The Hilltop 8-23-2010 by The Hilltop

Monday, August 23, 2010

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The Daily Student Voice of Howard University

Vol. 94 No. 2

Van Jones Brings Clean Energy Revolution to Howard by Derrick Haynes Staff Writer

Ryan Hamilton Contributing Photographer Green jobs pioneer Van Jones informed students of the importance of going green at a forum in Cramton Auditorium.

Prominent environmental leader and green jobs advocate Van Jones stopped by Cramton Auditorium to encourage the class of 2014 to figure out what their role can be in the clean-energy revolution that Jones believes is currently underway. China currently leads the race among global powers to develop clean-energy technology based on alternative energy sources like solar energy. According to the Pew Environment Group’s “Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race? the Chinese government has invested $34.6 billion dollars in green technology – more than double the US’s investment of $18.6 billion. “The reason that China is outperforming us is because the government has said that ‘We have a problem with global warming and we want the clean-energy solutions to be created in our country’,” Van Jones said in an interview with The Hilltop before delivering his speech in Cramton. “Our government has not said that.” But Jones did champion the

Shuttle Service Goes Digital by Michael Tomlin-Crutchfield Staff Writer A new cell phone service allows students to view the campus shuttles’ exact location online, and see the travel and wait time with a text message. The shuttle tracking information is available online at www.howardshuttle.com. The text messaging software is accessible by texting the number 41411. The system went into effect August 14. Each of the 21 stops on the shuttle routes have an assigned identification number that must be texted to 41411, followed by the words, “hushuttle.” New stops added to the shuttle service are the Brookland Metro station and Banneker Parking Lot. Although this technology will be a great aide to students, there are some bugs to work out in the system. Dr. Judi Moore Latta, Executive Director of the university’s Communications and Marketing department, who is in charge of a campaign to promote and market the new campaign, said that accessing the interactive feature has not been successful. “When you try to use the software it says, ‘Check back soon for actual times.’ It’s very important as we market the new service that we

INSIDE New Initiatives

Read up on all the initiatives HUSA implemented during the summer.

p.2

HBCU Rankings

While Howard may rank #1 among HBCUs, is the university still living up to its legacy? p.5

See VAN JONES, p.3

D.C. City Council Puff Puff Passes a New Law

can assure that all parts of the system are in working order,” Latta said. “People will try immediately to access the info. A partially functioning service doesn’t usually get a second chance.” After sending out a universitywide e-mail, Shuttle Administrator Margo Smith said she believes it will take some time to develop the system. “We tested the service before making the announcement,” Smith said. “The mobile feature has been having technical problems, but it’s fully functional now.” According to Clifford Smith, Director of Parking and Shuttle Operations, things have improved rather than changed completely. “We are using the same shuttle provider, just enhanced the services,” he said. Students are starting to notice improvements in the shuttle services service. “The University has been working hard to relieve student apathy with renovations, improvements in online services and now the shuttle,” said Laurin Compton, sophomore public relations major.

Visit TheHilltopOnline.com to find out the numbers for each shuttle location.

stimulus bill, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, which included $80 billion towards renewable energy. “It is directed toward green solution: that’s a positive,” Jones said before, “because we have failed to pass a climate and energy bill that will put a real rocket behind our clean energy entrepreneurs we’re starting to fall behind.” In Jones’s New York Times bestseller, The Green Collar Economy, he advocated for a Green Growth Alliance that united mainstream political groups dominated by White progressives with environmental justice organizations dominated by people of color. His speech would emphasize sparking the imagination of freshmen to learn more about what “going green” truly meant. “We need a Green Growth Alliance between these new entrepreneurs who want to bring forward new technology and people who need new jobs,” Jones said. “The clean-energy revolution will create many more jobs for African Americans than this old dirty energy econ-

by Tasion Kwamilele Staff Writer

Ryan McCaulsky Contributing Photographer Students can limit shuttle wait time by utlizing the university’s new mobile phone service.

