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Homecoming 2009

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Poetry Cipher
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With the “Breaking the Si- lence” documentary presentation, Howard University student organiza- tions spread the word about the civil war in the Congo and its catastrophic impact on Congolese women. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), every two minutes a person is sexually assaulted in the United States. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, political activists consider rape to be a pandemic, since an estimated 41,000 women have been raped since the cri- sis spiraled out of control in 1998— and persists in eastern Congo even after the failed ceasefire on the tenth anniversary of the crisis. The Congo civil war has been fueled by what the United Nations has deemed the “looting” of the country’s profitable resources by reb- el groups fighting among themselves and the government’s excessive con- trol of minerals such as coltan, which is commonly used in laptops and cell phones. The persistence of rape in the Congo has been compared to the on- going Darfur genocide. “The women are sick of telling people of what’s going on. Nothing’s changing,” said Daniella Sebastian, a senior Spanish major and president of the Howard chapter of STAND, a national student organization that promotes awareness of international issues such as Darfur and is lobbying government officials to take a leading role in condemning the violence in the Congo. Monday’s Town Hall Meeting on Menthol Cigarettes, hosted at the Howard Univer- sity Hospital, included a speech from the dean of the College of Medicine, Robert E. Taylor (left), the recognition of Donna Chrestenson (D-VI), a panel of individuals involved in the fight against menthol and smoking in America and a question and answer session that engaged the audi- ence with a discussion about the dangers of menthol. Menthol, a derivative of peppermint, is one of the 400 substances found in cigarettes. Tess Boley Cruz, Assistant Professor for the Institute for Preven- tive Medicine, said her struggle with cigarettes began when she was in gradu- ate school. “I wasn’t allowed in some hospitals [to do surveys] because they were getting money from the tobacco companies,” she said. “They find ways to get you,” she also added, “you can get birthday cards from Phillip Morris.” Recent blackouts coupled with no heat have left residents of Slowe Hall questioning their place of residence. With the win- ter months approaching, students say the heating systems are still not functioning properly. “Heat should not be a privi- lege; it should be a building code,” said Elizabeth Hodge, a sophomore psychology major. “Howard Uni- versity treats this dorm as if it does not exist.” Along with the heating sys- tem failure, Hodge said there are holes in the lobby ceilings and mold in students’ closets. According to other students, the security cameras do not work and there is a lack of front desk staff. The Internet failure has also played a major role in the problems residents are facing, students said. Sophomore chemistry major Timo- thy Crook said he has not seen the Internet in days. “Nowadays, everything is being done Internet-wise; teachers assign work that needs the Inter- net to be completed,” Crook said. “I can’t go to the I-Lab everyday because that is all the way on the other side of campus.” Crook said if he is going to remain in debt for his years after Howard, he wants to at least be ensured the resources that he paid for. THE HILLTOP VOLUME 93, NO.36 WWW.THEHILLTOPONLINE.COM Tuesday, October 20, 2009 WEATHER 68 50 Tomorrow: 72 49 The Daily Student Voice of Howard University 1924 Established RACISM STILL PREVALENT? E&P PAGE 7 Slowe Hall Sees Maintenance Issues, Students Feel Heat INDEX Campus 2 Business & Technology 4 Life & Style 7 Editorials & Perspectives 9 Hilltopics 10 > See CONGO, page 3 Town Hall Discusses Dangers Zelena Williams - Photo Editor HOWARD HOMECOMING 2009 From the dancers dressed in full-length pullovers, to the photos presented on the screen tracing back to black history, a story of black love, sex, family and justice was told. Returning to the Home- coming lineup after years of a hiatus, the poetry cipher event “Prosody: Vessel of Voice,” took the audience by surprise. Sunni Patterson, Shihan, Georgia Me, Joshua Bennett, former Howard student Messiah Ramkissoon and Sonja Sohn were the features of the show. However, hand-selected Howard University students were also able to showcase their talent before each artist delivered their message. “God-willing, I am able to get across that we are good, that we are phenomenal, that we are perfect, that we are giving,” said Patterson before going on stage. Coming from nothing af- ter losing everything due to Hur- ricane Katrina, to regaining her strength and being forced to make the best of life, Sunni Patterson evoked her passion through her experiences. Through her trials and tribulations she still manages to seek good and inspire many. Her pieces spoke of tri- umph as she questioned the au- dience to ask where they were headed in life. “This is more than a poem; this is my plea, that may forever walk in the light of light and love to the highest degree,” Patterson said as she slowly paced around the stage. Freshman, undecided ma- jor Ashton Elmes was one of the featured students at the cipher. A prayer to the Lord, his poem spoke about some of his actions and the parallel his actions have with his religious belief. “Afraid to become another holier then thou hypocrite, as if I’m not one already. So I come to you now Lord. I pray to you Lord my soul to take amen,” Elmes re- cited. DERRICK HAYNES Editorial Assistant Congolese Women Topic of Discussion Howard Gets Hip to the ‘Cipher,’ Kicks Off Poetry Slam After Hiatus Brian Lipkins - Staff Photographer Several students participated in Monday night’s Poetry Cipher, which has returned from a four-year hiatus. It was the third official Homecoming event. BY VICTORIA FORTUNE Staff Writer > See CIPHER, page 3 BY CAMILLE AUGUSTIN Staff Writer Economy Sees Change On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) reached its peak for the past year, raising a total of 101 points – the equiva- lent of 1 percent. For the past year, the Unit- ed States economy has been on a downward spiral, one economists once referred to as “grim” condi- tions for the country. The DJIA is a trusted eco- nomic indicator, founded in 1882 to help determine the progress, value and equity of the American stock market. While some compa- nies listed did not grow in terms of profit, Monday’s growth gives economists great hope that the economy is on the rise. “This is a liquidity-driven rally and the market is probably going to keep moving higher over the next few weeks,” said Tyler Vernon, chief investment officer at Biltmore Capital. “People are feeling optimistic. They’re getting sick of getting zero percent re- turns on money market accounts and are wanting to take on more risk.” Sophomore supply chain management major, Aliah Ken- non, is pleased to see such a change in the standing of the economy. “I am extremely excited to see that the United States is final- ly on an upward track. People’s minds are finally being eased and pride in the economy restored,” Kennon said. “Hopefully we will only move forward from here with more days on this side of the Dow as opposed to the other.” BY MARQUIS H. BARNETT Nation & World Editor > See SLOWE, page 3
Transcript
Page 1: Homecoming 2009

