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Thursday, October 17, 2013

HomecomingGet some clarity on all of this year’s changes.

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Job Fair DecorumCheck out some of the things to do and avoid at today’s career fair.

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Captain PhillipsCatch the latest movie review by Marc Rivers.

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CAMPUS...................... p.3

LIFE & STYLE.............. p.12 SPORTS...................... p.13 OPINIONS................. p.15

INDEX

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THE HILLTOP | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

Epic Changes to Homecoming For Students and Alumni

Tasia HawkinsStaff Writer

The 2013 Homecoming Steering Committee truly has something epic in store. They’ve made lots of changes, some very controversial, but in the end it should prove to be decisions that will leave a legacy for generations to come.

With a lineup that includes Juicy J, A$AP Ferg, Trey Songz, Brandy, and Mary Mary, its undeniable that the homecoming committee has been working hard to deliver the best possible show. They’ve made many changes as they aim to make this year’s homecoming something to remember. There are now three R&B shows, a pep rally, and new exciting things to come in the step show and fashion shows.

Having three R&B shows is some-thing that has never been done before. One R&B show has Trey Songz and Brandy as headliners, while the second focuses on Erykah Badu. The third one is a comedy show with an R&B performance. There has been some controversy about this show being 21+, but this show is targeted towards alumni. People forget that the focus of homecoming is supposed to be the alumni. This third show featur-ing Lil Duval aims to remedy that problem.

“Homecoming is really about the alumni and sometimes the students forget that so we just want to make sure we’re catering to all of our au-dience,” said Kristen Hutchinson, chairwoman of the homecoming steering committee.

Students also sometimes bypass that homecoming is about school spirit rather than simply celebrities. To put emphasis back on the game, the homecoming committee has planned a pep rally to put more focus back on the students, the athletes, and school spirit in order to show our support for the Howard community.

The biggest and most controversial part of homecoming this year is Yardfest. There has been rumors going around for months about there being a price for Yardfest this year, how much it would be, and lots of accusations aimed at the homecoming steering committee.

The decision to charge $5 for Yard-fest was not an easy one. After last year created a very dangerous situ-ation where people were trampled and there was a lack of crowd control, there needed to be a way to make Yardfest a safer environment.

“Many people forget that the yard is not a concert venue,” said Chair-

woman Hutchinson. “The school wanted to take security measures to make sure everyone is safe.”

This year the yard will be com-pletely fenced off. Students will still be able to attend classes, but don’t expect to be able to walk through a building to sneak onto the yard. Security will be high.

The purchase of tickets for Yardfest also ensures that homecoming can continue to be a student-run operation. These tickets don’t earn any money for homecoming; instead they go towards paying the high talent fees and ensuring that homecoming can be self-sustaining. Yardfest is the largest homecoming event, and up to this year, nothing was earned from it. This $5 is not from greed- it’s a contribution to Howard. The homecoming steering committee understands that it’s a big change and is offering 2,000 free tickets on Monday, October 21 to help ease the transition.

“It’s honestly worth it. You could say you’re investing into keeping homecoming alive. I just better not see $10 next year,” said Tre Hardin, sophomore International Business major.

After the months of hard work gone into creating homecoming week, it’s

The Hilltop Newspaper

Glynn Hill Editor-in-Chief

Dominique Diggs Chief Managing Editor

Indigo SilvaMultimedia Editor

Emmy VictorCampus Editor

Keneisha DeasMetro EditorMaya Cade

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Tasia Hawkins Staff Writer

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HURT VILLAGE: THEATRE ARTS PLAY

Renee CoxContributing Writer

This past weekend, the Environ-mental Theatre Space of Childers Hall was filled with a haze as the Opening Weekend of Hurt Village took place. Theatre-goers were transported to Hurt Village in Memphis and experienced life in the ghetto according to a teen aspir-ing rapper named Cookie.

Hurt Village opened last Thursday Oct. 9th and will continue to have performances this weekend October 16-19th.

The ground breaking and cel-ebrated Off-Broadway drama, written by Katori Hall, speaks on a gambit of issues that touch our communities; from re-gentrification to veteran affairs. The play takes place in a real-life Housing Project in Memphis Tennessee called Hurt Village during Bush’s 2nd Term as President. The play centers around Cookie, a 13 year old aspiring rap-per and her family. When her father returns home from war in Iraq, the family’s lives change in ways that cannot be imagined.

The cast features a diverse group of

almost here and it’s important for students to understand the blood, sweat, and tears that go into plan-ning a Howard Homecoming. The homecoming steering committee work all summer to create Home-coming week. They have to secure artists, raise money, and do every-thing else that comes with putting on such a historic homecoming all while facing the backlash of admin-istration, students, and alumni.

“People just don’t know. It’s really not their job to because we put on the event and they’re just supposed to be happy; but I want them to realize that this is really hard,” said Chairwoman Hutchinson.

“There aren’t too many homecom-ings that are run by students. We have schoolwork, internships, and jobs in addition to planning these events.”

Despite all of the challenges, frustrations, and hardships, this year’s homecoming will be sure to blow people away. People may be contemplating about change but Howard University is at a time of evolution and homecoming is just keeping up with that.

talented Theatre Arts Majors, with Birgundi Baker at the forefront, playing Cookie. Other leads include Stephanie Pounds as Big Mama, Briana Lott as Crank, Earl Moore Jr. as Buggy, and Henian Boone as Tony C.

Hurt Village was directed by Profes-sor Eric Ruffin, who also directed other plays performed by Theatre Arts Students such as Venus, and Passing Strange.

Junior Musical Theatre Major Alexia McGowan commended his direction, taking away themes of youthfulness, innocence, and what it truly means to be a product of your environment.

“I enjoyed the play, it gave a unique perspective. There were such large ideas and words in the life of a 13 year old.”

It was evident that Ruffin ap-proached the work with a ‘no holds barred’ attitude, and really strived to make the audience believe that they were all residents of Hurt Village. From the haze that was used outside of the playing area, to replacing the first row of seats with pillows- Hurt Village was real from its citizens to the audience.With such a phenomenal cast and creative team, a Howard student can’t go wrong in spending $7 to see this show in the coming weekend.

Killer CaughtKeneisha Deas and Maya Cade

Metro Editor and L&S EditorA Northeast Washington man, 26 year-old Rasdavid Lagarde, has been arrested and held without bond in connection to the July murder of Howard University stu-dent, Omar Sykes. He is charged with first degree felony murder.

District of Columbia Police report that Sykes, 22, was walking with another Howard student on July 4, when two men accosted them to announce the robbery before Sykes was shot in the chest at about 11:30 p.m. at Georgia Ave. and Fairmont St. Authorities say the shooting appeared to be a random encounter.

Late Wednesday in court, docu-ments reveal what prosecutors say may have happened that night. According to Lagarde, he was “drunk, and down on his luck,” and says that Syke’s death was an accident. A witness who was with Lagarde the morning after said he had “messed up”, and that he was not himself.

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Campus . Emmy Victor, Campus Editor [email protected]

Fresh lemonade. That is all Elynn Parks can remember when she was confined to her bed at 10 years old. Parks was usually dancing around her house, always smiling and obsessing over the Disney princess, Pochahontas.

But on January 2, 2003, she started throwing up. For two weeks she slept and missed school. Her mother decided it was time to go to Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, in Commerce Township, Michigan.