NFC Preview

Check out The Hilltop’s predictions for the NFL’s NFCEast. See if you agree withour editor’s picks. p.9

INDEX

NEWS....................... p.2 OPINIONS............... p.5 SPORTS.................... p.9

This year, D.C.’s City Council followed in the footsteps of New Jersey, Virginia, and California by approving the medicinal marijuana bill, which allows qualified patients to receive larger amounts of the drug. Before the bill, patients could only receive two ounces of marijuana if a doctor prescribed it; however, the dosage has now been raised to four ounces. Those in opposition insist that while health is the primary concern, the safety of everyday people should not be jeopardized. In a press release from Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, she explains that she cannot allow her personal beliefs and feelings to influence her to overturn a law. “It is D.C.’s business alone to decide how to help patients who live in our city and suffer from chronic See MARIJUANA, p.3

WEATHER Today High: 80 Low: 66

Tomorrow High: 71 Low: 65

Camile Augustin

Campus Editor

News campus@thehilltoponline.com

Maya Rhodan

Metro Editor

metro@thehilltoponline.com

HUSA Spends Summer Working on New Intiatives by Micahel Tomlin-Crutchfield Staff Writer The Howard University Student Association worked over the summer to implement several initiatives to address students’ interests and to improve the quality of life on campus. Residence Life, Campus Police Chief Leroy James and the Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Barbara Griffin assisted HUSA in developing a pilot 24-hour visitation program that will go into effect during the fall 2010 semester for the West Towers and Slowe Hall. “It’s long overdue. Every upperclassmen dormitory should have 24-hour visitation,” said De’Rell Bonner, junior broadcast journalism major and resident in the West Towers. Brandon Harris, a junior political science major serves as president, and Williams Roberts, a third-year law student and former vice president of HUSA (2008 – 2009) is serving a second term as vice president. Harris and Roberts have been working with administration and Student Affairs to create a Student Business Center in Blackburn this semester. Students will staff the center; operating “sort of like a campus Kinkos,” Roberts said. In the new facilities students will be able to copy, fax and print. The HUSA administration has also been assisting students at risk

of being purged from the University due to finances. The payment date for continuing and new students was changed from the traditional August 1 to July 1. HUSA worked with the university to help students on a case-by-case basis, and has made sure administration extended its hours and launched an online chat to make the work more efficient. One of the administration’s financial aid initiatives has been the creation of HUSA Grants, a program to help students in need. The program is targeted towards students that have maintained a 2.0 GPA and have exhausted all other methods of aid. The program has been allocated $1 million in funds from the Independent Fund Appropriations Committee to aid students between $1,000 and $5,000 away from being financially validated. The first step is allocating $500,000 that will be distributed fairly based on student response. HUSA has decided to work on student involvement by continuing the program, “HUSA in Your House,” which involves members of the organization heading to dorms to discuss issues around campus. A general video series will be blogged on the new HUSA website, which is currently under development, along with a calendar of campus events.

Students Shop Smart for School Supplies by Tasion Kwamilele Staff Writer

Ryan Hamilton Contributing Photographer HUSA president and vice president, Brandon Harris and Will Roberts, lead the team of students that diligently worked for improvements across campus.

College Students Search High and Low for Cheap Textbooks by Whitney Anderson Staff Writer With the cost of higher education steadily increasing, college students are finding it more important than ever to stretch their pennies. Although the Howard University bookstore charges full price, many Howard students have come to find alternative ways to purchase their course books. One option that has become very popular among students is buying or renting books online. Websites such as Borders Books or Chegg.com are widely mentioned in social circles. Shakierah Wright, junior fashion merchandising major, says that she obtains a majority of her course books from either Textbooks.com or Amazon, which often ship from overseas. “I like purchasing international books because they’re always cheaper,” said Wright. When asked if she felt students should be allowed to rent books from the university bookstore, Wright replied with much enthusiasm, “yes”. However, she “seriously doubted” the possibility of that happening due to the decrease in profits the bookstore would face. Despite university costs and student’s financial instability, many other HBCUs, such as the rivaled Hampton University, conduct business by similar means when it comes Bree Gant Photo Editor to textbooks, with limited options for Finding affordable textbooks can be difficult, but rewarding for students on a students who are trying to save monbudget.

The Hilltop

ey. Hampton University sophomore and student athlete, Keiara Avant, says that although she and other athletes don’t have to pay for books out of pocket, her fellow students do. Buying used books from upperclassmen is also another alternative that students are employing. “Regular students have to go to the bookstore and purchase them [textbooks], but if they know someone who already has the book they can buy it from them, which is cheaper,” Avant said. In the August 17 issue of USA Today, it was stated that this fall more than 1,000 campus bookstores nationwide would set into effect a discounted book rental program for their students. Director of the Howard University Bookstore, Antwan Clinton, has made it clear that despite textbook prices and online book purchasing by students, the bookstore has yet to suffer. “On average we have not seen a decline in the number of students supporting the HUB, with exception to any decline in enrollment,” Clinton said. On the subject of textbook rentals, Clinton said that Howard is indeed looking into establishing a textbook rental system. Currently, the university is in the process of reviewing pilot programs to see if and how they can be made to work efficiently for the Howard community.

