TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITOR’S NOTE 2 POLITICS 3
STAFF
Editor In Chief
HEALTHCARE REFORM
Kwasi Agyeman thenewace@gmail.com
BUSINESS 6
Politics
CULTURE 8
Business
HOW TO MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA WORK FOR YOU HOW TO BUILD YOURSELF A BRAND FROM TWITTER WHY ARE ADDICTED TO FACEBOOK? CYBER STALKING BLOGGERS VS. JOURNALISTS
CREATIVE WRITING 14 ROSE COLORED GLASSES SILENT INCRIMINATION
FASHION 16
SPRING FORWARD STYLE MADNESS 2010
MUSIC 18
MIXTAPE REVIEW
Corey Jones coreyjjj@gwmail.gwu.edu
Josh Joseph josh.joseph11@gmail.com
Culture
Melissa Henderson melann@gwmail.gwu.edu
Music
Eric Peavy epeavy@gwmail.gwu.edu
Fashion & Photography Irene Ojo-Felix ireneo@gwmail.gwu.edu
SPORTS 20
Sports
SPORTS AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Nkwa Asonye nia22442@gwmail.gwu.edu
LOOK GDUB! 22
Layout
FLYER THAN THE PIECE OF PAPER BEARING HIS NAME
THE BLACK CHERRY TREE 25 SENIOR QUOTES SENIOR SUPERLATIVES
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Kelcey Abney kelcey33@gmail.com
Copy Editors
Samuel Collins sam.collins.89@gmail.com
EDITOR’S NOTE Our last issue, “The Rise of The Black Woman,” shifted our focus from student life to the appreciation of independent black women. In honor of Black History Month, we welcomed famed author Dr. Tricia Rose as the keynote speaker of The Black Heritage Celebration. We also introduced rising starlet Nicki Minaj aka the Harajuku Barbie, to our readers. The issue brought it home with “Degrees of Separation,” which discussed the perception of educated black women finding suitable black men to marry. Women are definitely a blessing and a curse as Victor Williams & Corey Jones wrote in the last issue. As always whether it is music, lifestyle, culture or fashion The Ace Magazine strives for an open forum. This issue is serving up a full course. Aside from the flashy pictures, we wanted real stories that have quotes. Getting quotes from writers that had to leave their rooms to turn in a story took a while but was worth it. Every story has a student, faculty or a staff member quote. Also it gave us time to bring back classic Ace features. In this issue, we have a photo spread, the music and senior section. “If you want to be a leader, follow me.” In this new issue, we looked at what traps college students all across America. No, not student loans, but social media networks! We wanted to know what people thought about Facebook, Twitter, and Formspring, especially the 14,000 students that attend The George Washington University. Ok, we did not interview all 14,000 students but we tried (they should have accepted our friend requests or replied to our messages/pokes.) We were able to get in contact with a few people and they answered our questions about everything from their favorite color to what they thought about social media networks. Following the theme of social media networks, we wanted to give the people a voice. This issue is full of students’ opinions ranging from what people like or don’t like about facebook to a story about love in Egypt. All social media networks need people to share and highlight their opinions to grow and develop; the Ace Magazine is similar in that way. We plan to be here for a long time, after Facebook becomes uncool and you stop tweeting. To do that, we are looking for dedicated staff members to work on our next issue “The Real GW Freshman Guide.” Join us. We have fun and you can actually impress your future boss by showing you’ve been published. Youngest in Charge, Kwasi Agyeman
Kwasi Agyeman
Editor-In-Chief
Dear summer, I know you’re going to miss me... see you in September readers. Have a safe and fun summer !
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POLITICS
BUSINESS
CULTURE
CREATIVE WRITING
FASHION
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HEALTH CARE REFORM WHAT IT REALLY MEANS Corey Jones
A
merica’s year long health care debate ended last month with President Obama signing H.R. 3590, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and H.R. 4872, Reconciliation Act of 2010 into law. Both pieces of legislation are very complex and impossible to explain in a short article. I have chosen to write about a few of the political maneuvers orchestrated around these two bills, instead of attempting to give an overview. I would like to stress that I am not taking a side, and refuse to condemn or celebrate any of factors of this bill. However, I will try to educate you about the bill and its effect for years to come. Effective ninety days after President Obama signed these two bills are the resoundingly popular insurance reforms. Both sides of the aisle support insurance reform because it attacks insurance corporations that most Americans perceive to be the bad guy. The reforms are some of the few benefits that help the already insured
pre-existing conditions (they would enter a high risk pool to negotiate with insurance companies). Most importantly young adults can remain on their parent’s health care plan until they are twenty-six years old. Theoretically, Republicans should be against these reforms because of the tremendous impediments it places on insurance companies. Democrats had to ensure that these reforms are effective immediately, so that when they campaign they do not have to talk about new taxes that are not in effect but only what are in place now, the reforms that Americans wanted. The first round of new taxes begins in 2013 with American families that have an income of more than $250,000. These higher taxes are going to pay for the expansion of Medicaid and Medicare, which will begin in 2014. “I think health care and most of the things the Obama Administration is doing are good but it is not the right time for it,” said Brian Rawles,
“Most Americans do not want to pay taxes to help someone that they do not know or have any personal connection to.” Americans (as well as the prediction that this entire bill will hold down costs and premiums for the already insured). These reforms mandate that insurance companies can no longer cap the amount they spend on a patient, discontinue any patient’s insurance plan after they become severely ill, and refuse to insure a patient because they have
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a professor at GW. “Our economy needs to be stronger before these things start weighing on it.” After 2014, thirty-two million uninsured people will face penalties if they do not buy subsidized insurance from private insurance companies
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unless they are newly covered by Medicaid. Businesses will also face comparable fines if they do not provide insurance to their employees. The controversial part of the legislation is the new taxes, but they will not be implemented until 2012. The most controversial and profitable tax comes in 2018. This tax is steered at employees that have high-cost insurance plans because they hold a high-risk job (coal miner, firefighter, and roofer). This tax hurts the base of the Democratic Party, and is one of main reasons why it will be levied in 2018 instead of when the other taxes will be levied. Some analysts even believe that the next President will repeal this tax. By making another President have to enforce this tax, President Obama’s political points are not in jeopardy but yet he can still count the revenue that could be generated from this tax so he can state that it is deficit neutral.
