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: Dee Reneé

Juicy Jim’s Pizzeria on South Highland Street is the go-to place for open mic on Tuesday nights.

Jim Matson, owner of Juicy Jim’s Pizzeria, is originally from New Jersey, but moved to Memphis in 1992 and opened Juicy Jim’s in 2003.

Matson got the name Juicy Jim when he was 16 and working at a place called Greasy Tony’s, where he impressed two young ladies with his “juicy” burgers.

Toke Up Tuesday is the formal name for the open mic event hosted every Tuesday night, which started two years ago.

It started when University of Memphis student Kenneth Hall asked Matson for the opportunity to make some money and get the restaurant exposure though the open mic night.

Every Tuesday, Jim expects anywhere from 100 to 150 people to crowd his vintage bar for performances. 

“I love coming to Juicy Jim’s on Tuesdays. I love to hear the good and bad performers. Some of the bad ones come back every Tuesday to try and redeem themselves,” Jamon Harvell said a junior engineering major at the university

Throughout the night there are countless acts--some good, some bad. 

Some participants perform spoken word and others perform stand-up comedy.

“I’m here every Tuesday getting on stage showing off  my comedic talents,"said Darius Wilder, a junior at the U of M. "The first couple of times I was pretty nervous but now I’m something like a pro,”

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 L. Taylor Smith

Wilma Davis, a Memphis Area Master Gardner, will lecture Monday on how to attract native birds as part of the TIGUrS’ Animal Conservation lecture series. 

Davis used to work at The Wild Bird Feeding Industry in Jackson Springs, Miss., until she retired nine years ago.

“I’ve always been interested in gardening and took the (Master Gardener) class,” Davis said. “It covers plants, soils, insects, turf, a little bit of everything. They say that if you take this class and try to get a bachelor’s in agriculture, you’ll just need English, history, things like that.”

Davis said the best way to attract wild birds to a garden or green space is to provide ample water, food, nesting habitats and protection habitats like trees and shrubs.

“Nesting habitats are for the cavity nesters like chickadees, titmice and nuthatches,” Davis said. “Other birds like robins, doves and cardinals build their nests primarily in nests in trees and shrubs.”

She also discourages letting cats outside.

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. 

By Cormac Parker

Every Sunday morning in Memphis, pastors step to the pulpit and deliver sermons. Throughout the week, Memphians can see them giving back to the community, from feeding the homeless to counseling struggling individuals.

For Kenneth Whalum Jr., pastor of the New Olivet Baptist Church, his words are shared in the pulpit as well as politics. He is a candidate for Shelby County mayor.

Whalum is extremely proud to be a Memphian. He will unashamedly tell you that he is Memphis born, Memphis bred and when he dies, he will be Memphis dead.

This passion for his city is one of the many reasons he is running for office. Giving attention to the children of the city is what Whalum said is the base of changing the community for the better.

By L. Taylor Smith 

More than 40 volunteers showed up for the Memphis River Warriors’ first cleanup of the year Saturday.

During the cleanup, volunteers walked through the woods by McKellar Lake and collected Styrofoam, plastic and glass bottles, wrappers and other trash that had washed up on the banks.

In two hours, volunteers collected 580 pounds of recyclable materials.

The Memphis River Warriors, a registered student organization at the University of Memphis, works with other organizations like Memphis City Beautiful and the Sierra Club Chickasaw Group to clean up the area, which used to be a popular vacation spot.

Rachel Waters, a freshman psychology major at the U of M, got involved when she came to college because her older sister Grace Waters was part of the core group of initial volunteers.

“I started to go in support of her, but I very soon got hooked on the idea of making a change in the community and doing something for the greater good of millions of people,” Waters said. “Before coming to these cleanups, I had no idea of the magnitude of trash that could accumulate in one location.”

By Kirby Cheers

It takes a village to raise a child and it take hot wings to raise a college student.  

At least that's what one will find when they visit Ching's Hot Wings located at 1264 Getwell Road, one block away from South Campus on the corner of Park.  

On any given weekday, the hot wing restaurant is filled to capacity with standing room only. Placing an order for carry-out over the phone leaves the customer waiting for about 45 minutes on "Scandal Thursdays" and a solid hour for a night of March Madness. Yet, the various, mouth-watering flavors keep Ching's customers coming back and waiting for more each week.  

"It's a good problem to have," Stacey Jackson, one of the co-owners of the popular hot wing restaurant, said. "We talk about the parking. Even with our employees, they will call me and say, 'I'm here, but I can't find a parking space.' It's exciting to see the growth and see where the next level will take us."  

By Courtney Smith 

The Memphis Tigers (24-10, 12-6 AAC) basketball season is officially over after their 78-60 loss to No. 1 seeded Virginia Cavaliers (30-6, 16-2 ACC) of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the third round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday.

With their dreams of playing in the Sweet 16 crushed, what’s next for coach Josh Pastner and the team as a whole?

Pastner started his press conference Tuesday with how he will run his rotation of players for next season and mentioned that nothing will be handed to his players. Everything will have to be earned by hard work and dedication to the program.

“Playing time is to be earned. No one is bigger than this program that includes myself, that includes my coaches, that includes the players. Nobody is ever bigger than this program,” Pastner said to the media at the final press conference of the season. “I have never promised anything in recruiting, never promised a minute or a starting spot. As long as I am coaching, I will not do that.”

One of the reporters present at the press conference did not hesitate to ask Pastner about some of the players who didn’t see the floor that much this season such as freshman forward Kuran Iverson and freshman center Dominic Woodson.