With the “Breaking the Si-lence” documentary presentation, Howard University student organiza-tions spread the word about the civil war in the Congo and its catastrophic impact on Congolese women.

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), every two minutes a person is sexually assaulted in the United States. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, political activists consider rape to be a pandemic, since an estimated 41,000 women have been raped since the cri-sis spiraled out of control in 1998—and persists in eastern Congo even after the failed ceasefire on the tenth anniversary of the crisis.

The Congo civil war has been fueled by what the United Nations has deemed the “looting” of the country’s profitable resources by reb-el groups fighting among themselves and the government’s excessive con-trol of minerals such as coltan, which is commonly used in laptops and cell phones.

The persistence of rape in the Congo has been compared to the on-going Darfur genocide.

“The women are sick of telling people of what’s going on. Nothing’s changing,” said Daniella Sebastian, a senior Spanish major and president of the Howard chapter of STAND, a national student organization that promotes awareness of international issues such as Darfur and is lobbying government officials to take a leading role in condemning the violence in the Congo.

Monday’s Town Hall Meeting on Menthol Cigarettes, hosted at the Howard Univer-sity Hospital, included a speech from the dean of the College of Medicine, Robert E. Taylor (left), the recognition of Donna Chrestenson (D-VI), a panel of individuals involved in the fight against menthol and smoking in America and a question and answer session that engaged the audi-ence with a discussion about the dangers of menthol.

Menthol, a derivative of peppermint, is one of the 400 substances found in cigarettes. Tess Boley Cruz, Assistant Professor for the Institute for Preven-tive Medicine, said her struggle with cigarettes began when she was in gradu-ate school. “I wasn’t allowed in some hospitals [to do surveys] because they were getting money from the tobacco companies,” she said. “They find ways to get you,” she also added, “you can get birthday cards from Phillip Morris.”

Recent blackouts coupled with no heat have left residents of Slowe Hall questioning their place of residence. With the win-ter months approaching, students say the heating systems are still not

functioning properly. “Heat should not be a privi-

lege; it should be a building code,” said Elizabeth Hodge, a sophomore psychology major. “Howard Uni-versity treats this dorm as if it does not exist.”

Along with the heating sys-tem failure, Hodge said there are

holes in the lobby ceilings and mold in students’ closets. According to other students, the security cameras do not work and there is a lack of front desk staff.

The Internet failure has also played a major role in the problems residents are facing, students said. Sophomore chemistry major Timo-

thy Crook said he has not seen the Internet in days.

“Nowadays, everything is being done Internet-wise; teachers assign work that needs the Inter-net to be completed,” Crook said. “I can’t go to the I-Lab everyday because that is all the way on the other side of campus.”

Crook said if he is going to remain in debt for his years after Howard, he wants to at least be ensured the resources that he paid for.

THE HILLTOPVOLUME 93, NO.36 WWW.THEHILLTOPONLINE.COM

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

WEATHER6850

Tomorrow: 7249 The Daily Student Voice of Howard University

1924Established

RACISM STILL PREVALENT? E&P PAGE 7

Slowe Hall Sees Maintenance Issues, Students Feel Heat

INDEX Campus 2 Business & Technology 4 Life & Style 7 Editorials & Perspectives 9 Hilltopics 10

> See CONGO, page 3

Town Hall Discusses Dangers

Zelena Williams - Photo Editor

HOWARD HOMECOMING 2009

From the dancers dressed in full-length pullovers, to the photos presented on the screen tracing back to black history, a story of black love, sex, family and justice was told.

Returning to the Home-coming lineup after years of a hiatus, the poetry cipher event “Prosody: Vessel of Voice,” took the audience by surprise.

Sunni Patterson, Shihan,

Georgia Me, Joshua Bennett, former Howard student Messiah Ramkissoon and Sonja Sohn were the features of the show.

However, hand-selected Howard University students were also able to showcase their talent before each artist delivered their message.

