and several other past volumes can be found elsewhere on our SoundCloud page.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/228/ for full show notes and comments.

Reggie “Combat Jack” Ossé was a lawyer, a blogger, a music executive, a father, and much more. But most people will remember him as a podcasting legend. The host of the eponymous Combat Jack Show raised the bar throughout his time as a media figure, becoming the most influential hip-hop podcaster and even the co-creator of an entire podcast network.

Ossé died on December 20, 2017. To celebrate his life, this is a revamped version of an interview we first did with him that aired in early 2013. It also includes tributes to Combat from some of the people who worked closely with him over the years.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/229/ for full show notes and comments.

Ice is someone who surely needs no introduction…which won’t stop us from giving him one anyway. He got his start in music as part of L.A.s mid-1980s electro scene, emceeing and managing the stage at the noted club Radio, working with people like The Unknown DJ and Chris “The Glove” Taylor, and making a notable appearance in the 1984 film Breakin’.

Following the release of his classic song “6 in the Mornin’” and a fateful 1986 trip to New York City, Ice landed a deal with Sire Records, and began producing a string of huge-selling and groundbreaking albums like Rhyme Pays, Power, and O.G. Original Gangsta. In the 1990s, he turned his attention to acting as well, and appeared in dozens of films including New Jack City, Surviving the Game, Johnny Mnemonic, Trespass, Tank Girl, and more. Oh, and somewhere in there his rock band Body Count recorded the notorious track “Cop Killer.”

These days, Ice’s day job is starring as Detective Fin Tutuola on Law and Order: SVU. But he’s still making music, both on his own and with Body Count.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/230/ for full show notes and comments.

Skyzoo is a fantastic Brooklyn rapper whose sophisticated lyrics and ear for soulful beats has long made him one of our favorites. Longtime listeners will no doubt remember that he’s been a guest on the show twice before. But this is different.

Sky approached us last month with the idea of having an in-depth conversation to tease out the themes and ideas in his awesome new record. In Celebration of Us, easily his most topical project to date, deals with police violence, gentrification, discrimination, validation, and ultimately what it means to be, as Sky is, a black man raising a black boy in America today.

He wanted to have the talk at a place near to his heart, so we met at Mike’s Coffee Shop. Mike’s is a Brooklyn diner that has been a staple of the rapper’s life since childhood, and remains one now that he has a child — his newborn son Miles — of his own.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/231/ for full show notes and comments.

Evidence first became known to most hip-hop fans as a member of Dilated Peoples. The group, which consists of Ev, Rakaa Iriscience, and the virtuosic DJ Babu, were beloved champions of hip-hop’s underground in the early 2000s.

After a number of successful Dilated projects, Evidence decided to go solo in 2007 with The Weatherman. Since then, he’s continued to release music on his own, with the group, and even with his longtime friend, the producer Alchemist, as the Step Brothers. His latest release is Weather or Not.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/232/ for full show notes and comments.

Erick Sermon got his start alongside Parrish Smith as a member of the iconic duo EPMD. Starting with their debut single in 1987 and their first album the following year, the group released four classic LPs in a row - a nearly unprecedented run in a still-new genre - before splitting (for the first time) in 1993. At the same time, Sermon was instrumental in finding and introducing hit acts like Das EFX, K-Solo, Keith Murray, and Redman for his Hit Squad collective. After the breakup, Erick began a successful career as a solo artist and producer, culminating in his giant 2001 hit “Music.” As a producer, he’s helmed hits for LL Cool J, Jay Z, Illegal, Jodeci, and even Shaquille O’Neal. Most recently, Sermon completed a successful campaign to crowdfund a new album.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/233/ for full show notes and comments.

Sage Francis and B. Dolan are both from Providence, are both rappers who have roots in spoken word, have toured and sporadically recorded together for years, and even share a label—the Sage-founded Strange Famous Records. But it has taken them until 2018 to release a full project as a duo: the Epic Beard Men.

