THE HILLTOP May 5, 2016, Volume 100, Issue 32
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THE HILLTOP
The Hilltop Editorial Office 2251 Sherman Ave. NW (202) 806-4749
STAFF TAYLOR TIAMOYO HARRIS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
NILE KENDALL BUSINESS MANAGER
WILL FULLER SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
JAZMIN GOODWIN SENIOR CAMPUS EDITOR
CRYSTAL SMITH PHOTO EDITOR
LEANNA COMMINS SENIOR COPY CHIEF
SYLVESTER JOHNSON III ASSISTANT COPY CHIEF
NADIA KENDALL GRAPHICS DIRECTOR
AMBER BROADEN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
MAYA KING ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
CAMERON CLARKE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
OBAMA
fiRst black president is featured Jazmin Goodwin
Senior Campus Editor
Students dressed in cloaks, stoles and graduation caps will make their way across the stage May 7 on the Upper Quadrangle of Main Campus as Howard University honors the Class of 2016 at this year’s 148th Commencement Convocation. President Barack H. Obama will deliver the keynote address and receive an honorary degree, Doctor of Laws, the university’s highest honor. Obama is the sixth sitting U.S. president in Howard history to deliver a keynote commencement address. The speech marks the president’s third commencement address at an HBCU. Obama will be joined by three other honorees, including physician L.D. Britt, M.D., MPH, Ambassador Horace Greeley Dawson Jr. and Emmy award-winning actress Cicely Tyson. Since the announcement of Obama’s visit to The Mecca, tighter, more restrictive measures have been taken to ensure a safe and smooth visit for the president of the United States. The university has sent out a bevy of announcements regarding ticket distribution for this year’s commencement. The Commencement Ticket Sale Policy warns that any Howard University student, faculty or staff member found selling tickets online or in-person will be banned from all commencement exercises. With approximately 15,000 seats available on the Main Yard, 13,000 are needed to accommodate the 50-year class, graduating seniors and faculty and their families. Security measures and protocol from the Secret Service determined the availability of the remainder.
Due to the volumino approving an individ pick up. Tickets can the email confirmatio presented to secure t
Although some stud tickets, most were of include: Blackburn C Douglass Hall; Gree School of Business A
Street parking will b University’s campus people are expected public transportation recommended. Early 8:30 a.m.
The university will a master’s degrees and concentrations in psy mathematics, along w medicine, pharmacy only dental and phar
The graduating Clas more ways than one.
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EN ROUTE:
MAY 5, 2016
speaker for 148th commencement
ous demand for extra tickets, only email confirmation dual’s request for additional tickets will be honored at be picked up at Cramton Auditorium, but a copy of on and a government-issued ID or Howard ID must be tickets.
dents, faculty, staff and alumni were able to get extra ffered seats at a satellite location. Those locations Center; Burr Gymnasium; Cramton Auditorium; ene Stadium; Ira Aldridge Theater; Rankin Chapel; Auditorium; and School of Social Work Auditorium.
be available in limited locations near Howard s on a first-come, first-serve basis. More than 25,000 to attend this year’s commencement. The use of n and taxi services, including Uber and Lyft, are highly y arrival is encouraged, with processionals beginning at
award more than 1,300 bachelor’s degrees, 300 d over 100 doctorate degrees Saturday, with the main ychology, history, political science, social work and with more than 400 professional degrees in law, and dentistry. Currently, Howard University has the rmacy colleges in the District of Columbia.
ss of 2016 will make Howard University history in . Only a year after the university announced a tuition
freeze for all undergraduate and select graduate programs in the 20152016 school year and a rebate program centered on incentivizing early and on-time graduation, the 2016 graduates are beginning to receive 50 percent rebates from their final semester tuition. Direct payments made by any early or on-time graduate via cash, credit card or installment plans are eligible for a rebate. “Howard University is committed to addressing the academic needs of our nation, in particular the needs of the African American community and underserved populations. A large part of this commitment includes ensuring that the cost of attendance is not a barrier for students to turn their highest dreams into reality,” said Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick. GRACE (Graduation and Retention Access to Continued Excellence) Grants were also used as additional financial aid resources to graduating students with high financial need. The GRACE Grant provides payment for remaining tuition and selected mandatory fees for students with the highest need who are set to graduate on time. The Howard University community at large is looking forward to being a part of history. The last time Obama made a trip to The Mecca was in 2007, during his term as Illinois’ U.S. senator. He addressed Howard’s 140th Opening Convocation that year, telling the audience:“Be strong and have courage, in the face of our doubts and fears, in the face of skepticism, in the face of cynicism, in the face of a mighty river. Be strong and have courage and let us cross over to that Promised Land together. Congratulations on another year, and thank you so much.”