Dolores McKinney, or “Auntie D,” told the Parks that Heron Val-ley Hospital was not equipped to handle her illness. Heron Val-ley Hospital drugged Parks and boarded her on a helicopter to Beaumont Hospital, about 25 miles from Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, in Troy, Michigan.

“At Children’s Beaumont hospital they told my family to prepare for the worst,” Parks recalls. “She’s not going to last much longer. I saw my

dad cry for the first time in March 2003.”

But McKinney was determined to save Parks’ life. She hunkered down on the Internet and found the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which U.S. News and World Report ranked six in pediatrics cardiology and heart surgery in 2013. Dr. McKinney ordered her flown to University of Michigan Hospital where Dr. Rob-ert John Gajarski treated Parks for cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart.

The single, four wall, cream hospi-tal room filled with art would be the “Princess of Floor Five’s” home for the next four months.

Now, the 20-year-old human development major at Howard University, says she is healthy and strong. The American Heart As-sociation said that an enlarged heart is like soft biceps, it is weak and out of shape. The association also says that in general the term “enlarged heart” refers to heart failure.

The association also said that

Defying Death and Living to Tell the StoryStephanie Holloman

Contributing Writer

in 2013, the overall incidence of cardiomyopathy is 1.13 cases per 100,000 in children 18 years of age.

“I was still getting sick. One of the doctors researched a device to help stabilize me,” she says. It was called a DeBakey device, a roller pump developed by Michael Ellis DeBer-key at Tulane University at the age of 23. “I was the youngest person and first American to use it. That’s when I actually came back to life.”

The device was only a temporary fix. The only permanent solution was a transplant, doctors said.

“I felt like my world had stopped,” said Pam Parks, Elynn’s mother. “It was something you never thought about happening to your children. It was a difficult time for me. My prayers were that her heart was going to heal on its own but it just got progressively worse as the time lingered on.”

Parks was playing Scrabble with her nana when her dad came in the room holding on to her crying mother on April 25, 2003.

“Elynn, they found a heart for you,” said Elynn’s mother.

One death during a car crash brought Parks a 16-year-old heart so she could live.

“I was like wow,” Elynn said. “Someone else’s heart is going to be in my body. I thought, am I going to wake up from this?”

Dr. Devaney at University of Michigan hospital performed the 24-hour transplant. Her parents, brother, and grandmother were present throughout the night. The first faces Elynn saw when she woke up were of her father and nurse.

Two weeks after the transplant, Elynn finally got a chance to return home. But her world was not the same. “I was scared I would not wake back up,” Elynn said.

An abnormally fast beating heart and self-esteem issues were also consequences.

“There were rumors around school that I got a monkey’s heart and I

was chubby,” she recalls. “I was go-ing through all of this change and I felt ugly.”

But all that is now history to Ellen. She is living a healthy life, with only a scar in the form of a straight line from below her collarbone to below her chest bone, to physically remind her of her trauma.

Elynn has made the Dean’s List at Howard University, with a cumu-lative GPA of a 3.5. She is also a member of Kappa Delta Pi, In-ternational; an honors society, and National Council of Negro Women and Project Seed. Everyday, Elynn not only celebrates her successes but the gift of life in general. “I got to live but someone had to die,” she says philosophically. “I appreciate life everyday. I wake up thanking God everyday. I am glad I had a second chance.”

Max Jordan Nguemeni cracked a smile and strolled across the gradu-ation stage on the yard at Howard University—5,978 miles from his home in Yaoundé, Camaroon. That was in 2011.

Nguemeni, an alumnus of Howard University and a first-year PhD student at Georgia Institute of Technology, spent late nights in the library reading bioengineering books. He was one of only 25% of students in Cameroon who gradu-ate from high school.

Like all his schoolmates, Nguemeni started to wear famous American brands and listen to American music. He thought he had eased into American culture until one day a classmate asked him: “Is Africa a country?”

That is when he realized that the Americans he had grown to admire were incredibly ignorant. Nguemeni and thousands of other internation-al students of American universities like to regale anyone who would lis-ten about American’s ignorance of other countries and global cultures.

“A lot of people in the U.S. have had a sense of arrogance toward other countries,” said Nguemeni. “I think it has to do with the Ameri-

International Students Experience DissimilarityStephanie Holloman

Contributing Writer

can public being misinformed and uneducated about the rest of the world.”

Narica Clarke; sophomore, dual major in biology and chemistry from St. Catherine, Jamaica, expe-rienced a different disorientation when she landed in New York in August 2012.

The fifty-degree temperature change in winter, “always in a hur-ry” mindset and impolite attitude of some American citizens made Clarke look at the U.S. differently.

“I have never had someone tell

me no when I asked ‘may I borrow your pen or pencil,’ until I got to the U.S.,” said Clarke.

Clarke also believes that Americans lack a sense of gratitude.

“Americans are self-centered and are not aware that they are self-centered,” she said. “So many opportunities are presented to Americans. They do not realize how important something as simple as health care or education is. If I stayed in Jamaica, I would have had to pay $2.5 million Jamaican dollars ($28,845) every year for medical school.”

Clarke’s predominately Christian country of Jamaica does not accept gay rights. In 13 states of America it is legal for same-sex couples to marry after the Supreme Court ruling in June 2013. That raises eye-brows among many international students in America.

However, many foreign countries do not have equality for all types of minorities. In China, citizens are persecuted for their religion. In Afgahanistan, women are targeted.

In June, Jamaica had its first court hearing to end an 1864 law that bans sex between men.

Marion Ghesquiere, an inter-national student from Marsielle, France, finds arrogance in United States’ adoption of an enforcer role in other countries. Ghesquiere is studying marketing and public rela-tions at Howard University.

“When there is conflict, the United States wants to solve everything,” he said, pointing to America’s role in the Middle East, Far East, Europe-an and African wars and conflicts.

“You should not fight violence with violence,” said Gherquiere.

Gherquiere believes in peace and harmony, much like her home country France, which wanted to take a diplomatic approach to con-fiscating Syria’s chemical weapons.

“Sometimes the United States does think they are the police force of the world and they use extensive force when they do not need to,” Clarke adds.

Students that study abroad at How-ard University, and elsewhere in the United States, experience unfamil-iar circumstances but keep the faith for the advantages.

via Flickr.com, Travlr

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Campus Emmy Victor, Campus Editor [email protected]

Leanna ComminsContributing Writer

Howard University held its annual Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lec-ture in the Andrew Rankin Chapel. The university has honored this lecture since 1958, eight years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. heard Dr. Mordecai W. Johnson, former Howard President, speak on the life and teachings of Gandhi. A small crowd of faculty, students, and visi-tors came to hear Her Excellency Mrs. Nirupama Rao, Ambassador of India to the United States, speak on Gandhi’s life as it relates to and impacts the work of Dr. King and the Howard University community.

Before it began, students explained what drew them to the lecture and shared their expectations and beliefs.

“I’m really interested in explor-ing the relationship between the African American community and the international community,” says Osceola Ulimwengo, an Africana Studies major.

“I expect she will give a flowery speech about King’s relationship with Gandhi. That’s why it’s our job as students to ask the questions that will go more in depth.”

Valerie Boyer, sophomore Psychol-ogy major, was curious to hear another perspective on King’s rela-tionship with Gandhi’s teachings.

