Thursday, April 10, 2014 thehilltoponline.com
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Thunder Storms High 68 Low 55 Retool Your School
Vote for Howard in the Home Depot Retool Your School competition at www.retoolyourschool.com. The University is competing with other HBCUs for awards ranging $10,000 -$50,000. Awards go to the schools that receive the most online votes/ social media activity.
Health Care
President Obama announced April 1 that more than 7 million Americans have signed up for health care under the Affordable Care Act.
School Stabbing
CNN reports that a 16-year-old boy stabbed twenty students and a security officer at Franklin Regional Senior High School in Murrysville, Pennsylvania early Wednesday morning.
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In the News: Editor’s Picks
“The Journey From ‘Colored’ To ‘Minorities’ To ‘People Of Color’” (via NPR) “Oakland Teen Vows With 5.0 GPA” (via The Root) “End of the Road for Windows XP” (via The Economist)
INSIDE
CAMPUS..............................p.2 LIFE & STYLE.......................p.8 SPORTS................................p.9 OPINIONS........................p.11
Vol. 98 No.19 est. 1924
Dr. Joseph Wright to Chair Pediatrics Department Monica Y. Queen Communications Specialist Howard University today announced that one of the nation’s leading pediatricians, Joseph L. Wright, M.D., M.P.H., will chair its Department of Pediatrics, effective June 2014. “We are thrilled to welcome a leader with the experience, expertise and passion that Dr. Wright brings,” said Mark S. Johnson, M.D., M.P.H., dean of the College of Medicine. “Dr. Wright is nationally renowned for his advocacy, public policy and research endeavors. His commitment to outstanding patient care and service to the community are consistent with our core values here at Howard.” As chair, Dr. Wright will advance pediatric research, further develop innovative educational opportunities for trainees, realign clinical services
for children and expand advocacy initiatives. Dr. Wright joins Howard from George Washington University School of Medicine where he is professor and vice chairman in the Department of Pediatrics, as well as professor of emergency medicine and health policy. He is also senior vice president for community affairs and head of the Child Health Advocacy Institute within Children’s National Health System. “I am very excited to join the faculty at Howard University,” Wright said. “The College of Medicine has had a deep and indelible historical impact on health care throughout the region, throughout the country and, indeed, around the world. It will be a privilege to lead the Department of Pediatrics as chair.” Board certified in pediatric emergency medicine, Dr. Wright’s scholarly interests include pre-hospital pediatrics, youth violence preven-
tion and the needs of underserved communities, areas in which he has contributed to over 80 research manuscripts, review articles and book chapters in the scientific literature. Recognized as an effective advocate throughout his career, Dr. Wright has received the Shining Star award from the Los Angeles-based Starlight Foundation, the Fellow Achievement Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for exceptional contributions in injury prevention and the Distinguished Service Award from the AAP Section on Emergency Medicine. He has been inducted into Delta Omega, the nation’s public health honor society. He also has been appointed to several Institute of Medicine study committees, including the Future of Emergency Care, Youth Sports Concussions and Pediatric End-of-Life Care.
Dr. Wright also serves on national advisory bodies, including the Department of Transportation’s National EMS Advisory Council, the American Hospital Association’s Maternal and Child Health Council, the March of Dimes’ Public Policy Advisory Council, and recently as an Obama administration appointee to the Food and Drug Administration’s Pediatric Advisory Committee. A graduate of Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biopsychology, he earned his medical degree from Rutgers University Biomedical and Health Sciences/ New Jersey Medical School. Dr. Wright also earned a Masters in Public Health in Administrative Medicine and Management from George Washington University.
Jarrett Carter Attends Graduate School Event Lauren Buchanan Contributing Writer
arrived, this kind of mentoring and nurturing took place that made them realize their potential,” said Carter. “That baccalaureate nurturing is critical.”
As part of a “Lunch and Learn” session hosted by the Graduate Student Council on April 8, journalist Jarrett L. Carter praised Howard and other historically black colleges and universities for cultivating black leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. “You can’t deny that a lot of black graduate students are consciously deciding to attend HBCUs even in the 2014,” said Carter on his inspiration for the article. “What you’ll find is most of the black PhD earners in S.T.E.M fields today had baccalaureate experience at HBCUs.” This session – where graduate students enjoyed a complementary lunch while participating in an informal discussion with Carter – was just one of the many events that took place this week for the Graduate Student Council Week, whose theme this year is “The Talented Tenth.” Graduate Student Week is a week full of events that promotes profes-
Journalist Jarrett Carter discusses HBCUs and esteemed STEM majors.