PHOTO BY DEVIN HARRIS
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NEWS
Congrats Graduates, -from The Hilltop
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HOWARD U. STUDENT NEWSCAST RETURNS TO WHUT-TV MORE THAN 20-YEAR HIATUS HU News Service By: Chad Vines Clarke NewsVision, Howard University’s student-produced news program, will return to WHUT-TV on Saturday, May 7, immediately following the 148th Commencement Convocation. The 30-minute newscast, covering events on Howard’s campus and in Washington, has been off the air for more than 20 years, and there couldn’t be a better time for its revival: This year’s graduation keynote speaker is President Barack Obama. NewsVision is written, reported and produced by broadcast journalism seniors in the Department of Media, Journalism and Film in the School of Communications, in partnership with WHUT. It originally debuted on WHUT in the late 1980s under the direction of the late White House correspondent Lee Thornton. Its mission was to provide students hands-on experience in all aspects of newscast production. “We worked, reworked, produced, and put together all of the pieces that are going to be within the newscast. Pretaped the actual set a couple of weeks ago,” said Jasmine Turner, a graduating senior and one of the NewsVision anchors. “The newscast is a compilation of all of the work
we’ve been doing this year.” The student project airing on Howard’s WHUT, the nation’s only public television station licensed to a historically black college, fell dormant in the 1990s, but was revived this academic year. Producer Alexis Porter hopes that NewsVision continues to broadcast on WHUT for years to come. The show prepared her to not just be a producer, but developed her as a person as well, she said. The student journalists, all graduating seniors, will not be reporting on the actual ceremony on Saturday because they will be walking across the stage, receiving their degrees, but their newscast that follows graduation will include prerecorded stories and an interview with the dean of the School of Communications, Gracie Lawson-Borders. NewsVision anchor Jourdan Henry said, “It’s very exciting to have our president speak at our graduation. NewVision will air right after him, so it’ll also boost the ratings because people will still be watching.” The show, Henry said, “is allowing us students to showcase our work on a network in a large market and giving us the experience of producing a high-quality newscast, preparing us for careers in television.” Notable alumni who first began on WHUT include ESPN’s
Courtesy of HU News Service Stan Verrett, WUSA9’s Lesli Foster, CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield and Jennifer Thomas, a veteran news producer and former CNN executive producer. Thomas, an assistant professor and alumna of Howard, is the executive producer of the 2016 version of NewsVision, assuming the same role as Lee Thornton, her former professor. “We all have worked extremely hard to keep Dr. Thornton’s legacy alive,” Thomas said. “I think she would be proud.” NewsVision will premiere on WHUT at 12:30 p.m. after the commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 7. An encore will be aired at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 8. For more information, follow NewsVision on Twitter @ NewsVisionHU.
Courtesy of HU News Service
Courtesy of HU News Service
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CONGRATULATIONS CAREER-BOUND HOWARD UNIVERSITY GRADUATES!
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Naomi Venerable Senior, Public Relations Major from Pasadena, California Company: Little Lights Urban Ministries Job Title: Development Assistant Manager
Ishtar Edwards Senior, Public Relations Major from New Haven, Connecticut Company: NBC Universal, AD Sales Rotational Program Title: Advertising Associate
Aquanius Freeman Senior, Supply Chain Management Major from New Orleans, Lousinana Company: Target, Inc., Mid-Eastern Atlantic Region/District 456 Job Title: Executive Team Leader
Malcolm Clarke Senior, Computer Science Major from Jersey City, New Jersey Company: Accenture Job Title: Systems Integration Analyst
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The community that makes commencement possible: Spotlight on graduation day set-up staff Maya King Assistant Campus Editor Drew Pratt and his staff have completed the task of constructing the stages, bleachers, tents, screens and other pieces of equipment necessary for commencement for the past two decades. Over the course of two weeks, the 15-man team has worked in conjunction with Howard’s production staff to completely construct all of the commencement apparatuses seen on The Yard, in Cramton and at Burr Gymnasium. “We’ve been doing it so long,” he said of his and his staff’s work.“It’s almost like it’s elementary to us.” Pratt, a Howard alum, said. For Pratt, the construction process is an opportunity for him to return to the place he once spent time at as a student. A number of the men who
work with him are Howard alumni as well. “We have friends and family members who are graduating or who have graduated that are coming,” said Alex Edmond. “It’s like a homecoming for us.” Some of them even operated in their current positions as students, constructing the same stage they would later walk across some 20 years ago. For others, however, the opportunity to work on Pratt’s construction team means more than making sure everything looks good on graduation day. In fact, it is a saving grace. And the “group” is family. “[Drew Pratt] brought me out of the gutter,” said Tyris Jones of his boss and coworker. “This isn’t just a job for me.” However, the team agrees that the most difficult aspect of the work they do does not involve physical
elements. “The changing of administration,” said Kenyatta DeShazior, has a profound impact on how they are able to execute their work. Yet, Edmond continued, their job for this year’s commencement is not any more significant than previous
Courtesy of Maya King
ones. It is, simply, different.
“Every year is important,” Edmond said. “It’s not about Barack for us. It’s about you all [Howard students].”
Howard freshman Tony Donaldson to run for DC State Board of Education At-Large Amber Broaden Assistant News Editor
Tony Donaldson Jr., an 18-year-old D.C. native and Howard University freshman, is running for the D.C. State Board of Education (AtLarge). “The students deserve representation, and I am running to be their voice,” Donaldson said. He is likely to be the youngest person on the 2016 ballot in November. Although the move to run for such position is rather unusual considering Donaldson’s age, community advocates are sure Donaldson has the acumen of politics and policy. In an effort to announce Donaldson’s campaign, his campaign committee, Friends for Tony Donaldson, will launch his official campaign kickoff event April 29 to discuss his “Learning today… Leading tomorrow” platform and ideas he will implement if elected.
