Thursday, January 23, 2014

PrivacySupreme Court to decide on cell phone privacy.

p.5

LupitaLupita Nyong’o’s crossover appeal has aided in the star’s rise.

p.6

Bison WinBoth men’s and women’s basketball come away with victories in home action.

p.9

INSIDE INDEX

The Student Voice of Howard University est. 1924

thehilltoponline.com

Vol. 98 No.2

WEATHERTomorrow Mostly Sunny

High 27Low 21

90 Years Strong

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

LIFE & STYLE................ p.6

SPORTS........................ p.9

OPINIONS..................p.11

Today Partly Cloudy

High 29Low 12

The Hilltop, founded in 1924 by Zora Neale Hurston and Louis Eugene King, celebrated its 90th anniversary yesterday as a staple on Howard’s campus; providing students with campus, local and global news. Above, are The Hilltop’s first ever issue (left) and another from its inaugural year (right).

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THE HILLTOP | THURSDAY, JANUARY, 23 2014

The Hilltop Newspaper

Glynn Hill Editor-in-Chief

Dominique Diggs Chief Managing Editor

Indigo SilvaMultimedia Editor

Emmy VictorCampus Editor

Keneisha DeasMetro EditorMaya Cade

Life & Style Editor Khari ArnoldSports Editor

Daniel WhiteOpinions Editor

Quantrel HedrickCopy Chief

Alexis GrantCopy Editor

Terranie SimsCopy Editor

Lindsey Ferguson Copy Editor

Tasia Hawkins Staff Writer

Jourdan HenryStaff Writer

Siniyah SmithStaff Writer

Erin Van Dunk Staff Writer

Shannen HillStaff Writer

Precious Osagie-EreseStaff Writer

Nile KendallStaff Writer

Allyson CarpenterStaff WriterSteven Hall

ColumnistMarc Rivers

Columnist

Rachel CumberbatchPhoto Editor

Disa RobbEditorial Assistant

Disa RobbEditorial Assistant

Katie DownsCartoonist

The Hilltop encourages its read-ers to share their opinions with the newspaper through letters to the editor or perspectives. All letters should include a complete address and telephone number and should

be sent electronically to diggs@thehilltoponline.com.

All inquiries for advertisements should be sent directly to

The Hilltop Business offi ce at:campusavertising@thehilltoponline.com

localadvertising@thehilltoponline.com

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THE HILLTOP | THURSDAY, JANUARY, 23 2014

Campus . Emmy Victor, Campus Editor campus@thehilltoponline.com

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the former President of South Africa widely known for leading his nation out of apartheid, passed away last December at the age of 95. Com-monly referred to by nicknames “Madiba” or “Tata,” the iconic legend spent the majority of his life fighting for the good of mankind in South Africa and across the global spectrum. Accepting almost 30 years of imprisonment, Mandela’s conscious efforts as a humanitarian continued a quest for liberation of all races and descents that exists to this day. In return, he requested for a more powerful image out of the African-American community, to develop as thinkers and lead-ers- which is exactly where Howard University, the leader of historically black universities in the United States, falls into place.

On Wednesday January 15, the uni-versity came together to honor, re-flect, and celebrate the life of a man whose leadership continues to be a powerful influence to the legacy of Howard and the community within in. The three-part celebration for consisted of an 90-minute memorial tribute in Cramton Auditorium, a candlelight walk across the yard of main campus, and concluded with a viewing of “Nelson Mandela: Char-acter, Comrade, Leader, Prisoner, Negotiator, Statesman” exhibit in Founders library.

Tribute Honors the Life of Nelson Mandela

Emmilyne VictorCampus Editor

Want to be Caught in Style on Instagram, hashtag: #Hilltop, #HTstyle

The invocation was lead by Dean of the Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel Dr. Bernard L. Richardson, followed by words from Interim President Wayne Frederick and guest reflections from Minister of Constitutional Affairs Roelf Meyer and Chairperson of Senate Select Committee on Constitutional Af-fairs Mohammed Bhabha. All three shared personal reflections on the leader, honoring him as a mentor and world renowned inspirational figure. “It is amazing how he received iconic status not just in the country, but in the world,” said Meyer. The speakers also touched on his comrade character, despite the several trials and tribulations the former prisoner faced throughout his life as an activist. “He was never afraid to sacrifice power,” said Bhabha, “One of the first acts he did after elections was to meet the widow of the person who imprisoned him for 27 years.”

Next, Dr. Jean Bailey, Chair of the Howard University Republic of South Africa Project and a How-ard University graduate professor, encouraged the audience to support new partnerships, developments, and exchange programs that will connect Howard with the coun-

try of South Africa and continue Madiba’s work as philanthropists. “We need to do what we can to sustain the legacy of Nelson Man-dela,” said Bailey. Afterwards, a series of university leaders graced the audience with popular quotes and excerpts of literature written by Mandela. Selected readers included Dr. Elsie Scott, Howard University Law School Dean Okianer Christian-Dark and Dr. Dana Williams, to name a few. Youth representatives included members of the Howard University Student Association, African Student Association and the Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Sciences. When a group of about twenty from the Artist Group Chorale took the stage and sang along to “Nkosi Sikeleli’ iAfrica from “Of Dance and Struggle: A Musical Tribute to the Life of Nelson Mandela,” the crowd clapped and chanted right along. Dressed in South African flag colors, four liturgical dancers danced in front of the group, grab-bing the audience’s attention and staying on beat to Department of Fine Arts Professor Karen Walwyn’s graceful piano arrangement. Closing remarks from the Special Advisor to the Minister of Arts and Culture via the Republic of South Africa Mduduzi Mbada, Director

of Moorland-Spingarn Research Center Dr. Howard Dodson, and the Dean of the Chapel lead to-wards an invite for the audience to participate in the second portion of the evening, a walk across the yard to resemble Mandela’s “Long Road to Freedom.” The walk, lead by Interim President Wayne Frederick, was followed by almost 300 members from the audi-ence, carrying candles in one hand, and personal reflections in the other. Once in Founders Library, the line filed through the Nelson Mandela exhibit and swooped into the nearby Browsing Room, for light refreshments. In the Browsing Room you were able to see the vast amount of faculty present, including Associ-ate Director of Student Activities Wilson T. Bland, who recapped Mandela’s visit to the university for the 1994 Convocation.

