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 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.
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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.” ![]() 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 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 Jamesa Y. Alston
After watching a YouTube tutorial on how to make distressed denim, a University of Memphis student decided she would create and sell them as a way to pay for her tuition. Gabrielle Mosley, a 22-year-old fashion merchandising major, created her first pair of distressed denim pants when she was a senior in high school as a final project for her fashion merchandising class. After seeing her denim, her classmates wanted her to make them a pair and even offered to buy them. “I never intended on making them for profit,” Mosley said. “I was only trying to make a good grade in class.” Upon entering college, Mosley was giving the advice to steer away from student loans if she could. Because she was about to be a full time student, she didn’t have a job. She then decided to continue to make and sell denim and eventually developed a passion for it. “I thought I was going to get tired of cutting and bleaching jeans,” Mosley said. “But it helps me pay for my tuition and I haven’t had to get a job.” |