“Tony has spent a lot of time learning and engaging in politics,” said C. Anthony Muse, a senator in Maryland. “He is so involved and not far from removed from school or youth; so he knows the problems and what needs to be changed.” Donaldson’s platform is based on his four main principles: S.T.E.A.M: science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics; college and life readiness integration into curriculum; investigation of common core and standardized testing; and community engagement in all decision making for schools. “I’m so excited about the campaign; I think education needs to change everywhere and Tony has great goals, a vision to reform and is the best candidate for the position,” said Tiana Owens, Donaldson’s godsister. Donaldson says he is focused on improving the school system through supportive avenues that will
improve next-generation leaders by addressing issues such as gentrification and parent-teacher-student engagement. “By reforming schools, we will be making it possible to ensure that the millennial generation can compete and succeed beyond graduation and continue to call D.C. home in the future,” said Donaldson. The official campaign kickoff was held at the Ellington Theatre at Garnet-Patterson in D.C. and held performances by hip-hop and folksoul duo “The Folx” and by the Duke Ellington School of the Arts Theatre Department. “Each of the performances were relatable and realistic as they spoke on a stereotype and misconceptions society has on certain minority groups,” said Ray Duncan, Donaldson’s campaign manager. Following the theatre performances and discussions on his proposed initiatives, Donaldson’s supporters
gave their remarks on Tony’s character. “I met Tony as he interned for Council Member Jim Graham during the summer and volunteered for the Mayor’s Office of Latino Affairs,” said Jackie Reyes, executive director at the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs. “Tony works around youth so often that this position would allow him to truly grow.” People are encouraged to email Tdonaldsondc@gmail.com if they want to know more about his campaign or follow him on Twitter @ TonyforDC as his campaign develops. “When I see a young black boy that is pushing for change in the midst of what is happening to young black people, it is amazing to see him strive,” Reyes said.
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OP-ED: A reflection on Barack Obama’s presidency Cameron Clarke Assistant News Editor It’s been seven years and just over a hundred days under the Obama Administration. Seven years and a hundred days since Barack Hussein Obama took oath into office. These past few years have been defined by our collective determination to take the unprecedented in stride. Hardly a week after his inauguration, pundits, both liberal and conservative, scrambled to downplay the significance of Obama’s election. It seemed as though there was a rush, across the political spectrum, to declare, “Of course we could elect a black man – this is America, after all!” I remember sitting in the car, sometime in 2009 - I must have been in eighth grade. I was arguing with my mom that President Obama’s election was the capstone in a centurieslong struggle against injustice. It didn’t mark the end of hate, I acknowledged, but it had to be the herald of bigotry’s defeat. She disagreed, but she couldn’t quite articulate why I was wrong, so I assumed she was just too jaded to accept how much the world had grown since her childhood. It feels naïve now, but I don’t think naiveté is the right word to describe the assurance I had then. After all, it wasn’t as if I was the only one who cried giddy tears on Inauguration Day. In spite of all the tightened chests, all the hushed gasps, all the whispers of, “They’re not going to let him be president,” when he took that oath of office, it felt as though a great weight had been lifted off of our collective chest. After all, this was a man who overcame countless accusations and insinuations about his heritage, his religion, his citizenship and his intelligence to ascend to the highest office in the land.
This was a man who could electrify and uplift audiences of millions with his words, and address centuries-old social ills with the skill of a surgeon. This was a man, who by mere mention of his name, was able to inspire black students to overcome stereotypes and close achievement gaps with their white peers. If you told me in 2009 that Barack Obama could run a three-minute mile and cut diamond with his teeth, I might have believed you. So you’ll forgive me if I thought something as momentous as his election would have marked the end of racial strife, in this, the most conflicted of nations. But Barack Obama, the figure, was never quite the same as Barack Obama, the man, and could never be the same as Barack Obama, the president. Barack Obama, the figure, heralded the rise of a new progressivism that Barack Obama, the president, could never fully harness. Where Obama the figure uplifted young black children across the country, Obama the president alienated old white men in the Capitol. And where Obama the figure swept in on a surge of hope and optimism, Obama the president will leave an America defined by trepidation and anxiety. No man alive could have lived up to the aspirational expectations we set for our first black president. But although he certainly disappointed in some respects, I think you would be hard-pressed to argue that his accomplishments are anything from which to draw shame. Since Obama has taken office, unemployment has fallen from 10 percent to 5 percent (lower than at almost any point since the internet boom). The economy has added nearly 10 million jobs, and almost
15 million Americans have gained health insurance. His administration has orchestrated a complete societal reversal on its treatment of gay and lesbian Americans, who are now permitted to serve in the military, marry and adopt children without exception. Carbon emissions have plummeted, solar installations have skyrocketed and the United States has led the world in signing the most aggressive climate accord in history. Obama has ended wars abroad, normalized relations with Cuba and disarmed a belligerent Iran, using diplomacy and cooperative international sanctions. Even Daesh, or ISIS, the flag waved in so many critiques of his defense policy, is struggling to pay its own soldiers as a result of this president’s action. And Osama bin Laden, the architect of the Sept. 11 attacks, lies dead. He has mandated wage equality and allowed women to serve in combat roles in the military, and appointed more women to federal courts and cabinet positions than any president in history. And he did it all in the face of an obstructionist Congress that took as its sacred duty to disrespect and disparage him at every turn. Historians, regardless their own political leanings, agree overwhelmingly that he has been one of the most consequential presidents in modern history. And his support from the black community has scarcely wavered. So why is it I feel this pang of sadness when I hear him equivocate on the Black Lives Matter Movement, invoke black respectability or lament the dysfunction of the black family in his speeches? Is it because the words, and the desire for propriety that they signify, are sentiments that I do not share? Perhaps. But the words, and their larger connotation, seem to serve more as a