“I’m inquisitive to know how she’s [Rao] going to make the King-Gandhi connection, especially through an Indian person’s perspec-tive. We’ve all heard the American perspective before,” she says. Speakers at the lecture included: Dean of Rankin Chapel, Rev. Dr. Bernard Richardson, the university’s Interim President Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick, the Howard University Chorale conducted by J. Weldon Norris, Dr. Marie-Line Sephocle, a professor in the Depart-ment of World Languages and Literature, and Dr. Lalita Kaul, a professor at the College of Medi-cine.

Even the ever-powerful and recog-nizable voice of Dr. King filled the small chapel when excerpts from the speech he gave before the In-dian Parliament at the Embassy of India were played over speakers.

“Today we no longer have the choice between violence and non-violence,” King said in the excerpt of his speech, originally orated 54 years ago.

“It is either nonviolence or non-existence.”

In her lecture, entitled “Gandhi for Our Century: The Message Endur-ing,” Rao discusses King’s life-long study of Gandhi who was an inspi-ration for his nonviolent methods of protest.

“You only need to study the lives of Dr. King, Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, among others,” Rao explains.

“To understand how each, through years of solitude, sacrifice, and suf-fering, learned to adapt the example set by Gandhi.”

Rao also discusses the trials facing the generation on the cusp of adult-hood.

“Today the media, the mall, and the multiplex tend to determine the wavelengths of our times- the zeitgeist,” she says.

“Should our young people, our de-mographic dividend, absolve their lessons for life through these three m’s or should their consciousness be shaped by issues of concern?”

When discussing Ghandi’s life work, Rao focused on his strong belief in sacrifice and compromise that con-tributed to his efforts towards peace.

“For Gandhi, compromise was the very essence of nonviolence because it secured political advance without disorder,” she says.

When asked what message he got from Rao’s lecture in terms of sacrifice and compromise, Dr. Gregory Carr, professor and chair of the African American Studies Department, expressed the belief that usage of technology needs to be reexamined.

“When she [Rao] talked about the media, the mall, and the multi-plex, I think that Howard students, Howard faculty, all of us, have to sacrifice our surrender to the noise of the world,” Carr explains.

“We’ve got to be introspective. We have to give up that willingness to let ourselves watch T.V. and stay on social media.”

Rao’s most prominent and consis-tent point throughout her lecture was how Gandhi’s teachings con-tributed to the course of history in the United States.

“You have the act of Gandhi on the history of a nation, geographically distant from India,” Rao says.“A great democracy that has torn itself apart and healed itself again and again. That’s a remarkable display of resilience.”

Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture

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THE HILLTOP 5


Emmy Victor, Campus Editor [email protected] UGSA’s “Pinking of You: A Deeper Look into Breast Cancer” brought out personal stories and tears in the Blackburn Ballroom to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Throughout the evening, there was breast cancer trivia, along with a panel discussion and guest speaker. This event was created by Sadijah Wallace, student council president of the School of Communications, to inform Howard students about breast cancer and address the myths surrounding it.

“I wanted something that we could all learn from and enjoy,” Wallace said.

“Often times we talk about things, but we don’t do anything about it. This is a way for me to do some-thing.”

Some of the topics discussed included men with breast cancer, ways to prevent breast cancer and self-examinations. Importantly, the event created a place where everyone could feel comfortable and voice feelings and concerns about the cancer.

“How many people here know someone who has been affected by breast cancer?” questions Bershan Shaw, guest speaker and cast mem-ber of ‘Crazy.Sexy.Life’ on OWN.

“Now look to your right and look to your left.”

Almost every hand in the audi-ence was raised as Shaw began to share her story as a two-time breast cancer survivor. Her story, along with her words of encouragement brought the crowd to tears.

“I was 33 when I was diagnosed. My career was on the rise and I just thought, ‘this could not be happen-

Shannen HillStaff Writer

Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg Visits School of Business

Tyanna HughesContributing Writer

There were not enough seats in the School of Business auditorium to seat all the students who came out to hear Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, speak. Sandberg received her B.A. and M.B.A. at Harvard University and worked at the World Bank, U.S. Treasury Department, and Google before assuming her position at Facebook. The event was a memorable kick off to this year’s series of speakers in the School of Business.

Professor of Law, Patricia Worthy, invited Sandberg to come and speak to at Howard two months ago.

“I hosted a breakfast during last spring break with [Sandberg] as the speaker. Many students did not get to come out [then], and [Sandberg] said she had as much to say to the men as to the women,” Worthy said.

During her speech, Sandberg said that there are decisions being made everyday that will affect us, by people who do not represent us.

“The world is filled with really big challenges. There are people at tables where decisions are going to be made everyday. They’re going to decide how quickly our economies grow; they’re going to decide how

productive our companies are, and how honest our law firms are; what kind of education opportunities we all get,” Sandberg said.

“And [at] those tables, where the decisions are made men and women of color are sorely under-represented.”

Junior Evelyn Cook said that the lecture not only met her expecta-tions but it exceeded them. She also said that Sandberg is someone she aspires to be like.

“When she walked into the room I was sitting in the front. And she said ‘Hi, I’m Sheryl.’ She was very humble as if not expecting us to know who she was,” Cooke said.

Sandberg charged women with the task of having more self-confidence, and breaking down stereotypes. She challenged the men to split the housework evenly with their girl-friends or wives, and support their career goals.

Her book, “Lean In: Women, Work, and the will to Lead,” calls for women to “take a seat at the table.” The bestselling book was released in March of 2011, and sold 140,000 copies in its first week of publication, according to the Huffington Post. The book is filled with “personal anecdotes, hard data, and compelling research” to

UGSA Co-Hosts “Pinking of You”

Dress to Impress:

The first thing that any employer sees is how you are dressed. Rule number one, keep it simple. Stay away from bright colors and outra-geous hairstyles. Sometimes bright colors can be used as accents, but black and white are always safe choices.

The second rule is to make sure that your clothes fit. Ladies, do not wear anything that is tight or revealing. Also, stay away from heels with a platform. Men, make sure to iron your clothes and wear a white t-shirt under your button-up to prevent sweat stains.

What to bring:

There’s no such thing as having too many résumés. Bring about 20 copies and make sure that they are up to date without any typos. You should also bring a small notebook to write down information about the companies that you speak with. Having business cards on hand is also a plus.

What to do:Don’t be shy. The employers aren’t going to bite you. Have a firm handshake and ask questions such as, “What do you look for in an intern?” Talk to as many employers as possible and ask for their business cards. Most of all, keep in contact. You never know what opportunities will come.

Job Fair EtiquetteShannen Hill

Staff Writer

ing to me,’” Shaw said.

“The worst thing you can do is not tell anyone. That’s what I did, and now, it feels so much better to tell my story because there is so much support out there.”

After hearing Shaw’s story, students shared their personal battles with the cancer. Some students shared stories of triumph and recovery, while others wanted to know what to do when someone that they know has given up and they know that their loved-one is going to die soon.

“There are numerous people here saying that they have people who are dying and really sick, and they’re still coming to class and get-ting what they have done,” Kaaya Allotey, sophomore Marketing major said.

“It was empowering to see how strong and how enduring we are as a Howard community and it really made me want to reach out and help somebody else.”

The event created an open forum on ways to stay positive while knowing someone who is battling with breast cancer. It also showed students that there is support and people to speak with, right here on Howard’s campus.