Sage is a beloved underground rap veteran who has been releasing albums of his smart, introspective, and emotional music consistently since 2002, and touring the universe maniacally to support them—all while running Strange Famous. B. Dolan is an equally talented wordsmith whose solo work is as likely to give new life to old union hymn as it is to pay tribute to the Ol’ Dirty Bastard. The group has a new EP, Season 1, and an album on the way.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/234/ for full show notes and comments.

The Arsonists were a crew formed in Bushwick in the early 1990s. D-Stroy, who began his rap career in his early teens alongside famed DJ Tony Touch in the duo Touch and D-Stroy, helped to solidify a group that would come to consist of, among others, Freestyle, Jise One, Swel Boogie, and Q-Unique. After putting out several early singles, the group was the first hip-hop act to sign to Matador Records, a label better known for indie rock. They released their debut album As the World Burns in 1999.

An intense touring schedule and its attendant stresses put pressure on the crew, and it splintered after the 2001 follow-up Date of Birth. But the Arsonists are back with a new album, Lost in the Fire, and a reissued version of their debut. Lost in the Fire features a mix of old but previously unreleased material alongside new songs.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/235/ for full show notes and comments.

Jean Grae was our show’s first-ever guest back in 2012. She is one of the finest rappers out there, and a great producer as well. But in recent years, she’s expanded her horizons even further, pushing into comedy, sitcoms, instructional albums, audiobooks, talk shows, variety shows, and even her own church.

Quelle Chris joined us in 2016. Since then, he’s released the acclaimed album Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often and the instrumental project Lullabies for the Broken Brain.

Now Jean and Quelle have joined forces for the incredible new album Everything’s Fine. The project has been met with critical raves from pretty much everywhere, and rightly so. It shows Jean and Quelle in absolute top form: rapping, singing, producing, and playing on a group of songs that respond to today’s often-frightening world with humor, sadness, and a reminder that when we tell people that everything’s fine, we almost never mean it.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/236/ for full show notes and comments.

Phonte first visited us in early 2016, when we had a career-spanning interview. But now he’s back with No News Is Good News, an incredible new album that turns the rapper’s last several years of tragedies and triumphs into amazing art.

Phonte first came to most rap fans’ notice as a member of the critically acclaimed group Little Brother, and has since released an array of solo, duo, and group projects - most notably with Foreign Exchange. No News Is Good News finds Phonte reflecting on the deaths of close family members, the happiness brought by a new marriage, and what it’s like to possibly have more years behind you and in front of you. All of that, combined with Phonte’s incredible rhyming, makes for one of the best records of the year.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/237/ for full show notes and comments.

MC Paul Barman first started making songs in the late 1990s, during his time at Brown University. His wild rhymes about topics like a slacker college student who becomes half man, half goat in order to become a star quickly caught the ear of legendary producer Prince Paul, who produced Barman’s 2000 EP It’s Very Stimulating. That project introduced Paul Barman to the hip-hop masses as a guy as likely to drop a reference to a Polish filmmaker as LL Cool J, and to write lyrics that incorporate elaborate rhyme schemes, acrostics, and even Morse code.

Since It’s Very Stimulating, Barman has released two full-length albums and several mixtapes. His brand-new album (((echo chamber))) is out Friday, May 18th on Mello Music Group.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/238/ for full show notes and comments.

This week, we talk to a man who needs no introduction, Big Daddy Kane. Kane tells us about his legacy, dissing Erick Sermon, who really produced his first album, and tons more. This is a Cipher-ized, improved version of an episode that originally ran in 2013.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/239/ for full show notes and comments.

Kalyn is a rapper and the leader of the eclectic Denver-based group Wheelchair Sports Camp, who have garnered critical acclaim for their music and their energetic live performances almost since their founding in 2009.

Wheelchair Sports Camp - named after a real camp that Kalyn, who has brittle bone disease and has been in a wheelchair her whole life - used to attend, is a group that pushes the boundaries in sound and subject matter. Most performances consist of Kalyn, drums, and trumpet, and their latest album No Big Deal explores everything from gentrification to the pressure artists put on themselves to important social issues.

In addition to being a great rapper, Kalyn is also an activist, and now a politician. She participated in a big protest against the repeal of the ACA that had her and other activists taking over a senator’s office. And now she’s running - or rather, as she puts it, rolling - for Mayor of Denver.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/240/ for full show notes and comments.