reminder that for all the Al Green and Amazing Grace he sang, for all the slang he used and rappers he hosted, and for all the times he compared himself to Trayvon Martin or marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Barack Obama could never be as black as we wanted him to be – as we knew he wanted to be. America would not tolerate it. That is why we received an expansion of Pell grants instead of an expansion of HBCU appropriations. That is why he never dared express the frustration he felt at Congress, at Republicans, at a media that slandered him, for fear of confirming some angry black man cliché. It’s why his outreach to the black community has been heavy on gesture and light on policy. Obama can’t be black, because blackness, of the sort that we live every day, is by its very nature a rejection of American exceptionalism. Blackness is a reminder that the American project is a flawed one, that it has left scars – and victims. And the second that Obama ascended to the presidency, he ceased to be a representative of black America, and had to become an exemplar for all of America - even the 40 percent that despises him. The end of Barack Obama’s last term is fast approaching. And with it, comes a growing sense of mourning for an era that may never again come. But I am hopeful. After all, for all his flaws, the man will leave behind not just a legacy of exceptional intelligence and vision, but more importantly a roadmap for his successors. I think that there will be another black president in my lifetime. After all, if he managed to do it, yes, we can.
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LinkedIn names Howard University top undergraduate university for media professionals
Will Fuller Senior News Editor LinkedIn, the nation’s largest professional networking site, recently named Howard University as a top school for media professionals. Howard University was ranked No. 4 on the list of “Best undergraduate universities for media professionals.” The media powerhouse identified top companies media professionals are choosing to work at and calculated the abundance of Howard graduates that have secured competitive positions with those companies. Currently, there are 58,000 Howard University students and alumni on LinkedIn. Howard University is the only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) on the list, with New York University, Hofstra University and Duke University in the top three rankings above Howard. Carol Dudley, director of career development of the Howard University School of Communications, believes Howard would be even higher on the list if the findings took into account the enrollment factors at those universities. “If you look at the numbers in terms of enrollment at the schools that are above us, their enrollment is higher,” Dudley said. “So, I would say we are ranked No. 1 if you look at the number of students at those schools.” This isn’t the first time Howard has received such recognition. In 2014, Howard University was ranked by LinkedIn as the No. 4 university for placement of media professionals, according to the Howard University School of Communications website. “We do an excellent job at placing graduates in media positions. They get excellent academic and practical training while they are here, which gets them readily hirable when they graduate,” Dudley said. “Also, because [students] know the importance of LinkedIn in terms of getting exposure to other employment opportunities for career escalation.” The connections Howard University students, faculty and alumni have with media companies is why Dionne Clemons, Ph.D., believes Howard students have ascended to success in a competitive public relations industry, specifically. “We [the public relations department] have a relationship with the PR Council, which is a nonprofit membership for all of the nation’s top PR agencies, to help get students in those roles,” Clemons said. “We have relationships we maintain year after year.
Congratulations Howard Grad!!!!!
Kennedi Fuller We are proud of You! Your Houston Texas Family
We Love You
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, media/communications employers place the most weight on internships, followed by science/ technology and services/retail employers. In an effort to ensure students are receiving practical experience employers yearn for, Howard students in the School of Communications are required to acquire valuable internships for academic credit. “We have a robust internship program where students can get internship credit, and we make sure employers have those strong programs to ensure students get placed right after graduation,” Clemons said. The Howard University School of Communications has offered a wide range of accredited degree programs for students. Departments in the School of Communications are Media, Journalism and Film; Strategic, Legal and Management Communication; Communication Sciences and Disorders; Communication, Culture and Media Studies. Howard University’s School of Communications has ACEJMC accreditation, which accredits top academic programs in journalism and mass communications at colleges and universities in the United States, Puerto Rico and outside the country. Accreditation is evaluated every six years, making sure schools like Howard continue to uphold the rigor and valuable coursework of its programs. “This keeps us really focused on our mission of making sure course content and objectives are met in every course we offer,” Clemons said. Home of the only black-owned television station, WHUT, and one of the largest black student-run newspapers, The Hilltop, Howard has produced several notable black journalists, including CNN anchors Victor Blackwell and Fredricka Whitfield. While Howard has an abundance of acclaimed, award-winning media professionals that are graduates, the newly elected 2016-17 School of Communications Student Council President, Zachary Johnson, is confident current Howard students are also paving the way for successful, rewarding careers in the media industry. “Our graduates are impressive, but their successors, the current classes of HU, are following in their footsteps,” Johnson, a freshman legal communications major, said. “They are leaving an epic footprint.”