sionalism, scholarship, and networking within the graduate student community. “This is a week that allows students to kind of step out of their individual ‘silos’ and interact with other graduate students from other departments,” explains Graduate Student Council member Maurice Fluitt, who also serves as event coordinator. The Graduate Student Council invited Carter to discuss an article he wrote for Huffington Post entitled, “For HBCUs, the Proof is in the Productivity.” In his article, Carter
Photo by Lauren Buchahan
praises Howard University for producing the most African-American PhD holders in S.T.E.M fields in the United States. Carter, who is also Morgan State University alum, discussed the importance of HBCUs and their graduate programs. In fact, Carter suggests that students choose HBCUs because of the academic nurturing they receive there; something that they probably wouldn’t experience at a predominantly white school. “The HBCU may have admitted a student who was not an academic start in high school but when they
During the session, graduate students and Carter discussed a wide range of topics including financial and administrative frustrations at HBCUs, the future of Howard University, and the notion of giving back to your HBCU even if feeling wronged by them. Although some may get frustrated with the administration or bogged down by a heavy academic workload, the graduate students typically enjoy their Howard experience. “I like the fact that I drive on campus and I’m just like ‘Wow, I go to Howard’,” said Graduate Student Council member Monique May. She wanted to attend Howard University for her undergraduate degree, but got a scholarship to attend University of Northern Florida- Jacksonville instead. “It’s something that I wanted to do in undergrad… so to be realizing [that] dream is really exciting,” May said with a smile.
Campus
THE HILLTOP | THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014
The Hilltop Newspaper Glynn Hill
Editor-in-Chief Dominique Diggs Chief Managing Editor Indigo Silva Multimedia Editor Emmy Victor Campus Editor Keneisha Deas Metro Editor Maya Cade Life & Style Editor Khari Arnold Sports Editor Daniel White Opinions Editor Quantrel Hedrick Copy Chief Lindsey Ferguson Copy Editor Tasia Hawkins Staff Writer Jourdan Henry Staff Writer Siniyah Smith Staff Writer Erin Van Dunk Staff Writer Shannen Hill Staff Writer Precious Osagie-Erese Staff Writer Nile Kendall Staff Writer Steven Hall Columnist Marc Rivers Columnist Rachel Cumberbatch Photo Editor Karrie Leonard Editorial Assistant Katie Downs Cartoonist
The Hilltop encourages its readers to share their opinions with the newspaper through letters to the editor or perspectives. All letters should include a complete address and telephone number and should be sent electronically to diggs@thehilltoponline.com. All inquiries for advertisements should be sent directly to The Hilltop Business office at: campusadvertising@thehilltoponline.com localadvertising@thehilltoponline.com nationaladvertising2thehilltoponline.com
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Tasia Hawkins Staff Writer
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‘Last Bison Standing’ Initiative For Student Organizations
Kicking off with this week’s Relay for Life, Last Bison Standing is a movement that aims to keep students dedicated to Howard University’s mission of truth and service. Last Bison Standing, an initiative of The Aaron Bonner Foundation in partnership with Relay for Life and Ohio Club, will start off this Friday, April 11 as a nightlong competition proving that Howard’s long history of service to the black community has not been forgotten. Last Bison Standing aims to ensure that the new generation of Howard students never loses sight of service through community service opportunities and financial compensation for Howard organizations to complete service projects. “There is talk among alumni that current students are not following the ideals upon which Howard University was founded,” said King Griffin, founder of the Aaron Bonner Foundation. “This is a movement to show that the tradition is alive.”
As the mecca of black education, it is vital that Howard continues to work as the beacon of service in the black community, particularly in the areas affecting us most dramatically. One of these major issues is health, where blacks tend to forget how much we can be affected by issues such as cancer. Cancer is a topic that hits particularly close to home for Griffin, as he founded the Aaron Bonner Foundation after the 2008 loss of his childhood friend and Howard University student Aaron Christian Bonner to Nasal Pharyngeal Carcinoma, an extremely rare form of cancer.
The Last Bison Standing contest during Relay for Life will encourage students and campus organizations to stand up for cancer and participate in an event that is not as widely attended as it could or should be. The competition will encourage participants to stay throughout the entire night by offering prizes to those who stay the longest. Typically people stay until 2 a.m. and this year Last Bison Standing aims to encourage participants to stay until the ending time at 7 a.m.