Soundset is a festival in the Minneapolis area put on by the Rhymesayers label. It’s been running since 2008, and has grown from a show in a warehouse to a day-long outdoor event featuring some of music’s biggest acts.

This past May, we went to the festival to hang out and talk to the performers, and on this episode and the next one, you’ll hear the results. This time, you’ll find conversations with Rapsody, Grieves, K-Salaam, Sa-Roc, and Prof. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the first half of The Cipher’s Soundset special.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/241/ for full show notes and comments.

Soundset is a festival in the Minneapolis area put on by the Rhymesayers label. It’s been running since 2008, and has grown from a show in a warehouse to a day-long outdoor event featuring some of music’s biggest acts.

This past May, we went to the festival to hang out and talk to the performers, and and this is the second of two episodes where you can hear the results. This time, you’ll find conversations with Murs, Nikki Jean, OG Grip, and Evidence. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the conclusion of The Cipher’s Soundset special.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/242/ for full show notes and comments.

Joan is a writer who got her start in the 1990s, helping to create what came to be known as “hip-hop journalism” with her articles at places like Vibe and the Village Voice. Whether she was writing about the Mike Tyson trial, profiling TLC, or investigating the sex trade in Jamaica, Joan brought her keen, Bronx-raised sensibility to everything she touched.

Joan pioneered hip-hop feminism—and came up with the phrase “black girl magic,” to boot—in her classic 1999 book When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down. And now she has a brand new book, a reflection on Ms. Lauryn Hill’s classic debut album. It’s called She Begat This: 20 Years of the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/243/ for full show notes and comments.

Glen “Daddy-O” Bolton is a rapper, producer, executive, and all-around hip-hop Renaissance man. He formed the ground breaking Stetsasonic in 1981, and the group went on to release several classic albums and become the first great hip-hop band.

As a producer and remixer, he worked with everyone from Audio Two to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to They Might Be Giants. He was an executive at MCA and Motown, and continues to consult with a number of companies. And he’s still releasing music to this day. Daddy-O’s latest album, released this past May, is No Tablecloths.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/244/ for full show notes and comments.

Nick, as you undoubtedly already know, is a musician, actor, comedian, TV executive, and all-around entertainer. He got his start doing stand-up comedy while still a teenager. He parlayed that into work at Nickelodeon, where he wrote for and starred in now-classic shows like All That, Kenan & Kel, and the appropriately-named Nick Cannon Show. He moved from that into starring in movies like Drumline and Love Don’t Cost a Thing, putting out several stand up specials, and even hosting America’s Got Talent.

But, as you’ll hear, Nick has always thought of himself as a musician first. He has released numerous albums and mixtapes, written and produced for other artists, and has worked with everyone from Biz Markie to Gucci Mane to the Neptunes to Kanye West. And, of course, he combined his loves of hip-hop and improv comedy into the long running hit TV show Wild ‘N Out. Nick’s latest musical project, released earlier this year, is Calling All Models: The Mixtape.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/245/ for full show notes and comments.

K-Salaam is a producer and DJ who, both by himself and with his production partner Beatnick, has made beats for some of your favorite artists. A short, by no means complete list includes Nas, Freddie Gibbs, Talib Kweli, Trey Songz, Lil Wayne, Murs, Bun B, Sizzla, and Young Buck.

K-Salaam got his start in Minneapolis, where he was an integral part of the early years of the Rhymesayers label. He DJ’d for many of the label’s acts, as well as for their signature radio show. In recent years, he and Beatnick also worked extensively with Ms. Lauryn Hill, and even had one of their tracks featured in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/246/ for full show notes and comments.

Jericho Jackson is a group made up of producer Khrysis and rapper Elzhi. Khrysis is best known for his work with the rap collective the Justus League, which counts among its members 9th Wonder. He is currently a member of 9th’s production team the Soul Council. In addition to his North Carolina crew, Khrysis has produced for Sean Price and Heltah Skeltah, Jean Grae, Evidence, Talib Kweli, Black Thought, and many others.