“God-willing, I am able to get across that we are good, that we are phenomenal, that we are perfect, that we are giving,” said Patterson before going on stage.

Coming from nothing af-ter losing everything due to Hur-

ricane Katrina, to regaining her strength and being forced to make the best of life, Sunni Patterson evoked her passion through her experiences. Through her trials and tribulations she still manages to seek good and inspire many.

Her pieces spoke of tri-umph as she questioned the au-dience to ask where they were headed in life.

“This is more than a poem; this is my plea, that may forever walk in the light of light and love to the highest degree,” Patterson said as she slowly paced around

the stage.Freshman, undecided ma-

jor Ashton Elmes was one of the featured students at the cipher. A prayer to the Lord, his poem spoke about some of his actions and the parallel his actions have with his religious belief.

“Afraid to become another holier then thou hypocrite, as if I’m not one already. So I come to you now Lord. I pray to you Lord my soul to take amen,” Elmes re-cited.

DERRICK HAYNESEditorial Assistant

Congolese Women Topic of Discussion

Howard Gets Hip to the ‘Cipher,’ Kicks Off Poetry Slam After Hiatus

Brian Lipkins - Staff Photographer

Several students participated in Monday night’s Poetry Cipher, which has returned from a four-year hiatus. It was the third official Homecoming event.

BY VICTORIA FORTUNEStaff Writer

> See CIPHER, page 3

BY CAMILLE AUGUSTINStaff Writer

Slowe Hall sees maintenance issues, students feel the heat

Economy Sees Change

On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) reached its peak for the past year, raising a total of 101 points – the equiva-lent of 1 percent.

For the past year, the Unit-ed States economy has been on a downward spiral, one economists once referred to as “grim” condi-tions for the country.

The DJIA is a trusted eco-nomic indicator, founded in 1882 to help determine the progress, value and equity of the American stock market. While some compa-nies listed did not grow in terms of profit, Monday’s growth gives economists great hope that the economy is on the rise.

“This is a liquidity-driven rally and the market is probably

going to keep moving higher over the next few weeks,” said Tyler Vernon, chief investment officer at Biltmore Capital. “People are feeling optimistic. They’re getting sick of getting zero percent re-turns on money market accounts and are wanting to take on more risk.”

Sophomore supply chain management major, Aliah Ken-non, is pleased to see such a change in the standing of the economy.

“I am extremely excited to see that the United States is final-ly on an upward track. People’s minds are finally being eased and pride in the economy restored,” Kennon said. “Hopefully we will only move forward from here with more days on this side of the Dow as opposed to the other.”

BY MARQUIS H. BARNETTNation & World Editor

> See SLOWE, page 3

Page 2: Homecoming 2009

2 CAMPUS October 20, 2009

THE HILLTOP

Second Homecoming Poetry Cipher

Brian Lipkins Scott - Contributing Photographer

The Howard Players engaged in a performance showing how poetry has been significant since the beginning of time and the importance of expression through dance interpretation.

Prosody: Vessel of Voice

Brian Lipkins Scott - Contributing Photographer

(From Left to Right) Sunni Patterson, Joshua Bennett and Messiah were vessels to the audience, using the power of their voices to illustrate stories and scenarios to the audi-ence. Poet Sunni Patterson performed a poem about her struggle and survival of Hurricane Katrina, Howard 2007 alumni and poet Messiah performed a poem “Comeback To Me” emphazing “what goes around comes around.”

Brian Lipkiins Scott - Contributing Photographer

Senior film production major Theo Hollingsworth performed a piece about his love and infatuation with Howard University.

Brian Lipkins Scott - Contributing Photographer

Poet Shihan spoke about his love for his family and the depiction of black men in the Black community.

“The way to a man’s heart is not through his stomach but in the heaven in your hello” - Joshua Bennett

“This is more than a poem, this is my plea, that may forever walk in the light of light and love to the highest degree” - Sunni Patterson

“I’m sorry for the music videos, or Justin Timberlake at the Super bowl, or the young man on the corner this morning

who made you want to shed your flesh into something invis-ible. Never doubt, men are dumb. We are trained to destroy

or conquer everything we see from birth...You are like sunrise in a nation at war” - Joshua Bennett

Page 3: Homecoming 2009

While Patterson spoke of her experience with Katrina, and Elmes, about his relation-ship with God, University of Pennsylvania senior and former Brave New Voices poet, and author Joshua Bennett passion-ately expressed his thoughts. Bennett’s inspiration simply lies within his family. As he began to let his poetry take flight, his vibrant personality charmed the ladies of the audience.

While Patterson spoke of her experience with Katrina, University of Pennsylvania se-nior and former Brave New Voices poet and author Joshua Bennett, passionately expressed his thoughts.

Bennett’s inspiration sim-ply lies within his family.

As he began to let his po-etry take flight, his vibrant per-sonality charmed the ladies of the audience.

“The way to a black man’s heart is not through his stomach, it is through the heaven in your hel-lo,” Bennett said, reciting a poem about a former crush.

“I’m sorry for the music videos, or Justin Timberlake at the Super bowl, or the young man on the corner this morning who made you want to shed your flesh into something invisible. Never doubt, men are dumb. We are trained to destroy or conquer everything we see from birth...You are like sun-rise in a nation at war,” Bennett said.

