Christopher "Dumma Boy" Gholson is a well-known music producer from Memphis, Tenn. He has worked alongside top Hip Hop artist such as Young Jeezy,
T.I. and Two Chainz.

He is the founder of Drum Squad Foundation and an activist in his community. Recently, Drumma presented a grand opportunity for Shelby County School (SCS) students to participate in a contest and have a chance to win $2500. 

The "Dream Summit" was a competition that served as a way for Drumma to give back to his community and provide young entrepreneurs a chance to showcase their talents. 

The event was held Saturday, April 26, 2014 at the University of Memphis in the FedEx Institute of  Technology. 

SCS students, parents and teachers attended the event to learn more about opportunities in the music and sports industries from a panel of industry leaders.

Ron Highsmith, Executive Director of Drum Squad, detailed the importance of the event is to expose the youth to understanding curricular development and gain knowledge about the business side of multi-million dollar industries.

"It is important to present more opportunities and careers they may not learn about in school,"
  said Highsmith, "This is such a broad and diverse industry, and they will benefit tremendously from this summit."

The objective for the contest required students to create and present a business plan of their choice, including branding, budgeting and other market strategies that strive to benefit the
community.

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.  

Terrorists, bombs,and killing people in the name of Allah are just a few of the images that media outlets have portrayed people of the Islamic faith to be.

Sarah Sumayah Noor, a health administration major at the University of Memphis, explained the reality of her faith and what she has experienced while living in the heart of the Bible Belt.

Born in Bangladesh to a devout Muslim family, it was not uncommon for Noor to see women covering their heads in traditional hijabs or for her family to “help” her older sister find a husband or for people to make sacrifices in the name of Allah.

However, in America, not everyone Noor has interacted with is as comfortable as she is with these things, especially in Memphis, Tenn. She believes the biggest reason for the proverbial elephant in the room is due to ignorance.

“People do not take time and educate themselves about my religion,” Noor said. “When they see me and understand that I am just like them, that’s when they start to understand me more.”

She says that the misconception that all Muslims are terrorists or suicide bombers is the reason her parents did not want her to wear anything pertaining to her religion after 9/11.

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 Akilah Speaks

The University of Memphis recently opened a Veterans Resource Center on campus to help military officials and their dependents benefit from a college experience.

Located in the Panhellenic Building, it is open daily to student veterans. The building offers access to a computer lab and lounge area.

There are more than 600 veterans, active duty and dependents, who attend the university in hopes of obtaining a degree in their chosen career paths.

By Leah Beth Bolton

Tennessee lawmakers voted to delay the Common Core education program that would bring Tennessee public school standards up to speed with other schools across the U.S. on March 13. 

The bipartisan legislative push to implement Common Core was first introduced in December 2008 by the National Governors Association after test results showed that Tennessee students were not prepared for college. 

As of 2012, only 16 percent of Tennessee students graduated high school at a college ready level, according to test results from the ACT. 

With a new set of standards on the cusp of being initiated in schools, University of Memphis education majors are being prepared to enter the workforce with a different set of expectations.

Kia Lasley, a senior education major at the U of M, said idealistically she thinks the Common Core will be beneficial, but she has her doubts on how schools will integrate the standards.