Dedicated Cipher listeners will remember Elzhi from our talk with him on episode 152. The Detroit rapper came to a lot of fans’ attention during his time as a member of Slum Village. He followed that up with a staggering series of solo albums, including the Nas reinvention Elmatic and the deeply personal Lead Poison.

Khrysis and Elzhi’s recent joint album is called Khrysis and Elzhi Are Jericho Jackson.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/247/ for full show notes and comments.

Mid90s, which opened this past Friday, October 19th, is a film Hill wrote and directed about a group of skateboarding friends in—you guessed it—the mid-1990s. The incredibly authentic period piece features plenty of nods to the skateboarding scene and the music of the time period, including songs from the Pharcyde and the Gravediggaz, and a memorable cameo appearance by Del the Funkee Homosapien.

This is Jonah’s first film as a writer/director. He has, of course, starred in tons of films, from Superbad to Moneyball to The Wolf of Wall Street. For this interview, Hill was joined by Sunny Suljic, who plays Stevie; Na-kel Smith, who plays Ray; Olan Prenatt, who plays Fuckshit; Gio Galicia, who plays Ruben; Ryder McLaughlin, who plays Fourth Grade; and Alexa Demie, who plays Estee. To rap fans, Na-Kel Smith’s name and voice may sound familiar—he has a music career of his own, and has appeared on songs with Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/248/ for full show notes and comments.

Mike “Heron” Herard is a record exec, producer, manager, label owner, and all-around music business legend. He first came to the attention of underground hip-hop fans when he was the co-founder of Hydra Records, which released music by Screwball, Godfather Don, and many others. He then moved over to Rawkus Records, where he played a key role in Big L’s posthumous album The Big Picture. He has also managed Joell Ortiz, and is currently the Vice President of A&R at Shady Records. In addition, he runs the company BeatHustle, a firm that manages composers who compose music specifically for rap producers to sample.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/249/ for full show notes and comments.

Masta Ace is a legendary rhymer whose career began with the Juice Crew and has continued through a series of beloved solo and group albums. Marco Polo is a Toronto-born producer who moved to New York City in the early 2000s, and took his adopted hometown’s traditional boom-bap aesthetic to heart. Marco has brought his rugged sound to Torae, Pharoahe Monch, Ruste Juxx, Sean Price, Vinnie Paz, Rah Digga, and many more.

Now, Marco and Ace have joined up for a new album. A Breukelen Story combines a set of incredible songs with a series of skits that follow Marco’s journey from Toronto to NYC—an Ace-written storyline that both mirrors and features people from the producer’s real life.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/250/ for full show notes and comments.

Every Christmas since 2013, we’ve sat down with Bill—who is the former head of PR at Def Jam, among numerous other accomplishments—to talk about his world-famous Xmas Jollies mix. Bill spends the whole year scouring record stores, flea markets, the internet, and everywhere in between to find the perfect batch of great holiday music, and then shares it with his select mailing list, and with us. Now, we talk to him about some of this year’s selections.

You can hear Bill’s mix in its entirety at our Soundcloud page.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/251/ for full show notes and comments.

As many of you know, The Cipher is going on an indefinite hiatus following this episode. For more information about why, visit us on Twitter or Facebook, or just listen to this episode. But in short, we have no plans to make any more new episodes after this one. Our archives, however, will still be available and free on our website, on iTunes and other podcast apps, and on SoundCloud.

For this goodbye episode, we called up our friend and episode 201 guest Jay Smooth to interview The Cipher’s host Shawn Setaro and its producer Josh Kross. Jay, as you’ll hear, did an amazing job, and got us to touch on so many aspects of the show’s history, and of ways we thought about it over the years.

So here’s the end of the road, for now. Thanks for listening.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/252/ for full show notes and comments.