“I was here when he delivered his speech- I felt empowered,” said Bland, “Nelson Mandela made a purpose for me and others; a foun-dation and groundwork for all to go forward.”

Also found in the Browsing room was Interim President Wayne Fred-erick, who discussed why students today should still feel connected to Nelson Mandela, though half of the student body was not alive when

he made his appearance at the university.

“Students today may not experience the same types of struggles that their parents can recognize, that the things that they [students] partake in now are sacred: cherish it, excel in it, and make sure that you re-ally embody the spirit of that long walk,” said Frederick.

Frederick, who was one of the first university officers to release a statement about Mandela, would like make sure that the memory of Nelson Mandela is incorporated through the rest of the major uni-versity events this semester.

“Our first duty is to infuse his lega-cy through the rest of the academic year. You will hear more about him on Charter day, we will have a brief celebration on the anniversary of his election, and on commencement day when we take the ‘long walk,” said Frederick, “Our second duty is to infuse his legacy scholarship and research.” The connection between Madiba and the Howard University com-munity may not ever be the same without his tangible presence on earth, but will never be forgotten with the intangible presence of his memory and lessons.

Members of the Howard community joined for a silent walk in honor of Nelson Mandela last week. Photo by Rachel Cumberbatch, Photo Editor

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THE HILLTOP | THURSDAY, JANUARY, 23 2014

the contract with Right Advisory LLC, a consulting firm led by for-mer Chief Financial Officer Robert M. Tarola, had ended after four years. The issues occurring with the mismanagement of university funds had been publically discussed. John Gordon has since been appointed interim CFO and Treasurer of Howard University.

The loss of the university president and CFO were, to say the least, expected by the student body, but many students were unaware that the Human Resources Director, Campus Police Chief, and Vice President of Student Affairs had left their posts as well.

COAS Student Council Programs Coordinator Demetrius Chavis saw the loss of administrative leaders as a reflection of the many unsolved issues the university faces, including enrollment.

“Howard is a mess, so to speak. Every aspect is basically being run by a student. Even with Howard bringing people in, they’re usually alumni.”

Although the university is fac-ing many challenges, the Howard University Chief of Police and Executive Director for Safety and Security Leroy K. James, retired with a stellar record after 6 years of heading the department. Crime rates for the university decreased annually under the direction of James. He built relationships with local law enforcement, improved of-ficer training, and instituted several security technology initiatives.

Howard University President? Interim. Chief Financial Offi-cer? Interim. Human Resources Director? Interim. Campus Police Chief ? Interim. Vice President of Student Affairs? Looking for a replacement.

Within the past 3 months, Howard University has lost five prominent leaders. The resignation of Dr. Sidney A. Ribeau came as no surprise to many students, seeing as the announcement came within a week following the downgrade of Howard’s credit rating, the enroll-ment problems the university was experiencing, the federal budget cuts that occurred nation-wide, and the adverse financial effects of op-erating Howard University Hospital on university finances.

COAS Student Council Logistics Director Lindsey Foster agreed that the loss of the president could be anticipated.

“Starting off with President Ribeau, he wasn’t necessarily supposed to be here for an extended period of time. That’s maybe not common knowledge besides maybe seniors who were here when he first got here,” said Foster.

Ribeau has since been replaced by Interim President Wayne A.I. Frederick, who previously served as Provost and Chief Academic Officer under Ribeau, while a national search for a new president is underway. Interim President Frederick announced soon after that

Students Offer Mixed Reactions to Administrative Changes

Erin Van DunkStaff Writer

Campus . Emmy Victor, Campus Editor campus@thehilltoponline.com

Dealing with chronic illness since the age of 10, Bi’Ja Thatch, age 20, continues to fight everyday as she awaits three severe procedures. To help pay for medical expenses, the Misses at Meridian Outreach Society coordinated a game night, hoping to raise $10,000 and spread the word for their sister’s cause.

Fellow Sisters and Bison gathered in Howard University’s game room this past Friday, January 17. They were hoping to raise over $10,000 for their sister’s bone marrow transplant procedure and spread the word of their sister’s cause.

Bi’Ja Thatch, a junior Legal Com-munications major at Howard University is unable to be a full time student due to organ failure this past summer. With a reputation of being very friendly and always positive on campus, many were un-aware of her illnesses, even her own Misses at Meridian sister Taylor Kornegay.

“She was reluctant to tell anyone because she didn’t want anyone to feel bad for her,” said Kornegay. “But after we became close she told me everything.”

Thatch has a long history of ill-nesses. Starting at age of ten she was diagnosed with auto-immune hepatitis, a disease where a person’s immune system attacks their liver cells, and also hereditary ellipto-cyosis, which is when a person’s red blood cells are an elliptical shape rather than their typical biconcave disc shape.

From there on, Thatch was diag-nosed with many different illnesses, including rheumatoid poly-arthritis and Sjogren’s syndrome. At the age of 18, she was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocyto-sis, which is when white blood cells build up in different organs in the body and destroy other cells. It was then that she was told that she was not expected to live any longer than eight more months. “I have so much more to do with my life,” Thatch said. “I know I’m not going anywhere, anytime soon.” With the many appointments, medi-cines, doctor visits, and procedures, she cannot attend Howard Uni-versity physically. Yet, she is taking her classes online. Her dream is to practice law and ultimately become

GAME NIGHT, FUNDRAISER FOR JUNIOR’S

ROAD TO RECOVERYDisa Robb

Editorial Assistant

Former Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Barbara Griffin has also stepped down, which was disap-pointing news for many students. The well-liked former vice president was endorsed by HUSA back in 2010 for having “passion, under-standing, and clear vision for what a ‘Students First’ Student Affairs Division should look like,” stated in an article written by former HUSA president Brandon Harris. Dr. Grif-fin was also a highly involved figure for the Freshman Leadership Acad-emy, so it calls to question what the effect may be on that organization as well.

