By Steven Belk

Hip-hop artists rap about the same three subjects over and over: sex, money, and violence. It's undeniable that these topics sell records and few artists are creative or brave enough to stray away from them. Only a few rare artists such as Lupe Fiasco have the creativity and the courage to do something different.

Lupe uses a cd as his canvas and a mic as his brush to paint a picture of society as he sees it. He challenges the typical hip-hop image in his song "Daydreamin," where he sarcastically promotes alcohol, cocaine, and degrading women. While most of the tracks are high quality, a few of them could use a better beat.

We need more artists like Lupe to show urban kids something other than half dressed women and rolls of money. Nothing can be perfect but "Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor"
comes close. I give it a four out of five.

By Akua Danqua

Does Cardozo deserve the negative reputation it has? As a new student I don't think it does, because I haven't had any negative experiences so far.

Too often the people who put down Cardozo don't know about Cardozo first hand. All they know are the negative things that they have heard about from other people. Visitors don't stay in the environment long enough to form an unbiased opinion about Cardozo.

Another reason why people have negative views of Cardozo is because they expect the worst-case scenario before they even come on the school grounds. I think the two major reasons for these low expectations are because of where the school is located, and the ethnicities of the students. So it doesn't really matter what they see because the people who negatively criticize Cardozo already have their minds made up and they block out the reality of the situation.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the students were friendlier than I expected and the teachers were very efficient at teaching their lesson plans. Contrary to what you might think or have heard I feel very safe while I am in the school building or on its grounds.

It is not a perfect school for example the building could use some remodeling but I appreciate being able to be a pupil at Cardozo because it is a great experience. Cardozo is a school that is rising to the top and people should stop putting it down because it's not so bad after all.

By: Mariah Stanley

As I walked up the steps of Cardozo Senior High School for the first time I thought to myself how overwhelming this new school would be. With a bad impression from my sister already set in my mind, I was upset I would be attending this school also known as "Cardirty." I went to orientation upset but left sort of relieved that the staff I had met was so welcoming. What I also noticed about Cardozo was the beautiful architecture that had been so poorly taken care of, it surely did live up to its well known nickname. My mother and I looked around and knew I went from bad to worse.

My name is Mariah Stanley. I have lived in the D.C area my entire life. Last year I attended Duval high school in Prince George's County. From there to Cardozo was not a huge transition. My old school also had a bad reputation its nickname was similar to Carodozo's it was called "Dirty Duval." But I've noticed a difference between Cardozo and Duval is the pride the students have for their school. In Duval, even with the bad reputation, many students participate in activities and clubs. There was a club for almost anything you could think. You could also suggest a new club if you wanted. Teachers who promoted these clubs did not have a deadline in which you could join. They were open to anyone who was interested, even with no prior experience in whatever that club or sport was about.

I've witnessed here in Cardozo that many students do not take pride in their school, many do not participate in activities and a lot of children do not even try to learn. There are many clubs here but it seems that no one really wants to participate. I think the staff and student body government need to come together and find ways to help the students of Cardozo take pride in this school, and also take pride in them selves. It's time for everyone in Cardozo to wake up and find some motivation to take pride in their so called "EXCELelerator School."

By Bianca Williams

During the first ten minutes of fourth period, Mr. Crayton made an announcement over the loud speaker. "Teachers please step into the hallway to assist students to their class... because we are about to have a hall sweep." But why is he announcing that there will be a hall sweep?

Students in the hall during 4th period.(George Telzrow)

The main purpose of a hall sweep is to stop students from walking the halls during class. If hall sweeps happen consistently, students will think twice before skipping class. To be an effective deterrent, hall sweeps should catch hall walkers off-guard and result in punishment. Hall sweeps should be a way for the administration to have some type of control over students. Announcing the hall sweeps defeats the purpose of having them at all. Instead, administrators are giving students a reason to not take them seriously and to do whatever they please.

