THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2008
NEWS 9A
HENLEY (CONTINUED FROM 8A)
two of June's friends snatched up whatever they could find. A TV. A Playstation. A Sega. They hoped to sell the loot for drug money. He said he was high at the time.
A sober June Henley likely wouldn't have stolen from a house. Two weeks earlier, he told his mother that. Burglar had been terrorizing a wealthy neighborhood
in Columbus.
June couldn't understand. How could someone steal from inside someone's house, he wondered.
Drugs changed his mind. June stole to support his habit.
"I just felt the spirit going through me. My whole life changed."
lookout for a house burglary less than a mile away from where his mom and dad lived. His accomplices kept bringing out the loot. A mixer. A camera. A DVD player.
A neighbor stepped outside into his front yard three doors down after seeing a man carrying a TV set. He called the police. June saw him. He shouted at his accomplices. They sped east down Melrose Avenue with $1,345 worth of loot.
\*\*\*\*\*
An officer spotted the van about an hour later when June and his friends returned near the site of the crime to sell the stolen goods. June also got charged with aggravated robbery for a crime the day before. According to police reports, he'd gone inside a Sunoco Station, and when the clerk didn't accept his credit card, June menaced a woman customer and took a $20 bill from her.
June spent the night of Nov. 17 in jail on $100,000 bond. He hasn't left since. A judge sentenced him to four years after he pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and aggra-
vated burglary.
cattle twice a day to make sure no one's escaped.
In prison, a single football card proves that June Henley used to be more than the felon with a paunchy stomach whid'r rather play basketball during rec time.
When he first arrived as an inmate at RCI, June's job was to wake up at 3:45 every other morning to help prepare breakfast. After a couple hours off, he'd prepare lunch at 10 and then do the same for dinner in the afternoon. Now June does janitorial work. He gets
JUNE HENLEY
Former Kansas football player
He keeps the card in his cell to show other inmates and remind him of the life he lived as a St. Louis Rams running back. Here, most people don't even know he played football, and if they did, it wouldn't matter.
No one gets special treatment in prison. Fights break out, the food tastes like rubber and the prisoners in June's unit get counted like
about four hours of recreation time a day, when he plays basketball and lifts weights, and has his tiny TV in the cell he shares with one roommate. June watched KU's Orange Bowl victory in January. Phone conversations with Martin, his parents and Glenn provide some of his only enjoyment.
The Bible's kept June away from the boredom, the fights, the clashing personalities and the strict prison guards. During his first few months at the reception center in Orient, Ohio, before he got transferred to RCI, June slowly started developing the faith his mother told him about. He would wake up and read a scripture. Go to the bathroom and read one there. Then, in a crowded cell full of about
30 inmates on
July 9, 2006,
it all came
together.
June said he started speaking in tongues. A Somali inmate thought June was talking to him. He wasn't. It was a religious experience.
"I just felt the spirit going through me,"
they had on draft day so many years ago.
Friends and family will celebrate and help. Georgia Hauser will write recommendation letters. Mary is already trying to secure him a job at their church.
June said he wanted to spend more time with his kids, Charletta, 14, Tanya, 11, and Charlea, 8. He said he might write an autobiography and is thinking about going back to school to become a trainer.
"I have never seen any success stories from someone who used crack. In jail, you're away from it.The time to tell is when you're going to get out and have freedom."
June regularly reads the bible and "Daily Bread," a prayer book in his cell. He doesn't fight or even cuss and is clean of his drug habit, he said. The days are long, but he's finally getting a clear head to reflect on his past.
June said. "My whole life changed, man."
Those close to June know it won't be easy. He's a convicted felon. Employers won't jump to hire someone who has no degree and has committed a violent crime.
Then there's the drug problem. Martin knows about crack users all too well. One of her close family members has been addicted for 23 years, as have other friends. She's hopeful but not confident that her boyfriend can kick the habit.
★★★★
"I have never seen any success stories from someone who used crack," Martin said. "In jail, you're away from it. The time to tell is when you're going to get out and have freedom."
Whiting, his one-time coach, thinks June could make it, but admits he thought June's dynamic personality would help him succeed after football the first time. He has a theory that 90 percent of people don't get their dream job but instead settle on Plan B. June
Mary Henley is planning to host another party when June gets out on Nov. 15, 2009, just like the one
MAKEDA MARTIN
Henley's girlfriend
didn't settle, he said.
"That was June's problem," Whiting said. "He saw himself as a pro player, and when that ended, what was there to do?"
Football is still not coming back. June failed once at life without
the game and nearly destroyed himself. He'll be 35 when he gets out of prison, when he gets another opportunity, a Plan C.
His mother prays that Plan C means Christ, his girlfriend worries it could stand for Crack Cocaine and another Cell, but it really stands for Choice.
June Henley acknowledged that belongs to him alone.