UGSA Executive Secretary TeAn-dra Nichelle Myers also commented on the loss of these five administra-tive leaders in such a short period of time.

“My question is to what’s going on with staffing or Howard University, because I feel like something is go-ing on internally,” said Myers. It is no doubt surprising that there has been a loss of five, prominent administrative staff members in just a short 3 months. The influx of new leaders that is to occur could be to the benefit of the university, or create even more issues than the university is already trying hard to control.

“The lack of care is finally coming to fruition, and now we’re going to have to deal with all these interim positions; not necessarily that those are a bad thing, but hopefully we are in a transitional period to per-haps something greater,” said Foster.

a Supreme Court Justice.

“I’m hoping to come back to Howard in the fall to continue my studies,” said Thatch. “I want to prepare myself for law school and for my future.” Because of on-going chemotherapy sessions, Doctors suggest she will become infertile. If she ever wants to have children, she will have to freeze her eggs. Her procedures include chemotherapy, bone mar-row transplant and egg harvesting, totaling $100,000.

In the meantime to cover the expenses, Thatch’s family has or-ganized an online fundraising cam-paign through online donation web-site Give Forward: https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/2p13/bi-ja-s-road-to-healing. The online site has generated $5,720 leaving her 42% short of her goal.

With many fundraising efforts oc-curring in her honor, Thatch has designed an apparel line, #TeamBJ, for her supporters. Her aim is not to generate money off of the shirts, but wants everyone who is involved to look like a real team.

“Everyone was drawing up fund-raisers for me,” she said. I wanted to do something to get involved in everyone’s fundraisers.”

The game night was success-ful. Many of her sisters attended the event and even wore custom paraphernalia for Thatch. In all they raised $300. Emmilyne Victor, a Misses at Meridian member, was pleased with the success of the event.

“She’s always been a strong sup-porter of everything I have done,” she said. “So I always try and do the same things for her.” Although Thatch could not attend the event, a 20-second video of her, thanking everyone in attendance, was played and a prayer circle was formed at the end.

“Words can’t explain how much I appreciate all of the help and support,” said Thatch in the video. “Saying thank you isn’t enough.”

If you would like to give your sup-port or donate to TeamBJ please visit this webpage: https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/2p13/bi-ja-s-road-to-healing.

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THE HILLTOP | THURSDAY, JANUARY, 23 2014

Supreme Court to Make Decision on Cell

Phone Privacy

Tasia HawkinsStaff Writer

WASHINGTON—With increased debate about privacy and new technology, it has become vital for the United States to create laws regarding the limits of the Fourth Amendment when it comes to devices such as cell phones. Mobile technology is largely unregulated and two upcoming Supreme Court cases will likely give some regulation to police search of cell phones and use of this evidence in court.

Some federal and state courts have ruled that it is fair to search the cell phone of an arrestee while others have decided that search warrants are required. A 1973 court case found that it was legal for law en-forcement officers to search contain-ers on an arrestee’s body but there are no federal laws that outline specific rules to searching techno-logical devices on an individual’s torso and whether this case grants permission to search cell phones without a warrant.

In solving this matter, the Supreme Court will be reviewing 2 cases: Riley v. California and United States v. Wurie. These cases outline whether the Fourth Amendment allows the police to search the cellphone of a person who has been lawfully arrested.

In the Riley v California case, David Riley was pulled over for driving with expired license plates. Upon inspection of the vehicle, officers discovered loaded firearms. After his arrest, the officers searched Riley’s smartphone. From this search, they learned of his connec-tion with gang members through text messages, photos and video. He was brought to trial and eventu-ally convicted of shooting at an occupied vehicle, attempted murder and assault with a semi-automatic weapon. He was then sentenced to at least 15 years in prison.

“The data turned up evidence iden-tifying him as a gang member out to kill members of a rival gang. Other contents included a photo of him

with a red car seen at the shooting site,” said Lyle Denniston, a re-porter for the SCOTUS blog. “No one positively identified him but the data from the cellphone search was put before the jury, which convicted him of all three counts.”

In the second case, United States v. Wurie, police did a warrantless search of the call log on Brima Wurie’s flip phone after he was arrested for completing an appar-ent drug deal out of his car. At the police station, officers retrieved two cellphones from him. The evidence from the cell phones led to him be-ing sentenced to over 20 years in in prison for distributing crack cocaine and possessing crack with intent to distribute.

In both cases, the defendants were lawfully arrested due to minor infractions and evidence from cell phones were used as the prime evidence for conviction in major felonies. Although these two victims may have been connected to larger crimes, the majority of citizens question the constitutionality of cell phone searches.

“A cellphone nowadays is a portal into our most sensitive information and the most private aspects of our lives,” said Jeffrey Fisher, lead attor-ney for David Riley and co-director of Stanford University’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic. “It’s also a device that is the gateway to your office, health records and bank records.”

These cases deal with fundamental privacy rights. This is especially important with smart phones where not only are there access to call records; but also important docu-ments such as emails, photos and social media accounts. The decision on these cases could have further implications for police access to personal technology such as GPS trackers in cell phones and cars.

The court will hear arguments in the cases in April and come to a decision by late June.

Metro Keneisha Deas, Metro Editor deas@thehilltoponline.com .

WASHINGTON—Two men were found guilty last Friday for the robbery that led to the shooting and killing of a Howard University student, according to the Prince George’s County state’s attorney.