I don’t know the type of person I would be if I were an only child, and honestly I don’t even want to imagine that version of myself. My older sister Isabel has taught me so much in my brief 19 years, both through her successes and her (occasional) mistakes. We weren’t the best of friends as children; my mom always tells me she was legitimately worried we would hurt each other in one of our epic brawls. My dad even started calling family game night “family fight night” because they would usually end with Isabel and me being sent to our rooms. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve begun to understand the complex person that is my sister. Isabel is probably the most courageous, self-sufficient person I’ve ever known. She won’t back down from anyone or anything. At 16 she decided to spend six months in the south of France as an exchange student, despite having taken only two years of French. I can’t imagine taking that chance now much less in high school, but that just shows how different we are.

I believe in thank you notes. I believe in sending them and in receiving them. Absolutely for gifts – every gift REQUIRES written acknowledgement – but also for random acts of kindness or thoughtful behavior and for hospitality. Ask anyone, “Hey, how are you doing?” and they will most likely respond, “Busy. I am SOOO busy. There is just too much going on.” People are busy. Everyone is busy. Work. Play. Shopping. Recreation. Family. Cooking. Errands. Laundry. School. Housework. Social commitments. Yard work. Commuting. Volunteering. It’s hard to make time for yourself, much less for others. That’s why it is so darned special when someone takes the time to do something nice. It may be something small, such as checking to see if you have books that need to be returned to the library since they are going. Or something bigger, like inviting you over for dinner because they know you’ve spent the day carting around mulch in the yard and will be too tired to cook. I believe people who make the

I cry every day. My tears are tears of anguish but also tears of the most intense joy. I don’t think I am depressed. I think I am responding appropriately to our contradictory and often terrifying world of conflict and violence. I think I am also in a constant state of amazement and wonder at the many quotidian miracles I witness…and how astonishing is Mother Nature’s delicate balance. Recently my husband and I saw a tiny baby black bear chasing a newborn spotted fawn dashing precariously across South Atherton Street, just before the town of Boalsburg. We still cannot believe it happened. I have discovered that some of us have been nourished by a profound sense of beauty and empathy at life on Planet Earth. This doesn’t mean I don’t also feel repelled by institutional racism, rampant cruelty, indifference, and denial. It’s hard work, but I am learning to reconcile these extremes and keep repugnance at bay—enough so that I am still under the magical sway of precious life. I believe the

I believe in Jeopardy. Growing up, my family had a dinnertime routine. No matter what food we were eating or who was sitting around the kitchen table that night, we would always watch Jeopardy! at 7 o’clock. As Alex Trebek read the questions (or, as they’re known in Jeopardy terms, answers), we ate leftover lasagna and tried to remember facts about world geography and Shakespeare. The first person to shout out the correct answer was the winner. There was never any prize for us playing along at home, but that didn’t matter to me; being smarter than my parents and my sister was all the reward I needed. It was during these nightly viewings of Jeopardy that I first realized I didn’t like not knowing things. Nothing was worse to me than watching an entire category of clues go by while I knew nothing. I devoted my time to reading almanacs, newspapers, and even the dictionary in an attempt to learning everything about, well, everything. I don’t consider myself a competitive person; I lose

I believe in party dresses. My mother and I both use clothes to make a statement. For 26 years, my mother, Margaret Simmons, worked as a high school home ec teacher. She can sew anything: business suits, wedding dresses. She must have altered a hundred prom dresses over the years for her students who were not conventionally sized. My mother loves fabric in bright colors, purples and reds. But she went to work every day in rather conservative business suits. That was her cry for some modicum of respect from school administrators who thought nothing of interrupting her class to get a cup of coffee from the home ec room kitchen. My mother started college in the 1950s. Teaching and nursing were pretty much the only fields that were open to her. Like most of her female classmates, she dropped out to get married. Three kids later, she finished her degree at the age of 40, staring down the difficult reality of single parenthood. She needed respect and a living wage. She didn’t get either.