Americans do not like to pay new taxes. They get used to benefits and then are willing to pay for them. But those are only benefits that they can visually witness. For example, most people would be against taking Medicare and Social Security away because they have elderly relatives that solely live on those programs. In contrast, Medicaid is constantly being cut because those people are not as connected to the tax paying Americans in this country. Welfare is widely unpopular because of the same reason. Michael Kohlenberg, a sophomore at GW, said, “I support health care for all, until my taxes go up.” Most Americans do not want to pay taxes to help someone that they do not know or have any personal connection to. Thus, when everyone’s taxes increase to give the majority poor healthcare it will be interesting to see if people who were in support of this law change their opinion. To learn more go to www.Thomas.gov.
THE REAL DEAL THE REFORM BILL HAS TWO PHASES. FIRST PHASE IN UPCOMING 6 MONTHS
THE SECOND PHASE OF THE BILL IS SET TO BE COMPLETE IN FOUR YEARS TIME, BY 2014.
+ Lifetime caps on insurance coverage will be removed. + Insurance companies will not be able to deny coverage if you get sick or cancel coverage already issued except in the case of fraud. + Prohibits coverage denial or rate adjustment for children who have pre-existing conditions. + Tax credits for small businesses when purchasing coverage. + Consumers will have protections against insurance company abuses through the Patients’ Bill Of Rights. + Children will be able to stay under parents’ plan until they are 26 years old. + Consumers will have guaranteed choice of doctors and plans. + Free preventative care for all. + All insurers must post their balance sheets on the Internet
+ All adults will not be denied coverage or have their rates adjusted if they have a pre-existing condition. + Tax credits will be offered to families to help offset the cost of health care premiums. + Individuals who get insurance through their employer will be able to purchase a state-run option of health insurance All Americans must carry health insurance or face a fine, but there are special exceptions for economic hardship, religious beliefs These exceptions include if a couple makes less than $19,000, they are not required to carry health insurance. + Medium-sized and large-sized companies will be fined if they do not provide coverage for their employees or if they do not meet a minimum standard of coverage. From the Kentucky Post
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POLITICS
BUSINESS
CULTURE
CREATIVE WRITING
FASHION
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MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA WORK FOR YOU Josh Joseph
W
elcome to the world of social media networking. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn have officially become staples in any young adult’s social life. We use them to talk to our friends. We use them to share photos online. We even use them to keep us entertained during classes. But did you know you could also use them make money, increase your social network and even land the job of your dreams? All of this can come from learning just a few simple steps. Combining these steps properly can help you achieve all these goals and help make your Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn experience all the more rewarding. Although much better off than a year ago, statistics show that the economy has not fully recovered. The national unemployment rate has fluctuated around 9% with the growth rate being at only about 2%. Job postings have decreased 13%, meaning there are at least 3.3 potential, qualified candidates for every new job posting. I tell you this not to rain on your parade, but to make
“Their successes become your
success, while their shortcomings can become your downfall” this important point; Employers will do business with people they know and trust. It makes perfect sense. Imagine being an employer preparing to interview three candidates. Picking a candidate is not only important for the performance of the company, but also for you. By picking this person, you indirectly stand by him or her. Their successes become your success, while their shortcomings can become your downfall. For this reason,you will naturally be more inclined to hire the person with whom you feel the strongest connection. Often this is not the person with the highest GPA. Incorporating this idea with your Facebook or
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Twitter page is easy. Remember to stay honest and speak openly, but respectfully. Ideally, you want to give off a notion of dependability. Another popular tool that you can use, especially on Facebook, is the “Tell A Preacher Test” made famous by Marcus L Howard, a marketing specialist. Simply put, if you wouldn’t say it to your preacher, don’t post it on Facebook. Save it for private messages. Next is Twitter, a social network that is rapidly becoming the most used of all social networking sites. The site’s claim to fame is by people posting short messages about whatever they want, similar to Facebook’s status feature. Most users want to get as many followers to share their thoughts with as they can and users are bombarded with requests to “follow me on Twitter.” Follow these easy steps to get followers and avoid making that embarrassing request. First, use your real name. Understandably, some people are simply not comfortable doing this. But remember, when it comes to these social networking sites, you want to make yourself appear personable and approachable. Having a name such as “XxCutestGirlEverxX” does not help your case. Second, smile! A Twitcon, the picture next to your tweets, in many instances is the only piece of physical, visual evidence people have of you. Thus, make it approachable with a genuine smile. Third and most important are your tweets. Whatever it is you tweet about, make it interesting. When people are going through their timeline, they are not looking for a complete play by play of your daily exploits, contrary to most conceptions of Twitter. Instead, users look for entertaining tweets, whether they are motivational, humorous, or simply an instrument through which to express their thoughts. Interact with your followers by @ing them, replying, and letting them know that
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you read what they have to say as opposed to simply letting your thoughts run at all times. Let your tweets be a reflection of who you are, not who you think people want you to be. LinkedIn, although not used as widely as Facebook and Twitter amongst young adults, is arguably the most important social networking tool available. LinkedIn is unique as it allows members to automatically become connected to
their new friend’s entire network when making a new connection. For example, when Tim accepts John’s request and becomes a member of John’s network, Tim not only becomes friends with John, but all of John’s friends as well. This is the beauty of LinkedIn. Keeping this in mind, use the following tid bits to make your LinkedIn experience the best it can be.
HOW TO BUILD YOURSELF AS A BRAND FROM TWITTER KEEP THE ADVERTISING TO A MINIMUM Nothing is worse than following a person who tweets nothing but shameless plugins to increase their website traffic. It’s okay to advertise, but try not to overdue it. If you need more advertising, do it the legal way by paying for it.
account. We suggest Tweetdeck or—one of our favorites—Hootsuite. These tools allow you to be much more productive on Twitter. You can quickly and easily schedule tweets for a certain time, get notifications, organize your followers, check your following stats, and more.
