Howard University is currently in chaos due to a recent financial aid scandal. A Howard law student has allegedly embezzled $429,000 from Howard University’s financial aid office. A blog post on The Medium, which has since been deleted, claimed that a significant amount of financial aid money had been embezzled from the institution and a student and former employee of the financial aid office had something to do with it.

Howard student and former Howard financial aid office employee Tyrone Hankerson Jr. has been the center of attention since his name was released to the public late last month. Pictures of him flaunting designer clothing and accessories were copied from his social media, and he became the subject of a multitude of memes and think-pieces.

Although no one has been charged with the embezzlement of the financial aid funds, six financial aid employees were fired from the office due to gross misconduct and neglect of duties. Since the release of this information, Howard students have organized many protests and sit-ins through HU Resist, a student-run movement which challenges the flaws of their university.

Once they were made aware of the news of the financial aid scandal, students decided to host a sit-in in the universities administration building on March 29, which lasted nine days. During these nine days, students made nine demands, including the resignation of President Wayne Frederick and the entire board of trustees.

On the ninth day of the sit-in, students were able to settle on seven of the nine demands. Through this protest they were able to get the administration to freeze undergraduate tuition rates at the current levels. They decided to reshape their movement and focus on bettering the institution rather than getting a resignation from the universities president.

Although it may not be perceived this way, there are some that claim Tyrone is a victim in this situation. When questioned by ABC, Tyrone stated, “Please know that I have done nothing illegal or wrong. When the truth comes out, it will be confirmed that I followed all rules and protocol with the approval of the, then, financial aid officers in any grants, scholarships or awards given to me as a student who attended class all year round and traveled abroad.”

This statement is very hard to believe due to the fact that the funds “awarded” to him exceed the overall cost of his education for his time at Howard. Students at Howard feel as though this heist has affected many of them by depriving them of financial aid.

For students, it was devastating to find out that hundreds of thousands of dollars were being stolen by Howard University employees.Tyrone Hankerson Jr. has also recently filed a 10 million dollar lawsuit against the institution for releasing his financial information.

It is imperative that students get the answers to their questions. Although the investigation is still underway, the Howard University administration has agreed to most of their demands. It is important that these demands are met and that the University introduces protocol that will prevent a scandal like this from ever happening again.

Please join the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Health Administration and Policy  we celebrate the end of the semester, induct new members to our honors societies, recognize student achievements and special awards, and celebrate our soon-to-be graduates!

Date:  Wednesday, May 16th

Time: 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

Place: Public Policy Building, Atrium

We hope to see you there!

Hundreds of students rallied together in the Commons Main Street last Thursday for Take Back the Night, an annual campaign that supports survivors of sexual assault.

This past April 12 marks the sixth consecutive year that the Women’s Center has hosted Take Back the Night on campus. Take Back the Night originated in the 1970s as a protest to sexual, relationship and domestic violence against women. Now nearly five decades later, it has reached 30 countries and thousands of schools worldwide, and continues to champion for “the right [of women] to move freely in their communities at day and night without harassment and sexual assault.”

Since early April, the hashtag #umbcTBTN has taken over the Women’s Center Twitter page in an effort to create a dialogue on the event, reminding survivors that TBTN is a platform for them to “stand in their power to speak out about their experiences with sexual assault.“

The two-and-a-half hour long event debuted at the heart of the Commons Main Street around 6 p.m. to a roaring audience. Allies, survivors, and staff members with TBTN t-shirts and rally signs sat patiently, while others hastily gathered into their seats amidst the noise and bustle of the very public entryway.

However, the night opened with a monologue that perfectly summarized the necessity for the slightly chaotic debut of the event.

“We know this is not the ideal location when it comes to space and noise, but we need to be here,” said a student organizer. “We need to be seen. We need our voices heard.”

From there, survivors came forward to share their stories at the mic. One by one, students of all races, genders and sexual orientations faced the crowd with stories ranging from sexual harassment to rape to child molestation. Some held back tears, while others braced hands with a loved one to stay strong as they opened up, often for the first time, about their painful journeys to a crowd of strangers.

“He didn’t leave when I told him to, and my feelings of disgust and anger and hurt and shame won’t leave either,” one female survivor said tearfully.

“I was taken advantage of. I didn’t scream, or do those sorts of things … but my first kiss was taken away from me. My virginity was taken away from me,” said an LGBT survivor, adding, “It took me a long time to realize it, but I was a victim. My wound had healed but my scar had still remained.”

After another hour of this, students and survivors broke into applause for those who came forward before dispersing into lines for the official march.

The march started on the steps of the Commons, continuing towards the True Grits dining hall before winding its way down the academic buildings and towards the True Grit statue near the RAC.