As a college student, one of the most important things you’ll learn during your matriculation is how to budget. Budgeting doesn’t mean you can’t buy all of the things you want, it just helps you learn where to get the things you need inexpensively. “Instead of buying brand name notebooks you can buy the generic brands,” said Jemeela Axell, a junior television production major. “You get the same value you would get with a name brand, but the cost difference is noticeable.” “Having the brand name notebook doesn’t really mater when taking notes for class,” added Axell. Target and CVS, both conveniently located near campus, have the basic necessities for any college student to survive. Target has a 10-pack of BIC ballpoint pens, while mechanical pencils are $0.99 each, and binders start at only $3.00. CVS contains Avery 6-pocket folder organizers at only $2.99. College-ruled notebook paper is priced around $1.50 or less a pack and Avery 8-count insert dividers are only $1.29 a pack. “[For] supplies such as notebooks, pens, highlighters and folders, you must stock up on them while the sales are at their best,” said Jocelyn Knight, a senior biology major. “For other supplies, just buy what you need. That keeps you from overspending on frivolous items.” Other basic necessities such as tape, erasers, white-out, and individual organizer folders all inexpensively priced within a range of $0.99 to $2.00. “Staples can have good deals sometimes but their sale prices aren’t too far from their original price so it’s not always the best place to go,” added Axell. At the end of the day, when it comes to school shopping on a college student budget, you cannot always buy the first thing you see. Buy the basic necessities.

Ryan McCaulsky Contributing Photographer

Students aim to spend as little money as possible on school supplies this year.

The Hilltop MARIJUANA continued from Front

pain and incurable illnesses. The Council is to be commended for, not prohibited from, passing a model piece of legislation that allows patients to use controlled amounts of marijuana, for specific medical purposes and only through the written recommendation of a physician, to help improve their quality of life,” said Congresswoman Norton. Despite the government decision in favor of medicinal marijuana, some people believe that legalizing marijuana will remain a hot topic because it allows the government to profit from a “street” drug commonly associated with inner-city minorities and criminal activities. In a recent study conducted by cannabisculture.com, it revealed that 76 percent of marijuana users are white, while 20 percent are of black or Hispanic origin. However, marijuana arrests and conviction rates of African Americans and Hispanics double and triple those of their counterparts. Genghe Carmichael, a senior fashion retail management major at

VAN JONES continued from Front

omy ever produced.” The “dirty energy economy” refers to the primary sources of energy that fuel the global economy: petroleum (oil), coal, and nuclear power. All the aforementioned are fossil fuels that are finite and will disappear once they have been used up unlinke renewable resources such as wind or solar energy. While studying abroad in the Netherlands, Anese Jacobs had the chance to contrast the environmental policies of America to create green jobs with that of a European Union member state. “According to what Europe is doing, there’s a lot of opportunity there,” said Jacobs, a senior marketing major who aspires to market green products similar to Seventh Generation after graduation. Seventh Generation is a company that specializes in environmentally friendly household products such as dishwashing soap and laundry detergents. In September 2009, Seventh Generation introduced the first EPA-approved disinfectant. “I truly believe that what we’re doing to our environment it’s not good. We all need to work together to come up with a solution quickly,” Jacobs said. “Just look around.” As a part of his presentation, Jones did just that when he surveyed the impact of global warming around the world. The ongoing crises - the devastating floods in Pakistan and deadly wildfires throughout Russia - and the “Snowpocalypse” of last winter were direct results of climate change, which Jones summed

Columbia University believes that viewing marijuana that way “will only cause more division. Most people that operate or have membership to cannabis clubs are white people so the African-American community will not truly have full access to this ‘legalized’ industry.” Essence Payne, a recent human development graduate of Howard from Lynchburg, Va., agrees with Carmichael. “The African-American population is the least likely to seek medical attention for any sort, so the population using weed legally won’t even be ours,” says Paine. Recent psychology graduate Sola Zaccheus from New Jersey, believes that the ultimate purpose for the legalization is to benefit the government. Zaccheus also questions why the focus is on marijuana, a drug he says has a much lesser effect than the cigarettes he can buy over the counter. “People are going to find ways around this ‘legalization’. If there was a way for the government to fully control it [marijuana] this wouldn’t even be an issue,” said Zaccheus.