“I didn’t know that it was going to bring me to tears like it did, but I’m glad that I came because now I know that I can talk to other people about my personal battles and other people can feel free to open up to me,” Jasmine Gordon, senior Chemical Engineering major, said.Wallace plans to create more events to bring awareness to breast cancer. Eight on-campus organizations contributed to the event, includ-ing Square One Student Council, COAS Student Council, Freshman Leadership Academy and various sororities.

help women uncover the bias and ambiguity surrounding women in the workforce, according to Ama-zon.com.

It has inspired countless women including, students at Howard.

Senior Chenika Beck, addressing Sandberg, said that she carries lessons from “Lean In” with her everyday.

“I wanted to express my gratitude because when I read your book you [used] an example [that] children will play, they’ll get hurt, [and] then they’ll go back to playing,” Beck said.

“That is something really important for all of us [to remember] as we get hurt and go through disappoint-ments. We need to cry, get it out, and then go back to what we were doing.”

Sandberg founded and sits on the board of Leanin.org. According to the website, Leanin.org offers community, education and Lean in Circles, where women can meet monthly to encourage and support each other.

Sandberg announced that Howard will be launching it’s own Lean In Circle. Students can register and learn more about it at Leanin.org/campus.

Photo by Jaisa Gooden, Staff PhotographerSandberg talks womanhood, self-esteem, and success Tuesday evening.

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THE HILLTOP 7


Metro Keneisha Deas, Metro Editor [email protected] .

The ‘DC Goes Pink’ campaign emerged under Mayor Vincent Gray’s One City Action Plan, a goal to improve the quality of life for the residents of the District of Columbia.

Mayor Vincent Gray says in his proclamation to the city of DC, “Whereas, there are disparities among persons with cancer in the District of Columbia where Blacks are 90% more likely to die from cancer than Whites, and the Dis-trict’s death rates indicate a critical health crisis: # l in breast cancer”.

“One City, One Future” says, Mayor Vincent Gray. Department of Health and the University of District of Columbia partnered together to host the ‘DC Goes Pink’ Breast Cancer Awareness Art Exhibition.

‘DC Goes Pink’, otherwise known as DCGP, is a call to action for the DC Metro area to fight breast cancer.

“D.C. leads the country in breast cancer deaths, ” said Michele Coleman, manager of corporate development with the D.C. Cancer Consortium. “There are significant

disparities in cancer death rates in the District of Columbia.”

An art exhibit is a different ap-proach to bring awareness to the public about breast cancer. Through the exhibit, the students of University of District of Colum-bia will display not only their artistic talents but also the importance of early detection. With African Americans, having a greater chance to die from cancer than other races it is important to be aware of your status.

YaVonne Vaughan, DC Cancer Consortium Executive Director, says, “Everyone must understand that because the District has the nation’s highest mortality rates in many cancers, all of our citizens must engage in a personal and collective fight against cancer. DC Goes Pink is part of our aggres-sive effort to highlight the alarming cancer death rates in DC.”

The DCGP art exhibit will be held on Thursday, October 24, 2013 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at 899 North Capital Street, NE Washington, DC 20002. You can also visit the Howard University Student Health Center, located in the Medical Arts Building, for more information regarding breast cancer awareness.

Bre JacksonContributing Writer

“D.C. Goes Pink” Brings Cancer Awareness in Art Exhibition

Howard Drops 46 Spots in U.S. News RankingSavannah Harris

Contributing Writer

U.S News and World Report’s Na-tional Universities Ranking dropped Howard from No. 96 in 2010, to No. 142 this year.

Earlier this month, Howard Univer-sity Board of Trustees Chairman Addison Barry Rand said, “no mat-ter what was said on the outside, we are strong here at Howard.”

In his column, Robert Morse, U.S. News and World Report’s director of data research, named some key reasons that Howard has fallen a total of 46 spots from its Top 100 ranking.

For one, Howard refused to submit the U.S News Statistical Survey for the last two years, resulting in a ranking that is estimated based on statistics from 2012. “Howard didn’t report data used to compute the alumni giving rate and financial resources per student ranking vari-ables to U.S. News for two consecu-tive years,” Morse wrote.

Also, Howard experienced a decrease in almost all of the cat-egories used by U.S. News to rank universities including: academic peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, student selectivity, faculty resources, alumni giving and

graduation rate performance.

Students struggle to understand why Howard didn’t make it a prior-ity to submit updated statistics to U.S. News.

Gemmika Champion, a sophomore public relations major, said, “I feel as though Howard University’s lack of concern for an updated ranking in the U.S. is an issue that should be in the forefront of student’s minds. As a student, I want my school to be concerned about its relevancy in America.”

Kimani Elliott, a senior English major, was hopeful that there was a good reason for Howard’s delin-quent submissions.

“Hopefully there is a better reason why the administration did not submit the information, rather than it being because they wish to hide its ‘subpar’ aspects,” Elliott said.

He added that although cohesion and heightened communication be-tween faculty, staff, and students has declined at the university, “Howard is still a great school and should not lose credibility due to its ranking.”

As demonstrated by the student-and-faculty-led protest during convocation, many members of the

Howard community do not wish to see the university sink. Many stu-dents are hopeful that Howard can rise above its current challenges, and that with the support of current students and alumni; Howard could get back on track.

“I think a lot of Howard’s problems are due to a lack of resources, and raising alumni contributions would really help us all,” said Kenny Nunn, a sophomore music major. There’s too much that Howard is, was and could be for us to let How-ard disappear!”

However, many are afraid that all of the negative press surrounding our institution will decrease the value of a Howard degree. Between tales of fiscal mismanagement, the downgrade by Moody’s, and Vice-Chairwoman Renee Higginbotham-Brooks’ letter, Howard has endured its fair share of bad press this year.

With Howard’s qualifications being brought into question, students are worried that the effort they pour into their education may be worth less in the long run.Sophomore marketing major, Nick Hough, said “The longer Howard neglects it’s obligations as an elite institution, the more the credibility of my degree decreases.”

Taste of DC Satisfies Local Taste Buds

After several months of prepara-tion, the Taste of DC held the big-gest two-day food festival to hit the nation’s capital. Over thousands of people gathered this past Columbus Day weekend on Pennsylvania Ave to enjoy food from the best restau-rants in the DC area.

Earlier that morning, hundreds of workers set up tents, tables, and chairs on the blocks of Pennsylva-nia Ave leading up to the White House. As noon approached, the gates opened and guests flooded the streets.

“I attended Taste of DC because I am a blogger and I believe that that it is important that students have more options to do on the weekend,” said Christian Conyers, a sophomore psychology major. “Taste of DC brings more exposure to restaurants in DC. Now I have an idea of new places to eat with my friends!”

With over 70 restaurants to eat from including deserts, Caribbean, veg-

Alexis PorterContributing Writer

etarian, and Thai cuisine, there was something for everyone to enjoy.

“The cupcakes from the vendor Cupcakes Lounge were delicious! The icing was light, fluffy, and not overly sweet. It complimented the cupcake well and I would definitely recommend Cupcake Lounge to all my friends and family,” said Ashley Richburg, a junior biology major.

“I attended Taste of DC on Sat-urday to enjoy the food and had some really good ribs! On Sunday I volunteered for almost five hours and I honestly had so much fun. I was able to meet new people and learn new things,” said Dominique Stokes, a junior biology major.