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Malcolm Wyche
HU16: THE END OF AN ERA
Staff Writer
All good things must come to an end. It’s a lesson we’ve been taught since we needed our diapers change. We’ve learned that nothing last forever and to take advantage of all the good moments we can. Howard is one of those experiences that’s so good you don’t want to let it go. Of course, we will forever have a love-hate relationship with Howard but it’s close to our hearts always. The end of the 2015–2016 academic school year is near and it’s truly an end of an era. It’s time for the Howard University Class of 2016 to walk across the stage and level up. We came, we saw, and we definitely conquered. Every incoming class that begins their journey at Howard has a choice. You can either fall into the Howard lifestyle or you can create your own. HU16 came in with a mentality that everything would be done our way. Standards have been raised, limitations have pushed, and a mark has been left. It didn’t take long to notice that HU16 is filled with people that carry exceptional talents. It’s been a spectacle watching all these talents grow. It’s been incredible to see people come together and create. We’ve had stunning moments since our first steps on campus from impromptu Yard parties, classic cypher moments, and the infamous #BlameHU16 incidents. The class of 2016 has a way of making sure our name sticks out in some fashion. It makes sense that HU16 has accumulated the most viral moments during our tenure. We began Howard in 2012, which was the year social media really made its mark.
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From Facebook, to Twitter, and now GroupMe, we were able to experience how Howard communicates on all platforms. Social media is often debated as being a downfall to communication but in a way it has helped bring us closer. All the platforms we use help us create moments. The memories that would normally fade out stick around because of the hashtag dedicated to the event. We’ve been able to hold conversations with larger groups of people that make everybody feel united in a way. Isn’t interesting that you can feel like you know somebody at Howard without even speaking to them on campus? That’s the effect social media has created. This is how the class of 2016 has been able to come together again and again. Writing for The Hilltop has allowed me to look at the Howard culture in a different perspective. I’ve researched new angles and looked deeper into the cycle of the Howard lifestyle. With that being said, as it comes to a close I can say that HU16 has done it right. The class that couldn’t be controlled Freshman year is now well-prepared to hit the real world. We still can’t be controlled but we have successful entrepreneurs, talented business professionals, one of a kind artists, and anything else you could want. The growth is evident throughout everybody as we continue to come together to celebrate. Old Howard vs. New Howard is often debated and HU16 is always thrown in the middle of the conversation. That debate is played out and above all HU16 needs to be considered real Howard. We’ve crossed everything off the list and added our own standards for what makes a class at Howard stand out. It’s been a great ride and I can’t wait to see how the Howard University class of 2016 continues to shape the world.
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REFLECTIONS FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF My friend Zacchia Cobb sent me a screen shot of an HU Communications email last year. The email said that the deadline for the Editor-in-Chief application for the 2015-2016 school year had been extended. I told her she was crazy if she thought I would bother turning in an application or even serve as ringmaster Editor-in-Chief of the Hilltop. However, I thought about it later that day. What am I here for? I knew that I did not come to Howard to be mediocre. I knew I had to step up. 32 editions later, I find myself days before graduation still working with the tried and true Hilltop. For anyone that does not know – and shame on you for not knowing –The Hilltop is a historic and revolutionary newspaper established in 1924 by Zora Neale Hurston. We are the student voice of Howard University. However, In July 2015 when Nile Kendall and I assumed the positions of Editor-in-Chief and Business Manager, there was nothing. Literally there was no website, no equipment, no staff, no previous mastheads and practically no money nothing. No one had the answers to anything SWAY. The Hilltop Policy Board said, “Congratulations you’re the new EIC. We want a good paper. Make it happen. Thanks.” I accepted the challenge. Our social media is back alive. We gained thousands of followers and received positive interactions from the Howard community for the changes we implemented this year. We were hands on with what the student body wanted and regularly included contributions from others. Everything was not positive, but we were grateful for the negative things as well. We made mistakes and we grew from them. Our job was to be the student voice of Howard University, and that is what we did. As a result of our efforts,
we were named as the Top 5 HBCU Newspaper in the country.