up as, “Global warming means local storming.” Much of Jones’s speech consisted of a history lesson that focused on the origins of fossil fuels and how a fossil fuel driven society runs off of death. “Oil is the dead blood of our ancestors; coal is the dead broken blood of our ancestors,” Jones said. “Your society right now runs by pulling death out of the ground and burning it. You pull death out of the ground and burn it in your engines without ceremony.” After completing his history lesson, Jones focused on the wealth of benefits that a career in emerging green technology and business promises for students. “Who needs more of a change in this economy than our community? We’re the folks who live next to the power plants, all too often,” Jones said. “If we want to have new jobs, we need clean energy. You don’t want your community to benefit from the good stuff last and least when you suffer from the bad stuff first and worst.” The source of the new jobs, as Jones and other environmentalist’s attests, will be based on developing alternative energy. Supporters of emerging green technology is striving to make clean energy technology cheaper and more efficient than their nonrenewable counterparts. “Energy is a trillion dollar global market. It’s about to totally transform,” Jones said. “There are people flat-broke right now who ten years from now will be multimillionaires because they took this seriously.”

The Student Voice of Howard University

Leo Brooks Staff Photographer A new medicinal marijuana bill makes the drug more accessible for patients that have a prescription for the drug in D.C.

Jones refuted the prevalent misconception that African Americans should not care about global warming. “Don’t let anybody tell you that if you care about the Earth that that’s a white thing,” Jones said. “The idea that caring about the earth, caring about life, caring about living systems is a white thing – that’s a racist comment that we will make to each other.” “Don’t accept that from anybody,” he added. “It’s disrespectful.” He argued that environmentally conscious people were not absent from the African-American community. “We’ve always had green, environmental people in our community,” Jones said. “We just didn’t call it that. We’ve always had a grandmama who grew up in the South who had a little plot in the back where she was growing her tomatoes.” “You’ve always been broke and taking the bus – that’s green!” he said eliciting laughter from the audience. For his final remarks, Jones concentrated on advising freshmen about what they can do at Howard and around the district to get involved with the transition from the current petroleum-fueled economy to the clean energy future. “Howard, by the time you get to 2014, should be a leading force for this change,” Jones said. “There are millions things that can be done that could make Howard a green gem in the middle of the Washington, D.C. area. Let the genius of your generation be tapped and used to help

people.” He also argued that students should play a pro-active role in demanding more change. “You should be trying to figure out what building can solar panels on them,” he said. “You should be trying to figure out how to have community gardens here and use some of this beautiful landscape to grow food and feed some of these poor, starving babies out here.” After Jones’s speech ended, a booth was set up for students to sign pledges as a part of the Power Vote campaign. Power Vote is a campaign by the Energy Action Coalition, a coalition of 50 youth organizations who advocate for energy reform. The Energy Action Coalition includes the Environmental Justice & Climate Change Initiative (EJCC). “Power Vote is about making sure that we’re holding our leaders accountable to our future,” said Kari Fulton, the Youth Climate Justice Coordinator of EJCC and Howard alumna. “Our main initiative is to make sure that more young people of color are involved in the emerging green economy wherever they see themselves playing in that economy - whether it’s in the world of fashion, politics - we need you.” Lillian Molina, the environmental justice director of the Energy Action Coalition, added that the pledges were a way to show “politricksters” Congress members beholden to corporate interests – that young people are committed to a “clean and just energy future.” “The way the system is set up

Congress ultimately makes the decisions,” Molina said, “We need to make sure that the people that are in [Congress] know that as young people we are the biggest voting bloc in history, the most diverse voting bloc in history and we’re not going to let them keep our future in their hands.” Van Jones’s speech and the Power Vote campaign presence attracted students new to the green movement. “It gave me more awareness of what I do,” said Asia Gregory, a freshman fashion merchandising major. “He made me want to learn more on the topic and see what I can do to help out,” said Tymeshia Hill, a freshman biology major, before rushing back inside of the auditorium to hear about volunteer opportunities around campus and the district. Carly Hill, no relation to Tymeshia Hill, thought Van Jones’s poetic explanation of contemporary energy production was a highlight. “It made me have a different perspective about how our society is actually run,” Hill said, “We’re living off of death, and that’s bringing down our whole country. It’s really important that we start living off of life now.” A tight-knit group of students interested in environmentalism, led by Dorien Blythers, a senior political science major, helped make Van Jones’s appearance possible. “It’s a dream of mine to see more people of color take leadership roles in environmentalism,” Blythers said.