Angela Alsobrooks announced Friday—Michael Jordan, 20, of D.C. was charged with first-degree murder of Alonzo Guyton, 24, who was killed in an attempted mugging in October 2011. D.C. resident Wil-liam Knight, 22, was found guilty of robbery, theft and related charges for his participation in Guyton’s death.Jordan faces a maximum sentence of life plus 35 years. Knight faces a maximum sentence of 35-38 years. Their sentencing is set for March 20.Lorenzo Carlton, who attempted to rob Guyton at gunpoint, previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and associated charges. He is scheduled to go before a judge on Feb. 28 and will receive a sentence of 70 years, with 35 years suspended.

According to official report, Guyton had been walking to a friend’s house in Mount Rainier Oct. 25, 2011 when he was approached by

Three-Year Case Comes to a CloseDeJanae Evins

Contributing Writer

Carlton. When Guyton struggled with Carlton, Knight said that Carlton needed help, prompting Jordan to leave his vehicle and fire a SKS assault rifle, shooting Guyton multiple times.

While slow progress managed to bring this 3-year-case to a close, the investigation regarding the fatal shooting of Omar Sykes is still pending.

The killing that left the Howard community in shambles July 2013 raised questions about the safety of the University’s campus and whether the case is growing cold.

“It really starts with the community, we need people to come forward in order for justice to be served,” Stephanie Johnson, 22, senior, ad-ministration of justice major said.

Johnson implies the judicial system follows procedure in its efforts to put criminals behind bars. “Its not case open, case closed, like you see on television. There’s a lot of small details to consider in prosecuting someone for murder,” Johnson said.

Suspect, 26-year-old Rasdavid Lagarde, who is alleged to have been involved in the attempted robbery that led to the killing of the Howard University student, has not

yet been charged.

“The case is in the grand jury stage and no comments in regards to the case can be made at this time,” detective Anthony Greene said. A preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 30, according to Greene.

Omar Sykes, 22, was shot at about 11:30 p.m. at Georgia Ave. and Fairmont St. Officials said the armed attackers approached him and another student and declared a robbery. “We come from all over the country to Howard to try and do something positive and its just sad, man, to think that it could really happen to anybody,” Loren Harvey, 21, junior, business management major said. Sykes was a senior majoring in business marketing at Howard and the leader of Howard’s chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity. A scholarship in Sykes’s name was started through the American Foreign Service Associa-tion. D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, who was in attendance at the memorial ser-vice, says he would like to rename the block of Fairmont Street where the shooting took place “Omar Sykes Street.”According to the city’s planning boards and commission the project is still awaiting a decision.

via Flickr.com, Scallop Holden

Freedom Industries, which contami-nated the water supply for 300,000 people in West Virginia, was approved for a $5 million loan on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Over 25 lawsuits were filed against the company after one of the company’s plants leaked chemicals into Elk River on Jan. 9th. The spill has also caused state and federal politicians to propose bills to have more regulations for chemical storage facilities.

State inspectors were sent to the full service producer of specialty chemi-cals for mining, steel and cement in-dustries to investigate a licorice odor across West Virginia’s capital city. The odor turned out to be MCHM, a coal processing chemical that has limited information about its effects, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Up to 7,500 gallons of the chemi-cal flowed over 1.5 miles down Elk River, affecting many surround-ing businesses, including the West Virginia American Water Company. Some West Virginians have put plastic bags over their faucets to re-mind them not to use them. Many are also concerned about the effect

Chemical Spill Affects 300,000Shannen Hill

Staff Writerthat the spill will have on coal.“I hope this doesn’t hurt coal,” said Bonnie Wireman, an 81-year-old woman whose water was affected by the spill, to the Associated Press. “Too many West Virginians depend on coal and chemicals. We need those jobs.”

The cracked walls that the chemi-cal spilled through went undetected because only chemicals stored underground are subject to environ-mental regulations and these walls were above ground, according to the state Department of Environ-mental Protection. Another reason the spill was undetected was that the chemical was falsely deemed not hazardous enough for additional regulation.

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and U.S. Sen. Joe Man-chin, D-W.Va., have both proposed stronger regulations for chemical storage facilities to avoid chemical spills in the future. The governor’s planned bill would mandate annual inspections of both underground and aboveground chemical storage tanks. It would also require public water systems to give a detailed draft of emergency plans in case of spills. Those who don’t comply would be subject to penalties from

the Department of Environmental Protection.

Manchin’s bill would require all states to inspect chemical facilities that could threaten a public water system every three years. His bill is supported by other U.S. Senators, including Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.While many see the cause of the chemical spill as a lack of regulations and inspections, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, says that there are enough regula-tions. Boehner, who received $5,000 from Freedom Industries in 2013, is blaming the Obama administration for the chemical spill.

“We have enough regulations on the books,” said Boehner at a press con-ference on Jan. 14. “And what the administration ought to be doing is actually doing their jobs.”

While many of the people in the area are not against the chemical production industries, they say that there needs to be better regulation. Gov. Tomblin said that water tests were encouraging this past Sunday, but there is not a specific time for when West Virginians will be able to use their water again.

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THE HILLTOP | THURSDAY, JANUARY, 23 2014

When director Steve McQueen chose Lupita Nyong’o, a thirty-year-old Kenyan Yale graduate, for a key role in his historical drama “12 Years a Slave,” he likened it to the remarkable discovery of Vivien Leigh for the Golden Age blockbuster “Gone With the Wind.” Two very different films that deal with slavery have yielded similar re-sults for their female stars. Lupita’s performance as Patsey, a slave who suffers greatly at the hands of her sadistic owner, has garnered critical acclaim and provoked uncontrol-lable sobbing in theaters around the country. The devastating perfor-mance, her first, has notched her an Academy Award nomination that she is very likely to win.