$250 is on the line for the last male and female bison, Greek organization, state club, and other campus organization that manages to be the last ones standing at Relay for Life. The only catch is that the money won from the competition must be paid forward and should be used to benefit the community in the 20142015 school year. “Last Bison Standing is great because it’s easy to get people to stay at an event like Relay-forLife until maybe 2 a.m. but it’s harder to get them to stay until 7 a.m.,” said Jasmine Hunter, cocoordinator of Relay for Life. “What the Aaron Bonner Foundation stands for to begin with is a great cause. As young people we sometimes think that we are invincible, that cancer doesn’t happen to us, but the Aaron Bonner foundation reminds us in the best way that that’s not the case.” In addition to the competition at Relay for Life, Last Bison Standing is hosting a raffle to raise money for the American Cancer Society with major prizes like a Macbook Pro,
iPads, and an Xbox One. Tickets can be purchased from members of the Ohio Club, Alpha Kappa Psi, and Aaron Bonner Foundation. The drawing will be held at 4 a.m. during Relay for Life. The areas of service that the Last Bison Standing initiative plans to reach in the future includes domestic violence awareness, cultural awareness, and sexual health awareness, issues that have been seen as persistent problems in the black community. The hope is that campus organizations will use the funding provided by Last Bison Standing to get involved in the District of Columbia community through events such as Relay for Life and show the public that Howard students have not lost sight of service. “I’m excited that this initiative is going to make it easier for students and organizations to get involved in community service,” said Briana Jenkins, junior Political Science major from Detroit, Michigan. “Hopefully this will create more students who truly embody the mission of the university.”
WACA Hosts Annual Tea
Chevelle Taylor Contributing Writer
Women As Change Agents, or WACA, held its end of the year tea and celebration with special guest speaker Artis Hampshire-Cowan, who stressed the importance women supporting each other. “Affirming women consistently is terribly important,” HampshireCowan told the diverse crowd of more than 50 women that consisted of many other influential women, including the chairs and deans of schools across the university, and Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame inductee Dorothy Bailey.
as she had anticipated.
Consequently, Hampshire-Cowan set out to gather other female faculty members and organized a group to discuss issues facing women in the workforce. She was met with hesitation and fear, and recalls a dean at the time saying, “we don’t get together on campus because they will think we’re conspiring to do something.”
More than a decade later, Hampshire-Cowan speaks as senior vice president and secretary at Howard University to an audience full of successful women “conspiring to do something” through WACA. The Howard-based mentoring program has a mission to “nurture the leader within.” “We don’t have to say ‘women are change agents’ because we are by nature,” said Hampshire-Cowan,
The tea celebrated all of its mentors and had a special segment to honor those women who had been serving the Howard community for more than 60 years. Honorees included Denyse S. Calloway, Betty Goodwin, Gloria F. Lloyd, Gwendolyn Bethea and Claudia B. King, a 20-year cancer survivor who said, “I love my family here at Howard University.” “To whom much is given, much is required,” added honoree Gwendolyn Bethea, at the forefront of those benefiting from Bethea and other WACA members’ service were the Howard women being mentored.
During the event on Tuesday, April 8, in the Blackburn Gallery Lounge, Hampshire-Cowan also shared endearing stories of how women molded and aided her throughout her life.
“We’re meeting faculty mentors and getting a bigger picture of the whole Howard experience,” said Brittany Scott, a freshman. Scott proclaimed that the program helped her to push herself and get more involved.
“We have been on the road, in terms of gender issues,” said Hampshire-Cowan, reflecting on her start at the university. Hampshire-Cowan joined the faculty of Howard University in October 1992, after serving in the first Marion Barry administration. She quickly realized that her women counterparts were not as progressive
noting that to fix people and things is intuitive for women. “We do it instinctively, it’s in our DNA.”
Mentors receiving certificates from mentors at the WACA end-of-the-year tea event.
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Photo by Chevelle Taylor
The program ended with the attendees reading aloud The Last Will and Testament of Mary McLeod Bethune, who believed “the world around us belongs to youth” and everyone is responsible for them.
THE HILLTOP | THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014
HOWARD UNIVERSITY DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS OFFICE OF RESIDENCE LIFE
Graduate Assistant 2014-2015 Positions in University Residence Halls Qualifications: Must be a full-time validated graduate student. Provide documentation of
Satifactory Academic Progress through submission of an official academic transcript(s). Provide three letters of reference that are relevant to the qualifications of the position. Additionally, must have one year of relevant residential living experience in a college/university setting. Must have supervised and administered programs directly to students. Must have a 3.0 GPA as a new graduate student and a cumulative 3.2 GPA as a continuing graduate student at the time of appointment.
Criteria: Successful candidates must show evidence of leadership and management experience.
Effectiveness in oral and written communication. The ability to function effectively within, and contribute positively to, a diverse multi-ethnic, multi-cultural student population within the Department of Residence Life. Must have the ability to provide personalized outreach to students in a way that fosters development of core academic competencies. Monitor and manage a dynamic learning community.