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Opinions . .

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Opinions Editor

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Unbought, Unbossed, Unbiased

by Marquis H. Barnett Ombudsman To all of you who are returning to Howard, welcome back! And to those of you who are new to the Mecca, welcome to Howard. More importantly, welcome to our family. I am sure that many of you do not know what the term “ombudsman” means, so I’ll tell you. I am the liaison between YOU and the paper. Whenever you have issues, just send me an email at MHBarnett@thehilltoponline.com and I will take them directly to the paper and find the best solution. The Hilltop is striving to be the best paper for you, and any suggestions and opinions are openly welcomed. The name of this column is signifying to say that I am a representative to the people, and I am not bound to make favorable opinions of or concerning The Hilltop. As you may already know, The Hilltop is undergoing a series of changes this academic year, and will look very different from the way it has looked in the past. At the surface, the changes may seem extreme, but I urge you to look closer at the changes before jumping to your final judgment. As the saying goes “innocent until proven guilty.” So here is our case. The first of these changes is the fact that we will no longer run a print publication every Monday through Friday. Pause. Don’t overreact, because The Hilltop will still be there

for you on a daily basis. The print version of the paper will be printed every Monday and Thursday. But we’re still going to be there for you because now, we are a 24-hour a day, 7-day a week online news source. That’s right, this week marks the beginning of our Online Multimedia Convergence, a new wave of online media. One point that I don’t think anyone will argue with me on is that online is the most convenient form of media that there is. Now, as opposed to having to wake up on that day when you don’t have classes and go downstairs and pick up The Hilltop, you can roll over, grab your computer and visit us www.TheHilltopOnline.com for your campus news needs. The Hilltop Online underwent a facelift this summer. The new, userfriendly site allows you to navigate easily and also has a much easier search engine. This will allow you to more quickly and concisely search our archives for an article that may have run months, even years ago. In an ever-evolving media world, The Hilltop must remain competitive. Aren’t you proud of being able to say that you attend the school where the nation’s number four collegiate newspaper is located? Well think of how much better it will be to say that you are on the campus of the number one collegiate newspaper…AGAIN. The new HU Guide featured in the Hilltopics section will serve as a guide to what’s going on daily. Not only does it look better, it is cheaper for campus organizations to advertise. And last, but most certainly not least, in the past The Hilltop has gotten some less than favorable compliments about the content within the paper. It is our hope that this convergence can give us the opportunity to add better content to the paper, and better satisfy the needs of our entire readership. From current students, to faculty and alumni, we want everyone to be able to enjoy The Hilltop regardless of where they are in the world. So there you have it. These are the facts, now you decide.

Richard Montgomery Cartoonist

Looking Beyond the Rankings STAFF EDITORIAL

Earlier this month, students community.” By being honest with for our climb to the top. were proud to be a part of Howard’s ourselves, you’ll realize that some President Ribeau has made legacy when news surfaced that we students just “get by” in classes, it consistently clear that he wants became the #1 HBCU Howard to be ranked in ranked by Associated the top 50 schools by 2012, Content. However, when most recently in a speech considering the premise when Devaul Patrick came of this ranking, you’ll reto campus. Students should alize that our university this same notion, “Howard’s legacy was built on mirror still has a long way to go. asking themselves why we We were ranked academic excellence. It is our can’t see past being the number one simply beHBCU? Can Howard duty to carry on the standards top cause of the average SAT not rival other Ivy-league that made us The Mecca.” scores of incoming freshschools like Yale and Harman (1655) with a 54 vard? Do we really want to percent acceptance rate. be the Ivy-League of JUST It was because of our African-American instituacademics before arrivtions? ing at Howard, not while enrolled. building upon their networks to be Being number one in any It wasn’t because of our actions on successful, only. fashion causes for a well-deserved, campus that made us number one. As a whole, our campus is not worthy celebration. But while we’re Through the partying and the meeting standards to truly be consid- celebrating our strides, we can’t stop social canvas we’ve painted, some ered number one. More importantly, striving to really be on top. Our students tend to forget about aca- we need to maintain the acclama- standards should be set higher, along demics and the fact that our univer- tions that we already have. The title with our daily actions. sity should be “leaders of the global is easy to slip away; easier than it was

OUR VIEW

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The Student Voice of Howard University

