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Show Men's tenn season sta Jan. 15 AT A GLANCE FOiTORIAI BUSINESS see page 6 2 3 ... 6 9 SPORTS CLASSIFIFDS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6,2010 WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY WWW.WSUSIGNP0Sr.COM Ethnic Tension in Kenya Questionable legitimacy of 2007 elections provoked violence that killed many and displaced families WALKER MORTUARY JoAnn Ball Bernick worked at WSU for 31 years. The 56-year-old mother of two passed in Dec. after a long battle with cancer. Employee for Sodexo remembered after passing By Cimaron Neugebauer news editor I The bignpost a a SIGNPOST In Africa's largest slums, Kibiera, two boys play next to a tin shack. Tribally divided areas in Kibiera experienced violence following the presidential election results in 2007, forcing thousands of families to flee the area. Only now is some semblance of normalcy returning to the area as government-supervised negotiations between ethnic leaders continue. PART TWO OfATHREe PART SERES By Gina Barker managing editor I The Signpost In the heart of Nairobi a photo exhibit pulled Kenyans from their routine, reminding them of nationwide violence that tore the country apart in the 2007 elections. Tourists staying just across the street in the towering Hilton were exposed to another side of Kenya. There were no safari rides or tucked- sults erupted with violence. Disputed results away city cafes. on the legitimacy of die presidential elections Instead, a wall of photos faced those walk- provoked tribes to target other tribes as a reing by: mutilated bodies, burning homes and venge tactic. Eluid Njorge Kibe now lives in an Internally a terrifying sense that death plagued the faces staring out at the crowds. As part of a nation- Displaced Persons {IDP) Camp called Fumilia al reconciliation tour, a youth-led program Elderot, named for the town he was displaced named Picha Mtaani posted the photo exhib- from. He is just one among hundreds of thouit in cities around Kenya. On Picha Mtaani's sands who fled violence, leaving their entire Web site, the youth group hoped to "engage lives behind them. Elderot is just one area the Kenyan youth in rinding lasting solutions PEV consumed for weeks. In one incident, one of the worst cases of violence, a group to attaining peace and reconciliation." Post-election violence is such a common of youth set a church, which was filled with occurrence it received its own acronym, PEV women and children seeking refuge, on fire, In the 2007 elections alone at least 1,300 died killing roughly 50. "The youth were most affected," Kibe said, in ethnic clashes, and election violence has plagued Kenya since the early 1990s. Areas "because even during the violence most of across Kenya fell to chaos as ethnic tensions the people who were perpetrators were the between tribes following the 2007 election reSee Kenya page 5 A long-time dedicated and beloved food service worker passed away during the Christmas break after a four-year battle with cancer. JoAnn Ball Bemick, 56, died Dec. 19, 2009. Those who knew Bernick remember her for what she brought to Weber State University and the food service department of the university. Monika Rodie, associate director of the Shepherd Union Building, said she knew Bemick after she started working at WSU. Rodie said even after being diagnosed with cancer Bernick maintained her positive and upbeat attitude for life. "The only difference from her personality before and after was just the tiredness, because she went through some really hard chemo and radiation treatments," Rodie said. "She fought like crazy. She was always JoAnn. Her personality didn't change and it wasn't 'woe is me, why is this?' She was a trooper." Rodie said many individuals who recently knew Bemick recognized her as the friendly Sodexo worker who wore a bandana. "I remember when she was so excited when her hair started growing back after the first time, 'cause she wore this bandana," Rodie said. "That is how people remember her, the lady with the bandana." Bernick grew up in Morgan, Utah and attended Weber State College for four years. She then worked in food service at WSU for 31 years, for the many different food companies that have been contracted for WSU over the years. Fellow colleagues remember Bemick as someone who was a hard worker and a dedicated family person. See Remembered page 5 Derby girls balance studying and hitting the rink Students get rough with roller skating hard to understand. Even so, crowds cheer the participants on at Roller news reporter I The Signpost Derby events. One player stands taller than the Two Weber State University sturest. They call her Everest Queen. dents have found camaraderie and The name is derived from the name physical exercise participating in of the tallest mountain on earth, bea Roller Derby league that plays all cause she is the tallest player on the over Northern Utah. Junction City Roller Dolls. Her jerArmed with knee, wrist and elbow pads, mouthpieces, helmets sey number is 29,000 feet, just like and skates, women race around the mountain. On skates she stands a concrete track, yelling, bump- about 6 feet 6 inches tall, but on foot ing, pounding and skating, while she is 6 feet 3 inches. Diane Whitehead now introducsearching for an opportunity to score against their opponents. On es herself as Everest. Her passion for the sideline, teammates and owners photography, the subject she studies yell at the women in the bout, telling at WSU, led her to derby. Whitehead them to communicate. At practice, set out to create a photo documenthe Golden Spike Arena is loud, and tary of Roller Derby, and the girls sounds like hundreds of people are on the team heckled her until she joined. viewing the event. "I was tired of being behind the It doesn't take long before one or camera," she said. two women fall to the concrete in a Whitehead said she finds the sistangled mess, while the bout conSOURCE: JASON O OURGV tinues. Whistles from the referees terhood of the team one of the most don't always mean a stop in play, rewarding parts of the game, and At left, Diane 'Everest Queen' Whitehead skates alongside other members of the Junction City Roller Dolls. See Derby page 5 Whitehead stands 6 feet 6 inches in skates. Her passion for photography led her to become a derby girl. and to a newcomer the rules can be By Wyatt Winnie r |