Not only did Bennett capti-vate the audience with his charm. Poet of more than 12 years, Shi-han, left the audience in awe as he went into his “Love Like” poem.

“I want a love like me thinking of you thinking of me type love,” Shihan said. He did not have to say much more after that to get audience members standing on their feet.

“Being able to support my

family with my art and something I love doing is important. It’s a constant struggle to decide how much time I am willing to be away from home,” he said after speak-ing about the love he has for his family.

“Seeing Shihan was a shock. I didn’t really see it coming. I guess the words hit me a little bit harder even though I’ve seen him perform a thousand times on you-tube; it was defiantly lighthearted. I dug it,” said University of Mary-land sophomore studio major Samuel Margai.

Representing Atlanta, Georgia Me took the audience by storm with her strong presence, raunchy moments and message of encouragement to women and the respect they should have for them-selves.

“I think the event was real-ly creative. I liked that Georgia Me was very outspoken and doesn’t have cut cards. She says whatever she wants to say. We always have people who are real and who have something to say; it was really en-

tertaining,” said junior political science major Dayna Hall.

Throughout the cipher three screens remained on as the audience watched a journey of struggle unfold. At one point dur-ing the end of the show, speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X played over the instru-mental of “One Mic” reminding the audience of how far African Americans have come. Depicting the growth of the black commu-nity a speech by President Barack Obama was presented.

“The event was incredible, definitely a humbling experience to hear Wordsmith calculate all sorts of esthetic terms and bring them to the stage. I look at incred-ible center pieces/ black love -- dif-ferent aspects of what’s going on in our community,” Margai said.

Pleased with the outcome of the event, Cipher coordinator Joshua Nelson had no words to ex-press the joy he felt. “Prosody: The vessel of Voices” has now been en-tered as the newest addition to the Howard University legacy.

THE HILLTOP

NEWS 3

HOWARD HOMECOMING 2009

“We have had no access to the Internet for the past two days,” Hodge said. Recently, there was a blackout that lasted six hours, and it has not been the first in recent weeks, according to Slowe Hall residents.

“We make the calls for peo-ple to come fix these problems, but at times they never show or do not do an effective job that would make the situation better,” she said.

The management staff for the dormitory was unavailable to answer questions at the time of press.

Sophomore political sci-ence major Breyiana Moody said a group of residents was not aware of the second blackout until it actu-ally occurred, which occurred until

6 a.m., she said.“They were withholding

information when students could have gone to the I-Lab or the li-brary to study,” Moody said. She said by the time students found out the blackout would last into the morning, the studying facilities were closed.

According to Moody, stu-dents did not have lights to study and people’s refrigerators were turned off. Former resident of Slowe Hall, Dawan Parker, related to the students’ problems. “Where do we go from here; we have pro-tested and yet the same problems still exist,” said Parker, a junior his-tory major. “We pay all this money to go to school; the least Howard could do is get their small things together, at least.”

Cipher Brings Soul to HU

Students Voice Some Concerns for Congo

Sebastian said people need to educate themselves to find out what they can do. “Killing igno-rance kills stuffs like this,” said Ca-mille Harris, a junior classic major.

“Your degree should be used to change the world, not just your life. It shouldn’t be wasted just to make money.”

Before the documentary screening, members of the Politi-cal Education and Activism Com-mittee (PEAC) and W. Montague Society recounted the Congo’s history as a Belgian colony to the persisting unrest that has followed decolonization.

Lisa F. Jackson’s award-win-ning documentary, “The Great-est Silence: Rape in the Congo,” chronicled the horrors of “sexual terrorism” on the Congolese so-ciety. The documentary demon-strated the common practice of rape victims being ostracized and disowned.

“There’s a real stigma against rape,” said Eleanor King,

Ph.D., an anthropology professor in Howard’s Department of Soci-ology and Anthropology. “Rape is a crime. There’s laws against it in the Congo --- they’re just not en-forced.”

Jackson’s documentary made Kyle Henne, a sophomore economics major and STAND vice president, aware of the intercon-nectedness between the failed states that surround the country.

“There’s a flow between the people,” he said. “There’s just one group of violence that seems to be affecting across borders. They were saying the [Interhamwe] were flowing directly into the Congo causing the same problems they did in Rwanda.”

The Interhamwe were the Hutu-led militia forces that led the genocide against Tutsi Rwandans in 1994.

“A woman is the mother of a nation. He who rapes a woman rapes an entire nation,” said Major Honorine Munyole of the Congo’s National Police, who oversees the protection of exploited women and children.

continued from FRONT, CONGO

Tonight’s Homecoming Event is the Comedy Show at

7 p.m. in Cramton Auditorium.

Brian Lipkins - Staff Photographer

Poet Sunni Patterson, among others, also performed at the Poetry Cipher.

continued from FRONT, CIPHER

Slowe ‘Doesn’t Exist?’ Students Speak Out

continued from FRONT, SLOWE

Page 4: Homecoming 2009

Perhaps one of the hard-est decisions for a college student to make is what major to follow, in hopes that their career choice will allow them to either earn the big money or let them follow their dreams.