By 7 pm, it was time to shut every-thing down.“I would definitely come back to Taste of DC next year. The atmo-sphere was very welcoming and the food was great, said Jeré Jefferson, a sophomore public relations major. “There was so much to choose from I didn’t know where to start. Over-all, it was a great event and I look forward to next years.”

THE HILLTOP 8


Caught In StylePhotos by Sydnee Monday, Staff Photographer

Name: Brie FluddHometown: Virginia

Classification: JuniorMajor: Photography

Style Inspiration: “90s. I just went to the thrift store because every-thing’s half off for Columbus Day. That’s where this sweater’s from.”

Name: Forrest PinrodClassification: Freshman

Major: RTF Major

“I like military history, especially the colonial and civil war periods. I thrift

a lot.”

Name: Jaimee SavchukHometown: Boston, M.A.

Classification: SeniorMajor: Psychology

“I take from everywhere and every-thing. I like to switch it up. Sneak-

ers one day, chic the next.”

THE HILLTOP 9


The O�ce of the Vice President for Student A�airs invites all members of the Howard University community to a

reception. Meet and greet members of the Freshman Leader-ship Academy who traveled to East Asia this past summer.

Please join Freshman Leadership Academy members for an afternoon of fellowship, conversation, and open dialogue

about their experiences in Beijing and Shanghai.

Division of Student Affairs Hosts Reception for Howard Community

THE HILLTOP 10


Bison AbroadLondon

October 15, 2013 marks almost 2 months that I have been living in London. Each day is filled with a new adventure and moment in time I wouldn’t trade for anything. I’m finding the culture and people I meet more interesting everyday. There is definitely an American influence in London, but even more evident is the influence that British culture has had on America. Many Americans find the British accent to be really intriguing. It’s the total opposite in London; they find the American accent more appealing. When indulging in conversation with British women, as soon as they find out I’m American it changes the entire interaction. They love the American accent!

My residence is in the city of Kensington, which is the wealthiest area in the UK. I live in the same neighborhood as J.K. Rowling, David Beckham, Prince William & Kate Middleton—minutes away from the big homie Queen Eliza-beth II. It’s a beautiful city full of affluence, but its also really expen-sive. There is a home currently on the market for 82 million pounds in Kensington. This is part of the reason I have visited the surround-ing cities in London.

I have found a new love for photography through my founda-tions of photography class and have since been able to capture not only the historic city of Lon-don, but also other cities through-out Europe with my Canon. Last week I spent 4 days in Paris, and the city lived up to all the hype surrounding it. I spent the first night in bars and Hip Hop clubs dancing until dawn. The next day I ate at a delicious pizzeria, visited the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre Museum. On my last full day there I visited The Palace of Ver-sailles and went to a house party in Paris. I’m excited for my trip to Amsterdam tomorrow night!!! I will be arriving there first thing Thursday morning, and it just so happens to be a huge music dance festival occurring the entire weekend I’m there. My experience so far has taught me a lot about cultures around the world and about myself. I have had a chance to get in touch with old talents and I have also picked up new ones. It’s been a nice vacation from the illustrious Howard Univer-sity. I see many new possibilities in life from my time abroad and I love it!

Till next time,Reshod

Reshod Hamilton Contributing Writer

Want to be Caught in Style on Instagram?

Hashtag:#Hilltop, #HTstyle

Enjoy ‘Bison Abroad’?Let us know on twitter, @thehilltop!Stay tuned for Disa Robbfrom Morocco next Thursday!

The Internet – Feel Good ReviewCorliss Bailey

Contributing Writer

This is “The Internet’s” second studio album following the subtle success of “Purple Naked Ladies” (2011). “The Internet” is a sub-group of “Odd Future” featuring: lead vocalist/producer Syd Tha Kyd, producer Matt Martian, new vocalist Tay Walker, producer Mid-town Pat and percussionist Christo-pher A. Smith. Crossing paths with “The Internet” by stumbling upon them was a great way to enter a world of Trip-Hop R&B. How-ever, “Purple Naked Ladies” felt rushed at some parts especially with production keys by Matt Martian. “The Internet’s” debut album did have some promising points but were outshined by puzzled styles of music not fully taken advantage of, such as “Cocaine/Levie” or “Long Song-1.” That being said, all of the vocalists on this album bring a strong vibe accompanied by some subtle production.

The album begins with a nightly realm of music and slightly resembles the afterthought of “Purple Naked Ladies”; how-ever, that changes with the song “Dontcha,” which switches into a fast-paced almost pop music feel. “Dontcha” has decent vocals by Syd Tha Kyd, singing to an unknown person about her feelings and sud-den change in mood. The album continues with “You Don’t Even Know,” featuring Tay Walker. Tay

Walker touches every song with emotion, strong vocals, ambience and some slight confidence—similar to how D’Angelo sings. “You Don’t Even Know” starts with Syd Tha Kyd as it slowly transcends into the heavenly voice of Tay Walker—remember his name. The first half of the album definitely reminisces lightly on “The Internet’s” previ-ous work—especially with the track “Pupil/Patience.” The second half of the album leaves the realm of a nightly ensemble and shows a happier, lighter, faster production.

The final three songs of the album really create this polar-izing opinion of “The Internet.” “Wanders of Mind” is by far the worst song on the album. They got the brightest idea of featuring Mac Miller, who they apparently helped out on his latest album, to sing on this track. Yes, Mac Miller is actually attempting to sing. The production is quite melodic, trippy, even psychedelic helping fuel this drum driven beat; despite the great production, Mac Miller’s voice muffles all of the goodness. The track could have had new vocals and been good. “Partners in Crime, Pt. Two” is likely a sequel to “Fastlane,” which ends in a bit of a cliffhanger for the penultimate track. It has Syd Tha Kyd repeating the phrase, “Only you and me” over a superbly produced track. The band has this crisp synchronization of harp, guitar and keys to give a live and urban feeling that “The

Internet” is attempting to master. The final track, “Higher Times,” features an underground favorite, Chicago R&B singer, Jesse Boykins III. The expectations for this track are ultimately set high. “Higher Times” is also the longest track on the album, concluding at 10 minutes long. Jesse Boykins III sing-ing is quite feel-good and gives the listener this wholesome feeling. The second part of the song features Syd Tha Kyd singing some low-melody with a more tamed beat and harmony production-wise. This part is actually more enjoyable than the first part but gives off this deprived feeling—as if “The Internet” is holding back. The song overall cre-ates an image of an after show or even closing of a nighttime gig by some small Jazz/R&B band—the band is seemingly playing around and just cruising along.

“The Internet” brought back many of the same ideas from their last album. The tracks were actually more enjoyable this time around, as a result of “The Internet” honing their skills from 2011-2013 and taking a more lax approach. “The Internet” thus created a more con-centrated and elaborate product. Production by Matt Martian was solid. The features are somewhat lackluster with Mac Miller and Jesse Boykins III, but they take a step up with Yuna Zaraai. Syd Tha Kyd has marginally improved this time around with less dry, mundane vo-cals. This feel-good approach with

the right chemis-try from produc-ers could create a long, nice, and catchy vibe for “The Internet.” Lyrically-wise, don’t expect any thought-provok-ing prose or sub-ject matter from them, as they did more on “Purple Naked Ladies.” With The Internet bringing back a familiar sound with better qual-ity, this album definitely is working toward better quality in sound and deliv-ery. Less impor-tantly, the album is riddled with bad features and stretched songs. This album de-serves a solid six or light seven. What do you think? Did you like the vocal improvements? Are you a fan of feel-good music?