BE RELEVANT It’s always a good idea to tweet things that are relevant to your interest or line of work. For instance, it wouldn’t be a good idea to tweet a review about the latest new iPhone if you’re a Dance Major. Your followers follow you because they’re interested in your business and they have expectations. If you start tweeting things they aren’t necessarily interested in, it’ll diminish your credibility and more than likely you’ll lose followers because of it.
BE SOCIAL After all, this is the reason Twitter is called a SOCIAL networking site. Unless you’re a celebrity or a globally-known brand, you must interact in order to increase your number of followers. Doing little, but significant things like following users that follow you, responding to tweets that you’re mentioned in, or simply thanking someone for retweeting your posts helps establish a group of loyal followers.
TWEET OFTEN Twitter isn’t really made for the quiet, introverted business types. If it takes you months to tweet, you can easily fall out of the loop and lose followers. A lot of times, your followers can quickly lose interest in your brand if you’re not consistent, especially if you’re new. So try to tweet often. It’ll maximize visibility of your brand and keep your followers engaged. USE A MANAGEMENT TOOL Managing twitter can get overwhelming, especially if you’re getting a lot of followers and mentions. Luckily, there are many tools available that can help you better manage your Twitter
TWEET SOMETHING VALUABLE Tweets that are valuable to your followers are the ones that are more likely to be re-tweeted. So make sure your tweets are beneficial to your followers. Offering a mentally stimulating quote or tweeting a link to a useful news article are good ways to give your followers a reason to keep following you. Twitter is a powerful tool and when used correctly, can achieve even your most complex marketing plans. If you stick to these basic principles, you can easily stomp your competition, increase your popularity and grow your fan base in ways you never thought were possible.
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BUSINESS
1995 Classmates.com founded. Now: 50 million active users
CULTURE
CREATIVE WRITING
MUSIC
Timeline Of Social Media
2002
2003
BlackPlanet.com founded. Now : 20 million active users
LinkedIn.com founded. Now: 90 million active users
Friendster.com founded. Now: 90 million active users
MySpace.com founded. Now : 130 million active users
Why are we addicted to Clarise Brown
Of
the dozens of social networking sites available to millions of college students across the globe, Facebook is the most popular. In 2008, it officially eclipsed the once dominant social networking giant MySpace. Since then, it has attracted more than 400 million active users to its pages. To the millions of users who log on a daily basis, the term “Facebook addiction” is a readily understood and easily relatable term. The site reports that the average user spends nearly an hour scanning profiles, sending friend requests or sifting through a few of the estimated 3 billion photos uploaded each month. But that average stats scarcely does justice to the individual stats, particularly the self-titled “addicts.” This group is
“I hope food and water is more important to people than Facebook.” based on 6 out of 10 polled college students that attest to spending four or more hours actively logged in per day. Although the statistics speak for themselves, the motivations behind them remain varied.
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FASHION
Facebook ?
Facebook serves as a comfort zone for a lot of people. People can create profiles to portray who they are or whom they wish to be seen as. They can join groups they can relate to. They also can find assurance in knowing that they are not alone in how they feel and how they think. It is no coincidence that Facebook reports an estimated 60 million status updates each day. Most of which are light hearted and humorous but there are some act as public diary entries. Millions use their status box as a means of communicating their lives and seeking comfort in the fact that someone somewhere is reading it and taking an interest. It reassures their own feelings every time someone “likes” it or “comments.” GW Professor Bernard Demczuk says, “It is based of our needs as humans to want to feel connected. It’s part of our basic survival needs, this comes from the Maslow theory, which puts a hierachy on human needs. The need to feel belonged or ‘liked’ is rated third, make sense right, I hope food and water is more important to people than facebook.” Although it is true that not every Facebook user utilizes it as a medium to broadcast their lives, loves, fears or frustrations, it is true that some fundamentally human part of us finds some small pleasure with every new friend request or views. Perhaps it is the very human desire to connect or acting on the “Maslow Theory” that makes Facebook special.
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2004 Orkut.com founded. Now: 100 million active users
BLACK CHERRY
2005 Twitter.com founded. Now: 75 million active users
2009 Formspring.me founded. Now: 1-2 million users
Facebook.com founded. Now: 400 million active users
CYBER STALKER Imani Bentham
I
n this day and age, personal communication skills have steadily declined with the advancement of technology and social media. Our interactions have become less personable with each upgrade in our technological devices and social networks. Technology has simply, desensitized us as a people. From texting to Twitter and Honesty Box to Formspring, it has certainly become easier to view, access, and abuse others. We feel less
in terms of being antagonistic towards other people. They fail to realize few things online are completely anonymous and actions can be serious crimes including cyber-stalking and harassment. Most people refer to cyber-stalking and harassment as cyber-bulling however, it doesn’t apply to adults. Cyber-bullying applies exclusively to the concerns regarding minors. Cyber-stalking and cyber harassment are the
“It became more serious when Katie’s boyfriend began using messages via Facebook to continue to harass her. ” personally responsible for our actions over the internet and other devices. People sometimes misperceive the security and anonymity of the internet thinking pseudonym usernames and created online identities will separate them from the consequences of “offline” reality, especially
online crimes against adults. The intentions behind cyber stalking and harassment are to threaten, humiliate, and destroy victims by causing emotional distress, demanding submission, and generally
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BUSINESS
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CREATIVE WRITING
compromising the victim’s well-being. Incidents of these crimes can be viewed through all forms of digital media which include: spamming, live chat, chat rooms, text messaging, viruses, e-mails, and identify theft. Importantly, neither of these crimes needs to involve incidents of anything of a sexual nature to be considered harassment or stalking. According to WiredSafety.org, while both are typically motivated by revenge, anger, hate, jealousy, obsession, or even sometimes mental illness, cyber harassers’ intentions are generally to embarrass or frighten the victim. The terms cyber-stalking and cyber harassment, are used interchangeably; however, there are subtle yet important differences. Cyberharassment is less pre-meditated; people are sometimes victimized because the harasser is in a bad mood or the victim is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Harassment is demonstrated as isolated incidents. Cyber-stalking is considered more relentless and dangerous. It is typically characterized by two or more contacts and has a higher likelihood of resulting in an “offline” incident, if the victim’s location is known. On college campuses, occurrences of cyber harassment/stalking are increasingly more common. Victims are targeted based on any form of discrimination: race, gender, sexual orientation, age, nationality, or religion. However, there are statistics that show there is an influx in the amount of female cyber-stalking and harassment victims. According to FoxNews.com, national figures show victims of cyber-stalking tend to be females between the ages 18-29. College campuses, unfortunately, provide an opportune setting for these crimes. Because college students are so dependent on technological devices and the leading user of social networks, they are more susceptible to cyber-stalking and harassment. Katie McBee, a 19-year old freshman from Dallas, Texas, shared her story of an obsessive ex-boyfriend stalking her. It began in an internet gaming website Katie often visited. The alleged stalker followed Katie through the website harassing her by “flaming” the message boards with different sexual epithets and derogatory