I believe in mental health awareness. I believe that one cannot be physically healthy without being mentally healthy. Mental health has always been something I take very seriously. One’s emotions and mental stability can change their whole life, for better or for worse. And in doing that, it can change the lives of individuals around them. After being diagnosed with anxiety in the summer of 2017, I was immediately put on medication and placed into therapeutic and psychiatric help. Once I started talking things through and getting used to my medication, I realized that this thing called “anxiety” had been living in me for longer than I thought. I always assumed it was normal to have trouble breathing before major events, while meeting new people, or in a situation of sadness or stress. It was what my mind and body were used to. Once I found myself not being able to leave my dorm room, excessively sweating through the night and losing my appetite, I knew that this had gone way beyond a

I believe in movie theaters. The first time I went to a movie theater, I was about 6 years old. My parents took my brothers and me to the Rowland Theater in Philipsburg to see the original Disney version of 101 Dalmatians – it was around 1969. I remember sitting in the balcony. I remember a night scene where a car was barreling down a road with a network of dogs barking. I was scared and I was fascinated, and, doggone it, I couldn’t see the whole screen. There was a bar that ran across the front of the section, and it cut through the middle of the screen blocking my view. I had to keep scooching down in my seat, trying not to spill my popcorn. Cruella DeVil terrified me, and yet I wanted to see everything. I grew up going to matinees at the theater, as did almost everyone in my generation who grew up around Philipsburg. We all have memories of the 102-year-old movie palace that still draws people to our beloved town. This theater ties us together. The years have flown by since that

“For all of you out there, there’s an old cliché: Go out on a limb—that’s where all the fruit is.” I listened to Colin Cowherd say this years ago, right after he left ESPN to work at Fox Sports. As an aspiring sports broadcaster, I’ve always loved watching Cowherd, but I never bought that dumb saying. However, it’s turned out to be a saying that’s defined much of my life. My family moved around a bit when I was young, but when I was six, my parents settled us down in Horsham, Pennsylvania. I loved Horsham. It was the first place I lived where I could make friends with neighbors, classmates, and not fear having to leave them in a few months. I was able to create a life for myself, and it was a life that was very comfortable. Then in middle school, my parents’ marriage started to fail. In the 8th grade, my father told me he was moving to Charleston, South Carolina because he’d accepted a teaching job there. He also told me the time had come for him and my mother to split. Where I fit

I believe in running. If you asked me how I felt about running five years ago, I would have laughed at you. My feelings about running? Pure, undeniable disgust. Coupled with my asthma and general lack of motivation, I considered running as one of my worst enemies. When I was younger, I always dreaded the days in gym class when the teacher announced that we would be running the mile. I would drag myself to the starting line, a little behind everyone else, and wait for the whistle to blow. After the whistle blew, I started off in step with my classmates, but felt an all too familiar pit in my stomach as my classmates pulled ahead. My lungs began to burn, and my legs felt like they’d give out any minute. My breath would hitch in my chest as I slowed to a walk, shamefully looking up to see my classmates run past. My mind would race, and I’d constantly berate myself for walking. Why can’t I just run like everyone else? I’d ask. My lungs wouldn’t allow it, and I felt like they held me back.

I believe in empathy. Part of empathy is understanding that every life we meet goes beyond the small part we see. One day, seven years ago, my family and I learned this life lesson together while on a family walk. To everyone outside, it looked like we were on an idyllic family stroll. In truth, we were walking to the hospital where we would learn whether I could survive my brain cancer. Just like the people who saw us, we too had no idea about the invisible struggles anyone else on the sidewalk faced. This experience has helped us have empathy for others. Before that, when I was wronged, my knee-jerk reaction was judgment. But now, I’m learning to have patience and to imagine what the other person might be going through, from roommate conflicts to a lost internship. This new perspective saves everyone involved unnecessary grief and bitterness, leaving room for happier things. Many behaviors change from condemnable to understandable with additional information. For example, a misdeed

I believe in Bunco. As a trailing spouse, I’ve lived in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Morocco, Boston, New York City, and Jacksonville, North Carolina. What’s a trailing spouse? Well, I followed my husband around the world for his career. We took our possessions, worked, traveled, and had children in these places. While it sounds exciting, when we arrived in a new city or country, I felt apprehensive about meeting new people. But through a game called Bunco, I was able to make life-long friends and gain valuable knowledge about the local community. Bunco is a dice game. It requires little skill, except the rolling of dice. It’s mostly a lot of gabbing, chatting and maybe a glass of wine…or two. It’s a great excuse to get out of the house for a few hours, away from chores and child rearing. The first time I played Bunco was in Jacksonville. One day when I was at the grocery store, I met a woman named Jen. We bumped into each other while scouring the shelves for gnocchi, and we struck