"We Need Good People Interested In Promoting Student Learning And Personal Development While Strengthening Their Leadership Skills." Secure application online at www.howard.edu/residencelife complete and submit to the: Office of Residence Life 2401 4th Street, NW Washington, DC 20059
Due: April 18, 2014 Before 5pm!!! Interviews will be held on: April 22 thru 24, 2014
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STUDENT PARKING REGISTRATION FOR AY 2014-2015 APRIL 16-18, 2014 from 2:00pm until all spaces are exhausted
April 16, 2014 Seniors and Graduate Students (Apply Only) Third year law students (Apply Only)
April 17, 2014 Juniors and Sophomore Students (Apply Only) Second Year Law Students (Apply Only)
April 18, 2014 Open to all students (excluding freshmen)
Eligibility: Students in good standing with no outstanding citations or back balances Non-freshman Status Registration instructions: 1. Using the internet, log into https://howard.t2hosted.com 2. Username: Your student ID number. (@12345678) 3. Password: Your student ID number. (@12345678) 4. You will be prompted to change your password. After this please carefully follow the prompts. FYI: If you have visited this website already and set a password you will have to use the password you previously set. If you do not remember your password, the Parking Office will have to reset your password to the default. Your id number will still be your username. If you have never registered for parking using this website contact the Parking Office to have an account created for you. 5. The final page of the registration process will give you a confirmation with dates to pick up your parking permit. Do not click more than once while you wait for the confirmation. 6. Please be patient. Be aware that the registration site is only open as long as parking spaces are available. Once all the spaces are exhausted we will close the registration for that day. Please read the policies and procedures during the parking registration process. If you have any questions you may contact the Parking Office at 202 806 2000. 4
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Metro
THE HILLTOP | THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014
Keneisha Deas, Metro Editor
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deas@thehilltoponline.com
LIFT Uses Students to Raise People out of Poverty
traditional community service opportunities to make a difference in the world. After serving as volunteers in many child service programs, founders Kristen Lodal and Brian Keiter realized that there weren’t many programs to assist the families of the children they worked with.
Tasia Hawkins Staff Writer WASHINGTON- National nonprofit LIFT, based in DC, has a unique mission. Although they aim to make living situations better for people living in poverty, their approach helps develop the next generation of nonprofit leaders by training college students to work as community advocates for the underserved.
They realized that although so much emphasis is placed on improving the life of children, parents of the children weren’t being assisted in finding sustained shelter, food, and clothing for their children.
LIFT recently joined the nationwide initiative “service year,” which aims to turn service-based gap years into a common dream for youth in the United States. LIFT is partnering with other leading national nonprofits such as Food Corps, Habitat for Humanity, and Teach for America to provide opportunities for young adults to explore their chosen career paths while helping to build a stronger community. “The campaign aims to inspire millions of Americans to serve by enlisting the voices of prominent leaders from both political parties, the entertainment industry, digital partners, major companies, leading nonprofits, and AmeriCorps alumni,” ServiceNation announced at the end of March.
Via Lift
“The ultimate goal is simple, but ambitious: We envision a day when young Americans turn to each other and ask, “Where will your year of national service be?” LIFT aims to be a prime place for college students to spend any amount of time volunteering. With their summer and semester programs, LIFT provides students with the opportunity to gain hands
on involvement in the District of Columbia area and truly gain a one-on-one experience with community members. Volunteers, referred to as community advocates, are trained on how to fix the real problems facing low-income communities such as affordable housing, food security and education in ways that usually only people with a master’s degree in social work get to see.
“I decided to join LIFT because it provides me with the opportunity to interact with the Ethiopian community,” said Nathanael Bulcho, an Ethiopian LIFT advocate from American University. “You also build a connection with the people you’re working with and gain familiarity with the resources in the District of Columbia, which can be applied to anything.”
“My work at LIFT has more impact then when I’ve volunteered with children,” said Zunara Naeem, an advocate from George Washington University. “With children its so easy to get distracted from getting real work done. At LIFT we move forward effectively and make real progress.” Although LIFT is currently wrapping up volunteer placements for the summer, Howard students are encouraged to join LIFT in the fight against poverty for the upcoming fall semester. More information can be found at www.liftcommunities.org.
