By Darnesha Cotton

The University of Memphis African Student Association will be making the world their runways. The student organization is using cultural fashions to unite students of different backgrounds and heritage.

Senior film student Lawrence Shaw and Justin Brookes, a sophomore health and human performance major, are co-directors of the first Multicultural Fashion Show on campus. 

 “We are trying to show the diversity of the world," Shaw said. "The best way to learn about a different culture is through their food or through their clothing."

 The show is set to occur in April during the University’s Multicultural Week, an annual
celebration done by the University to honor the diversity of the students. 
 
“The vision is just to show everybody that although we are all from a different culture, we all
of one body, we are all the same. We can celebrate each other’s diversity,” said Shaw, the creative half of the duo.

By Cormac Parker       

“On every corner of this city, you can find two things: a liquor store and a church,” said James Smith, a senior at the University of Memphis. “I have never lived in a city with this many churches. I guess I am in the middle of the Bible Belt.” 

With close to 2,000 churches in the city of Memphis, it is not unreasonable to ask the question— what is the role of the “church” and are they fulfilling the role? With all of the crime, poverty, and homelessness, what is the church doing to help combat these needs? The University of Memphis stands tall in the district with over 22,000 students. How is the church connecting with this major university that sits in its back yard?

The search for a church within walking distance of the campus was not long. Exactly one block from the U of M sits St. Luke’s United Methodist Church where Michael Pence serves as pastor.

Pence said the role of the church universally and even locally is to be the light of the world and that, in order to evaluate any community for its strengths and its weaknesses, first start by examining what those churches are doing.

“I believe that the church is supposed to be that place that sets the example,” he said.

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 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.

By Natalie Cole

Soft background music, pleasant conversation drifting and mingling amidst huddled groups, people lingering, some fluttering from display to display; this atmosphere was the setting of the BFA student exhibition, Interlude, on opening night Friday, Nov. 8, 2013.

For many students, graduation is the defining moment of accomplishment with minute checkpoints along the way. While that truth remains, for 11 students their big moment arrived a tad premature of the pomp and circumstance of the graduation march set to take place in December.

The fine arts discipline, as with many disciplines, requires students in their final semester to compose a body of work in their focus area to display their artistry acquired while pursuing the undergrad degree.

By Melissa Wray

For visiting assistant theatre/dance professor Tracey Bonner, the meaning behind New Voices, the University of Memphis' yearly fall dance concert, is an opportunity to showcase theatre and dance students at their best.

"Right now, our dance program is split somewhat between the University College and the dance department," she said. "One of the reasons behind this concert is not only about giving students a platform to perform, but also to choreograph and support their artistic abilities so we can come together."

U of M freshman dance student Rachael Arnwine, who is one of the performing students, said that she tried out for the concert because of her longtime love of dancing.

"I have danced all my life," she said. "When I heard about New Voices, I immediately knew I wanted to do it."

The concert, which will take place in the Michael D. Rose Theatre Friday, Nov. 15, and Saturday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m., will consist of 11 performances, most of them including genres of the contemporary, jazz and hip-hop variety. One particular type of dancing will be absent from the lineup, according to Bonner.

By Natalie Cole

Counting down, “a five, a six, a five, six, seven, eight...,” signifying the beginning of each new move, Keenan Diggs, vice president and dance instructor, along with his co-instructor, former Memphis swing dance leader, Josephine Edwards, lead the group through step by step instruction during Monday night's swing dance class.

Flying under the radar, The University of Memphis Swing Dance club has been in action for at least 10 years. The club stems from the interest of the dance from a native Californian, Jaredan, who gave it life and continues to develop it into what it is today.

Jaredan, who attended the U of M, kept the legacy going by passing the reins on until it reached Josephine Edwards, who still co-teaches classes at the U of M lessons as well as the Memphis dance organization, The Red Hot Lindy Hop.

By Margot Pera

GrowMemphis, a philanthropic project of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center aimed at helping poverty afflicted communities turn vacant lots into community gardens, is trying to educate Memphians of every socio-economic class by hosting a special screening of the film, “A Place At The Table.”

The film discusses general problems about poverty across the country and how it is affecting people’s access to nutritious foods. The film will also talk about the problems that could result from cutting Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Programs (S.N.A.P.), more commonly known as welfare.

 “People have a misconception of the ‘welfare queen’—a single African American woman who abuses the system through receiving governmental aid,” said Carole Coulter, food policy coordinator at GrowMemphis. “That simply isn’t true. Most of the people that benefit from welfare programs are children and the elderly.”

Christopher Peterson, executive director of GrowMemphis, said in Memphis a significant portion of welfare recipients live in Collierville.  Suburban food stamps are not talked about that much because of the stigma associated with it.

“Even if someone goes to a food pantry to receive donations, the majority of it is processed and lacks sufficient nutrition,” Coulter said.

By Hassan Allawi

Bhui is planning to produce his first album in February next year. 
The house in which he grew up, the place were his mother rests, and the Mississippi River, are places that inspire him.

By Erica Holmes

Cuarteto Casals impressed audience members on opening night of the Harris Concert Hall, a music series created by Concerts International and ArtsMemphis.

They are a four-piece string quartet from Spain known as the first Spanish string quartet with an impressive international profile, including receiving the Premio Nacional de Musica and the Premi Cituat Barcelona. The quartet even accompanies the King of Spain on diplomatic visits on occasion.

The concert series will run from Tuesday Oct. 22, 2013 until Tuesday April 3, 2014 and will feature a wide variety of musical performances and genres, including a family of Armenian guitar virtuosos.

Members of the quartet are not only playing in Memphis on their two-week U.S. tour – they will play for a sold-out audience at the Library of Congress on Thursday Oct. 24, 2013.

The organization is encouraging students to attend future performances by offering a limited number of free tickets to students at University of Memphis and admission for students from other Universities is only $10 per ticket. Show tickets are available at the info desk in the University Center or at the box office in the Music Building.