But it isn’t just her new peers that have embraced Lupita. With every red carpet appearance, her creamy, dark chocolate beauty and natural elegance has grabbed the attention of anyone who’s looked her way. A wide array of fashion designers; whether it’s Ralph Lauren, Antonio Berardi, or Gucci, have rushed to clothe her, and the distinct way she pulls each look off is so dazzling

America Loves Lupita Nyong’o

Marc RiversColumnist

that you almost want to look away. But you don’t, and surprisingly, neither has Hollywood. Lupita has caused both Hollywood and the fashion industry to swoon, and it may be the first time in either busi-ness’s history that such an infatu-ation was caused by someone of such ebony, African splendor. Talib Kweli said it best in his “Blackstar” album: “We’re not dealing with the European standard of beauty tonight.” And what a lovely jolt of surprise that is.

Racism and colorism have been so painfully ingrained into our society that it is still considered a break-through for caramel-skinned stars like Zoe Saldana or Paula Patton to find success and acceptance. America likes their female stars a pasty white complexion with long, flowing hair (preferably blonde). It is what has forced millions of young black girls to question whether their skin is beautiful, resulting in generations of insecurity, anger, and doubt, while white girls got to grow up knowing there is always a place for their looks in the world. This great tragedy has made people like Tyra Banks and Oprah Winfrey devote entire programs to color-

Life&Style Maya Cade, L&S Editor cade@thehilltoponline.com .

Maya CadeLife & Style Editor

Is the weather getting you down? Tired of the mediocre mid-season programming? Need some variety throughout your day? With the internet becoming more and more essential to everyday life and the emergence of quality scripted pro-graming through digital mediums, your beacon of hope for decent entertainment could be found in a web series. But why just any old web series? Here’s a look at eight original web series featuring Black casts.

8. No Strings, Please “No Strings, Please,” an official selection for the LA Web Series Festival, tells the story of a young Brooklynite who moves to The District for her first career opportunity and the pursuit of a definite purpose. This quirky, dark comedy will engulf viewers long before they reach the final episode. 7. Quarter Century This web series, a produc-tion of a D.C. native, tackles the idea of what it means to be ‘grown’ and tells the stories of a group of friends as they navigate through what seems to be a ‘quarter life cri-sis’ in The District and their pursuit of stability, visible personal growth, and the ‘American Dream’.

6. Lenox Avenue Self-proclaimed as a “sexy dramatic series,” this web series focuses on three men and their es-capades throughout Harlem. Lenox Avenue has generated a large fol-lowing and is one of the most talked about Black web series. 5. rommieloverfriends This popular web series brought to you by ‘Black & Sexy

Black Web Series You Should Know

via tumblr.com, urbainfasion

Charley Parker, from No Strings, Please; a main character from one of the popular black web series.

TV’ co-partnered with Issa Rae involves male and female room-mates who end up sleeping together and the events that quickly escalate thereafter. Need we say more?

4. Brothers With No Game “Brothers With No Game” is a UK blog turned web series that is set in London, follow-ing the romantic and social life of four friends bonded by their lack of ‘game.’ Need a pick-me-up or laugh? This award winning, ac-claimed series is for you. 3. The Unwritten RulesThis show, based on the book “40 Hours and an Unwritten Rule: The Diary of a Nigger, Negro, Colored, Black, African-American Woman” chronicles the life of the relatable situation of being the only Black employee at a mostly White com-pany. This comedic approach to real life situations is endearing and a must-watch.

2. Milk + Honey“milk + honey” chronicles four African-American women making their dreams a reality in Hollywood while also following their romantic, spiritual, and professional journeys. “milk + honey” also serves as Idris Alba’s first Executive Producer role, along with roles featuring Howard alums Debbie Allen and Lance Gross.

1. The Couple This highly-rated and highly-viewed web series, also a production of Black & Sexy TV, explores the pitfalls and uprisings that many couples have to deal with time and time again. “The Couple’s” quirky, real, and adored representation of black love has plans of hitting the big screens soon.

ism and its impact. It is one of the reasons the aforementioned Saldana and her casting as Nina Simone in an upcoming biopic has garnered such controversy.

But what Lupita and her undeni-able radiance have demonstrated is that America is just ever so slightly growing to accept, and even appreciate, different shades of beauty. And it isn’t just Tinsel-town’s adoration or the magazine covers; the rest of America can’t seem to get enough of her either. Her name or face can be found on every social media, from Twitter to Tumblr, all with heaps of praise and encouragement thrown her way. Google image searches for her are almost always accompanied by words like “stunning,” “dazzling,” or “goddess,” and her skin is never artificially lightened (save for an un-fortunate Vanity Fair incident). Her personality and poise speaks almost as loudly as her looks, dealing with her newfound fame with a veteran’s confidence and moving viewers and her peers to tears with eloquent and heartfelt speeches whenever she takes home a prize. Winning an Oscar should do wonders for her career.

Yet we’ve seen black actresses of similar talent and loveliness crushed under the Eurocentric standards and prejudices of Hollywood. The stories of Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, or even Halle Berry can all tell you what good being the new “it girl” did for their careers. It will show real progress if Lupita can continue to ride her current fame and glory to a successful and satisfying career, like the kind that so effortlessly falls into the laps of her white counterparts.

Her next role is also a supporting one, in the new thriller “Non-Stop,” another Liam Neeson action vehicle. After that inevitable speed bump, what follows next for Lupita should be eagerly and attentively anticipated. But for now, it is good enough to simply bask in the pres-ent, and what her presence on Hol-lywood’s grand stage and America’s hottest magazines will mean for those same young black girls today looking for role models. One would hope that they get a look at her magazine spread for Dazed and Confused, her dark skin seeming to pop off the cover as if to say one thing: this is beauty. Shockingly, it seems the rest of America can con-cur. Maybe Bob Dylan was right: “The times, they are a-changin’.”