I believe in good parenting. Since before I can remember, my cousin, Chase, has lived with my family. Our birthdays are twelve days apart and we have always been inseparable. We went to school together, had joint birthday parties, and basically lived our lives as twins. Although his last name isn’t Fleece, he did not know a life apart from me and my siblings. Chase’s mom had not particularly lived in a way that valued Chase or his brother, Brandon. She had them at a very young age and their dad was not in the picture. She was not sober and needed a little bit of help to get her back on her feet. Brandon, who lived with his mother, got in trouble constantly. He did not receive discipline or consequences, so he continued to misbehave. My mom stepped in when Chase was born to make sure he would get off on the right foot and to give his mom some time and space to sober up. Brandon is now living life in and out of jail and on drugs. Chase is now playing hockey in college and working two

I believe in getting in the zone. The air around the swimming pool was still. Suddenly, an earsplitting “BEEP” pierced the silence, and the entire natatorium exploded with the sound of hundreds of cheering fans. SPLASH! The swimmers hit the water and the race began. With lactic acid throbbing in my arms and determination set in my mind, I had only one goal: to push my body and mind so vigorously that the only thing capable of stopping me would be that wall ahead. Underneath the surface of the water, I heard no cheering. I heard only the sound of my rapidly beating heart. Under the water, I saw nothing but that wall. I was focused on achieving my goal. I was focused on winning. That experience was the first time I can remember being in the zone. I believe experiences that put you in the zone are important to human development. Growing up, I was always a competitive swimmer, but I didn’t take the sport too seriously until 8 th grade. At that point in my life, I was a teenage boy going

I believe in staying young. Middle school is different than elementary school. There’s a sudden weight of responsibility on my shoulders. I am no longer shepherded from class to class by a chaperone. My peers expect me to be older and different than I was in elementary school, even though it’s just the difference of one summer. But there are some parts of me that remain the same, that still dream of playing with dolls and talking about my favorite Disney princess. There’s also a part of me that still wants to use tiny plastic figures to build worlds with my sister. Some kids experience this as only a small melancholy tug in the back of their mind. Some kids, on the other hand, experience it a bit more deeply, but pretend to ignore it. On the first day of middle school, recess was uncomfortable. Nobody knew anyone and I, like many others, just awkwardly sat with the kids who went to the same elementary school as me. Nobody played. We just all sat like zombies and made small talk,

I believe immigrants make America great. My maternal grandparents were refugees from an area in Syria that later became Lebanon. In the early 1900s they escaped a drought, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and relentless poverty to pursue a better life in America. My grandfather, we called him “Jiddu,” which is Arabic for “my grandfather,” was employed in a shoe factory and spent his spare time hanging out on his friend’s vegetable farm. Neither of them achieved prominence. They lived their lives contributing to industrial America and raising their children. I could not communicate with my grandparents because of the language barrier. I was told that Sittu, my grandmother, learned to read the destination on the bus she needed to take, but other than that could not communicate in English. I wish I had been able to ask them about their lives in the old country and why they left. Like other immigrant groups, they took a risk in coming to America’s shores. I believe those risk-takers

I believe in being true to yourself. I’ve spent my entire life as a younger sister. My older sister was the tall one, the academically gifted one, and the soccer prodigy. People saw me as a smaller, lesser-than version of my sister. Everyone loved her and I wanted to be her. Without realizing it, I constantly put myself in her shadow. I allowed my identity to be connected to hers. I was comfortable there. We overlapped in high school for one year. She was the senior soccer captain; I was the freshman with something to prove. But, our coach made it clear I was not proving I deserved to be on the field in my own right, instead I was proving I could be as good as my sister. During this time, I felt trapped. There were expectations thrust upon me which were unattainable simply because we were two different people. When she graduated, I hoped the comparisons would end. That didn’t happen. During a soccer game my senior year I made a really good pass that was headed in for the game-winning