The organization is based on the idea that students should go beyond
Howard’s Hottest Debuts With Grand Master Flash
Naeemah Z. Kelly Contributing Writer
WASHINGTON- Howard’s Hottest Troy Gardner, better known as DJ DeTroyt, debuted his talents at the U Street Music Hall, alongside DJ Jahsonic and hip-hop pioneer Grand Master Flash last Saturday. The event was an open showcase of mostly electric dance music (EDM), current hip-hop, and old school music. The featured disc jockeys had their own separate sets lasting about 90 minutes each. It was Gardner’s distinct Sonic inspired drop that continued to remind listeners whose mix they were dancing to. “I enjoyed all of the different styles each D.J. brought because it was a mixed crowd and there was something played for everyone,” said Estelita Espinosa. “The crowd was hype all night and Grand
Master Flash brought a lot of good energy to the stage.”
She also talked about the difference in his usual “Howard style” and what he decided to do. “He did a dope mix of Katy Perry’s hit song “Dark Horse,” and there was a lot more Jersey club music. He didn’t just mix together the top 50 hip-hop songs like a lot of D.J.’s do on campus,” Espinosa said. She continued by saying that Gardner’s set sounded a lot like his SoundCloud mixes. Born in Detroit, Mich., a city that founded Motown greats such as Marvin Gaye and The Jackson 5, Gardner was always surrounded by music. “If it’s not music, I can’t see myself doing it,” said Gardner. His father was a baseball player, his grandmother was a singer, and he grew to initially be a percussionist.
Throughout his entire life he played for his church’s choir, and later his high school’s marching band.
Gardner was not just an audio engineer, but also a skillful percussionist and producer, he decided to take him under his wing.
recognition of his music and skills, but it also came with its downfalls. He lost a few platonic and romantic relationships.
He applied to Howard University and was initially denied admission, until someone heard his percussive skills and offered him a scholarship.
For a year Gardner worked under Williams and next to Raleigh, N.C. native and Howard student, DJ LR. “I believe in his talent,” said Martiea Anderson, graduating senior telecommunications management major. The two were working together at WHBC when Anderson said she noticed, “he had an extreme amount of talent and I took it upon myself to support him as a friend and pushed him into deejaying.”
“People are concerned about nonsense and get stuck here in the campus life. This event is my first step to moving on from being just a campus D.J.,” said Gardner adding that this gig was one of the most important ones yet.
During his freshman year Gardner got the opportunity to work with his friend, mentor, and Howard D.J., Terrell Williams, or DJ Chubb E. Swagg on the infamous Twerk Tape I mixtape as the sole audio engineer. This is when Gardner was first exposed to deejaying and jokingly said, “It was me chasing Chubb E…I fell in love with how you can really just get lost in deejaying. You don’t have to look up, or around, it’s just like every emotion you want to make happen, happens right then and there.” When Williams discovered that
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It was not until he was a featured D.J. on the Twerk Tape IV this past summer, alongside DJ Chubb E. Swagg, DJ LR, and fresh face DJ Absolute that Gardner started seeing his fame rise to unexpected levels on several college campuses. Gardner has enjoyed the
Gardner is pursuing his next dream of conquering the international club scene, festivals like Coachella and Ultra, and possibly a few world tours. In the next 10 years, Gardner says he sees himself working out of his future multifunctional house and studio in Atlanta or Los Angeles.
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THE HILLTOP | THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 START TAking The leAd.
START being chAllenged.
START building youR confidence.
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START Above The ReST. START ReAlizing youR goAlS.
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There’s strong. Then there’s Army Strong. Make the Army ROTC Leader’s Training Course a part of your Howard University program. This challenging 4-week paid leadership development and training experience gives you skills that put you ahead of your peers after college. You’ll also be on the fast track toward becoming an Army Officer after graduation. When you complete the course, you may be eligible for a two-year scholarship. For more information visit goarmy.com/rotc/leadership
For more information contact Howard University ROTC at Douglass Hall by calling 202-806-6784 or visit the website at http://coas.howard.edu/armyrotc ©2008. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.