Marc Rivers is a weekly columnist and movie critic for The Hilltop. Get in touch with Marc at mar041593@gmail.com.

via tumblr.com, shadowandactfanatic

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HOWARD UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF STUDENT LIFE AND ACTIVITIES NOTICE  

STUDENT ACTIVITY FEE COMMITTEE (SAFC) MEETINGS:  

JANUARY 17, 2014         JANUARY 24, 2014        FEBRUARY 7, 2014    FEBRUARY 21, 2014   MARCH 6, 2014*     MARCH 21, 2014 APRIL 4, 2014      APRIL 11, 2014     

*Please note this meeting is scheduled for a Thursday in observation of Charter Day at the University on Friday. SAFC meetings begin at 2pm.

WHAT IS THE STUDENT ACTIVITY FEE COMMITTEE?

According to the HUSA Constitution, the Student Activity Fee Committee (SAFC) is responsible for allocation of the thirty-five percent (35%) of the Student Activity Fee that is allocated to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, for support of the University Center, University-wide activities, Residence Halls, Special Programs, Student Newspaper (Hilltop), Intramurals and Recreational Activities. All meetings of the SAFC shall be open to the public. The SAFC is mandated to meet at least twice a month. The Student Activity Fee Committee (SAFC) shall be comprised of the following membership:

The Vice President of Student Affairs, Chair Two (2) university administrators appointed by the Vice President of Student Affairs Four (4) Non Elected Undergraduate Students Two (2) Non Elected Graduate Students The Chairman/Chairwoman of the General Assembly Finance Committee Two (2) Academic Professors Two (2) Elected Student Government Leaders One (1) Elected Graduate Student One (1) Non Traditional Student (as defined by legislation)

HOW DO I SUBMIT A FUNDING PROPOSAL FOR AN EVENT OR PROGRAM? PROPOSALS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY 5PM THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE SCHEDULED SAFC MEETING IN ORDER TO BE INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA FOR CONSIDERATION. PROGRAM PROPOSALS MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

a. Event details (proposed date, time, venue, sponsoring organization(s)/individual name, point of contact information)

b. Brief Description of event purpose and how the event satisfies the SAFC funding criteria of being a university-wide program.

c. A copy of the event/program budget (including anticipated expenses and revenues) and any program co-sponsors.

d. Indicate the total amount of funds being requested from the SAFC for the event/program.

Program Proposal must be submitted to the SAFC Executive Secretary via Student Life and Activities in SUITE 122 OF BLACKBURN or VIA E-MAIL to StudentActivitiesOffice@howard.edu with SAFC Proposal in the subject line by the deadline to be included on SAFC agenda.

Questions can be directed to Student Life and Activities at 202-806-5990.

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Sports Khari Arnold, Sports Editor sports@thehilltoponline.com .

James “J-Bird” Daniel put on a show in Howard’s 88-55 rout over University of Maryland Eastern Shore (2-14, 0-4 Mid-Eastern Ath-letic Conference) last Saturday in Burr Gymnasium.

The highly touted freshman earned Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week and College Sports Madness MEAC Player of the Week honors as he shot 9 of 9 from the charity stripe, 9 of 18 from the fi eld and 6 of 12 from the three-point line, scoring a career-high of 33 points.

“My teammates did a great job of fi nding me in good spots,” said Daniel. “I got some good looks and shots were falling.”

Fueled by Daniel and a tenacious Howard (4-15, 2-2) zone defense, the Bison garnered their fi rst win in over a month as the men defeated University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) for the third con-secutive time.

The Hawks’ only lead came within the fi rst three minutes of play and from there, Daniel and his coun-terparts started to pull away as the Bison went on an 18-3 run midway through the fi rst half.

Daniel kept defenders at bay with a killer crossover and layup during the half that erupted the home crowd and extended Howard’s lead to 20.

“The move was something me and Keon [Hill] worked on in practice,” said Daniel. “It was nice to actually execute it in the game.”

After scoring 54 total points in the loss against Savannah State a game

before, Howard went into the locker room up 52-24 at halftime with every ounce of momentum.

The Bison prevented any second half surges as the lead continued to swell despite the Hawks’ outscoring three of their last six opponents in the second stanza.

With 5:26 remaining, Daniel pulled back and scored a three-pointer to extend Howard’s lead to 35.

“[Daniel] can just take over a game and his range is unbelievable,” said head coach Kevin Nickelberry. “He’s an outstanding young talent and is really starting to get into his zone.”

Kyree Jones led the Hawks with 13 points and would be the only UMES player in double fi gures as a valiant defensive effort by the Bison forced the Hawks to shoot 7 of 25 from the fi eld in the fi rst half and 37 percent in the game.

“We’re going to play tough defense. That’s non-negotiable for this team,” said Nickelberry. “If we can defend and make free throws, we can be a dangerous team.”

Howard not only defended well by forcing a 25 to 7 differential in points off turnovers, but also re-mained effi cient from the free throw line by shooting above 80 percent.

Forward Prince Okoroh contributed with 19 points and six rebounds to also help lead the Bison to their second conference win of the sea-son. Howard will travel to Florida and face MEAC opponents Florida A&M (3-2, 7-11) this Saturday at 6:00 p.m. and Bethune-Cookman (0-6, 2-19) on Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Daniel Dominates, Bison Defeat Hawks

Freshman Te’Shya Heslip helped bring the Lady Bison back from 21 points as she hit game-winner.

Te’Shya Heslip’s game-winning jump shot with six seconds remain-ing in overtime propelled the Lady Bison to a 77-75 victory over the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (3-12, 0-4 Mid-Eastern Ath-letic Conference) on Saturday.

“I was coming off the screen, and we were trying to get a three for one of our players, but I had it wide open so I just came off confi dent and shot it,” said Heslip, who fi lled the stat-sheet with 18 points and a career-high nine rebounds, eight assists, and four steals.

With the victory, Howard (7-10, 3-1) improves to 4-2 at home as the Hawks lose their eighth consecutive game.