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THE HILLTOP 11


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Homecoming is right around the corner.

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THE HILLTOP 12


Life&Style Maya Cade, L&S Editor [email protected] . Deep Waters: Captain Phillips Review

Jeré JeffersonContributing Writer

“Captain Phillips” moves with a velocity and force that may leave the viewer too shaken to notice the deeper implications of its narrative. This, however, is emblematic of all of British director Paul Green-grass’s work. As a former journalist, Greengrass operates in objectivity and fact, but beneath him lies the beating heart of a humanist. To say nothing of his critically acclaimed docudramas “Bloody Sunday” (2002), “United 93” (2006), his Bourne films, which injected a much-needed shot of adrenaline to the thriller genre, are driven by a moral weight and urgency that jarringly contra-dict the hallow mayhem that characterizes most action filmmak-ing. Greengrass makes films about the consequences of action and the ugly side of might and means. Where a Michael Bay might race by death with gleeful abandon, Green-grass’s camera often lingers, put-ting the full brunt of what’s been done in the face of both his characters and the viewer. This again proves true in his latest thriller, inspired by true events that unfolded on April 8, 2009, when four Somali pirates seized the Maesrk Alabama, a U.S. cargo ship under the command of Richard Phillips. What happened over the next four days was then turned into a memoir by Captain Phillips, titled “A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea.”

“Captain Phillips,” whose script is written by Billy Ray (“The Hunger Games”) is based on this memoir, and while both works depend on the naturally riveting details of the event to propel their story, the feel-ings distilled from the former will leave the more profound impres-sion. The film begins with an admit-tedly clunky scene between Phillips (Tom Hanks) and his wife (Cath-erine Keener) as they leave their idyllic Vermont farmhouse, chatting about a changing world and their kids’ futures. The dialogue is rather wooden and obvious, but Green-grass’s restless camera and the intimacy of the exchange prepare the viewer for more stressful times in Phillips’s future. Before long, we see Phillips walking the deck of his ship, reading emails warning of pirate attacks on his route (the ship was hauling 17,000 tons of cargo,

The Coupon Craze Marc Rivers

Contributing Writer One of the great feats of being a college student is living on a limited budget. With classes, club dues and off-campus activities, money be-comes sparse and making the most of your funds can seem be challeng-ing. Amid the economic strain in recent years, many consumers have taken to extreme couponing as a means to make every dollar stretch. The act of stockpiling—purchasing items in bulk in order to accumulate a supply of essential goods over time—is not the most effective way for college students to coupon. Purchasing ten bottles of ketchup is more frivolous than savvy. Yet, taking the time to clip coupons can yield several benefits. Finding coupons is easier than many people assume. Newspapers with the larg-est circulation are a great source of coupons. If possible, working with roommates or friends to purchase multiple newspapers increases the amount of coupons you can use on one item. Some stores prohibit the use of multiple coupons on single items, thus, it may be beneficial for couponers to print the stores cou-pon policy and carry it with them to avoid any discrepancies. Weekly ads and coupon websites such as RetailMeNot.com and Coupons.com provide both online coupon codes and in-store coupons on a daily basis. On average these types of coupons usually last 9.5 weeks. The key to getting the most of your coupons is ensuring that you get the best deal possible. If 3lbs of apples are $2.99 at Target and 99¢ per lb at Giant, shopping at Giant presents the better deal. Most stores provide their weekly promotions on their websites, so comparing competitor’s prices is easily acces-sible. Not having access to a coupon during the time of purchase is the most common way to limit savings possibilities. By keeping coupons

including food to Kenya), and run-ning his crew through safety drills. Soon, a real threat materializes in the form of two fast approaching skiffs. Despite intense maneuvering from Phillips and the use of water hoses to veer the pursuers off track, four heavily armed Somalis manage to board the ship.

What transpires next is a harrow-ing and intense battle of wills and smarts between Phillips and the Somalis’ leader, Muse (newcomer Barkhad Abdi), and it is here that Greengrass displays his mastery of the genre. Since the success of his Bourne movies, many directors have tried to emulate his hand-held

camera style and staccato tempo, but they do not possess his coher-ence and proficiency. Greengrass’s camera swerves and bobs with anx-ious energy, as if constantly figuring how best to frame the action. Yet he always stages the action clearly and vividly, always keeping the viewer aware of where the hunter and the prey are in relation to each other; inciting nail-biting moments of tension. Distance and scale are also handled with a keen eye, and here, scale proves important. When the Somalis are racing beside the ship, we are aware of just how feeble their little boat looks compared to this behemoth. The situation becomes more pitiful when Muse decides to take Phillips hostage in a small lifeboat and the full strength of American muscle is brought to bear. Thus, we are presented with two warships, an aircraft carrier and the thrilling sight of parachut-ing Navy Seals. Safe to say, the odds are in America’s favor. But to Greengrass’s credit, this is not simply “Us vs. Them.” Hollywood has made a business of demonizing third world countries. It would be easy for Greengrass to have made a rollicking tale of Tom Hanks, that wonderful everyman, against the wild eyed, evil Somalis. It is a given that the viewers will sympathize with Mr. Hanks, whose controlled

and grounded performance puts you on his side right from the start, if his skin color already didn’t. But the Somalis, as played by Abdi, Barkhad Abdirhman, Faysal Ahmed, and Mahat M. Ali, each carve out distinct and human por-trayals as well.

Abdi’s Muse in particular may be the most compelling character in the film, his calculating eyes and fearsome disposition doing little to hide the desperation that has pushed him to the point of no return. Ray’s script arguably moves quicker than the camerawork, barely granting much context to the Somali plight beyond a hectic

scene showing vari-ous poor inhabit-ants volunteering for piracy. But Greengrass and his cinematographer, Barry Ackroyd, tell a deeper story—lingering on certain details: the bare feet of a pirate who can’t afford sandals, the incessant consumption by the pirates of Khat; an amphetamine plant that helps to sup-press appetite, and the angry threats that hide the fear of individuals who are

not yet out of their teens.What Greengrass ultimately pres-ents is the full reach and limitations of America and the ramifications of globalization, which may be doing more harm than good. As the tension continues to mount in the claustrophobic space of the lifeboat and the U.S. army makes their play to save Phillips, one feels the excite-ment seeping out of the moment even as the story reaches its violent crescendo. For many, the end will be a fist pumping moment, but Green-grass wants you to see deeper than that. He wants you to remember the stained teeth of Muse and his cohorts, the blood left in the wake of this demonstration of American power, and in an astonishing final scene, the wreck of a man whose stability and control has shattered under the weight of his ordeal. In Greengrass’s rigorous rendering of this disquieting tale, he manages to take a political and moral stance without seeming to present one. Before the end, there is a shot of the U.S. warship pulling in the lifeboat, which holds the captors and the captive, both parties powerless to a larger force carrying them forward. Is there a metaphor there? Decide for yourself. After all, Greengrass operates in objectivity and fact.

with you at all times, you are more likely to attain desired savings when shopping. Couponing101.com advises beginner couponers to make a list before going shopping to focus shopping efforts, to organize their coupons in advance and to check whether the store accepts expired coupons. 10 for $10 deals can be very appealing; however, you do not always have purchase ten items to get the $1 price. Participate in the 10 for $10 store promotions when the item is more than $1 per unit. Couponing allows students the opportunity to spend their funds on other activities like dining out, local events, laundry and transportation. The more frequently you purchase from different establishments, the more they will reward you for customer loyalty. Putting in the time provides the greatest return. Take the time and clip!dia, the concept of Culture Starved was born. She took their passion and turned it into an online source. With that dedica-tion, Starved Magazine has been able to showcase artists like Ken-drick Lamar before they become mainstream. Olusanya finds that the best way to keep going is to have a purpose and to stick to it, which Starved Magazine certainly does. “Our generation is culture starved,” said Bola Olusanya, presi-dent of Starved Magazine. “Art-ists coming out aren’t showcased and it’s the artists who define our culture. When we have a narrow view of the art being produced, we become culture starved.” At this point, Starved Magazine aims to grow its online presence through its awards and global expansion. The next step is for Starved Magazine to transpire into more of a community. The goal is to give every artist a platform of expression, and the hope is for peopleto collaborate, post, and enjoy new creativity together.