Edited by Matt Erickson
MIDDLE EAST
Bush, Abbas discuss 'road map'
BY BEN FELLER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - President Bush sought Thursday to inject some confidence into the flagging Mideast peace process, pledging that the contours of a Palestinian state can still be reached before he leaves office. But old obstacles, mainly disputed West Bank settlements, continue to threaten that prospect.
President Bush meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Thursday, April 24, 2008, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bush's meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yielded more commitments to peace but no immediate breakthroughs. The White House framed the conversation as a chance for Bush to learn how he can personally advance the stalled peace process when he visits Israel and other Mideast nations in May.
"I assured the president that a Palestinian state is a high priority for me and my administration," Bush said with Abbas at his side in the Oval Office. The U.S. president added: "I'm confident we can achieve the definition of a state. I'm also confident it's going to require hard work."
Bush's direct involvement in the peace process reflects a late push to score an elusive deal, one that could reshape a region and burnish his legacy. But he is up against formidable and familiar challenges that separate Israelis and Palestinians, plus a diminishing window for action.
His term ends in January.Many experts say the chances of a deal remain slim.
Unlike last month, when Bush said there was "plenty of time to get a deal done," his forecast was not quite that upbeat on Thursday.
Still, he heaped praise on Abbas and reassured him that he wants a contiguous Palestinian state, not a "Swiss cheese" arrangement of
land.
Under the U.S.-backed peace plan known as the "road map," Israel is to halt settlement construction and take down unauthorized outposts built after March 2001 and Palestinians are to dismantle violent groups. The settlement issue, in particular, has raised tensions lately and prompted deep concerns from Abbas.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Abbas told Bush that he remained committed to the agreement. But Abbas noted that little progress has been made and said it was critical that Israel meet its obligations, particularly the requirement to halt settlements, according to Erekat.
Bush, in his public comments, made no mention of the settlement matter. He seemed, instead, to emphasize the big picture.
"The thing that I'm focused on, as you are, is how to define a state that is acceptable to both sides," Bush said with Abbas at his side.
Both leaders, but Abbas in particular, did not hide their urgency given the bracket of Bush's final term.
Bush, who met with Jordan's King Abdullah II on Wednesday, is heading back to the Middle East in May to celebrate Israel's 60th anniversary. He also is expected to visit Saudi Arabia and Egypt, where he will meet Abbas at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik
The core unresolved issues remain the final borders of a Palestinian state, the fate of Jerusalem, disputed Israeli settlements and Palestinian refugees.
"I believe very strongly that time is of the essence," Abbas said. "We are working very hard and hope not to waste any time."
"A lot of this is up to the Palestinians and the Israelis, who committed to trying to work something out by the end of the year," White House press secretary Dana Perino said. "And we are hopeful that we can continue on that path."
Abbas said peace would require Israel's withdrawal from the "occupied Arab and Palestinian territories." He said that, in turn, would lead many Arab and Islamic countries to normalize their relations with Israel.
MUSIC
Q & A with Common
BY ANDREW WIEBE
awiebe@kansan.com
Jessie Fetterling/KANSAN
Common freestyles about Lawrence at the Lied Center Wednesday night. While wearing his Kansas sweatshirt, he gave a tribute to the area by rapping about The Crossing, Massachusetts Street and eating pizza at The Wheel.
4
Kansan reporter Andrew Wiebe got a chance to catch up with hip-hop luminary Common after the Chicago native's Student Union Activities-sponsored show Wednesday night at the Lied Center. The conversation touched on Common's Lawrence-centric freestyle, his relationship with the late hip-hop producer J Dilla and his acting career among other things. Look for the audio of the interview at Kansan.com.
A: I talked with some students here, man. They were very helpful, and you know I kind of absorbed as much as I could on my way here. The funny thing is I came to basketball camp here when I was younger. I mean, I don't remember it from that. I actually just picked it up from talking to some students.
Q: Obviously you had some personal information in the freestyle about Lawrence, Where did you pick up that knowledge so quickly?
Q: You started off the show with 'Forever Begins' and ended up with a little bit of a tribute to J Dilla. What effect did he have on your career and what does that mean for you to be able to do that every night?
A: I feel like he is like a brother to me from a musical standpoint and just a spiritual standpoint. He was somebody significant in my life. I love him as a person and it was a joy to get his music. To know that he was making a beat tape or a beat CD, it was like 'man...JD beats'. His effect is eternal, man. 'Finding Forever' also meant how you create and exist forever through what you do, the mark you leave on this Earth. I think he left a big mark for all of us. I just love him. I miss him too. It's great to get to perform and introduce more people to him.
Q: As far as continuing musical collaborations with people, you went with some Kanye there, can you just talk about the musical chemistry between you two.
A: Kanye and I, man, we come from very similar backgrounds in the way of Chicago South side and both our mothers were teachers, single moms but then my mother remarried. We kind of got these certain things about us that relate. Like I didn't grow up no gangster, and neither did he. We're just enthused about being ourselves, and creating together. I feel like that's my brother too in spiritual way and just in a musical way. He challenged me, and I challenge him too to make music that progressive and pushes the envelope. He also challenges me as a songwriter, as a MC to just get better and make better songs. He sparks ideas and
he's also just a creative energy so it's always inspiring to work with him. I love working with him.