For some, those dreams do not include cars and clothes, but rather making the world a better place.

Senior finance major Laquia Burt is looking to serve others when she graduates by joining the Peace Corps.

“For me, it’s important to have a visible impact on those that I am serving,” says Burt.

There are many avenues for students looking to make a im-pact. Microfinancing has become a major talking point across the coun-try.

Microfinancing is a financial provision that deals with low in-come clients who are unable to get services from banks because they have little or no cash income.

According to a report done by the United States Census Bu-reau, nearly 40 million Americans

lived below the national poverty line in 2008.

The World Bank, an orga-nization that provides financial assitance to developing countries, defines moderate poverty as ba-sic subsistence living on $1 to $2 a day.

According to the organiza-tion, 2.8 billion people live in pov-erty worldwide. Many Americans feel that this occurance is not be-cause of lack of ability or resources, but because there is a general lack of open access to the resources.

“If there wasn’t an issue with the conditions they are forced to survive under who knows what they could be capable of,” Burt said.

Oikocredit is one of the

largest international micro creditors in the world. According do the or-ganization’s website, Oikocredit op-erates on the mission to “promote global justice by challenging people, churches and others to share their resources through socially respon-sible investments, and empower dis-

advantaged people with credit.”Established in 1975, Oikocre-

dit has been working for 34 years to give credit to disadvantaged people. “We look for poor people who are smart, industrious and looking to do something positive,” said Terry Probance, Washington’s executive director of Oikocredit USA.

Microfinancing provides much needed credit to disadvan-taged people who have never used

or had the opportunity to use credit before. With this income they can improve their standard of living and help others around them.

Oikocredit visits the families recieving loans from them to stay updated on how their lives have been impacted by the opportunities granted to them.

“It’s something as simple as a family being able to afford more meals which means more calories and better health,” Probance said. “It’s not easy to do this but we’ve been concerned about it for a long time.”

This fall Oikocredit will host a pair of microfinance workshops in the D.C. area to introduce more people to the concept of microfi-nance. The first workshop will be held Saturday, Oct. 24, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at 2401 Virginia Ave NW

and the second will be held Mon-day, Nov. 2, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the University of Maryland.

According to Probance, the field offers a lot of opportunities for college students looking to make a difference.

“There’s the chance for education and even possible ca-reers,” Probance said. “Outside of that anyone can donate to help oth-ers in the world.”

4 BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

THE HILLTOP

October 20, 2009

Oikocredit Helps Impoverished Gain CreditBY JASON J. CLARKContributing Writer

“There’s the chance for education and even possible careers. Outside of that anyone can donate to help

others in the world.”

- Terry Probance, Execeutive Director for Oikocredit USA

Imagine a hair care and cosmetics shelf with no products designed for African Americans. Luckily, there are cosmetic and hair care products for blacks and much of that is due to Sarah Breedlove, better known as Madam C.J. Walk-er.

Early in the 20th century, Madam C.J. Walker revolutionized the hair care and cosmetics indus-try for African-American women and influenced a generation of hair care entrepreneurs.

Born in 1867, the Louisiana native was the daughter of former slaves and was orphaned by the age of seven. She eventually moved to St. Louis to join her four brothers who were barbers, while she worked as a laundrywoman.

During the 1890s, Walker suffered from a scalp ailment that caused her to lose hair. Her hair loss led her to experiment with products made by Annie Malone, another black entrepreneur. In 1905, Walker become a sales agent for Malone.

Walker’s work with Malone influenced her to start her own business selling her own product, Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower, a scalp conditioning and healing formula.

In an effort to sell her product throughout the South, Walker went door to door and gave demonstra-tions. She even opened a school in Pittsburgh to train students inter-ested in the hair industry.

“She did her business before there was television, before there was radio, before there was inter-net and before there was Facebook. There were phones but most did not have them so she really worked very hard,” said A’Lelia Bundles, great-great-granddaughter of Walker.

Bundles also cited Walker’s business team and employees as contributors to her success, adding that having a good team and em-ployees is still an effective part of having a successful business today.

“She trained other people. It’s very important to develop your

work force and to pick the right peo-ple to be a part of your team and to motivate your team,” Bundles said.

Through her company, Madam C.J. Walker Manufactur-ing Company, Walker produced the largest business in the United States owned by a black person. Walker’s company helped her become one of the first known African-American female, self-made millionaires.

Walker’s wealth is not what made her a great figure among Afri-can Americans. She used her wealth to promote economic opportunities for blacks and women. At one point, her business employed over 3,000 people.

One of these employees was Majorie Joyner, who led the next generation of black beauty en-trepreneurs with her invention of a wave machine that straightened women’s hair for a longer period of

time. Besides being a success-

ful entrepreneur, Walker was also a known philanthropist. During the NAACP’s anti-lynching campaign, Walker gave the largest contribu-tion of $5,000 to the organization. Walker also contributed $1,000 to the building of a “colored” YMCA in Indianapolis.

After her death at the age of 51, Walker left behind a great business, technological advance-ments for blacks, and a legacy of hard work, perseverance and in-spiration.