Interested in covering Life & Style for The Hilltop???

Email editor, Maya Cade, at

[email protected]

THE HILLTOP 13


Maya Cade, L&S Editor [email protected]

Being debt-free after college feels great.

Skimming mere feet above Pacific breakersin a helicopter feels even better.

At Spelman College, I never imagined I’d go on to become the first African American female helicopter pilot in Coast Guard history. The College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI) made it possible. It’s a program that fosters leadership, pays for two years of tuition and books, and provides HBCU students with a competitive salary even before graduation. It felt incredible knowing that I would have a career doing something that matters. Today I have one of the most coveted positions in the Coast Guard, and I got here because of CSPI.

Visit GoCoastGuard.com/CSPI to learn more.

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THE HILLTOP 14


Sports Khari Arnold, Sports Editor [email protected] .

Nile KendallStaff Writer

The struggling Bison football team is still in search of its first confer-ence win this season after losing to the reigning conference champions, Bethune Cookman (5-1, 2-0 in MEAC), 27-6 at Greene Stadium this past Saturday.

The Wildcats dominated on defense holding junior quarterback Greg McGhee and the Bison offense to just 186 yards of total offense.

The Howard (1-5, 0-3 in MEAC) offense, which came into the contest averaging almost 400 yards per game, had its chances but seemed to struggle on third down.

“We couldn’t execute on third down,” McGhee said. “We had a couple of dropped passes and a couple of missed reads which resulted in three and outs. Their defensive line had a lot to do with that. They did a great job of apply-ing pressure.”

Bethune Cookman’s junior running back Anthony Jordan helped send the team to a quick 14-0 lead in the first quarter after two strong touch-down runs.

Howard’s first sign of life came at the beginning of the second quarter when BCU attempted a flea-flicker

to the end zone that was intercepted by junior defensive back Ademola Olatunji, who eventually left the game with a leg injury.

Howard was initially unable to capi-talize on the turnover as the offense went three and out. However, BCU was called for roughing the kicker on the ensuing punt, resulting in a first down for Howard. The Bison were able to drive the ball down to the 15-yard line, but the field goal was missed by sophomore kicker John Fleck.

Howard’s next scoring opportunity came after sophomore linebacker

While some may be under the incredulous belief that only coaches and players make up the Howard athletics department, there is an immense amount of staff members that help run this program. In her

third year with Howard University, Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator Shelley Davis-Hill has contributed to Howard’s recent improvement as an athletics program overall. Al-though Davis-Hill remains “behind the scenes” in her line of work, her

overview of the department has helped implement a positive change in several sports for Howard since her arrival.

As a member of the senior leader-ship team, Davis-Hill is account-able for the administration of the internal operations of the 19 intercollegiate sports, the 40 staff members and coaches and 325 student-athletes that make up the department.

Her other duties include the oversight of the human resource functions of the athletic depart-ment, administration of scholarship budgets, scheduling of competi-tions and direct oversight of the Academic Support and Media Relations departments. She serves as the department liaison to various institutional committees including the Homecoming Policy Board.

“The Policy Board oversees what the steering committee’s plans are and we approve the budget and some of the other programming associated with homecoming,” said Davis-Hill, who is also involved in

Behind the Scenes: Shelley Davis

Khari ArnoldSports Editor

Devin Rollins blocked a punt deep in Bethune Cookman territory. The Wildcat defense, however, stood strong and held the Bison to a 39-yard field goal by Fleck.

The Bison defense came up big again at the end of the second quarter after junior defensive end Godspower Offor sacked the quarterback and forced a fumble. Freshman defensive end Marquese Blanchard recovered the loose ball and ran it back to the seven-yard line with 10 seconds left in the half.

McGhee attempted two quick passes into the endzone, but each

was unsuccessful as Howard was forced to settle for the field goal.Howard went into halftime down 14-6.

In the second half, Bethune Cook-man controlled the clock by wearing the Howard defense down with their strong running attack. Senior running back Isodore Jackson, who led the team in rushing with 65 yards, was one of four running backs who took turns pounding the ball forward for chunks of yardage for the Wildcats.

“We didn’t make stops,” interim head coach Ray Petty said. “We had

a couple of chances to get off the field on third down and we didn’t.”

In the third quarter, the Wildcats drove the ball 61 yards down the field, capping the drive off with a 14-yard touchdown run by Jackson to give BCU a 21-6 lead.

After a punt by Howard in the fourth quarter, BCU constructed a 75-yard drive by continuing to ride the success of their hard-nosed running game. The drive ended with a five-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Drexler Dixon, which essentially iced the game for the Wildcats.

Howard is now riding a four-game losing streak, but Petty believes this season can still be a positive one.

“Our goal is to go out and win ev-ery game that we play,” Petty said. “We have six games left, and if we win those we’ll be 7-5. It’s not our initial goal for the season, but that’s still a winning season.”

This Bison travel to Tallahassee, Fl. this Saturday to take on confer-ence rivals Florida A&M (2-4, 1-1 in MEAC). Howard goes into the matchup with hopes of spoiling the Rattlers’ homecoming as the team was able to do just that in a come-back thriller two years ago.

Bison Fall to Defending Champions

the development of professional/leadership activities and program-ming for department staff mem-bers.

Davis-Hill’s role in the academic progress of the Howard athletics program the past year has been one of her most influential actions in the department. She assists in the supervision of the Institutional Academic Progress Rate (APR) as she helped the athletics program improve to an average increase of APR single year scores of over 34 points across eight sports in one academic year.

“We’ve been focusing our efforts on recruiting student-athletes that can be academically successful and put [school] first,” said Davis-Hill.

This summer the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference recognized Howard University as the top institution in the conference for producing academic excellence for student-athletes. The university led all 13 schools in the conference and Davis-Hill hopes to continue this achievement for years to come.

“We’ll continue to be successful be-cause of the student athletes we’re bringing in and the commitment that we made to them to ensure the academic success after they get here,” she continued.

Davis-Hill, who has served simi-lar positions with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the Southwestern Athletic Conference, has accli-mated with Howard well as Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator. Her continuous efforts to improve the athletics department overall has been significant to Howard with the students being her main motivation.

“Coming here to just see the pride that students have in the institution has been very rewarding,” Davis-Hill remarked. “The social activism and involvement the general student population has is refreshing.”