Many held rally signs and posters while shouting chants to make their voices heard along the streets of UMBC.

“One, two, three, four, we won’t take it anymore!”

“Five, six, seven, eight, no more violence, no more hate!”

Marchers eventually circled to create a Survivor’s Circle, where survivors embraced one another in calming silence as a breather from the emotions that picked up during the night.

In the end, the marchers finally returned to the Commons Main Street to simmer down for the Craftivism activity, where students and volunteers created scraps, Dear Survivor letters, and t-shirts to reflect and release their emotions to end the night.

The event received positive praise from several UMBC students, and many are hopeful that its platform could not only be used to tell their stories, but also to work together to forever change how Americans and UMBC itself responds to rape.

According to the Take Back the Night Foundation, 1 out of 6 American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape in their lifetime, and 1 out of 4 women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.

UMBC’s 2016 campus climate survey revealed that nearly 1 in 5 Retrievers face sexual assault, and of those, 73 percent experience it on campus and 37 percent within their first year. This is a grim reminder that UMBC is no exception to the statistics, and also has the potential to do more in the mission to change the climate on sexual assault.

Members of the We Believe You club, a new student organization on campus that supports survivors of sexual assault, are aiming to make that change. Recently, they launched their #RetrieversDeserve campaign, which petitions for mandatory in-person sexual assault prevention education training on campus to help reduce those numbers.

“We think it’s important for people to have that education to not only see and know what it would look like, but to know how big it is on campus because students are blindsided to it,” said Dakota Murray, President of We Believe You and sophomore psychology major.

Vice President and sophomore math major Kim Spadafora also agreed, saying that mandated education training will benefit students regardless of gender or orientation.

“If you come to campus and make a friend and care enough about that friend, get training,” she said. “If you go home to visit your friends, get training. Anything can happen. Anywhere. Anytime. To anyone.”

To survivors coping or struggling to cope after their experiences, one survivor sums it best: “It gets better. It got better for me. And when you feel like the damage is eating you alive, if you just put your hand on your heart and know that it’s beating, it could be a lot, lot worse.”

More opportunities to support or join the discussion on sexual assault also remain. The Monument Quilt, an event where survivors and allies patch their stories into a giant quilt, was scheduled for Tuesday, April 17.

Anyone interested in signing the #RetrieversDeserve petition can visit bit.ly/UMBCretrieversdeserve.

“Growing up I always wanted to be an artist.”

Most of us, if not all, have heard or said these same words at some point in our lives. But for the visual artist, Mehki Adams, this phrase has become a lifestyle.

The Prince George’s county native continues to develop an eye for capturing and creating multimedia art, particularly in videography. Whether he is sketching designs on a notepad or editing film for an installation, there are few territories he is unwilling to venture. At sixteen, his first art show serves as the stepping stone for more down the line. After a taste of this interactive experience, his quest for artistic freedom had only begun.

For Adams, trips to and from New York have become routine. Recently, Adams’s artwork has been featured at The National Black Theatre in Harlem. His visuals offer an introspective viewpoint on the demonized perception of black bodies. “I want to normalize black art that isn’t based on struggle,” Adams said. “There is so much beautiful work, literature, poetry and artwork that is often overlooked.” In a piece entitled, “Black Boy Joy,” Adams morphs colors and shapes to foreground the friendship between two black boys.

Adams has also taken on the role of video director for the play “Trilogy” at Nuyorican Poets Café. Here, Adams covered headshots, flyers and an intriguing two-part short film. To portray the creation of religion, Adams compiled a series of striking images that eluded to the concept of spirituality. In juxtaposition to his abstract take on the premise of the play, he adds a short documentary that highlights the opinions of cast members. The actors share their contrasting beliefs that Adams then frames in a cohesive manner. Simply put, a CREATIIION worth a standing ovation.

CREATIIION radio echoes over the uncensored web broadcast known as WMBC. Every Wednesday at 1pm (EST) listeners tune into a playlist filled with sounds across all genres.  By devising a platform to share influential artists such as Twin Shadow and Blood Orange, it is an hour guaranteed to affect your entire body.

Adams’s appreciation for music was shaped at an early age by his family. “My mom was a cool cat, she definitely helped me find my style. I’m thankful for the love my family has shown me, it allowed me to be myself.”   Influenced by U.K. punk culture, his style has reintroduced what it means to take risks in fashion.

Down the road awaits a possible tattoo apprenticeship, mural projects and much more for this versatile visionary.  “When I die, my art will be the mark I leave on the world. And I really want to make a statement,” Adams said. “I really want to say something, you know?”

Somewhere listed among the oldest event posts on your myUMBC account is an invitation to history in the making: the first ever Black Girls Rock Award Ceremony.

