Every college student knows what Friday night means, TIME TO PARTY! Montel Jordan said it best, “It’s Friday night, just got paid, feeling right…”. Ladies step out in their stiletto heels & short shimmery pieces of club fits’, & fellas come GQ’d dress to impress. All over the District, the old & especially the young wait in anticipation as the sun sets low & the club doors unlock, while the house parties turn the music up loud.

Those of you that party hearty while being safe every weekend know all about PREGAMING. Most grab a bottle or a lighter and get “All the way turnt up” in the words of Hip Hop musician, Roscoe Dash. While you’re gaming make sure you use these tips at staying safe in the District.

• Tip # 1: Grab your homegirls or call up your homies everytime you go out. As out of state, college student Sahr Kpulin would say, “No one wants to role solo dolo bruh”.
• Tip#2: Don’t bring your life in your pockets or purse. If you will not use it during the night then leave it at home. The first thing robbers look for is an easy target with lots of things they can steal.
• Tip#3: Be aware of your surroundings. Make sure you are paying attention to everything that is going on not just on having a good time. Nobody likes to be the friend that wakes up not knowing how they got home, but smiling because your bestie took the time to take your coat off.
• Tip# 4: If you do go out alone, be sure to let someone know where you’re going. Better safe than sorry I always say.
• Tip# 5: Embrace the local people that live here. When people say hello to you or smile, simply acknowledge their presence. Police say that people tend to get aggressive when they are not treated justly. Ladies, all it takes is a smile and a head nod.

By: TCastain

In a popular song Kid Cudi sings, “Crush a bit, little bit, roll it up, take a hit.” Cudi is not the only recording artist who references the use of marijuana in entertainment industry. It is also referenced in popular movies, books, and even children shows. Millions of marijuana enthusiast more than likely will be sparking up today for the holiday known as 4/20, Marijuana Appreciation Day or National Weed Day.

Often referred to as pot, grass, weed, kush, mary jane, the list could go on. Marijuana is the world’s most commonly used illicit drug. Originating from the hemp plant, cannabis sativa, marijuana contains at least 400 different chemicals, its main mind-altering chemical being THC. The amount of THC in marijuana determines the drugs strength, or how high one gets.Marijuana is a mild hallucinogen whose effects are generally felt with 10 to 30 minutes. Often cause short-term memory loss, it is said that marijuana reduces learning ability causing users to fall short on math and verbal skills.

The term 4/20 goes back to 1971 when five San Rafael High School students coined the term. The group of friends, known as the Waldos, would meet after sports practice at 4:20 on search for an abandoned marijuana patch. The group never actually found the patch, however the term “420,” eventually caught on among the friends.

Celebrated for almost two decades now, 4/20, is not only associated with illegal fun. 4/20 is is two days before 4/22, Earth Day, coincidentally making it a part of Earth week. Despite concerns from parents, faculty, parents, and local residents an annual 4/20 celebration is held at the University of Colorado-Boulder. In recent years it has drawn crowds as large as 10,000 people. At the University of California-Santa Cruz a much-publicized 4/20 celebration is held on campus at Porter Meadow. 4 /20 isn’t the only cannabis related annual event. Hash Bash at the University of Michigan is held the first Saturday in April and Hash Wednesday at the University of Illinois, held on the Catholic Holiday Ash Wednesday. May Day Celebrations are held around the globe on the first Saturday in May.

4/20 is not just an American phenomenon; it’s also celebrated throughout New Zealand and in Canada, particularly the Vancouver/BC region. Leave it to France not recognize April 20 as the stoner holiday but rather allegedly celebrate on June 18, the date of a famous speech in 1940 by Charles de Gaulle during the French Resistance. But since June 18 is very close to the period of the significantholiday of Midsummer (June 21 through 24), there could be a similar connection for the French as there is for us in the relation between 4/20 and Earth Day.