A’Lelia Bundles said, “What I think [is] perhaps most valuable about her life is that she used her wealth and her influence to make a difference through phi-lanthropy and through political ac-tivism by contributing to her com-munity.”

BY EVAN HOLLINSStaff Writer

Photo Courtesy of BusinessWeek.com

Madam C.J. Walker revolutionized the world of black hair care products and busi-ness through her hair care manufacturing.

Know an interesting iPhone app or a black businessman or woman who

should be noted?

Email: [email protected]

Cell phone technology has, without a doubt, advanced since the invention of the Motorola DynaTAC in 1983. These advances have affected size, appearance, accessibility and performance of the original cell phone. Now phones are as small and thin as credit cards and can be used any and everywhere, even Washington D.C.’s underground metro-rail system. In terms of performance, cell phones can now perform any operation and with the creation of Apple Applications, accessibility just became a whole lot easier for iPhone

and iPod Touch users.

Apple’s “Billionth” app to be downloaded, Bump, released by Bump technologies, allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to share photos and emails with each other

by simply ‘bumping’ their devices together.

“I got Bump because it’s a great way to share information with friends who have the app,” sophomore political science major and iPod Touch user Jon-Michael

Washington said.

With Bump, users can share contact information or business cards with others who also have the app. No typing, no searching lists for the right person, no mistakes, after bumping contacts, information is saved directly into your address book and photos are saved

directly into the camera roll.

“When I’m in a hurry to do something, having Bump makes it easy to transfer or receive the information I need quickly,” said journalism student Erika Lawrence,

who has installed Bump on her iPhone 3G.

Apple has over 10,000 apps which allow users to pinpoint their exact location or order food with the tap of a few buttons. A lot of these apps can be installed for free, but others range in price from 99 cents to $70. All applications can be downloaded on iTunes or found on

the Apple website at www.apple.com.

Compiled by Gerron Jordan, Staff Writer

What’s App? “Bump”

Figures

47.5 million worth of new

loans

757 total proj-ects

69 active coun-tries

16.8 million peo-ple reached by Oikocredit MFI partner

Source: www.oikocredit.org

Page 5: Homecoming 2009

As far as the fashion world is concerned, Antonio Cannon, the new face of Sean “Diddy” Comb’s multi-million dollar clothing com-pany, Sean John, is a little weird.

His physique is impeccable. The 22 year old, along with Jer-emy Miller, is hard to miss stand-ing well over 6 feet, boasting a lean figure, chiseled face and confident demeanor commonly seen in bona fidé supermodels.

So what is it about Antonio that makes him a little off ?

“Modeling is not everything. I know there are more things in life,” he said during a recent interview.

These are the words of a man, who this time last year, had never done modeling, and by pure happenstance – a friend told him during a casual study session he should enter Diddy’s “Face of the Future” campaign, which aimed to find the face of the renowned Sean John clothing label. Not only did he enter; he won the entire competi-tion.

“When I found out I had got through a few rounds I was like ‘yea so?’… But when I made it to the top 10 I was like ‘wow, really!” Cannon said.

Cannon became one of two men selected to serve as the epito-me of all that is Sean John and was selected by Diddy himself from a pool of more than 10,000 prospec-

tive male models from all over the world.

He has gone from being a regular college student at Southern Illinois University to booking fash-ion spreads with top magazines like Ebony, JET and GQ.

“I actually was told that I am the youngest minority to ever be featured as a model in GQ,” he said.

All signs point to the makings of another egotistical model in the even more vain world of fashion.

But not quite. “Before winning Sean John, I

actually knew who I was as a per-son. Even after becoming a pro-fessional model, my main focus is school,” Cannon said.

He knows that he could reach insurmountable heights as a model with one of the world’s fore-most businessmen backing him, but he never for a second contemplates abandoning school.

“I’m an opportunist. I saw an opportunity and I seized it. But that doesn’t mean I’m just going to drop everything else.”

But don’t think he isn’t put-ting a lot of time into his modeling career either.

With plans to become a force in the realm of high fashion, a feat rarely achieved by blacks in the melanin-deficient world of couture, his passion for modeling cannot be mistaken.

Cannon will soon be seen in this year’s Howard University

Rhythm Homecoming Fashion Show: “Ballad of the Bizarre” on Thursday as a featured model and celebrity guest.

“I’m really excited; I’ve heard a lot of great things about How-ard’s Homecoming; I know they’ll boo you if you’re bad,” he said with a laugh.

You can be the judge your-self. Is his walk “fierce”?

Is his face good enough to compete with the likes of other black supermodels like Tyson Beck-ford, Dominique Hollington and Wendell Lissimore?

Does he really have that “it factor”? Assess how you’d like, just don’t think this is just another mind-less model walking the runway.

This model has a plan for success that he believes will take him farther than any catwalk

“It’s all about how you ap-proach things. I never forget that,” Cannon said.

Yes, he is a lot different from other models. But who’s to say dif-ferent isn’t a good thing?

When Tia Tillman went home this summer, she realized, like countless other college students, she had gained a significant amount of weight. She fell victim to the noto-rious “Freshman 15”. “I didn’t de-cide to start working out until I went home and saw how much weight I had really gained,” Tillman said.