How do you even start and maintain a newspaper with practically nothing? You reach out to everyone you can. You juggle everyone’s advice and decide what’s best. You work harder than any man or woman has ever worked. You persevere months without getting paid. You dig into your own pocket and personal time to make sure things get done. You spend all your free time helping editors and writers get sources and edit their paper afterwards. You spend the night in The Hilltop ’s office editing stories until 3 a.m. Your reward is printed 9,000 times across campus, twice a week. My senior year was the Hilltop, and I do not regret it one bit. I have heard that I am too aggressive. It is probably true. I am sure I have made some administrators, faculty and students wonder: Who does this woman think she is? They quickly found out that I am Taylor Tiamoyo Harris. I did my job. The Editor-in-Chief position is no joke, and being a woman in this leadership position was only another obstacle to overcome. It is not meant for the meek or the weak. Walk a few steps in my pretty heels if you think differently. Long nights, early mornings were well worth it, but when it comes to the newspaper someone is ALWAYS mad, and all fingers point to the boss. Regardless of any chip on my shoulder during this year, I saw it through. I never could give up on this publication. Trust me I tried. I knew if I gave up the juniors, sophomores and freshman looking at me might. I took it upon myself to serve in a role as the student voice and I rode this ride to the very end. My journey at Howard has been almost the same. It was all worth it in the end. I proudly call myself a local and have designated D.C. as my official second home. I have endured financial, physical, mental and emotional limitations and obstacles, but I saw it through. I never
imagined I would experience the things I did in the past four years. Both the good and bad experiences have made me into the woman, Howard woman, that I am today.
Nile, Jazmin, Will, Sylvester, Leanna, Crystal and ALL of he Hilltop staff past or present: THANK YOU! Seriously I couldn’t have done it without you all. Yall hear me say: You ARE the Hilltop because it is true. To my best friends at Howard: Elexus Johnson, Zacchia Cobb, Aaliyah Wince and Makeya Jefferson and best boyfriend ever Jeremy Horne, I love yall to pieces. To all of my line sisters: P.R.I.M.A.C.Y. we have a bond no one will ever comprehend or understand; it’s us against the world. To my mother. Deirdra Harris and father Barry Harris Sr. and all of the Taylor and Harris family thank you for rearing me the right way. I would not be where or who I am without you. I love the Hilltop. I gave up so much over the past four years for this paper and would do it again in a heartbeat. However, I am not one to sugarcoat. There is much work to be done. As I leave I want to let a few things be known. To the Hilltop Policy Board: Learn to be efficient. Do your job and make sure students who work diligently for the paper that I hope you read, get paid and have the equipment they need. Once a month listen to the people who put in countless hours for this publication. Student reporters: challenge yourself to uphold every assignment to the highest level. You may have to go out of your way for that extra quote, but I promise at the end of the day it is all worth it. I am proud to say that I have established my legacy as Editor-in-Chief. May the Hilltop never be censored or cease to exist.
Sincerely, THE BOSS
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REFLECTIONS FROM THE BUSINESS MANAGER Nile Kendall Business Manager
makes you feel limitless, unconquerable, like your wildest dreams could come true.
I swore I was fresh. Pink plaid shorts, white tee, brown loafers and the freshest of lineups (I can’t be the only one who remembers their outfit). The day had finally come. I had finally reached The Mecca, and after a year of fighting every day with my parents, I couldn’t have been happier to be here (and I’m sure they were even happier). I thought I had a plan; graduate in four years from the School of Business, land a great corporate job and a six-figure salary, work my way up the ranks and retire comfortably at 55. Outside of graduating in four years, (won’t He do it) Howard had a different plan for me. As students, we’re constantly asked why we love Howard so much or what’s so great about this school, and I personally always find it hard to put into words. We learn, we party, and we grow like so many other students at thousands of universities across the country, but I guess there’s just something about being surrounded by the absolute best and brightest of Black America. There’s something about walking these grounds, witnessing the grind of a Howard student day in and day out, that
Howard taught me to dream. Howard forced me to shatter the glass ceiling I had set on my life. Howard forced me to figure out what would truly make me the happiest in life. Most importantly, Howard gave me the confidence to know that I’m capable of achieving just that. I originally took on The Hilltop Business Manager position solely for the paycheck (took a while, but the Direct Deposit dropped… eventually). I didn’t expect to learn much, or take a whole lot from this experience. However, I know that there isn’t any other job, internship or class that could have prepared me better for the real world than this position, and I’m extremely grateful to have been granted the opportunity. Despite strenuous circumstances, Taylor and I were told to get it done, and that has been the motto for the entire year. No matter what mess was thrown our way, we got it done and that’s exactly what will be expected of us in the real world. I would like to thank all the committed editors, writers and staff of The Hilltop. Even though the extra hours you put in in the dead of night in the midst of tests,
homework and quizzes may have seemed to go unnoticed, they meant the world to us! Thank you to every student, professor, and administrator who have helped shape my Howard experience. Thank you to the brothers of The Society of Collegiate Black Men for pushing me to new heights and always holding it down. Lastly, thank you to my amazing parents Alvin & Angela
Crystal Smith Kendall. I can never repay you for all that you’ve done, but I plan to spend the next several years trying my best. “RESPECKFULLY”, Nile A. Kendall
The Office of the Dean of the Chapel extends congratulations to The Class of 2016! Join us for the Commencement Prayer Breakfast Friday, May 6, 2016 – 8:00 A.M. Armour J. Blackburn University Center All are welcome to attend. “Deeper in Faith – Wider in Community”
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: MEET BRAVO’S REALITY TV STAR CYRENE TANKARD Will Fuller Senior News Editor A sophomore majoring in strategic, legal and management communications with a focus in public relations, Cyrene Tankard can be seen walking on The Yard or strolling through the halls of the School of Communications. However, she is not your average student. Cyrene Tankard, 20, can be seen on Bravo’s “Thicker Than Water,” a reality show chronicling the high-to-low dynamics of the southern, Christian Tankard family. The show, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, debuted its third season March 27. “The show gives me an opportunity to change people’s life and perceptions about certain subjects,” Tankard said.“What is cool is people come to me about how relatable I am. The fact that I am able to be a positive influence is the reason behind it all.” Starring on the show is Tankard’s father, Ben Tankard, a pilot and former NBA player, and her mother, Jewel Tankard. Both parents are now copastors of a local Murfreesboro church, Destiny Center, Inc.