Howard was able to force overtime after trailing by as many as 21 points in the second half. The Lady Bison went on an 18-3 run over a stretch of eight minutes, which cut the defi cit to fi ve points with 1:37 remaining in regulation. Howard was then able to stay within reach after UMES missed three of their six free throws with under a minute remaining.

The Lady Bison sent the game into overtime when reserve forward Cabria Johnson got an offensive rebound off a missed jump shot by Heslip and scored a layup to tie the score at 73-73 with two seconds remaining in regulation.

Lady Bison Rally to Win Overtime Thriller

Jourdan HenryStaff Writer

“I can’t say enough about [John-son’s] play. She had a double-double coming off the bench and was big for us,” said head coach Tennille Adams. Johnson fi nished with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

“I just thought our team showed a lot of resilience and a lot of heart, because it’s easy to go down 18 points and give up,” Adams said. “Eventually our shots started falling, so at the end of the day our girls just played hard and they didn’t quit.”

This game marked the return of forward Shavonne Duckett for Howard, who had missed the last two games with an ankle injury. Duckett led the team in scoring with a season-high 19 points and added 13 rebounds.

Junior guard Jessica Long led UMES, scoring a game-high 21 points and dishing out seven assists.

Although the Lady Hawks were missing their leading rebounder Alexis Udoji with a wrist injury, for-ward Ashleigh Claybrooks played a vital role off the bench. Claybrooks was able to post a double-double as she score 14 points and grab a season-high 14 rebounds.

UMES took advantage of the How-ard zone by shooting 40% from three-point range and scoring on several second-chance opportunities in the fi rst half. The Lady Hawks fi nished the half strong with a 12-2 run to and a 43-29 lead at halftime.

Te’Shya Heslip said that during halftime coach Adams questioned the team’s ability to fi ght back after

falling behind in the game.

“Our fi ght was questioned, so I think we all took that personal and came out and proved that we can fi ght,” said Heslip, who helped ignite the comeback with her 14 combined points in the second half and overtime.

The effi cient shooting from UMES caused coach Adams to switch to a man-to-man defense for most of the second half.

“[UMES] shot the ball extremely well, so we had to respect that and make some adjustments in terms of going to man-to-man defense, and just really try to lock in defensively on their players,” said Adams.

The switch to man-to-man defense paid off as the Lady Bison were able to hold UMES to 34% shoot-ing from the fi eld in the second half, while holding them to two made shots from beyond the arch.

This win boosts the team’s morale as Howard prepares for a road trip to face Florida A&M (8-10, 2-3 MEAC) and Bethune-Cookman (4-13, 1-4 MEAC).“That was huge and it gives us some momentum going to play two very tough teams in Florida,” Ad-ams said. “We know that’s going to be a battle so we needed that going forward.”

Jourdan Henry is a sports writer for The Hilltop. Tweet @JHenry808 for thoughts, commentary, and ideas.

Photo by David Sturdivant

Daniel drives to the basket against UMES freshman Mark Blackmon.

Khari ArnoldSports Editor

Photo by David Sturdivant

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THE HILLTOP | THURSDAY, JANUARY, 23 2014

THEHOWARDUNIVERSITY

HILLTOPNEWSPAPER

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NOWHIRINGOFFICESTAFF

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Khari Arnold, Sports Editor sports@thehilltoponline.com . Men’s Track and FieldGame: Howard at Gulden Invitational Date: Sat. Jan 25 – TBALocation: Lewisburg, Pa.

Women’s Track and FieldGame: Howard at Gulden Invitational Date: Sat. Jan 25 – TBALocation: Lewisburg, Pa.

Men’s TennisGame: Howard vs. Delaware Date: Sun. Jan 26 – 2:00 PMLocation: Bethany Beach, Del.

Upcoming GamesWomen’s Basketball Game: Howard vs. Florida A&MDate: Sat. Jan 25 – 4:00 PMLocation: Tallahassee, Fla.

Women’s. Swimming and Diving Meet: Howard vs. Marymount University Date: Sat. Jan 25 – 1:00 PMLocation: Washington, DC.

Women’s Basketball Game: Howard vs. Bethune CookmanDate: Mon. Jan 27 – 5:30 PMLocation: Daytona Beach, Fla.

Howard basketball games will be broadcasted live. Catch all the action on video stream by logging on to hubison.com and to whbc963hd3.com for the audio. Charles Walton will call all the action.

The Howard Bison swimming program continued their meets last weekend when the team traveled to Philadelphia to face the Drexel Dragons. Drexel proved to be too much for Howard as the host Dragons took both meets. The Lady Bison fell to the Lady Dragons 190-37 and the men lost by a score of 209-45.

Men’s Basketball Game: Howard vs. Florida A&MDate: Sat. Jan 25 – 6:00 PMLocation: Tallahassee, Fla.

Men’s Swimming and Diving Game: Howard vs. Marymount University Date: Sat. Jan 25 – 1:00 PMLocation: Washington, DC.

Men’s Basketball Game: Howard vs. Bethune Cookman Date: Mon. Jan 27 – 7:30 PMLocation: Daytona Beach, Fla.

Sports

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Opinions Daniel White , Opinions Editor danielblackwhite@gmail.com .

Savannah HarrisContributing Writer

A new attitude is surfacing at How-ard-- one where the focus is on the individual, not the collective, and one where uplifting the black com-munity at large has taken a back seat to uplifting self. Although many university organizations participate in service projects in and around D.C., the most salient feature of Howard students seems to be entitlement and elitism. Howard students repre-sent a part of the black population that has had both the opportunity and the ability to be educated on a collegiate level, which is an honor. We do a disservice, however, to our communities if we are not actively involved in uplifting others. It is disturbing to hear students referring to people who

Daniel WhiteOpinions Editor

Martin Luther King Jr. died famously on the balcony of a Memphis hotel; assassinated. In his honor, Americans celebrate the third Monday in January. Many folks dedicate the day to service; children celebrate the day off from school. But what did he die for? It certainly wasn’t his dream that all children elope from school in his name.