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terms about her. “I tried to change networks and usernames within the gaming website but, he continued to follow me and harass me despite my efforts,” says Katie. It became more serious when the boyfriend began using messages via Facebook to continue to harass Katie. Eventually, she reported the boy using the social network and deleted her account on the gaming website Katie’s story is similar to many students all over the United States attending colleges and universities. In previous years, cyber-stalking and harassing was more blatant with websites like JuicyCampus.com. In 2007, 500 college campuses had accounts with JuicyCampus.com. Makers of the website claimed they exercised their first amendment right by allowing users to submit posts anonymously about other students. The posts included many denigrating, malicious, and antagonistic remarks about the students who attended the participating colleges. Many people were appalled by the sites popularity. In fact “The GW Patriot” and “The Colonist”, both blogs here at GWU started an initiative to decrease the website’s popularity by filling the message boards with irrelevant information. In 2009, the website was forced to shut down for economic reasons. However, the trend has not completely died especially after the insurgence of Gossip Girl through our generation. Although JuicyCampus was stopped, it didn’t stop other students to create blogs that accomplished the same goals of hateful gossip published on the larger website. Similar to the initiatives taken by the former GWU students, we must become more socially accountable. For our own security, it is our responsibility as college students to make sure that there are policies in place set by our administrators restricting cyber-stalking and harassment. Beyond having the policies, we have to ensure that these policies are continuously enforced simply for our own safety. For more information and ways to stay protected, visit www.wiredsafety.org/cyberstalking_harassment.
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Stay Stalker Free
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Make your profile private so that only friends can see it;
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Set up a limited profile (using the privacy settings)
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Don’t list your birth date
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Don’t put your phone number on your profile
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Keep your personal statement limited
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Never accept an invite to a party or event on Facebook
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Don’t tag your pictures
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Restrict your picture settings
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Be selective in the applications that you add
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Don’t leave the default Facebook privacy settings as set
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Don’t ever announce on your wall, or on any public wall
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Don’t be afraid to join public groups
GW AND SOCIAL MEDIA
“I don’t like random people poking me. ”
Uche Nwokike
“No, I was tempted, but I’d rather have people say it to my face than my back.”
Malcolm Bouzi
“The instant news is great.” Jarrod Brown
“I like being able to spread the word quickly about events ”
Asia Stewart
“Yes, I was curious. People have convos amongst themselves about a person, instead of speculation, I gave them a choice.”
Meshach Cisero
“Gives people a way to hide.” Sally Nuamah
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BLOGGERS VERSUS JOURNALISTS Melissa Henderson
T
he first blog was created in 1994 by a Swarthmore college student, a woman. As we know it, blogging has always served its purpose as an online diary to vent. However, with the start of a new decade, it is giving a whole new meaning to journalism in the realm of global mainstream media.
to ever grace the front row of such a prestigious presentation. Her appearance in the front row was not favored and “adorable” at all from according to the editors at Elle Magazine. In fact, in a New York Times article, Anne Slowey, fashion news Director at Elle, dismissed Tavi and her blog as “a bit gimmicky.”
“Blogging makes the internet more personable,” said Rodrigo Tranamil, a George Washington sophomore.
The attention Tavi gained from her blog was not the end to the fashion industry’s new witty teenager that seemed to influence designers’ consumers on what trendy items to indulge in next.
People are reading less printed information and reading more news online. The blogger is no longer an estranged secluded writer but the main source for young people to get their information and build opinions. In print journalism including newspapers, journals and magazines, revenue is collected with ad placements. By having a large reader circulation they can demand higher prices from advertisers. In the new world of blogging, there is no longer any middle man and neither is there a set standard for story quality. The main argument of print journalists is that bloggers tend to write inaccurate accounts and do not have the credited backgrounds (academic degrees or prior experience) to claim their stories as actual sources of news. The bloggers versus journalists debate erupted when 13 year - old Chicago based blogger Tavi Gevinson attended a Chanel show in Paris. In 2009, after appearing in the New York Times Magazine and Harper’s Bazaar, the feedback from editors, who climbed the editorialist ladder for years, was not pretty. Seated front row and just two seats from Anna Wintour, editor - in - chief of Vogue, Gevinson was named one of the first “bloggers”
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A new community finally had a voice. Even George Washington's own Erin Yogasundram, a freshman and public relations maven, launched ErinJeen.com in 2009. Since then Yogasundram has capitalized on her blog, gaining invites to top New York Fashion Week shows and winning over Ad space with Net-A-Porter, an online designer boutique. Throughout the fashion industry, mainstream and underground internet based media outlets are playing a major role in connecting designers with consumers. The street wear couture, underground and expanding global community, is utilizing this very notion as well. Online music, fashion and lifestyle magazine, Hypebeast receives over 13 million unique and international viewers monthly, bringing this underground urbanity to the surface. If you are not sure just what this subculture consists of, just ask Modele “Modi” Oyewole and Sid Ashford. Currently working for Complex Magazine and corresponding for Dr. Jays Live, not to mention past author of DCtoBC.com, music based lifestyle blog, which made XXL and Complex Magazine’s “Top Hip-Hop Blogs of 2009”, Oyewole is a music
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enthusiast and people lover. When asked whether Oyewole identifies as a blogger or journalist, he replied “blogger.” Exposing his blog audience to upcoming musicians and diverse video content, Oyewole has become a power house in the underground street wear couture, music and lifestyle culture. The key to his success, he says, is taking it to the next level, differentiating your blog from someone else’s. His upcoming sophomore website The Great Progression will be a place to articulate and provoke thoughts and indulge in tomfoolery“more than just a blog, it is something tangible.” “Create your own content, have a certain peg that other sites don’t. If you make yourself unique and you use your blog in ways that not everybody else uses theirs, and then you can make the most of the power of blogs,” says Oyewole. Sid Ashford, Hypebeast contributor and author of SidAshford.com, is redefining the meaning of a blog by “organically expressing” his opinion though “moving creations.” Based out of Austin, but nationally known, Ashford’s “moving creations” spotlights designers and inspirational people Ashford identifies himself as a blogger, a lifestyle he says has its perks.