With college options nationwide at both HBCUS and non-HBCUs, the youngest Tankard child believes her experience at Howard University has been unparalleled to any other.
Tankard and her family believe the value of an education is paramount regardless of the glitz and glamor of celebrity life. Cyrene Tankard’s parents ventured to Washington, D.C. in season two, episode number nine to help Tankard get settled in at Howard.
“Howard has taught me life lessons,” Tankard said. “I’m meeting so many people who are teaching me things, and I am learning about different subjects I want to go deeper in and learn more about. [My parents and I] visited a lot of different schools, but no other school stood out like Howard did.”
“Being a black women and being educated is so important,” Tankard said.“You will see a lot of celebrities going back to get a degree. A piece of paper carries a lot of weight – it’s something to value.”
In addition, Cyrene is a production runner at Sirens Media, the producer of “Thicker Than Water,”“Real Housewives of New Jersey” and “Nightmare Next Door.”
Courtesy of Cyrene Tankard
“She is never idle, she is always working whether she is working on herself or for a job,” said Landrie Hatcher, a sophomore strategic, legal and management communications major. “She is also working at Sirens Media, the producer of the show,on top of being a student.” Tankard’s advice to others is to stay focused and to get to know yourself and your passions. “Understand yourself so you know what you need to research and the kind of people you want to model yourself after,” Tankard said. “Read more books so you can get exposure and define your own success.”
Congratulations!!!
Kennedi Fuller We are so proud of you. Stay True Your Dreams Mom, Dad, Roland, Barbara, Debra, Gidget,Val, Deborah, Michelle, Kathy and Paege
THE HILLTOP
MAY 5, 2016
MAY 5, 2016
THE HILLTOP
If you zero out your dining dollar balance between: May 2nd -May 6th Enjoy 2 free drinks at Jazzman’s Or A free meal at the Bethune Annex Dining Hall Ask A Cashier for Details
THE HILLTOP
MAY 5, 2016
148 YEARS LATER: THE HISTORY OF HOWARD COMMENCEMENT Imani Fox, Danielle Ledbetter, & Jalyn Stovall Contributing Writers Since its founding in 1867, Howard University has awarded over 100,000 degrees in arts, sciences and humanities and is among the highest producers of the nation’s black professionals in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, nursing, architecture, religion, law, music, social work and education. Yes, Howard has come a long way. Its first graduating class, the Class of 1872, consisted of just three men: James M. Gregory, Arthur Clough O’Hear and Josiah Thomas Settle. In the beginning, various departments in the university conducted their own graduation exercises on what was called the “anniversary” of that department. As the number of departments increased, so did the number of anniversaries. The first documented university-wide commencement took place in 1905. The 1920s were a pivotal period for graduation practices. Before then, commencement was held on Wednesday afternoons. In the 1920s, commencement started taking place on Fridays. Under the administration of University President James E. Cheek, graduation practices began taking place on Saturdays in the 1970s. Commencement ceremonies in the university’s early years were held on the Main Quadrangle, situated parallel to Sixth Street, where Douglass Hall stands now. They used to start with the graduates marching down the “Long Walk,” a tree-lined walkway that bisected the Main Quad, according to a published history of Howard. In the 1950s and ‘60s, “Howard was the place to be,” said Lionel Sherwood, a Class of 1962 alumnus. “We made history and I’m just so glad to have been a part of it.” In the 1980s, the setting of commencement varied from year to year. Commencement took place on the Yard in 1982, and in 1984 and 1985, commencement was held in Greene Stadium. Joy A. (Johnson) Dorsey, Class of 1982, recalled her graduation: “It was a beautiful day. My entire family was there, I was excited to get on the Yard
to step with my sands and sorors.” Dorsey was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Alpha chapter, in spring of 1981. Steven Thames, a 1985 graduate from the School of Business, said his commencement ceremony in Greene Stadium “was one of the greatest days of my life. We all had champagne bottles under our robes and we popped our bottles after our school was called. I hated leaving H.U. But it was time to move on.” For Thames, the 1985 commencement speaker was also very memorable: Maya Angelou. Throughout the years, Howard University has attracted many influential leaders and entertainers to present the graduation speech. On June 4, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered the 97th Commencement address. Johnson’s speech discussed his concern about the ongoing struggles of African-Americans. In 1999, Jesse Jackson delivered the commencement address and in that speech, he recalled a time at an earlier graduation when spirits ran very high. He said, “I gave the commencement here in 1970 and that was the first year that the Howard gospel choir was able to sing at the commencement led by Richard Smallwood. Howard was just breaking out of the tradition of Opus 45 with one of Richard Smallwood’s arrangements of the Lord’s Prayer and there was a little shouting here and there and Dr. Mordecai Johnson and others had to be taken, I think, to the hospital for resuscitation. Some of you remember that.” On May 12, 2007, Oprah Winfrey delivered Howard University’s 139th Commencement address.