Although Tillman doesn’t work out everyday, her and her friend Mirna Martinez do make an effort to go to Burr Gymnasium at some point during the week.

Martinez and Tillman, both sophomore nursing majors, agree that the exercise machines in Burr Gymnasium are not up to par.

“They’re kind of dusty. The gym is pretty bootleg,” Martinez said.

Tillman agrees that the gym in Burr, as well as the one in Merid-ian, could use some major work.

“The gyms aren’t being utilized. Most of the equipment doesn’t even work,” Tillman said. Martinez said that a new gym would definitely motivate her more to work out.

Motivation is something that the black community needs. Ac-cording to the Office of Minority Health, African Americans have the highest rate of being overweight or obese when compared to other groups in the United States.

According to the U.S. De-partment of Health and Human Services, 69 percent of African- American women are overweight or obese. Fifty-eight percent of Af-rican American men are also over-weight or obese.

Erin Kearns, a health edu-cator at Howard’s Student Health Center, believes that lifestyle, rather than genetics, is to blame for these alarming rates.

“In general, [the] American lifestyle, regardless of race, has be-come one of convenience; we have turned into a so-called “fast food nation,” Kearns said. “Traditional foods in the African American cul-ture tend to be high in cholesterol, salt and fat – all elements that when eaten in high quantities can result in obesity and other serious health issues.”

Although obesity is a problem in itself, it is also commonly linked to other serious conditions and dis-eases. Heart disease and diabetes, the first and the fifth leading causes of death in the United States ac-cording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are also effects of obesity.

“Conditions associated with obesity also include high cholester-ol, hypertension, colon cancer and breast cancer, sleep apnea, infertil-ity and osteoarthritis,” Kearns said.

Someone is considered over-weight when they have a Body Mass Index of 25 or greater, and obese if their BMI is greater than 30.

Studies have shown that fast food restaurants are more preva-lent in low-income and majority African American neighborhoods. Kamilah Henry, a senior african american studies major, believes the availability and cost of fast food is a big contributor to the obesity epidemic. “It’s just a hassle to look for healthier food. You have to go to special stores, and it obviously costs a lot more. McDonald’s, on the other hand, is cheap and fast,”

said Henry. Kearns agrees that the loca-

tion of stores carrying healthy food correlates to high African Ameri-can obesity rates. “Low income neighborhoods that are comprised of majority African Americans are lacking in resources to aid individu-als in making healthier decisions,” Kearns said. “Grocery stores of-fering fresh food options are scarce and safe playgrounds for children are virtually non-existent.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rec-ommends 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week; however, a survey done by the CDC found that approximately 49 percent of African Americans over the age of 18 do not engage in any type of physical activity at all.

Henry, who also gained a significant amount of weight her freshman year, admits that she

doesn’t work out. However, she uses her mandatory physical education classes to get some kind of activity.

“I don’t have enough time to work out so when I’m in my swim class, I try to work hard,” Henry said. “I do plan on working out when I get a career, but for now I’ll just use my gym classes.”

Kearns suggests that students who have concerns regarding their weight should contact the Student Health Center.

“The Student Health Center recognizes that obesity is a problem within our community,” Kearns said. “To help combat obesity the Health Education office offers edu-cation sessions that “aim to equip students with the knowledge and tool necessary to make healthier choices in what can sometimes be an environment with limited re-sources.”

LIFE & STYLE 5

THE HILLTOP

Current Happenings in

Hollywood

Lady Gaga is •going on tour, minus Kanye West. However, there are no dates in the DMV area.Kourtney Kar-•dashian’s house was robbed. $100,000 worth of jewelry was stolen.Diddy lost his •$20,000 ring during the tap-ing of 106 & Park and held everyone on the set until he found it, which he never did.

- Compiled by Cierra Jones Life & Style

BY AARON RANDLEStaff Writer

Faraday Okoro - Photo

The African American community shows a high number of obesity cases. That may be attributed to the many fast food restaurants in neighborhoods.

Obesity Plagues the Black CommunityBY BRITTANY MILLERContributing Writer

Photo Courtesy of Antonio Cannon

Antonio Cannon is a public relations major at Souther Illinois University.

BY JASMINE BRAMLETTContributing Writer

Jobs, jobs, jobs. This seemed to be the main thing on the minds of Howard University students as they listened attentively to the panelist from The Recording Com-pany as they gave tips about intern-ing at the John H. Johnson School of Communications Job Fair. The panelists Deborra Richardson, Ross Herosian and Shannon Emamali discussed several areas of the in-ternship process including resume tips, how to interview and even sug-gested ways to keep a good rapport with internship coordinators once the internship has ended.

Richardson started the dis-cussion by saying one of the most important things a student should do before deciding whether or not they want to intern for a company is to do your research. “Talk to people at the company and find out what positions are available,” she said. “Do a Google search of the com-pany to see if they’re company is re-ally what you’re looking for. Think about the things you like.”

Herosian, a recruiter for The Recording Company, said that net-working is one of the best ways to obtain an internship. “Sometimes it’s about who you know,” he said. Herosian has hired several interns, and when selecting a candidate, he looks for enthusiasm in a per-

son. He likes to know that students are passionate and excited to learn more about a particular field of in-terest.