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THE HILLTOP | THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014
Life&Style
Maya Cade, L&S Editor
cade@thehilltoponline.com
Why You Should Be Watching Game of Thrones (Even If You’re Not Into Fantasy) Marc Rivers Columnist HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” which debuted its fourth season this past Sunday, is not television for the casual viewer. One can’t work on the eight-page essay while it drones on in the background like you can with “Law and Order” or a reality show. It’s not a show of cheap melodrama or easy thrills. The narrative, which juggles numerous characters and multiple plot threads, is a little more patient. It walks through the nuances of its characters and takes careful steps towards its climaxes. This approach may not satisfy the shock reveal enthusiasts of shows like “Scandal,” “House of Cards,” or “American Horror Story” (though there are plenty shocks to be had). But for the patient viewer, he may find himself soon calling “Game of Thrones” the best show on television, and if episode one of season four is any indication, it may soon become more than that; it may enter the pantheon of all time great shows. That pantheon, the Mount Rushmore of dramatic television, is rather exclusive company. They are the creative peaks of this artistic awakening that the medium has enjoyed this millennium. Our first founding father of great TV is surely David Chase’s classic mafia saga “The Sopranos,” which first brought cinematic scope and artistry to the small screen. Next over would be “The Wire,” David Simon’s epic elegy to the American city. Surely “Deadwood” is up there as well, the short-lived, yet farreaching, revisionist western from David Milch. Who takes that final spot, where Lincoln’s head resides (in keeping with this Rushmore motif), is probably for most TV critics a tossup between two AMC shows: Vince Gilligan’s opus “Breaking Bad,” which ended its intense run last fall, and Matthew Weiner’s “Mad Men,” which starts the first half of its final season on the 13th. But “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss may have an angle on that final spot once this epic fantasy saga concludes. Still, in telling this ambitious story of warring nations and supernatural forces, the road to greatness has not been sturdy. The show is
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Photo via flickr.com, game-of-thrones
“In this series, there is always the threat of danger, always the promise of violence hanging over the proceedings like a cloud. Individual moments simmer with suspense, while others point to a much larger, grander scheme that will affect every characters on the show.”
adapted from a truly sprawling series of books by author George R.R. Martin, few installments numbering over a thousand pages. That’s a lot of plot to sift through, a lot of characters to keep straight. Watching the first couple seasons, one could feel the show struggle under the weight of all the characters and plot threads. Some characters, like noble John Stark of the North, didn’t feel important enough to warrant all their screen time. Others, like the duplicitous Lord Baelish, weren’t explored deeply enough. Add to that a fully realized world complete with its own rich history, and the show felt ready to burst at the seams. But those seams did not burst. The show began to hit its stride towards the end of season 2, culminating in thrilling moments of battle and revelations, and by its third season was moving confidently and sturdily towards even more devastating drama. What’s more, one can now see how carefully the writers have constructed the show, saving certain character’s impact for later, keeping
the momentum going with intrigue and ominous reveals. In this series, there is always the threat of danger, always the promise of violence hanging over the proceedings like a cloud. Individual moments simmer with suspense, while others point to a much larger, grander scheme that will affect every characters on the show. Using the books like a schema, the writers are reaching a calm assurance level, putting their efforts into pacing, structure, and dialogue. They don’t have to worry about where it’s all heading. It’s all in how they get there, and the road they have paved is filled with some of the most compelling, downright entertaining hours of television in these past few years. Fans of political intrigue will love the merciless, meticulous backstabbing and careful plotting that saturates the narrative. Viewers thirsty for bloodshed will be more than satisfied with the drama’s tense, brutal scenes of combat and swordplay. The dialogue is witty, ruthless, and instantly quotable. Better still is the show’s wealth of strong female roles, from Ayra
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Stark, slowing moving from feisty youth to cold-blooded killer, to her mother Cat Stark, who goes to great lengths to protect her family. Then there’s fan favorite Daenerys Targaryen. Her transformation from victim to conquer is perhaps the most dramatic arc of the series. Indeed, next to the brawny posturing and empty threats of some of the male characters, the females on the show loom like giants. At a time when we may see the nation’s first female president, this seems only fitting. Sadly, like all popular fantasy, there’s more room for dragons and ghouls than there are minority characters. Anyone turned off by fantasy’s Eurocentric eye will find little to love hear. That’s either something you deal with or you don’t. But as fantasy, “Game of Thrones” is more grounded than one would expect, and its weighty themes, which encompass the nature of honor, loyalty, family, and humanity, linger with greater resonance than dramas that claim to exist in the real world.
Never mind some of the laughable implausibilities of “House of Cards” or “Scandal,” anyway; as an allegory for the ruthlessness of humanity and the barbarity of civilization, “Game of Thrones” trumps both shows for dramatic impact. This is a show that deftly explores what it means to live in a morally ambivalent world, when doing the right thing may not mean doing the noble thing, and where living selflessly is a quick way to stop living at all. Intrigued? Converted? One can only hope. It’s said by one character that, in the Game of Thrones, either you win or you die. In this game we call life, the consequences of not watching this splendid series may not be as dramatic, but whenever this show reaches its grand conclusion, anyone not watching will likely regret not being a part of a soon to be—if not already— legendary show.