showcase in their everyday life, others will view their product in a much different way as opposed to a traditional Ad,” says Ashford. The future of journalism in the age of the internet will include bloggers. Notarizing this fact, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says bloggers deemed “celebrity” endorsers of products must reveal their relationships with advertisers when making endorsements if they are pushing a product on a blog, social network or television talk show. This includes bloggers like Gevinson. Just the mere act of the FTC mentioning blogging in their rules shows a stride towards recognition as a force in news delivery. The real debate on bloggers versus journalists is about which group can communicate to an audience and deliver “organic” content to the masses. The foundation of blogs has been set. The content on the internet is easy to access. The diversity of the internet proves its legitimacy when the blogosphere is examined not by who is popular but the demographic of people who are reading it. And, in a society that is highly impatient and opinionated, bloggers and journalists must meet the demand of serving what readers want most, credible news. To learn more visit the Ace Magazine’s blog at: www.thenewace.blogspot.com OR my blog at www.melspain.blogspot.com
“Brands realize that by handing an individual a few of their products for them to
BLOGROLL
FASHION: Dirty Little Style Whore http://dirtylittlestylewhore.tumblr.com
MUSIC: Blind I for the Kids http://www.blindiforthekids.com/
PHILANTHROPY: Black Gives Back http://www.blackgivesback.com/
Sea of Shoes http://seaofshoes. typepad.com/
The Carter Cartel http://www.thacarter cartel.com/
Hypebeast http://hypebeast.com
Rappers I Know http://www.rappersiknow.com/
CULTURE/ART: Le Blog est Brut http://www.brutblog. com/
VLOGS: youtube.com/destorm youtube.com/kassemG youtube.com/shaytards youtube.com/ijustine
Readyset DC http://readysetdc.com
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ROSE COLORED GLASSES I can see. Born with my eyes open, I have always seen the truth …cursed with the world’s malignant debris. I was a blatantly aware youth. I decided to wear rose-colored glasses. I have heard people speak with their eyes… The silent barely-there, yet constant whispers of the heart, Sensationalized…my senses are stronger…Than I would like. My life feels longer…than I was prepared for. One, two, third strike… and I’m supposed to be out, right? So let me go now! I’ve seen enough and I can’t take it. So let me go now! I’ve heard enough and don’t have the strength left to shake it. The problems around me are penetrating my soul. Ok, that’s better. My glasses are on. My world of lightheartedness is in view. Because I can see, I’ve been able to find the little victories of my heart. When I saw the monster poison the fruitful raspberries of the fresh-faced girl clad in white from head to toe, I wanted to put my glasses on. When she came to the clinic, I realized I’m a monster too if I keep my glasses. I took them off and found victory. My world became cold, tumultuous, contradictory, yet it was a one I had to bear… When I took off my rose-colored glasses, I began to see where I could chip in. I was born with my eyes open for a reason. I no longer desired to cover the gray winter clouds with roses of spring season. I wanted to make spring last and I wanted it to happen now. I had an epiphany like Lao. Oblivion is never bliss in the end. I will remove my rose-colored glasses and transcend to paint my world in roses. Because there is no way to know it all, we must keep our eyes open.
SARAH GOLDEN Freshman
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BLACK CHERRY
SILENT INCRIMINATION Commmunication.. One of the most falsified notions I have heard about social networks was that it brings about unification. What ever happened to face to face convos, which two individual or MORE have a direct discussion. Ha, now let me teach you a lesson. This is what I call school is in session. If these social networks were never in existent what would you do? In our generation we are in the trapped in a world of massive communication where there is no limitation. We incriminate ourselves not realizing that we are. It may good for certain points but also bad for certain aspects. At the end of the day its their job to draw us in; Without us how would they would not cut no checks. Privacy is a right which we are entitled too but does it still exist? Can it be said that we now live in a world where "privacy" is a practice of the past? Do not become killed in your words tweeting away like an innocent mocking bird. Pause and think before you press that enter button, and send your next tweet, comment or post because what may seem minor can appear to be the most.
PATRICE LAQUINTE Junior
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POLITICS
BUSINESS
CULTURE
CREATIVE WRITING
FASHION
MUSIC Floral Cotton Dress BB Dakota
Graphic Silk Top Liquid Black Leggings Urban Outfitters
Leather Woven Belt Vintage
Two Finger Crystal Ring Forever 21
Outfit Price Ranges from $80-$95
Outfit Price Ranges from $60-$75
SPRING FORWARD
All Black Everything just wont do! With the warmer temperatures bring out your adventurous side with bold colors, statement pieces and accessories that are conversation makers. Irene Ojo-Felix
Trenchcoat Dress Forever 21
Puff Sleeve Blouse Black Vest H&M
Slate Gray Feather Fedora Urban Outfitters
Floral Skirt, Lion Belt, and Gold Snake Earrings Urban Outfitters
Glasses Purse Topshop Outfit Price Ranges from $70-$85
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Sailor Boat Pin Uranium CA Outfit Price Ranges from $90-$115
SPORTS
LOOK, GDUB!
