By Kirstin Cheers

While kids around the city were giving Easter speeches in their new JCPenney and Macy's, puffy dresses with ruffled socks and patented leather shoes, youth at the New Olivet Baptist Church were performing their first production of the first Hip-Hop tale of the life and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

By Courtney A. Smith

The city of Memphis is considered to be the home of delicious barbeque along with having some of the best talent in sports, especially basketball. With food and sports being the talk of the town, art is another great aspect of Memphis that should be in the conversation.

Take the Five in One Social Club for example. The establishment has been in Memphis for a year and has already made its mark in the art industry.

Michael and Alice Andrews, who celebrated the Five in One Social Club one year anniversary last week, are originally from Wisconsin and came to Memphis looking for a perfect location to start their business. They eventually found the perfect spot on 2535 Broad Ave.

“We moved to Memphis seven years ago and started an art space called Five in One and social club was part of that, like a component of that where artists can get together and hangout and draw on their sketch books,” Alice said.

"A year we heard about a program called MIM Shop. MIM Shop is a small business that the mayor’s innovation team is running and we heard of it like a grant. So we heard about that and thought well what if we turned social club into a business where we taught people how to do things and open a store where we sold things made by all of the awesome local artists that we know," she added. "So that’s how we got started. We applied for a grant and we won the grant and now it’s a year later and things are going pretty good over here.”

By Cormac Parker

The University of Memphis has had a number of performances on campus, but not many like the one held in the Rose Theatre on Tuesday, April 22.

They go by the name Golden Dragon Acrobats. These young adults are highly skilled and full of energy, as they woo the audience with their jaw dropping acrobatics.

Unlike the famous Cirque du Soleil, this event was free and open to the public. Take a look at what happened that night.

By L. Taylor Smith

Shelby Farms was filled with people eager to learn more about going green and living a more eco-friendly life. With performances by musicians and acrobats, plenty of fun activities and vendors selling everything from hand-carved furniture to scented candles, the coast of Patriot Lake was buzzing with activity.

By Darnesha Cotton

Rapper Preauxx, pronounced "Pro," has been busy  perfecting his craft and making a name for himself since 2008.  With a growing fan base and plenty of enthusiasm, he still has the ambitions of a new artist.

His hard work has not gone unnoticed as the Student Activities Council asked him to perform at the first Spring Fling Music Festival opening up for Big Sean. Here is what he had to say about his fans, inspiration, music and the future of his career.

By Akilah Speaks

U of M students participated in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament on Saturday, April 26. The proceeds were donated to Best Buddies, a non-profit special education program that pairs individuals with learning disabilities with high school and college students. The mission of the organization is  to bridge the gap between normal and indifferent by building friendships. 

David Specht, a U of M graduate, coordinated the event for a fundraising competition called Champion of the Year. The location of the event was held in the Recreational Center intramural field from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"I knew alot of people in the Frisbee community and I feel this will not only be good for people with special needs but also a benefit to the community by spreading the word and contributing," Specht said.

Program manager, Brian McNulty, attended  the event and provided UDistrict with more information regarding the organization and how this event was beneficial to the program.  

By Charles Gray

A group of students have joined together to better the environment at the University of Memphis. 

Common Cents is a student organization that has events and functions to raise money for a variety of causes ranging from campus beautification to supplying the school with computers. 

Common Cents President Rachel Brandon along with member Eudarius Jones and U of M director of annual giving, Elisa Campbell Shaw, spoke with the UDistrict about Wieners for Seniors—a pop up event where Common Cents gave away free hotdogs in hopes of donations that would go to adding a tree and a bench to the campus landscape. 

By Courtney A. Smith

The University of Memphis men's basketball team is already taking shape for the 2014-15 season. Coach Josh Pastner is losing four senior guards (Joe Jackson, Geron Johnson, Chris Crawford, and Michael Dixon Jr.) but is looking to replace them with a 2014 recruiting class that features Helen Cox High standout Dominic Magee.

Magee and 17 other top high school seniors participated in the Fifth Annual Jack Jones Shootout at Lausanne Collegiate School located on 1381 W. Massey Road in Memphis, Tenn. Before Magee took the floor to participate in the Jack Jones Senior Showcase, he was busy receiving handshakes from the fans while doing interviews with local reporters.

Dominic recognizes that he will be looked at as only a basketball player by many in Tiger Nation, but he wants to achieve things both on and off the court.

"I want to be taught things that I never been taught," Magee said. "I think I want to major in business because I want to learn more about business in college. I just want to have fun in college, but do my work on the court and do what I've got to do to get minutes."

Before Magee's arrival to Memphis, he was already living the life of a star athlete. He's accustomed to people coming up to him for autographs and pictures, but tries not to allow the fame to throw him off of the opportunity he has in front of him.

"Not to be cocky, I been having that spotlight since I was young," Magee admitted. "That's just being blessed. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a hard worker and I be in the gym a lot. I take basketball serious and people (have) got to understand that I have a 1-year-old son and we've got to eat. I promised him that we're going to be rich one day and I can't let my son down."

By Akilah Speaks

In efforts to promote his new singles, "Leverage" and "Magnolia Trees," Apache demonstrated his political approach by giving back to the community and influencing the youth.

Contributing donations to the Mid-South Food Bank, independent artist Apache El collected food donations from students at the U of M to feed families in need.

"The future is now, we are the future" is the slogan for the campaign supporting the Future Now Youth food drive because he believes the youth control the changes needed to be made in society.

By Cormac Parker Jr

When some people think of mission trips, the first couple locations that come to mind are deep in the jungles of Africa, parts of China or maybe even the local mission serving the homeless.

However, for more than 100 University of Memphis students, Orlando can be added to the list.

Affectionally called the Orlando Project, the 10-week program, starting May 25, sets out to “give students tools that would help them share their faith with their families and friends while growing closer to God,” said Denny Catalano, campus director of the Orlando Project.

Campus Outreach is an interdenominational organization whose "mission is to glorify God by rising up labors on the campus within a lost world." The organization reaches thousands of college students each year with eight college sites across the nation.

When asked why the city of Orlando was choosen, Catalano shines a light on the diversity that the city naturally possesses. 

“We go to Orlando because it is one of the most visited cities in the world, a melting pot of the nations,” he said.