THE BISON FIX

More Than an Institution, Howard is Home

by Dexter Williams Contributing Columnist As a transfer student from the University of Pittsburgh-Titusville and Old Dominion University, I have to say what all of us as transfer

students say, “Howard may have not been my first choice, but it was my best choice.” The aforementioned schools are predominately white institutions. They were good schools. They were academically challenging, the socialization was good, teachers were “nice,” and many more aspects you expect with a university. At the same time, for some reason, they don’t compare to Howard. In fact, three of my professors at Old Dominion University encouraged me to transfer to Howard because it has more prestige, more resources, superior networking opportunities, and it is conveniently located in my hometown D.C. Howard is a university where all walks of life cross The Yard. It’s a place where African Americans can seek a quality education without having the pressure of being the “good token-negro” in the classroom, unlike the majority institutions I previously attended. As I said before,

those institutions were academically rigorous and the socialization was good. However, they lacked the holistic approach that nurtures the student academically, socially and personally. I always felt there was something missing. I could never seem to figure out what it was until I came to Howard and then the light bulb came on. The professors at the other universities didn’t really care about educating the whole student. They cared more about meeting deadlines and covering course material than the student being able to keep up and have a rich understanding of the course. Now, some will argue that this style of educating allows the student to educate him or herself independently. At some point, though, wouldn’t the student need some form of proper guidance from the instructor? Please don’t get me wrong; I would never ask for any professor to hold my hand like a toddler. That

being said, it doesn’t hurt to have an instructor who not only wants you to succeed in their course but for you to lead in your field globally. Here, they guide you in the right direction, nurture you as an individual, open doors to unbelievable experiences, have unmatchable networking opportunities and lay the ground work for a prosperous and giving career. That’s what makes Howard a unique university. It has a luster unto itself. It’s hard to describe the Howard experience in words. I guess many Howard graduates were right: it’s a place you have to experience for yourself.

Dexter Williams is a junior Health Administration major from Washington, D.C.

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The Hilltop Newspaper Aleesa Mann Editor-in-Chief Genet Lakew Managing Editor Camile Augustin Campus Editor Maya Rhodan Metro Editor Tahirah Hairston Life & Style Editor Crystal Cooper Opinions Editor Aaron Randle Special Issues Editor Christina Downs Copy Chief Dilane Mitchell Asst. Copy Chief Briana Evans Copy Editor Michele Steele Copy Editor Alexa Murray Copy Editor Lauren Griggs Copy Editor

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Car Ownership in D.C. a Hassle for Students by Jarondakie Patrick Staff Writer

Bree Gant Photo Editor Students can limit shuttle wait time by utlizing the university’s new mobile phone service.

Bringing your car to college is considered an advantage by many and envied by many others, but, having a car at Howard University may not be all it’s cracked up to be. For Lamarione Sherperd, a junior business major from Missouri, having a car is bittersweet. Over the summer, Sherperd enjoyed driving into Maryland and Virginia, but recently said that dealing with parking passes at Howard has been a hassle. “I was told that the parking passes are on a first come first serve basis and they will not be given out until Sept. 8,” said Sherperd. For now Sherperd, and numerous other students, have to pay $4.00 to park their cars at a meter until parking passes become available. If students choose not to pay at the meters they could face towing charges.

This, however, is not the only disadvantage to having a car, as it requires a driver to have car insurance. According to a State Farm Insurance representative, the price of insurance for a 21-year-old female living in Washington, D.C. who drives a 2002 Camry with almost 100,000 miles would be $385 for full coverage a month. State Farm offers free quotes to students considering car insurance. The process requires the student’s social security number, driver’s license number and the state, address, and number of tickets since being licensed and full name of the car owner. To determine the cost of insurance, State Farm factors in the coverage one would need to insure their car, the age of the individual, driving tickets acquired, and all accidents. Robert Seymour, a 20-year-old broadcasting major, said knowing the disadvantages to having a car is

what kept him from bringing his car from Memphis. “You have to worry about your car getting broken into, [and] driving around without D.C. tags, and tickets,” said Seymour. Another major deterrent for students deciding whether to bring their vehicles to campus is the fact that students can get ticketed for having unregistered, out-of-state tags. According to the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, cars within the district for 30 consecutive days must be registered through a process called ROSA, which stands for registration of out-of-state automobiles. To enforce ROSA, the Metropolitan Police Department constantly monitors residential and business areas for cars not in compliance with D.C. registration requirements, according to the District of Columbia DMV. Proper registration also requires cars to display a valid D.C. inspection sticker.