During the interview, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Recruit-ers want to know about you, but they also want to know that you’re interested in what they do as well.

Ross continued by pointing out that the latest ways to find jobs are not just through sending a job your resume in hopes that they will call you back, but that Facebook and Twitter also have pages with companies that are looking to re-cruit. “Don’t limit yourself to one area,” Herosian said.

The panelists also described specific things on a resume that could possibly be a turn-off for em-ployers. Make sure that the resume being submitted is not two pages; try to eliminate some of the unnec-essary things like course work and high school achievements. Recruit-ers are looking to see that students have a well-written resume with detail oriented skills. It should not be confusing to the employer. One small mistake on a resume could result in not getting that internship or job.

The panelists ended by in-forming students on how to get the most out of an internship. Get to know more than just the managers at your internship. The more rela-tionships you make, the better.

Naya Scarbrough - Editorials & Perspectives

When interning, it is important to keep a good rapport with the company.

Professionals Give Tips on Current Job Market

More Than A Model: Antonio Cannon

Photo Courtesy of Antonio Cannon

Antonio Cannon is one of the faces for Diddy’s clothing line Sean John. He can be seen at Homecoming in the fashion show.

Page 6: Homecoming 2009

THE HILLTOP

6 ADVERTISEMENT October 20, 2009

Page 7: Homecoming 2009

Newlyweds Beth Humphrey and Terrence McKay must have felt ter-rible. Subjected to the ra-cially charged opinions of an elected official, the freshly married couple was refused a marriage license in the in-terest of protecting their un-born, biracial children from what one judge deemed the social rejection of American society.

Apparently these days, the marriage dis-pute isn’t just an issue for same sex couples. At the hands of judges like Keith Bardwell of Loui-siana, interracial couples are experiencing similar problems.

The newlyweds are now fighting to have the judge fired for his blatant act of discrimi-nation. Interestingly enough, Bardwell has openly admitted to the press that this couple wasn’t the first interracial marriage he’s refused during his 34 year-long career --- they’re the fourth. Not only is he racist, this guy is pretty bold.

Ironically, Bardwell also claims that he doesn’t treat black people any dif-ferently than he does whites, although he hasn’t made a habit of refusing marriage licenses to white couples. He

just doesn’t believe in “mix-ing the races that way.”

It’s truly amazing that in the 21st century, despite the countless bounds the na-tion has made in the fight for social equality, not to men-tion the election of our first African-American president, a blatant racist was elected into public office free to im-pose his socially backward values on his constituents.

“Disciplinary action should be taken immediately -- including the revoking of his license,” governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal said in a statement to the New York Times Friday. Although the idea of revoking Judge Bardwell’s license sounds like precisely the right thing to do, it’s impossible. He serves as an elected official, therefore doesn’t have a li-cense for anyone to revoke.

Although he refused to provide their marriage li-cense, Bardwell is justifying his bigotry by informing his critics that interracial cou-ples don’t usually last, and their children are never ac-cepted as regular members of society.

He was only trying to do what was right for the so-cially naïve couple. Also, he’s made sure the press has been

informed that he kind-ly pointed the couple in the direction of a less racist judge who would marry them.

Judge Keith Bardwell’s overt dis-crimination against the couple was bad enough, but he’s reached a new low as he attempts to explain his warped reasoning to the rest of the na-tion. His opinion is his opin-

ion, no matter how offensive it might be, but he should’ve left it at that --- an uncouth and insulting point of view. Using his authority as an elected official to impose that opinion on his constitu-ents was a seriously unwise choice but goes to show that America isn’t a socially ideal nation, and racism is still a serious issue.

EDITORIALS & PERSPECTIVES 7

THE HILLTOP

Louisiana Judge Shoots Down Interracial Marriage

D a i l y S u d o k uDirections: Each row, each column and each 3x3 box must contain each and every digit 1-9 exactly once.

Frank Rivera - Orlando Sentinel (MCT)

Our View:Racism hasn’t died within the

era of an African-American

president.

Want to write for The Hilltop?

Come grab a story at our next budget meeting.

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THE HILLTOPThe Nation’s Only Black Daily Collegiate Newspaper

Brittany HarrisAsst. Business Manager

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 on to [email protected].

Any inquiries for advertisements should be sent directly to The Hilltop Business Office at [email protected]

THE HILLTOP2251 Sherman Avenue NW

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[email protected] Now in its 85th year, The Hilltop is published Monday through Friday by Howard University students. With a readership of 7,000, The Hilltop is the largest black collegiate newspaper in the nation. The opinions expressed on the Editorial & Perspectives page are the views of the The Hilltop Editorial Board and those of the authors and do not necessarily represent Howard University or its administration. The Hilltop reserves the right to edit letters for space and grammatical errors and any inappropriate, libelous or defamatory content. All letters must be submitted a week prior to publication.

India ClarkBusiness Manager

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Editorials & Perspectives Editor

Faraday OkoroZelena Williams

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Marquis H. BarnettNation & World Editor

Erica HawkinsGraphics Editor

Courtney ColaLocal Advertising Manager

Jenise CameronAsst. Copy Chief

Jenerra AlbertOperations Manager

Izunna EnyinnahMultimedia Editor

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