BLACK CHERRY
STYLE MADNESS 2010 WHOSE THE FLYEST ON CAMPUS?
Uche Nwokike Uche N. LJ Dimanche
Ali N.
Erin Y.
Uche N.
Malcolm Bouzi Malcolm B.
Erin Y.
Anthony Konadu
Irene Ojo-Felix
Kelcey Abney Kelcey A. Lindsay McKenzie
Irene O.
Uche N.
Irene O.
Sizwe Makanzana Shakir M. Shakir Moye
Nicole W.
Liz Acevedo
Brittany W. Brittany Williams
Uche Nwokike
Tony T.
Naveed Rahman Tony T. Tony Taylor
Natasha Dupree
Chance J. Chance J.
Tony T.
Cali H. Josh J.
Ryan Mitchell Ryan M. Jarrod Brown
Chance Jackson Ayisha Conyers
Chance J.
Josh Joseph Josh J. Jamie Benson
Irene Ojo-Felix
Nicole White
Uche Nwokike
Kwasi Agyeman Kwasi A. Phillip Reynolds
Erin Yogasundram Janae Johnson
Krystal Warner
Irene O.
Kelcey A.
Ali Nowell Shelbie Atkins
Cali H.
Cali Hellerman Michelle Joseph
Jameise R. Jameise Rozier Lauren French
2010 STYLE MADNESS WINNER Uche Nwokike REACTION: "Wow! " "I'm humbled, I appreciate all the votes. The people up there ' Irene, is always dope, from accesories to her hair. Janae style is cool too, the whole vintage look.' Like everyone on that list has good style." INSPIRATION: "Its all from streetetiquette.com" STYLE: "I like V necks and skinny jeans. I tend to wear dark tones, like blacks and navy, especially for shoes." FAVORITE COLOR: Black WORD TO DESCRIBE STYLE: "Nice" FAVORITE BRAND: BDG ( Urban Outfitters) FUTURE OF PERSONAL STYLE: "More casual, buttonups, and just more afrocentric"
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POLITICS
BUSINESS
CULTURE
CREATIVE WRITING
FASHION
MUSIC
MIXTAPE REVIEW Eric Peavy
FROM THE WEST WITH LOVE DOM KENNEDY
When was the last time you heard about The Westside? I’m not talking about The New Boyz’ version of The Westside, but the real Westside. You know, 6-4s, OGs, and palm trees. The Game had his moment and did what he could to carry the West Coast on his back, but since then there has been a void on “The Best Coast.” Up-and-coming artists like Nipssey Hussle, Pac Div, and especially my man, Dom Kennedy are filling the void. Dom Kennedy hails from Leimert Park Los Angeles, California, and it’s obvious in almost every song. From The Westside With Love kicks off with a cacophonous beat that seems to be tied together by Kennedy’s smooth delivery proclaiming, “I’m so live like this/ How have I not been in Vibe like this.” The first track, In Memory Of, sets the whole mixtape’s tone, wordplay and storytelling backed by classic, soulful hip-hop beats. But
when you think the tape is going to stay the same route, Dom throws in tracks like Choose Up, where he picks up the speed and spits “Me and Cartier working harder than construction/ It’s so cliché, I wouldn’t call myself a hustler/ Just a young [dude] that read the instructions” or “These [girls] so Ashanti, that’s foolish/ I’m good on the track, that’s Carl Lewis.” If you’re expecting Snoop Dogg’s Westside, check out Nipssey Hussle, but if you want the other Westside where there’s nothing to do but chill, talk to girls, and enjoy the Cali life, Dom is your man. Do yourself a favor and download this man’s music. If you don’t want to listen to me, take it from Dom: “I don’t know a [dude] that can scribe like this/ and you ain’t probably heard nothin’ since Tribe like this.” “4 out of 5 Aces”
SEARED FOIE GRAS WITH QUINCE AND CRANBERRY ASHER ROTH Yes, Asher Roth is that guy who came out with the song “I Love College.” If you’re not a hip-hop head, then that probably was the last time you heard from the guy. If you’re a hip-hop head, that’s probably the last time you checked for him. Either way, he’s back. Seared Foie Gras starts off questionably with the lyrics: “Ayo, quick life lesson/ Never touch a man’s --- while he’s resting/ or while he’s bench pressing” but it gets better. Roth has been likened to Eminem in terms of rhyming technique, but he does a great job of treading that line on this mixtape. While listening to SFG, you’ll notice that some of the beats sound familiar, which is one of the let-downs of Asher’s post-Falling Asleep in the
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Bread Aisle offering. That’s not to say that this mixtape isn’t good, which it isn’t - but it isn’t bad either. The pinnacle of the mixtape is an original cut from Asher Roth and B.O.B. produced by Kanye West, “F*** The Money,” where Asher Roth and B.O.B go back and forth illustrating their hunger for a future spot in some people’s “top rappers list.” Honestly, if you’re in the mood for rambling and randomosity, then this is your go-to record,but if you want an emcee who is serious enough about his craft that he actually raps about something significant, look elsewhere. “3.5 out of 5 Aces”
SPORTS
LOOK, GDUB!