Freshmen Week 2010 Recap

Photos by Bree Gant, Photo Editor & Leo Brooks, Staff Photographer

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by Deontay Morris Kellen Sims Contributing Columnists If this summer has shown us nothing else about sports it has shown us the true power that sports and its athletes hold over fans and media alike. This summer, Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Brett Favre, had every part of their lives chronicled and each word they spoke gone over with a fine tooth comb. Sports have the power to captivate neighborhoods, cities, states and countries. In 1936 the Olympics were held in Berlin, Germany when Adolf Hitler was in power. African American track star Jesse Owens won four gold medals and defied the Nazi ideology of being the Aryan race. Muhammad Ali was stripped of his heavyweight title for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War. His defiance was applauded by many blacks around the country who felt they shouldn’t fight for liberties they couldn’t receive. Why do these athletes and sports hold this power? The most obvious answer is that many kids grow up wanting to play these same sports and emulate these athletes. Then reality smacks us in the face when it becomes clear that it’s hard to make it in the NBA if you don’t grow past 5’8. Once people come to understand they are not going to be a professional athlete the next step in the process is to begin transferring one’s love for the sports into another area besides playing. This transfer of energy is where the power of sports begins, because now fans believe they have the right to praise, criticize and ridicule athletes. The day of the “Decision” was a sad day because many believed that James respected the fans of Cleveland enough to not bring them on national television and stab them in the back. The true power of sports can was ultimately shown by what happened next to the Cleveland Cavalier fans. There were grown men crying, women sobbing, and even more people so angry that they began to rip their LeBron paraphernalia off their bodies stomping, and burning it in the streets. The next day Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke out against the Cavaliers’ owner and his Comic Sans tirade ignoring the injustice of the Oscar Grant trial in Oakland, Calif., and once again showing the world true power of the LeBron James media frenzy. In many ways our lives and the lives of our friends revolve around sports. This past Monday we did not go out to hang with our friends because our fantasy football draft was at 11:00 p.m. Even though the league is made up of graduate students and young professionals who had no business being up at 2:00 a.m. arguing over who each person chose for their team, we were there for one simple reason, the POWER OF SPORTS. Deontay Morris and Kellen Sims share their views at sports3-6-5.blogspot.com

Women’s Soccer

Sunday, August 22 Temple Philadelphia, Pa. 1 PM Wednesday, August 25 George Mason Washington, D.C. 7 PM Tuesday, August 31 Wagner College Staten Island, N.Y. 4 PM

Women’s Volleyball

Bree Gant Photo Editor The new sports season brings new opportunities for the fall sports teams at Howard, including football, women’s and men’s soccer and volleyball.

Upcoming NFL Season Hopes to Change Teams’ Previous Rankings by Karim Alammuri Sports Editor With a few short weeks until the NFL season begins, predictions have already been made as to which teams will prosper or fail during the season. Here are the predictions for the NFC East: 1 . Dallas Cowboys After clinching the division last year and winning a playoff for the first time in more than a decade, the Dallas Cowboys have emerged as the sexy pick in the NFC to reach Super Bowl XLV. Emerging star Miles Austin returns as the team’s number one wide receiver alongside Roy Williams and first round draft pick Dez Bryant from Oklahoma State. Dallas is relying on Felix Jones to be a starting running back as he enters his sophomore year with Marion Barber coming in as backup. Dallas enters the season stacked on both sides of the ball, along with a talented special teams unit. Their biggest opponent this year will be themselves as they battle egos and try to satisfy their eccentric and very demanding owner Jerry Jones. Prediction: 12-4 (Division Winners) 2 . Washington Redskins After suffering a disastrous 4-12

season with one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, the Washington Redskins decided to clean house for 2010. The Redskins acquired Donovan McNabb, from the Philadelphia Eagles, and signed head coach Mike Shanahan. After a drama-filled summer centered on defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and his conditioning tests, expectations are high in Redskins Nation. The defense will be looking to force more turnovers and put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks in their new 3-4 defensive scheme. The Redskins are going into the season looking impressive on paper, as in previous years. In order for them to be successful, they must click on both sides of the football and avoid injuries. Prediction: 10-6 (Wild Card Berth) 3 . New York Giants The New York Giants started off hot last year winning their first five games, but their hot streak cooled down as they finished their last 11 games 3-8, resulting in a .500 record. Ranking 15th in passing defense last year, the Giants boosted their secondary by acquiring safeties Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant. Another key move was the firing of defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan and replacing him with Perry Fewell from the Buffalo Bills. Up and coming wide

