By Melissa Wray

Thursday, Dec. 5, at 12:45 p.m., the public will get an opportunity to watch students and faculty of the University of Memphis' music department perform holiday classics at the annual Holiday Music Concert in the Harris Concert Hall located in the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music.

Performers include the University Choir, the Tuba Ensemble, a jazz trombone ensemble,  and two different string ensembles, all of which are student groups.

What makes this year's concert interesting is the fact that Channel 13 will be taping the concert and playing it live for their audience on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, according to Kevin Sanders, assistant music professor and member of the faculty-based Memphis Brass Quartet.

"While there will not be any original compositions being played, not all of the music is going to be holiday music," he said. "As a matter of fact, the two string ensembles will be playing Mozart and Haydn."

Some of the other groups will be playing holiday music with a bit of a twist, which Sanders described as being "kind of a cool thing."

"For instance, you might hear 'Jingle Bells,' but it's a very different version that one  of our students arranged," he said.

Sanders added that the holiday concert has always been a way for the music department to thank the campus and the community. 

"We just want to get people into the holiday spirit," he said.

 By Margot Pera

Nov. 23 marked the second annual celebration of Cranksgiving in Memphis, with bikers coming from all around the city to participate in the race.

“Cranksgiving was started in New York City as a way for people to raise money for food banks, it usually done as a scavenger hunt, but I decided just to have people donate money,” said Carter Chappell, University of Memphis alumni and founder of the Cranksgiving event.

Court Percer, manager of Peddler Bike Shop and graduate of University of Memphis, participated in the race for first time this year. Last year, he just observed the other cyclists muscle through the 50-mile race.

“I decided on the 12-mile race instead of the 50, the 12-mile race is more fun, the 50-mile race is more for the pros and longtime cyclists,” Percer said.

The race started at the Mid-South Food Bank, located at 239 Dudley in Memphis and ended at Bluff City Sports Print on Cooper. Chappell said the best part about the race is the end.

“At the end of the race, we have a big buffet with turkey legs and stuffing, a keg of beer, and tons of desserts, we just sit around and have a good time and unwind after the long ride," he said.

Last year, Cranksgiving collected around 220 can goods, which equates to about $800 worth of food, according to Lee Curbo, Chappell’s fiancée.

Chappell said it is essential that the riders be prepared to ride in fast traffic and keep up with other cyclists during big races like Cranksgiving, otherwise it is easy to get lost or injured.

“We usually do a neutral start instead of all running to bikes for safety reasons,"Chappell said. "We tried the running approach last year and some people ran into each other and ended up getting injured.”

In addition to a neutral start, Chappell and race leaders had a pre-race meeting to address in safety concerns. Chappell also posted a link online to the route for racers to prepare for the event.

Most of the injuries were minor things like scrapes along the knee and shin.

The participants in Cranksgiving paid a $10 fee to join in the fun and festivities. For every dollar raised by Cranksgiving, the Mid-South food bank tripled the amount.

Percer said the small ride is more important than the 50-mile race because it attracts non-cylists to the event, which draws in more money. Last year, Peddler donated a wheel set and other gear for the winners.

Chappell has been cycling for 18 years and likes the outdoor aspect of the sport. He said he loves trying new trails and seeing different parks and parts of nature.

“A lot of people shy away from cycling because of all the dangers of cyclists running into each other, but it really isn’t that bad if you know what you are doing,” Chappell said.

  As for hosting another event anytime, Chappell is content with just contributing to the philanthropic efforts of Memphis just once a year.

“It was a lot of fun, but a lot of work, especially when people wouldn’t follow through with their obligations,” Chappell said. “I am glad it was successful and more grateful it is done.”

By Erica Holmes

Working from sunrise to sundown is the daily grind this semester for Ph.D. biology researcher and instructor Madhumita Paul, 31, who originally hails from Calcutta, India. Paul transferred from the University of Arkansas to the University Memphis just two years ago.

It is around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday on Nov. 27 and Paul is already in the wet lab in the Life and Sciences building, and into a series of experiments making observations about how viruses attack the brain protein known as synemin creating potentially cancerous brain tumors. 

By Jasmine Deener 

During the holidays, many people sit at a long table and have a big dinner with their family. But there are some people who do not have that option. The owners of Bossman's Pit Stop take this into consideration and every year on Thanksgiving they open their doors to the less fortunate members of the community.

The life of a student athlete can sometimes be a difficult one. Whether it's the pressure to perform on the playing field or in the class room or to simply enjoying all the things that college has to offer.

John Luke Tyner is a member of the University of Memphis golf team. As a Memphis native, Tyner talks about being a student athlete at the U of M, his love for the game of golf, and the lessons it has taught him. The slide show pictures contain shots of Tyner while playing at various golf courses throughout the Memphis area.

By Meagan Nichols

The University of Memphis Department of Journalism is home to several faculty that have worked or currently work in the world of media, one of those people is Pamela Denney. In addition to teaching full-time at the U of M, Denney is the food editor for Memphis Magazine. Denney is also the author of the recently released book, "Food Lover's Guide to Memphis."

In the following audio slideshow, Denney discusses the powerful role food holds in society, how her interest for food writing came to fruition and the importance of equipping the next generation of journalist with the proper tools.

By Paul Crum

Some churches might not be comfortable opening their sanctuary to the LGBTQ Community for the purpose of airing their grievances to law enforcement officers, but Pastor Paul Eknes-Tucker said members of the Holy Trinity Community Church were happy to provide the space for a Community Police Relations forum on Nov. 19.

“There was no resistance from my congregation at all to this event,” Tucker claimed. “We were thrilled that the police department wanted to have this kind of dialogue, and that we could play a part in making that happen.”

As a crowd of about 50 participants filtered into the warmth of the South Highland Street church on a chilly Tuesday evening, the mood was mostly somber. A few munched on sandwiches and refreshments offered in the rear of the church, but most quietly took their place in a pew, not sure of what the evening held in store.

Just after 6 p.m., Lt. Mike Embrey of the Memphis Police Department stood up to face the group along side Ellyhanna Hall, his transgender co-facilitator.

“What is shared here is not shared with other officers,” Embrey assured the audience, stressing that their remarks would be held in confidence.