Photo courtesy of Howard Sports Information

Photo by Rodney Pierce


THE HILLTOP 15

Opinions

Convening Contemplative Spaces: The HBCU Mandate

Dr. Gregory CarrHoward University Professor

The US government remains shut down. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments on whether state constitution bans on affirma-tive action at public universities are legal. These and other recent na-tional political developments are the latest fruits of long-range planning by small groups of right-wing think-ers and activists over the last several

decades. They speak to the power of combining scholarship, activism and organization. They also speak of the power of creating spaces for study and contemplation of the past as a prelude to a vision for the future. We ignore these lessons at the risk of even greater social and political harm to our communities in the near future.

Last week’s Ron Walters Legacy

Conference highlighted the under-examined successes and persistent challenges that continue to face Howard as the country’s best hope for convening, nurturing and producing scholar-activists devoted to Black and human equity, equal-ity and liberation. Fueled by deep pockets of wealth and a contested but also consensus-driven concept of America’s history and purpose, White America advances its varied interests with the support of its in-tellectual bases, from the right-wing Federalist Society to the centrist Ford and Mellon Foundations to left-wing Center for American Prog-ress. These organizations connect old ideas and intellectual genealo-gies to new tactics and strategies for realizing their vision.

Lacking similar consensus iden-tity narratives and the luxury of political spectrum they afford, Black America has been left to beggar our neighbors for slivers of economic support for our thinking classes and the institutions that should nurture them. As many noted at the Walters Conference, the search for critical mass action has retreated behind the phantom of integration. We do not own our narratives. How can we own our future? Our lack of consensus vision, frenetic pace and mis-targeted investment of resources, even and especially at our historically Black educational institutions, belies this slow, accre-tive work.

Money is not the primary key. William “Bill” Lucy has noted that money had Mitt Romney sure he’d won the 2012 presidential election until well into election night. To their dismay and corporate chagrin, money streaming from the coffers of the Koch Brothers has become fuel for a racist populism like that on display at last week’s “Values Voters” convention. [Parentheti-cally, Dr. Ben Carson should stick to neuroscience. His comparison of the Affordable Care Act to enslave-ment is more evidence that there is no relationship between the capac-ity to repair a brain and the ability to utilize the creative intelligence therein].

Jonathan Schell noted in his book The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People (2004) that there are two ex-tant superpowers in the world, the United States of America and the people of the world. HBCUs, long reliant on the energy and often-meager resources of African people as their primary sustaining revenue stream, have not thought about the right mixes between the discursive or “financial” resources and human ones.

Contemplative visioning work is like looking at the stars. By the time the light from stars in distant galaxies reaches our eyes, millions of light years have passed. When we look at the night sky, we are looking, quite literally, at the past.

It is the intensity of what occurred, however, that allows us to take note and to go forward, with this road-map of history as a partial guide. Contemplation of the stars connects the past with the future. So too does contemplation and visioning grounded in the light generated by the constellations of intellectual work by HBCU-sited thinkers.

We see the fruits of not taking the time to create contemplative space: An erosion of rigorous thinking. An enabled lack of capacity to make soluble connections over long arcs of time and space. A slowed ability to organize arguments and tech-niques for thinking around the light of ideas and materials produced in previous generations. At the center of all these challenges is the ques-tion of how best to organize our extant resources as centers for com-bining scholarship and activism.

A lesson I have learned in over two decades of teaching is that critical mass of contemplative intellectual work/workers is the hardest thing to convene, achieve and sustain in African-American educational institutions. Ideas, and the invest-ment of time to develop them with the contemplative mandate of ac-tion, must be the twin catalysts for re-purposing resources and shaping Howard and its sister institutions.

Khari Arnold, Sports Editor [email protected]

by Katie Downs, cartoonist

Carr’s Corner

Daniel WhiteContributing Writer

There’s a scene at the end of 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory where Gene Wilder, as the better version of Wonka, takes Charlie and his grandfather into the “Wankavator,” a great glass elevator able to move in any direc-tion. Wonka urges Charlie to press the one button he hadn’t had the chance to press: the red button that takes the elevator “up and out.” The Wankavator takes off, gaining enormous speed, bursting through the great glass ceiling holding the elevator inside the Factory. Pure Imagination plays.

Kanye West is frustrated. He so desperately wants to press that red button. “I’ve reached a point in my life where my Truman Show boat has hit the painting. And I’ve got to a point that Michael Jackson did not break down. I have reached the glass ceiling,” said West in a September interview with BBC’s Zane Lowe.

You would think that with over

Kanye West: The Rap Game’s Willy Wonka?21 Million albums and 66 Million digital downloads sold worldwide, making Kanye one of the Digital Era’s top sellers, he could stand to rest on his laurels. But Ye isn’t satis-fied, as he later elaborated to Lowe: “As a creative person, as a celebrity, when I say that, it means: I want to do product, I am a product person. Not just clothing, but water bottle design, architecture, everything.”

Hovering under the Glass Ceiling is stifling to Kanye. Take this quote from an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live: “I’m only 36 years old. I have other goals and things. I’m going to use my platform, every platform, to stand up and say ‘I want to make something. I want to be the next Ralph Lauren.’” Ye describes his challenges as a result of “classism,” an uphill climb against the treacherous forces of “Old Money.”

Old Money is a staggering force of generational wealth. Kanye believes that Old Money, the forces that be, have established this glass ceiling in order to box him in. Harkening to the Asiatic teachings of the Five-

Percent Nation (listen to some Wu-Tang), Ye told Lowe: “There’s the 10 percenters, the media. For the most part, the 85 percenters don’t really know what it is. And the 5 percenters that know what it is can’t get it past the 10 percenters, so this is a jump past—this gon’ get taken off the internet quick. ‘Send the paparazzi at him, get him locked up.’ That’s what’s gon’ happen. Somebody’s trying to set me up. Somebody’s trying to shut me up.”

This 10 percent is powerful. It has the ability to apply its ideas of ac-ceptability on the masses. Kanye is “crazy,” because the blogs tell you so. The changes he advocates

for are lost in translation, as his, no doubt overbearing at times, message is drowned out by snippets of his outbursts and videos of him pummeling paparazzi. To those that would treat him as a “zoo animal,” Ye offered Fallon: “It’s not safe for you in the zoo. Don’t ever think that I’m not from Chicago for one second.”

Kanye’s Glass Ceiling is a media construct. You yourself must move beyond it in order to understand. Kanye wants to break the glass and you, like Charlie, must ride in the elevator with him. Educate yourself beyond TMZ, Media Take Out, World Star and the social media

fodder. The only way to analyze a public figure is their word and their content. What does Kanye say in his interviews? What does he say in his music? Interviews like Zane Lowe’s and Jimmy Kimmel’s are valuable in so much as they give the viewer a direct view into the mind of Kanye West from the mouth of Kanye West.

Has his style changed? Yes. Has his voice changed? Certainly. Regard-less, the man gave us five tracks off of The Blueprint. That and the rest of his large body of work is what you have to judge him on. And Kanye West’s track record is immaculate. We can only hope that he is able to extend his foresight into other realms of creative expres-sion. One last quote from a 2008 interview with Clash Music: “I have that opportunity to put my name on something and people will buy it, but I want to create something that has its own voice and other design-ers can look at it and be inspired by. I wasn’t put on this earth to make money—I was put on this earth to make magic. I was put on this earth to make music and art.”

via Kim Erlandsen, NRK P3


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