BLACK CHERRY
THERE IS NO COMPETITION 2 FABOLOUS Everybody loves Fab, but not everyone is going to like this mixtape. There Is No Competition 2 (The Funeral) left me disappointed, but that’s not to say this tape doesn’t have some jewels. “Body Ya” alone is better than some rappers’ singles. In typical “stylin-on-you” fashion, Fab brags “Shout out to my enemies, shout out my competitors/ shout out to my mini-me’s, I hope you do better bruh/ better me, better you/ etcetera, etcetera.” Let’s not forget Body Bag featuring Cam’ron and Vado. These two tracks, and a few others exemplify why most rappers can’t do what Fabolous does. But when the tape wasn’t at a high point, it was at a very, very low point. Tracks like “Hard,” “It’s Going Down,” and “Say Something” have you wondering if Fab even tried on the chorus. Mixtapes usually are an arena for rappers to tackle the hottest beats in hip-hop, but when you jump on a song, you
have to do it justice. Fabolous sounded deader than his competition on “Oh Let’s Do It.” His lyrics were definitely there, but the energy was elsewhere. Waka would be disappointed. With all that said, you have to take this mixtape for what it is: one of the best punchline rappers in the game right now doing what he does best. Fabolous’ tape is not bad, but I’ve heard him do better.If you’re looking for a tape to put on during a party, at the gym, or when you want an ego boost, then There Is No Competition 2 is the perfection option. Who doesn’t want to be able to tell themselves: “You can’t see me/ Neither can the flunkies under you/ My s*** bananas, like a monkey number 2.” But even that gets old. This is a record you might enjoy for a week or two, but after that you might be listening to Fab’s competition “3.5 out of 5 Aces”
Dom Kennedy
Asher Roth
Fabolous
From The Westside, With Love
Seared Foie Gras With Quince and Cranberry
There Is No Competition 2 (The Funeral)
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POLITICS
BUSINESS
CULTURE
CREATIVE WRITING
FASHION
MUSIC
SPORTS AND SOCIAL MEDIA BOTH SIDES OF THE COURT
A
Nkwa Asonye
dvanced technology’s budding relationship with collegiate and professional sports has been rosy. From the respective league websites to streaming live broadcasts of games, the Internet has treated athletics very well. Social media has developed into one of the most important and disputed aspects of the Internet. Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter have formed an early relationship and honeymoon between them is going well. Most athletic leagues have their own Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. Fans flock to these sites to interact and feel closer to the game. The more fans feel closer to athletes and leagues, there more they are likely to support and spend, which in turn is good for business. There is an arising issue in this increased interaction, but it has nothing to do with league secretaries updating Facebook statuses or tweeting the right things. It has to do with every league’s most important and spotlighted aspect: the players. For the most part, social media sites are an asset to athletes. Having professional athletes like Denver Nuggets basketball player, J.R. Smith return a comment on your wall post or tag you in a tweet is enviable. But like every good thing, it has to be used with both moderation and caution. GW basketball student-athletes, Aaron Ware and Tony Taylor both have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. As far as NCAA regulations go, the use of social media among teams is vague. The GW Men’s basketball team has its own set of rules. No team member can have Facebook pictures with any alcohol or any illegal substances in it. Any picture on the page has to be chosen carefully. An incident that happened this past
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season reiterated why the coaches iterate players take care of their pages. “When Kentucky was playing South Carolina, [freshman All-American forward] Demarcus Cousins had his phone number on his Facebook,” Taylor recalled. “One of the fans from South Carolina got his phone number and started calling him all throughout the weeks and he gave it to everybody on campus. It was just a lot of harassment.” As for how they use their social media accounts, it’s not as different as one would think. “You want to have a little sense of humor because the people around you know how you are in person, but you still have to keep a clean image,” said Ware. However, when it comes to what one posts in correspondence to an athlete, the fans need to be careful too. Sometimes, heckles or unnecessary contact can cause anything from being blocked on a site to a lawsuit. When it comes to correspondence between him and the fans, Taylor keeps it simple. “I speak to them how I would speak to my teammates, you know? I treat everybody with respect, whoever I meet or whoever I talk to.” Both Taylor and Ware would love to see Formspring go. It is an anonymous question and answer site where people can ask whatever they want and then the answers can be publicly displayed via Twitter or Facebook. “I’ve never used formspring; I will never say, ‘Ask me anything,’ ” Ware commented, “because people who are asking this are anonymous and they can ask you anything. It’s nobody else’s business as far as my personal life what I do off-the-court, or even on-the-court.”
SPORTS
LOOK, GDUB!
BLACK CHERRY
FINDING LOVE IN THE DESERT Study Abroad: The Story of Eyptian Love Abike Kamson
C
airo, Egypt is a place.
crazy
Although physically a part of the African continent, Egypt is culturally a region of the Middle East. The majority of the population is Muslim, Arabic is the official language, and the dresss code is conservative. Although it is no Saudi Arabia and women need not wear full on covering, or burqa, it is important that Egyptian women wear modest clothing, such as long and loose fitting bottoms and tops. To put it this way, an Egyptian’s concept of a “prostitute” is a woman you pay for with alcohol and/or drugs and then hang out with either alone or at a party. Sex is not a necessary part of the package. While prostitutes in the U.S are fairly easy to spot on a corner, Egyptian prostitutes can easily be confused for any other girl as their dress is still somewhat conservative. Their behavior is like that of a “jump-off,” and, as I witnessed on several accounts, “jump-offs” had water dumped on and eggs thrown at them. Perception is important and privacy is lacking. As you can imagine then, the concept of any kind of relationship, whether romantic, platonic, or homosexual, is either extremely difficult to maintain or just impossible.
If you value privacy in
your relationships, an Egyptian relationship would be a challenge. Unless you have the money to bribe or to hide certain information, everything you say or do will come to light, meaning everyone will know This is similar to our own GW black population, but with actual religious and cultural stigma. With that said, Egyptian relationships are some of the most beautiful bonds that I have seen. Dating for them is like celebrating Valentine’s Day every day. I must point out that at first I interpreted these relationships as distorted, reminiscent of the characters from Twilight and New Moon with all their melodramatic teen angst that is code for sexual frustration. I didn’t get it. I figured if you have feelings for someone, you should be able to show them publicly and what other people have to say should not matter. I wasn’t encouraging couples to go make out in front of their nearest mosque, but at least hugging your significant other or friend of the opposite sex should not be such a huge deal. It hit me sooner than I thought. I was at a “Bedouin Night;” an outdoor party filled with food, shisha (hookah), music, and horseback riding, all overlooking the Great Pyramids. It was a very romantic setting and at one point a majority of the
couples went on the dance floor. Their dancing was like a cat and mouse game; the girl being the mouse and the boy being the cat. No physical contact was made, but it was obvious how much the boy wanted the girl. He would get on his knees and just stare at her as she flirtatiously spun around him. While this was all taking place, the families of these couples were looking on with pride and joy. The purpose for all these social rules was made clear. It was about honor. But it was not just about showing reverence to your family, there was something more. It was about the pursuit and the act of courtship. Taking your time and incorporating every gesture in order to genuinely and respectfully win her heart. Call it old-fashioned, but it has a modern twist to it as well. Egypt showed me that the act of wooing a girl does not have to be corny or expensive, nor should it last a week or expect some kind of reward in return. It just needs to happen. I hold this near to my heart as part of my Egyptian heritage and I encourage all men, from those that have girls throwing themselves at them to those who aren’t as fortunate to take some pride in your “game” and step it up. You are no prize; that belongs to the girl.