Whether you are for or against the use of marijuana, the number of those who use it grows every day. With some calling this the renaissance age for marijuana users because of the new technology and instruments used for smoking it is for sure that this holiday will now die down anytime soon. Happy 4/20!!

Walking across the yard on Howard University’s campus  and always representing North Philadelphia, Fel Mula, is one fourth of the Artists & Repertoire Music Collective team. Taking an interest in music and blessed with an opportunity, Fel, is determined to climb to the top, making something out of nothing.

With a growing love for music starting at the age of eight, Fel laughs as he explains how he didn’t always take his music seriously and calls his earliest rhymes “trash.” It wasn’t until a friend and now label mate began to write and rap, that Fel decided maybe he could finish what he had started. In union with his team, A&R, whom he regards as his “crutch,” Fel started to rebuild his skills to get his name and music out there.

“I didn’t start to take it seriously until my freshman year of college when my friend and fellow label mate, Dru Chris, started rapping and taking his craft serious. I sort of fed off of that energy and just started spittin’. The voice was already there and I had a story that needed to be told, and I’ve been getting better ever since.”

Targeting those in similar situations, through his music, Fel shares his experiences about growing up in the streets of North Philadelphia. Embracing a sound he considers “soulful and heartfelt,” his flow is one that is that is unique to him. Fel draws most of his inspiration from the streets of his hometown. He aims to shed light on what’s going on in the urban community as well as to uplift and educate.

“I get my inspiration from the streets I was raised in and the people that have been in and out of my life. Coming from Philly I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly and I just want to share that with the people through good music,” he shares.  “Just because you’re from the bottom doesn’t mean you have to stay there. I live life trying to be that prime example.”

Left to Right: Manny Mozart, Joffrey C.G., Dru Chris, Fel Mula

Grinding hard to get his name out there and to balance his school work, Fel works hard to reach for success. Fel’s newest project is his debut mixtape titled, “Fel Mula’s “The Motif of The Streets.”  Listeners can expect features from Dru Chris, another member of the Artists & Repertoire Music Collective team, Manny Mozart, A&R producer, as well as Rick Nyce, sound engineer.

“I’m so excited for the world to hear this tape man…it’s been a long time coming. I promise the tape is gonna shock the World, and shed a greater light on the music that Philly has to offer.”

Don’t forget to be on the look out for Fel’s debut mixtape. You can check out more about Fel Mula at www.therepertoire.tumblr.com and www.www.myspace.com/felmulamusic.

NASCAR Kinetics Team Howard Captain, Brendon Henderson

Howard and NASCAR? Not two words entities often used in the same sentence. However, with the launch of NASCAR’s new program, NASCAR Kinetics, on campus a year ago, the idea of the two is not too farfetched. On Sunday, April 18, the NASCAR Kinetics Team Howard will be hosting the NASCAR Viewing Party, “The True Color of a Fan,” in the Blackburn Game Room at 3p.m. brought to you by M&M.

“‘NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion,’ is a competitive internship on campus in which we are sent case studies through out the semester and compete with six other universities,” explains team captain, Brendon Henderson. “It’s a blind competition, so we never see what the other teams do.”

The mission of “NASACR Kinetics” is to connect college students nationwide to NASCAR with an education and academic focus. The idea is that the program will help students explore possible career paths as well as teach them to apply the techniques and lessons learned in the classrooms to weekly case studies which they are required to complete each week, based on real-world challenges and opportunities facing NASCAR and its sponsors every day.

“Through the weekly case studies we have the opportunity to think as if we are the Director of Public Relations or the Marketing department and recommend services as if we were actual employees going through the corporate decision making and problem solving process,” said Stephanie Lockhart, senior public relations major, and member of the team.

The viewing party is the final stretch of the competition.  It will showcase the Samsung Mobile 500 held at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, TX. The more people in attendance, the greater their chances of winning. There will be music, free food, and prizes for those who come out and support the team. Applications will be available to those interested in joining the team.

“If we didn’t learn anything else, it was to GO Hard because we are not going home empty handed,” said Lockhart.

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