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Saturday, August 28 West Virginia (WVU Classic) Morgantown, W. Va. 7:30 PM Sunday, August 29 Buffalo (WVU Classic) Morgantown, W. Va. 11 AM

Sunday, August 29 receivers Steve Smith and Hakeem Akron (WVU Classic) Nicks are both returning healthy with Eli Manning under center, Morgantown, W. Va. who is becoming one of the NFL’s 4 PM best signal callers. Without a doubt the Giants are very talented on offense, but its up to their defense to dictate how well they play this year. Men’s Soccer Prediction: 9-7 (Miss Playoffs)

4 . Philadelphia Eagles After 11 years in Philadelphia, one Super Bowl berth, and five NFC championship games, the McNabb era finally came to a close as the Eagles handed over their franchise to young signal caller Kevin Kolb. The Eagles are obviously building their team through youth, cutting Brian Westbrook and placing LeSean McCoy in a starting role. Multidimensional talent Desean Jackson returns after a great year catching and returning kicks. Philadelphia fans may face a letdown this year, with an inexperienced quarterback under center offering potential headaches. Philadelphia has a lot of young talent that can win in the future. But with a very tough schedule, youth will come back to bite them in the end. Maybe after this season Philadelphia fans will appreciate all that McNabb has done for the franchise. Prediction: 6-10 (Miss Playoffs)

Tuesday, August 24 (Exhibition - Greene Stadium) Howard, Washington, D.C. 7 PM Friday, August 27 Mary Washington (Exhibition) Howard, Washington, D.C. 7 PM

Men’s Football Saturday, September 4 Holy Cross Worcester, Mass. 1 PM Saturday, September 11 Hampton Howard, Washington, D.C. 1 PM

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Fall TV Preview

Primetime Shows Bad Girls Club Tuesdays, 9 p.m. on Oxygen A new set of bad girls has joined the Bad Girls Club for the fifth season of the reality show, which was shot in Miami. Expect more fights, hook-ups, and breakthroughs as the seven girls are placed under one roof in this series from the same producers of MTV’s The Real World. Grey’s Anatomy Thursdays, 9 p.m. on ABC Fans of the popular medical drama can expect major changes for the doctors of Seattle Grace Hospital after an explosive season finale where a shooter entered the hospital. Watch to see the aftermath of the hospital shooting and the new faces who will join the cast when the seventh season returns on Sept. 23. Criminal Minds Wednesdays, 9 p.m. on CBS The crime series prepares for another season with the Behavioral Analysis Unit continuing to profile and catch more serial killers. Look for

the team to catch a new set of criminals when the sixth season returns on Sept. 22. Law & Order: Los Angeles Wednesdays, 10 p.m. on NBC Viewers of the popular Law & Order franchise are excited for the upcoming spin-off set in Los Angeles. Viewers can continue to expect the same drama as well as stories “ripped from the headlines,” with a cast including Terrence Howard, Regina Hall and Alfred Molina when the series premieres on Sept. 29. Jersey Shore Thursdays, 10 p.m. on MTV The cast of Jersey Shore has returned for a second season of non-stop drama, partying, and hook-ups, only this time they left the Jersey Shore for Miami. Recently, the fourth episode of the second season garnered its highest ratings in the show’s history, with an estimated 5.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen. - compiled by Michele Steel, copy editor

HOWARD CHANNEL GUIDE

2. WHUT 3. WHUT 4. WHUT 5. CNN 6. Headlines News 7. FNC 8. Bloomberg 9. CNBC 10. MSNBC 11. C-SPAN 12. C-SPAN 2 13. BBC America 14. The Weather Channel 15. G4 16. AETV 17. ABC Family 18. AP2 19. HGTV 20. Bravo 21. Cartoon Network 22. Comedy Cen-

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tral 23. TruTV 24. WMPT 25. Discovery Channel 26. Discovery Health Channel 27. E! 29. ABC 30. CBS 31. Fox 32. ESPN News 33. Sleuth 36. Comcast Sportsnet 37. ESPN 38. ESPN 2 39. ESPN Classic 40. ESPN News 41. ESPN U 42. NFL Network 43. Speed 44. FitTV 45. WETA

46. BET 47. MTV 48. MTVU 49. VH1 50. FX 51. WHBC 830am 52. History Channel 53. Food Network 54. TLC 55. Lifetime 56. Logo 57. NASA 58. National Geographic 59. Nickolodeon 60. Oxygen 61. Science 62. SyFy 63. Spike 64. TBN 65. TBS

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