This ceremony was established to honor the dynamic and powerful black women here at UMBC and will be hosted by The Lambda Kappa Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The purpose of this night is to shed light on the many achievements of black and brown women that are oftentimes omitted from our day-to-day conversation. With this event, they are not merely part of the conversation, but are the main topic.

You have probably seen a hashtag or heard the phrase “Black Girls Rock” before now. Before the ceremony, came a movement. Black Girls Rock is a nonprofit organization that has been committed to empowering girls through leadership, education and positive identity development since 2006. Founded by celebrity DJ Beverly Bond, its massive success has led to the creation of an award show that is nationally broadcast on the Black Entertainment Television network. Each year notable athletes, artists and community leaders come together to host and support this rare occasion. This year mark its eighth show since its debut in November 2010.

Moreover, this year marks the fourth Black Girls Rock Awards at UMBC. The event shows appreciation for the women of color both inside and outside of the organization. Students are encouraged to nominate a candidate for the following awards: Trailblazer Award, Visionary Award, Young Black and Gifted Award, Community Change Agent Award, Social Humanitarian Award and The “Rock Star” Award. Each of the six awards acknowledges a student or faculty member that has made a positive impact on campus or in their community. Everyone is invited to submit their anonymous nominations through an online link. Finally, on the night full of festivities the recipients will be announced and will be honored through an artistic presentation. But the giving does not stop there.

There is an interesting twist to the 2018 Black Girls Rock Awards that everyone is sure to enjoy. Members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., have created a promotion video featuring black women in dance, music, art, science and much more. Many of these familiar faces are captured doing what they love. Junior chemical engineering major Kelsi Lawson is seen co-hosting a radio segment. Junior biology major Reyan Abdelmoniem is seen practicing her violin. And even the Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Ms. Lisa Gray, is captured behind her desk in the Student Life office. The list goes on.

An award hardly seems enough to recognize the excellence black women demonstrate in classrooms, communities and in the lives of others, but this program aims to inspire the world to look towards black women and their achievement.

The Black Girls Rock award ceremony will be held in the Skylight Lounge on April 28, 2018 from 7-11 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online.

For decades, Duo Alterno has toured the world performing in over fifty countries, serenading the world with powerful vocals and skillful piano play. This past Thursday the duo added the Linehan Concert Hall to their prestigious list of venues with their performance of “Foto-songs from Italy and the World.” 

Originally from Turin, Italy, Tiziana Scandaletti (Soprano) and Riccardo Piacentini (Piano) have taken their talents all over the globe, and also published nineteen CDs over the course of their illustrious career as the Duo Alterno. This concert looked to reflect upon their travels with foto-songs, or songs that were accompanied by pictures and sounds from the streets of four cities that they have visited.

The show opened up with Piacentini giving an enthusiastic introduction, explaining what the duo had in store for the crowd that night. The excitement in his voice rang through the concert hall, reflecting his genuine desire to perform for the eager audience. The show began smoothly, as Scandaletti showcased an impressive vocal range that could transition notes seamlessly, even on the most technical of songs. The same went for Piacentini’s piano play, which could switch tempo instantaneously as well as delicately hit keys, providing a softer sound when needed.

As for the foto-songs, while having good intention, they simply did not match the artistic standard that their more traditional music had set. A slideshow of amateur pictures was projected on a screen while sounds of the various cities played from a recording. It seemed more like someone showing off their vacations, rather than a carefully thought-out performance like the rest of the show was.

With four foto-songs from Australia, Brazil, the United States and China, the show’s mood was constantly brought down with the underwhelming PowerPoints. Had there been better photography, the sounds of the cities would have complemented the pictures nicely and would have made for an interesting feature to their concert. Unfortunately, the lack of quality made for dull moments in the duo’s concert.

There were also a couple moments where the piano needed to be tuned and Scandaletti was forced to stop mid-note at times to cough a bit before continuing on as if nothing happened. While both miscues were more circumstantial than anything, and definitely do not happen often to the group, it still took away from the performance as a whole which was disappointing knowing their prestigious reputation throughout the years.

While the show had its pitfalls, the duo’s chemistry was impressive. In some songs, Piacentini would chime in to complement Scandalettti’s voice at times that only the most in-sync musicians would be able to recognize. During one song, Piacentini would even meow like a cat, which made the audience chuckle and lightened the mood of the auditorium. It was apparent that the two have been working together and perfecting their styles for an extremely long period of time.

Although Duo Alterno’s trip to UMBC was not their most memorable performance, it was still a privilege to be in the presence of such accomplished musicians. With their traveling years behind them, the foto-songs and video projections seemed to be a way to reminisce on their many trips in life, and while things may not have worked perfectly, the Duo Alterno still managed to show their musical excellence.