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FLYER THAN THE PIECE OF PAPER BARING HIS NAME Art extrordinaire Kelcey Abney’s Future after The Ace Since November 2009, Kelcey has been The Ace layout designer and he’s done an amazing job! He’s graduating this year but before he disappears into the real world, we as the staff of The Ace would like to say THANK YOU. We have learned a lot from our layout editor who rarely talks. However, we gave him an opportunity to discuss a bit about his favorite pieces of graphic art.
This poster set the tone in September for the new branding of Black House events.
This was the first Ace issue I worked on in November. It also featured me on the cover
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This was one of four posters for La Fiestasa. This piece put me on the map artistically at GW.
The Haiti crisis pushed me to take it to another level. I began to explore new graphic styles.
Photos by Colin McFarlane.
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WANT TO WORK FOR THE ACE MAGAZINE?! Email us thenewace@gmail.com WE ARE LOOKING FOR PAGE DESIGNERS, WRITERS, and PHOTOGRAPHERS Our next upcoming issue is “THE REAL FRESHMAN GUIDE TO GW” - Have stories of your experiences as a freshman? Do’s and Dont’s - Academic advice about courses ( Majors) -Events and Spots to hangout in DC? EMAIL US TO GET ON THE ACE TEAM FOLLOW US ON TWITTER TO BE UP TO DATE @theacemag
Shoutouts Uche Nwokike “I wanna give a shoutout to Irene, Shak, Janae and Malcolm” Naveed Rahman “Shout out to LUL and Uptown!” Elyce Cole “Shoutout to the Ace for giving me confidence and moving forward” Samuel Collins “Shoutouts to Conglomerate, Team Polo and Uptown and all the upcoming journalists” Lindsey McClain “I want to give a shoutout to MBSp10 Trial by F.I.R.E” LJ Dimanche “ Shoutouts are really hard for me, dont be offended if I leave you out, shoutouts to POLO, Bball Gravas, GOON squad, George, Carol, Conglomerate, Janae’s, Ola and Chanel’s crew, Uptown, MSSC Family, and all the undercover pops out there for making me laugh and put God and family before POLO. Arielle Mauge “Shoutout to the Mu Delta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated for being service to all mankind. Shoutout to JBKO for hosting our LLC. Shout to Team Uptown, the first team. Shoutout to Malcolm for having great music taste. Finally Shoutout to Wacka Flocka for swindling the music industry.” Ryan ‘Flatbush’ Mitchell “ Shoutout to the Conglomerate for holding it down on all fronts since day one.” Patrice Laquinte “Special shoutout to God, my mother, nothing would be possible without them. Shoutout to Pierre Doriscat, Ahmad Martin, John Blakely Delta Theta, Elizabeth Acevedo one of my inspirations, Ayana, Kwasi, Kelcey, Mu Beta Divas and Pretty Ladies of Mu Delta” Kwasi Agyeman “ Shoutout to Jesus, the Nupes and Team Uptown. Also special shoutout to the staff, readers and haters!!! The Ace Magazine loves all, peace, b”
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TheBlackCherryTree YEARBOOK
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MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT
MISS MOST ABOUT GW
Elizabeth Acevedo
“Watching my first Capital Funk performance”
“The support of the community and the that the people here show love at my performances”
Shakir Cannon-Moye
“Ren getting stabbed with a key in a Marvin Center party sophomore year by a D.C local”
“Midday slurpees and chillin in Kogan”
Lindsay McKenzie
“The party I threw off campus that got shutdown”
“Hanging out with my boys”
Renwick Milligan
“Hearing Sho’leh voice freshman year, every time the song ‘Dutty Wine’ came on”
“ Having random snowball fights”
Bobby Lucas
“The fight me and Ren had the first time I met him at a party in the black house”
“Being a student athlete”
Elyce Cole
“When Moe crossed as a Delta, sophmore year, Just seeing her make it through, it gave me goosebumps!”
“ Being able to run into people and end up talking for hours”
Irene Ojo-Felix
“The crazy but fun week that was Snowmaggedon”
“ The hilarious conversations with my twothirds”
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CLASS of 2010 SUPERLATIVES Best Hair
Krystal Warner
Most Talkative
Corey-Ann Coleman Renwick Milligan
Biggest Gossip Brittney Wright Renwick Milligan
Most Creative
Elizabeth Acevedo Kelcey Abney
Class Clown
Renwick Milligan
Class Nerd
Lindsay Mckenzie
Best Dressed Irene-Ojo Felix
Most Athletic Damien Hollis
Most Likely To Succeed
Most Friendliest “Still searching...”
Shakir Cannon-Moye Tura Woods
Most Outspoken
Best Smile
Lori-Ann Lowe
Bobby Lucas Nicole White
Most Quiet Kelcey Abney Taylor Croley
Never On Campus Lindsey Mckenzie
Biggest Flirt
Renwick Milligan Corey-Ann Coleman
Best Body
Amanda Roach Herman Opoku
Biggest Partier Abdul Fofana Emma Thelsume
Best Dancer Asia Stewart
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...... And we’re out of here. Stay in the loop. Twitter @theacemag #juice