By Charles Gray

The University District was birthed a little over a century ago, but in the short time since, it has grown and flourished to be a unique and defining part for the city. When visiting the Highland Strip or University of Memphis campus, it's important to realize that the amount of culture and progress is able to be defined.

Enter historian Jimmy Ogle. 

The native Memphian and historian of the Bluff City recently gave a walking tour of the University District. He began his tour on the Normal Station Depot plot, walked to Highland Street, walked up the commercial street, then traced Midland Avenue back to the campus where he ended the tour at the Administration Building. 

For those who were not able to attend his walking tour, here's a list of the 10 fun facts about the area as gathered from Jimmy Ogle's tour.

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. 

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.  

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 L. Taylor Smith

During the Crews Center for Entrepreneurship’s Spring Ideas weekend, one team won $1,000 for an idea they developed over a 48-hour period.

Friday, anyone with an idea had the opportunity to pitch an idea in two minutes. Afterward, each participant voted on the ideas they liked best until only five ideas were selected to be built into a rough business model throughout the weekend.

Flyover Footage was one of those ideas.

Darrin Devault, a University of Memphis journalism professor, and Tom Willcox, senior public relations major, developed the idea.

They have been working together through Meeman 901 Strategies, a student-run PR firm that operates through the Crews Center.

“I remember he was like ‘Should we pitch something?’ and I asked him what we would pitch, and he said ‘Drones,’” Willcox said. “I didn’t even think that was allowed.”

By Kirstin Cheers

When cacophonic harmonies and tragic memories dance together in Memphis, they create a stage of epic proportion.  

In true Memphis fashion, the anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will traditionally consist of candlelight vigils, silent marches and rowdy sermons from preachers who remember holding conversations with the great civil rights leader.

This year, however, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will celebrate one of the world's greatest revolutionaries with melodic strands of harmony, storytelling the emotions evoked from the sanitation marches in downtown Memphis to that fretful day on April 4, 1968.   

"Rebirth of the Dream" was inspired by the legacy of King as he stood at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, leading a generation of people from his years as a young preacher, father, but most of all- a radical- towards racial and economic freedom in America.  

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra seeks to revitalize the history, pains and victories with the power of music surrounding King and his contributions. In an unprecedented effort to unite individuals and communities, experiencing such an event could be compared to revisiting that period of time, witnessing the relevance and resilience of the Memphis community as they stood near King.  

Even though they go unnoticed, women in the 1960s stood with King just as much as men, and today, women stand even stronger as they seek to honor his legacy.

By Cormac Parker

Who would have thought that years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., that a multiethnic conference would be coming to town? Or that a university who at one point was only racially diverse because of eight bold and courageous African American students would have a number of students helping in the conference? 

Well, on April 16 and 17 all of this will be a reality. Kainos: A New Normal is a multiethnic equipping conference—the first of its kind in the city of Memphis. 

“The purpose of the Kainos 2014 is to gather leaders who either seek to start multiethnic ministries or churches or who aspire to transition their current homogenous ministries into a multiethnic trajectory,” according to Kainos’s mission statement. 

U of M students, primarily Campus Outreach members, will be a part of this movement.

“It's a great opportunity to take my serving outside of my campus body, and serve my diverse body of brothers and sisters,” Kelsie Carter, a junior journalism major, said.

By Dee Reneé

A four-year public college costs an estimated $18,391 per year for in-state students and an organization has found a way to help students get some relief from their increasing tuition and living expenses.

Walking into the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) on Free Food Friday, there's laughing and pool balls scraping against billiard tables.
 
Located just across the street from the University of Memphis at 469 Patterson St., the BCM has served food to college students for the past 10 years.

"I come to get free because I’m a broke student and I need food and I always ask my friends if they want free food to come with me on Fridays," said Rianna Sarmiento, a senior biology major.

Churches from the city come and serve students different meals and deliver a message. The event lasts from noon to 1 p.m. 

 Students must show their college IDs and non-students pay $2.

The $2 goes to the mission's foundation where students go on mission trips.Students go on varies mission trips in hopes of sharing the gospel and the love of Christ with people.

"I love being a part of this organization where I help serve my peers and just fellowshipping and getting to know other students," said Anna Joy Batchelor, a sophomore journalism major

This past Friday Whitehaven Baptist served hot dogs, chips and cookies.

"I haven’t brought anyone but people have brought me and this is my third time here," said Morgan Bell, a freshman music composition major.

Everyone is always welcomed to get seconds.

The meals vary on what the participating church brings to serve the students, which can differ from home cooked meals to barbecue and even pizza.

Late Night appetite is another free meal opportunity hosted by the BCM every third Monday of the month from 9 p.m. till midnight, and they serve breakfast food.

By Darnesha Cotton

Fashion Moguls Memphis (FMM) hosted #reWERKd, their debut fashion on Monday, March 24, in the University of Memphis Ballroom.

The event showcased designs by Lena Evans-Ray, Christina Dang, Dyneesha Bradley and Jeromy Clear along with other pieces from local boutiques such as Crazy Beautiful, Langford Market, Wish and Plato's Closet.

The clothing featured are being sold on the #reWERKd website with the proceeds benefiting St. Jude's Children's Hospital Research.