I believe in b lack c louds. My official job title while I was i n the Marine Corps was “ Crewmaster .” That means I was an enlisted aircrew member who took part in logistics and combat support missions on the Marine Corps’ largest aircraft , the C-130 , also known as the “Super Hercules.” I could spend hours describing the various aspects of my job, but in summary the Crewmaster is responsible for nearly all aspects of aviation on the Super Hercules, short of actually flying the plane. The community of Marine Aviators, including Pilots and Aircrewmen, is tight knit. Every body knows every body , and m any of us receive a nickname, or what we refer to as “ c all s igns.” My call sign was Black Cloud ; a nickname I received because nearly every time I set foot on an airplane, something went wrong. Usually, these were relatively minor issues, such as erroneous alert messages or radios that weren’t working properly. But sometimes I brought bad luck in more serious ways. On ce , a liquid

I believe in abandoned buildings. The first thing you need to know about me is that I am a terrible driver. If I drive past something that I think is interesting, I will turn my eyes away from the road and look at that thing for a potentially dangerous amount of time. I'll be like, “Oo, look at that field!” Or, “Oo, look at that sunset!” And passengers in the car will be like, “No, look at the road!” And eventually I will, but I will always look at an old abandoned building. I'm not sure exactly what about dilapidated buildings intrigues me. Maybe it's tactile, when I look at one I can't help but imagine walking on the soft, creaky floorboards while looking up at the exposed rafters as sunlight rushes in through the dusty windows. As I walk, I inhale the air that feels uniquely musty, yet safe. I trust it like I'm breathing in an old familiar book. Maybe the thing I love about old buildings is that they have so much history. You know that something has happened there, perhaps so many

I believe in the telephone. In today's hyper connected world, personal communication is an incredibly easy task with the ubiquity of social media and instant messaging. But, a downside of these new methods of communication is that they can sometimes be overwhelming. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say the swarms of notifications on my phone and computer cause me to waste more time than I'd like to admit. On Instagram, for instance, I've wasted countless hours scrolling through my feed and messaging. Last month, when I checked how much time I spent on that app, I was downright embarrassed. So, how can we improve the quality of our social interactions rather than the quantity in 21st centuy life? I believe a way to address this is by taking a step back in time to another piece of technology, the telephone. The telephone remedies the issue of focus that I and many others often deal with online. The voices of thousands are present on social media and the internet, but in a phone conversation

I believe in being in the right place at the right time. Several years ago, my husband and I were traveling through Italy and stopped in Venice for a couple of days. Anyone who’s ever been to Venice knows about the maze-like streets and how easy it is to get lost. On this particular day, we were on a crowded narrow street consulting our map when I happened to look up and see a 4-year-old Asian girl wearing a red dress coming toward us on the other side of the street. As she looked around bewilderedly, I knew this little girl was lost. In the next instant, a tall man wearing a belted brown raincoat swept up beside her, grabbed her hand, and continued walking. Immediately, and without thinking, I ran across the street and stopped right in front of him. I pointed my finger in his face and shouted, “NO!” He was at least three inches taller than me and powerfully built, but I was totally fearless. His mouth dropped open as he gaped at me. He let go of the child’s hand and I quickly pulled

National Poetry Month is coming up in April and earlier this month Kishwaukee College held an interactive poetry workshop called, “So You Wanna Be a Slam Poet.” Some people may be familiar with spoken word poetry or may have attended a poetry reading. Bear Wolf is the adjunct professor of English at Kishwaukee College. He said there is a slight difference between spoken word and slam poetry. “The slam is the competitive part. You have a 3-minute time limit. You get two rounds. Your points are added up to see if you can get to the final round.” Wolf said these points are determined by random judges and they judge on a scale of one-to-10. Matt Weibel is the assistant professor of communication at the college. He said people should be authentic when they are performing slam poetry. “We don’t need another Taylor Mali; we don’t need another Bear Wolf. We need a you. We need you to be your own poet, to have your own style, your own flair.” Taylor Mali’s poem, “What Teachers Make” was one of