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“Your calling isn’t something that somebody can tell you about… you know it inside yourself,” Winfrey said. Continuing in the tradition of drawing notable speakers, Howard announced that President Barack Obama would deliver the address at the 148th Commencement celebration. The president’s visit to the Mecca has been met with great anticipation. Students, alumni and D.C. natives are scrambling to get tickets to hear the president speak. Howard University junior Caché McClay said, “I have family members that I have not heard from in years asking for tickets to graduation just to hear President Obama speak.” Howard’s Class of 2016 will take the Long Walk on Saturday, May 7.
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HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON AND UNDER ARMOUR JOIN FORCES
HU News Service
Washington, DC (May, 2 2016) -Howard University today announces partnership with Under Armour (NYSE: UA), the global leader in performance footwear, apparel and equipment. As part of the partnership, Under Armour will exclusively design and supply apparel and accessories for training and game-day uniforms for all 19 of the University’s men’s and women’s varsity athletics teams. “I am absolutely thrilled about our new partnership with Under Armour,” Howard University Director of Athletics Kery Davis said. “Under Armour is a brand that fits perfectly with the Bison athletics story and culture. Our primary focus at Howard is, of course, our student-athletes, and Under Armour’s passion and commitment to high quality and innovation will benefit our studentathletes for years to come. Our entire department is looking forward to a long and mutually productive relationship with the Under Armour team.” Washington, DC (May, 2 2016) -Howard University today announces partnership with Under Armour (NYSE: UA), the global leader in performance footwear, apparel and equipment. As part of the partnership, Under Armour will exclusively design and supply apparel and acces-
sories for training and game-day uniforms for all 19 of the University’s men’s and women’s varsity athletics teams.
“I am absolutely thrilled about our new partnership with Under Armour,” Howard University Director of Athletics Kery Davis said. “Under Armour is a brand that fits perfectly with the Bison athletics story and culture. Our primary focus at Howard is, of course, our student-athletes, and Under Armour’s passion and commitment to high quality and innovation will benefit our studentathletes for years to come. Our entire department is looking forward to a long and mutually productive relationship with the Under Armour team.” “Howard University is an institution built on the highest values of academic excellence, and we are extremely proud to be teaming up with one of the most vibrant, distinctive and historic programs in the country to help elevate the performance of all Bison student-athletes with innovative apparel,” said Ryan Kuehl, Vice President, Sports Marketing, Under Armour. This new affiliation further expands Under Armour’s leadership in providing proven performance benefits to college athletes on all playing fields. Howard University is the brand’s first HBCU partnership.
Crystal Smith
THE HILLTOP
MAY 5, 2016
THE NUMBERS: ANALYZING HU GRADUATES
Lauren Coleman Contributing Writers
These last four years of your life have been one for the books. You’ve made new friends, traveled to new places, left home, digested more packs of Ramen noodles than one can in their lifetime, cried, laughed, pulled all-nighters, stressed yourself all for this one moment. Being able to put on that cap and gown and walk across the stage and receive your diploma is the ultimate goal. But for some graduates, being able to graduate from an Historically Black College and Universityis even more special. After the celebration is over, many college grads are still left with the question “What now?” What does the future hold for college graduates in 2016? A few statistics: Graduation Rate The graduation rate for first-time, full time undergraduate students who pursued bachelor’s degrees at four-year institutions was 59% in 2013 Unemployment
What percent of college graduates are unemployed? For young college graduates, the unemployment rate is currently 5.6 percent (compared with 5.5 percent in 2007), and the underemployment rate is 12.6 percent (compared with 9.6 percent in 2007). Young black college graduates currently have an unemployment rate of 9.4 percent—higher than the peak unemployment rate for young white college graduates during the recession (9.0 percent), according to Economic Policy Institute website. Source: www.epi.org/publication/class-of-2016/ Line of Work What percent of college graduates get jobs in their field? Authors of one study published in washingtonpost.com estimated that just 27 percent of college grads had a job that was closely related to their major. Among the 2,134 workers surveyed in a Career-
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Builder study, 47 percent of college graduates did not find a first job that was related to their college major. And 32 percentof college grads said that they had never worked in a field related totheirmajors, according to a report at CBSNews.com. Earnings Outlook In 2013, median earnings for full-time, yearround working young adults ages 25–34 with a bachelor’s degree were $48,500, while the median was $23,900 for those without a high school diploma or its equivalent, $30,000 for those with a high school diploma or its equivalent, and $37,500 for those with an associate’s degree. In other words, young adults with a bachelor’s degree earned 62 percent more than young adult high school completers. Additionally, in 2013 median earnings for young adults with a master’s or higher degree were $59,600, some 23 percent more than the median for young adults with a bachelor’s degree, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.