This MLK weekend, I found myself traveling through the vast expanse that is the American south. Along with two of my roommates, I found Martin’s Dream.

It started simply enough: “just get in the car!” they yelled at me Friday night. The two of them were going to visit family and friends in Hunts-ville, Alabama. Having already taken that Saturday off of work, I was game for anything that involved getting out of our house.

We (three black guys in a money green Cadillac) wouldn’t make it as far as Virginia without a ticket or two. There was no way we’d escape the dreaded hands of Southern Law Enforcement. I fl inch at the word “boy” in a country twang. Huntsville? Alabama? I had my doubts, but, still, I packed my bags. There was adventure to be had.

A sleepless Friday night turned into a 5 a.m. departure on Saturday. We were off. And I was asleep, only to be woken up to sirens (in south-western Va. of all places). The offi cer, sensing a crime in progress,

At-Large: Martin’s Dream

had bucked a speedy U-turn on the road to catch up with us. He’d spot-ted the headphones dangling out of the ears of Roommate 1. This is illegal in the great state of Virginia, as the offi cer promptly informed us. Fortunately, he had bigger fi sh to fry

and let us off with a warning. There were people driving with their sunglasses on!

Somewhere between Roanoke and Chattanooga, I’d convinced Room-mates 1 & 2 that we had to stop

somewhere MLK related on the way back. Either Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, his stomping grounds in Montgomery or the motel where he was assassinated in Memphis. I hoped they would take the bait for Memphis, where my immediate family has relocated. We couldn’t possibly take a trip down south during MLK weekend and not do something related to the man. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

We barreled into Huntsville. The road was rough and we smelled of it. Fortunately, friends were awaiting our arrival. There were showers, chicken and macaroni and cheese. From our initial greetings, we pro-ceeded to the Bacchanal festivities, resulting in missing the Oakwood University basketball game and ending up at a Huntsville nightclub. The lone highlight of the night was the ten-minute set from the Dj dedicated to the recently deceased Doe B, an Alabama native.

Sunday was spent recovering and watching the AFC and NFC cham-pionships. Denver stole the thunder from Tom Brady and his Patriots, while Richard Sherman and the Seattle Seahawks proceeded to dog the San Francisco 49ers. Sherman, in a post-game rant following his game-ending play on 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree, proceeded to prove that, just maybe, Compton had put a little “thug” in him.

We embarked on the last leg of our journey Monday morning. To Memphis we drove, through long stretches of barren Alabama

highway. There were fi reworks warehouses and used car lots abound. Three hours and 180 miles later, we had arrived at my mother’s house. We were greeted with steak sandwiches, an endless assortment of snacks and cherished hugs and kisses. Having never met my room-mates, my mother basked them in enough love and cherishment to make the extra trip worthwhile for them. They had brought her pre-cious son home to her, and for that she could not thank them enough.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to make it to the former Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. But, that was ok. We had experienced enough of Martin’s dream on the road. This became apparent as we made our return journey home across the vast highways of the south. Engulfed in the deep, black southern night, I came to realize what it was that we had just experienced.

Three city slicking black boys from Howard University had managed to make their way across these United States to visit family and friends, who’d gone long unseen. This was Martin’s dream. We’d been stopped only twice, both times let go by white, southern police who were sympathetic to our plight. One of-fi cer, stopping us between Memphis and Nashville on Route 40, when told that we were students at How-ard, remarked: “Howard, my that’s a good school, y’all boys be safe.”

live in the campus’ surrounding area as “locals”, creating some type of us vs. them scenario that only serves to further divide Howard students from other black people. It is disturbing to see very little effort from students to preserve the Shaw neighborhood, which has recently become the stomping grounds for young white professionals, instead of theelderly black homeowners that lived in the neighborhood for decades. In order to be more than just intellectuals and professionals, we must remember where we come from and all of the hurdles we’ve jumped over to get where we are now. As we move forward, we have a responsibility to encourage and inspire others to do the same, rather than look down on them for living a different lifestyle.

When I fi rst arrived here from Oakland, Calif., I was surprised by the attitudes I encountered. Na-ively having the expectation that all students at Howard were focused, driven, and at least somewhat radi-cal, I was surprised to fi nd so many people who were disinterested in what people of color struggle with on a daily basis.I found people who were primarily concerned with appearance, and people who were clearly at the top of a social hierarchy by way of their family’s money and status. You could fi nd this at any school, but this is not what Howard should feel like as one of the best HBCU’s in America. And quite frankly, How-ard can no longer afford to perpetu-ate the stereotype that everyone here is black and bourgeoisie. At a time when Howard is trying to spring back from fi nancial

A COMMUNITY EFFORT TO DELETE ELITISM instability, questionable adminis-trative leadership, and a decrease in academic prowess according to the U.S. News and World Report ranking, our focus should be on strengthening each other, the uni-versity, and the extended commu-nity. We should not be consumed with materialism and the notion of “we have more than they do and we are better than they are”, because superiority over others is not a trait that black people with resources need assume. In the spirit of Howard’s legacy, one that includes signifi cant achievements in civil rights issues like Brown v. Board of Education and the leadership of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Commit-tee by the university’s own Stokely Carmichael, students should have a unique desire to contribute to the growth of the black community

in and around D.C., rather than warning others to “stay away from locals”. The plight, that we all know exists, encompasses all of us. Regardless of socioeconomic status, education, or personal interest, we all are people of color. We all face racism daily, whether we have on Cole Haan and J.Crew, or a hoodie and some sneakers. Howard students are no more valu-able than “locals”. Pretending that we are causes us to be part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. And even though some students are involved in service initiatives, we all can bridge the gap by changing the way we think about our people.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (#25). Sherman has been ex-tolled, vilifi ed, and even stereotyped for his performance on and off the fi eld.

Photo via Flickr.com, ryanL.photo

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