Sports
THE HILLTOP | THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014
. Connecticut Crowned NCAA Champions Khari Arnold, Sports Editor
sports@thehilltoponline.com
advantage to win the rebounding margin. Instead, Connecticut collectively battled to finish with one more rebound than the Wildcats. This marked the first time in the tournament that Kentucky had been outrebounded.
Jourdan Henry Staff Writer Connecticut made a statement in the Lone Star State on Monday night as the Huskies combination of leadership and talent trumped Kentucky’s high-flying freshmen.
Connecticut began its journey in the second round of the NCAA tournament with an 89-81 overtime victory against St. Josephs, but in every matchup that followed, the Huskies were considered the underdogs, defeating Villanova, Iowa State, Michigan State and Florida on their way to the national championship.
Shabazz Napier led the Connecticut Huskies on an improbable NCAA tournament run that was capped off by a 60-54 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats in the championship. “You’re looking at the hungry Huskies,” proclaimed Napier to the crowd after the victory.
Kevin Ollie is now recognized as a young star on the rise in college basketball. The second-year coach inherited a program that had previously won three championships with hall of famer Jim Calhoun at the helm.
The Huskies got off to a hot start as their guards dictated the pace of play, and the team jumped out to an early 17-8 lead within the first seven minutes. Kentucky head coach John Callipari credited his team’s slow start to the inexperience and anxiety of his freshmen playing in a championship game in front of roughly 79,000 fans. The Wildcats were able to narrow the margin by switching to a zone defense in the middle of the first half. This adjustment slowed down the aggressive Connecticut guards and sparked an 11-2 run, which narrowed the Connecticut lead to four points at halftime. Connecticut’s dynamic backcourt proved to be the difference as Napier and Ryan Boatright scored 22 and 14 points, respec-
Shabazz Napier
tively. The Connecticut guards were not phased by the length of the Kentucky backcourt as they used their speed to wreak havoc on both offense and defense. Napier was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four as he averaged 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the final two games. The 6-foot-1 senior was a role player on Connecticut’s 2011 championship team, and three years later, in his final collegiate game, he was able to lead the Huskies to another title.
The Wildcats starting backcourt struggled with the defensive pressure applied by Napier and Boatright. Guards Aaron and Andrew Harrison were limited to 15 points and committed seven turnovers. The leading scorer for the Wildcats was forward James Young, who finished the game with 20 points and seven rebounds. The freshman forward showed his athleticism in the second half when he threw down a ferocious dunk over two Connecticut defenders. In the second half, the Huskies never trailed as they played consis-
tently on both ends of the floor to stay ahead of the Wildcats. Free throw shooting proved to be vital as Kentucky hurt its cause by shooting 54.2 percent from the charity stripe, missing seven of 15 attempts in the second half. On the other hand, Connecticut made all ten of its free throws. The Huskies set the record for free throw percentage in an NCAA tournament by converting 87.8 percent of their attempts throughout the tournament. Kentucky failed to use its size
Intramural Teams Prepare for Nationals Nile Kendall Staff Writer On Friday, April 11, the Howard University men’s and women’s intramural basketball teams, known as 1867, will travel to Raleigh, N.C. to compete in the NIRSA National Club Basketball Championships. The men come in as the defending champions, and this year will mark their third straight national tournament appearance. The women’s team, which has only been established for three years, will be making their first-ever national tournament appearance this weekend. Last weekend, both 1867 teams competed in the regional championships hosted at American University, and came out victorious. The men defeated George Mason University in the championship and captured the regional title for the
third consecutive year, while the women took out George Washington University and captured their very first regional title of the program’s history. Sophomore women’s point guard Shaun Stevenson says that the scintillating win was the high point of her season thus far. “It felt amazing. We all wanted to win so badly and it was evident that winning was the only option,” she said. “It finally felt like all the hard work we’ve put in since August paid off, and I believe it made us even more excited and anxious to go to nationals and win it all.” Sophomore Lamar Randall, who plays forward for the men’s team, shared the same sentiment in regards to their victory.
“Our tournament before the one at American was in Georgia, and we weren’t able to make the finals there, so the fact that we were able to win this one and beat George Mason was big, and it raised our confidence going into nationals,” he said.
Victor Montgomery, who serves as the assistant coach for Howard’s men’s varsity basketball team, is the man behind this growing dynasty. Randall says that his experience and commitment as head coach of 1867 has been what has made the teams what they are today.
Despite not being actual sanctioned NCAA teams, 1867’s training regiment is just as strenuous as many sports teams on campus. Their season started in August with three weeks of conditioning before their on-court practices at 9 p.m. began in September every night in Burr Gymnasium.
“He’s a great coach. He has so much experience, and every year he has a plan for us to win a national championship,” Randall said. “He’s definitely on the right direction to being a Division 1 coach one day.”