Q: Q-Tip said 'me and Common,
we are going to have The Standard
[a proposed collaboration between
the two], we're going to do that;
but I still haven't seen it. What's
the status on that?
A: Yeah well we got to get to it. He got into finishing his album, I just got into working on my new album and I'm coming out in the summer. We probably get to it more in the fall. It was just an idea that we really want to bring into fruition. Once we started talking about it, it was like 'man, we really needed to have it ready,' but that's not where we're at right now. So it will come in due time.
I'm an artist, but I'm a new actor.
Q: You've got the Justice League coming. Are you at liberty to tell us what you'll be playing in that?
Q: You've got the acting career going and you've got a lot of stuff coming out here. Where do you see your acting career going in the next 10 years or so?
A: I am not at liberty to discuss it because the project is in the process of being brought into fruition.
A: I would love to be a great actor, man, just somebody that people respect as an actor and becomes a big movie star. I would love to be in the Will Smith category or Denzel or Leonardo DiCaprio, leading guys that really have an impact and do good projects. Johnny Depp, you know. That's what I want to be like. When people are like 'you are a rapper making a transition,' I don't look at it like that. I look at it like
Q: As far as living in New York, when are you going to get back to Chicago and do you have plans to live there again at some point in your life?
A: I don't know about living in Chicago again. I love home. I love Chicago, but for the work that I do it's not lucrative for me to be there. I'm not in the mix there to do things that I love to do as far as work. My job has moved me to a new place. I go home to be at home and feel at home, but that's really it.
Q: All right just one more, a little lighter thing. I had heard you are a vegan but I read something saying you went back to fish. What's up with that?
A: Yeah, I eat fish, man. I needed some protein. I've been eating fish for like two years now, two and a half years. It's great too. I'm glad to be eating it. It was tough being vegan. I salute all vegans and vegetarians.
Edited by Jared Duncan
HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam has failed to police its adoption system, allowing corruption, fraud and baby-selling to flourish, the U.S. Embassy says in a new report obtained by The Associated Press.
Adoptions cause controversy
The nine-page document describes brokers scouring villages for babies, hospitals selling infants whose mothers cannot pay their bills, and a grandmother giving away her grandchild - without telling the child's mother.
"I'm shocked and deeply troubled by the worst of the worst cases," said Jonathan Aloisi, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi.
BY BEN STOCKING ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vietnam's top adoption official called the concerns "groundless." Bribery of orphanage officials may occur, but serious offenses such as baby-selling or kidnapping are not a problem, said Vu Duc Long, director of the Department of International Adoptions.
The dispute comes amid a boom in adoptions from Vietnam. Americans — including actress Angelina Jolie — adopted more than 1,200 Vietnamese children over the 18 months ending March 31. In 2007, adoptions surged more than 400 percent from a year earlier, with 828 Vietnamese children adopted by American families.
ally responsible manner."
U. S. adoption agencies active in Vietnam said that despite some cases of wrongdoing, most adoptions in the country are ethical.
She said her group has recently stopped taking applications for families who want Vietnamese children — but not because of concerns about corruption.
While China remains the most popular overseas country for adoptions, a growing number of Americans are looking to Vietnam, which has fewer restrictions. The wait for adoption approval has also gotten longer in China after authorities there tightened rules.
Another adoption agency, Families Thru International Adoption, of Evansville, Ind., said that corruption exists everywhere and it is up to the adoption agencies to screen who they work with in Vietnam and other countries.
"Our experience has been a good one," said Susan Cox, vice president of public policy with Holt International Children's Services, based in Eugene, Ore., which has operated in Vietnam since the 1970s. "We are concerned about any unethical practices, but I would not agree that these cases are indicative of adoptions in Vietnam."
"There's always somebody that is trying to do something under the table, and when there are children involved, the results are even more horrific," said program director Salome Lamarche. "As an agency, we have a responsibility to be very careful who we work with in a country and to only work with organizations that work in a mor-
"We stopped because our waiting list is getting long and we thought it wasn't ethical to accept applications from families when we didn't know if we could match them with children," Lamarche said.
The U.S. suspended all adoptions from Vietnam in 2003 over concerns about corruption. Adoptions resumed in 2006 under a bilateral agreement intended to ensure they were above board.
That agreement expires Sept. 1, and many adoption agency officials believe the Vietnam program will be suspended again, at least temporarily.
"I can't see any possible way that this agreement is going to continue," said Tad Kincaid of Orphans Overseas in Portland, Or. "There's certainly going to be a lapse."
The U.S. Embassy report is based on a review of hundreds of adoptions since they resumed in Vietnam in 2006.
Already, the U.S. Embassy concerns have left scores of Vietnamese adoptions in limbo, as American families wait for U.S. permission to bring the babies home.