“We’re definitely one of the hardest working organizations or teams on campus,” Randall said. “It’s hard, but it’s worth it because we’ve had success for the past few years.”
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Montgomery will try to lead both his teams to national championship titles this weekend. The women will take on Virginia State in the first round of nationals, while the men, who are going in ranked No. 1 in the country, will take on Virginia Tech.
“This is what coach Calhoun built, and he gave me the baton,” Ollie said in a postgame interview. “Somebody the other day said we’re a Cinderella. We’re UConn. UConn is always going to stay here.” With the win, Ollie became the fourth African-American head coach to win the Division I National Championship. Connecticut now cements itself as one of the best college basketball programs in recent years after having won four of the last 15 national championships.
Briefs
Men’s Soccer
The university introduced Howard alumnus Phillip Gyau as the new head coach of the men’s soccer team Tuesday morning. After a 1-17-0 record last fall, the Bison ranked last in the NCAA, but Gyau’s experience is expected to help resurrect the recent failures.
Football Howard will host its annual Blue and White spring game on Saturday, April 12. The Bison are gearing up for the start of next season, which welcomes back head coach Gary “Flea” Harrell at the helm. conference opponent Norfolk State in search for their first victory since March 7.
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Opinions
. Hilltop Reacts to Elections Commissioner Daniel White Opinions Writer
When the text came in, I was sitting in the back of a douglas hall classroom, barely 15 feet from Brandon Dean. On my phone was the now infamous video of Brandon dumping a recycling bin full of Hilltops in front of Blackburn. I couldn’t keep from laughing as I replayed the video over and over and began to text it to friends. That night, things got worse when Brandon posted a Facebook slamming the Hilltop. “Somebody has this paper by the balls, I don’t know who it is but theres a force out there silencing the student voice,” said Dean, in front of what looks like the computer room in his apartment building.
Brandon Dean threw a hissy fit that speaks volumes to a larger problem rather than to his character (I hope). There needs to be a clearer understanding between the student body and their campus news organization. What is it exactly that we do for you? Who makes the decisions around here? As if the Hilltop were CNN and he a PR agent on the ‘08 Obama Campaign, Brandon reached out to our managing editor Dominique Diggs for a feature; he wanted to shed some light on himself and his thoughts on the university. Our obligation, as a newspaper, is to report the news accurately and fairly. Dom chose to run with the quotes she did because they were
Daniel White , Opinions Editor danielblackwhite@gmail.com
relevant to the role Brandon Dean had just been paid by the university to play: Elections Commissioner. Regardless of Brandon’s standing on campus or his collegiate accomplishments, he is not necessarily qualified to speak on the presidential race. Dominique made an editorial decision and the Hilltop staff sticks by that.
response, I reached out to Brandon Dean and invited him to sit down in the Hilltop office. We had an hour-long conversation that cleared up the issue some. Brandon loves Howard University; he could have been painted more in full, revealing the eager little man who I’ve been shaking hands with since freshman year.
Brandon Dean is not a bad guy. The Hilltop staff doesn’t hate him. There is no beef. But, his behavior was inexcusable last Thursday. By trying to stop people from reading the story, Brandon just gave it more attention. Without the memes and videos running wild in Groupme all over campus, its likely this wouldn’t have been such a big deal.
Brandon was mortified when he read the article because he truly is “on your side.” Yes, those were his comments about the student body, but Brandon claims that they were more indicative of institutional failings and generational changes.
Feeling his actions deserved a
“It was not supposed to be a critique of students. I think students have a tremendous amount of pressure on them already,” said
Dean during our meeting Saturday. “It was a critique of the holistic structure of this university which I think is severely challenged.” “What you see printed is really just a cushion to the larger issue,” Brandon capped off, precluding our issue with him. Dean was granted a feature because he is someone of note on the campus of Howard University, with expertise specifically in elections, because he has ran so many damn times. We are not, however, able to quote him in entirety on his opinions of the presidential search (the larger issue). So, Brandon Dean was featured and quoted exactly as he was: Howard University’s Elections Commissioner for 2014.
THE HILLTOP is hos&ng a HIRING FAIR! WHEN: April 19, 2014 WHERE: Douglass Hall, Room 143 TIME: 2:00 – 5:00 PM POSITIONS AVAILABLE FOR 2014-‐2015 YEAR: -‐Layout Editor -‐Campus Editor -‐Metro Editor -‐Photo Editor -‐Assistant Photo Editor -‐Photographers -‐Videographers -‐PuPlic Rela&ons Director -‐Assistant PR Director
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