As a result, students are running this school. Too often, students say when they're going to walk the halls, what classes they'll attend, and tell the teachers what they are and aren't going to do in class. The tragic part about it is that the teachers are accepting this type of behavior. Why are the administrators tolerating this type of nonsense from students? If they want students to respect them, then they should show students that they are serious and follow through with their actions. Instead of announcing when the hall sweeps are about to occur, the administrators should show students the seriousness of hall sweeps and make examples of those who are disobeying them.
Bianca Williams

Housing Boom Displaces Long Time Residents

by Ugochi Onyeukwu

Some may say that gentrification is helping the city because low-cost and deteriorated neighborhoods are being torn down and new buildings are being put in their place, but it is actually hurting D.C. Gentrification is the redevelopment of urban, usually low-income areas (often where African-Americans live) followed by the increase of wealthier (often Caucasian) residents that displaces the poorer residents. Gentrification is unfair and shows that, although we have come a long way, racism and classism are still rampant today. D.C. is going through gentrification right now with old apartment buildings being torn down and high-priced condominiums being built in their place. In some areas of D.C., sometimes called "Chocolate City," there isn't much chocolate left anymore. With gentrification on the rise, D.C.'s culture is being changed along with it.

Gentrification began to affect D.C. after the 1968 riots sparked by Martin Luther King's assassination. The riots caused many businesses to close and left many areas in shambles. The riots greatly affected the inner city. There was an increase in the departure of all races to suburban areas. But many people stayed. Even when crime rates were high and a lot of people lost their jobs, they stayed. And now what? The city is beginning to become better, and the people who stayed and kept D.C. alive are now being displaced.

The District of Columbia is one of the most powerful cities in the United States, but its longtime residents are being treated like they don't matter. The people living in areas that are being gentrified often don't have an organized voice, like the people who are buying these low-income houses and flipping them. Gentrification can be a good thing because it does fix up the neighborhoods, but kicking out old residents that can't afford the better housing is just wrong. Allowing gentrification to go on is only going to result in one thing, the rich are going to get richer and the poor are going to have to move.

To fix the problem the D.C. government should ensure that a mix of housing is included in each new building so that families of different incomes can live in the city. If we provide more opportunities for work in the area it would reduce poverty that is plaguing parts of D.C. Also, the minimum wage should be increased, because the minimum wage now is not enough to be able to live in D.C. The city should also provide houses for the elderly who don't have the ability to work and earn money. This would protect them from the harmful side effects of gentrification.

by Ugochi Onyeukwu

The Symptoms of Senioritis

Every senior has felt it, that urge to just drop all your books and scream "I can't do this anymore." Most cases of senioritis begin after college applications and mid-year reports have been sent in, but in extreme cases it might start the first day of senior year or earlier. Senioritis affects everyone, regardless of sex, age, height, race etc. Senioritis can be deadly to ones grades and may be contagious. Keep an eye out for that nasty problem
The symptoms of this virus are:
* Laziness
* Over-excessive wearing of overly comfortable clothing (including but not limited to sweatpants and track suits)
* Lack of studying
* Not doing any work
* Repeated Absences
* Skipping classes
* Dismissive attitude
* Playing pranks on others

With new cases of senioritis occurring every day, the only known way of curing this virus is the wonderful event known as Graduation. Rasheda Foster said, " Its just stressful, with college applications, grades, and my job. I have to put in extra work." Some seniors think that senioritis is about fear, an unnamed senior sad that he does not have senioritis, because he has nothing to be afraid of in the work department. Takia Williams says that after working so hard to get here she thought that senior year would be a breeze; she has found that to be very false. When asked if she sees senioritis among the seniors in Cardozo, Ms. April Copes replied, "Heck yes, for some people its the fear of moving on to the real world and some other people its the same laziness they had all the other years. On the other hand there are some seniors working very hard to get into the colleges of their choice and to win scholarships."

by Zenani Bishop

Busboys and Poets is a chaotic clash of a bookstore, restaurant, and beat poem reading hall, internet café and much more. Located on the corner of 14th and V, Busboys and Poets attracts many creative minds and aspiring poets as well as those who simply enjoy the artistic intellect of others. They hold several events a week including book readings by authors, writer's workshops, poet nights, cinema night (showing indie films) and tons of other things that you can attend free of charge.

Busboys and Poets is named after the Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes. Poet Nicholas Vachel Lindsay called Langston a "Negro busboy poet" because Langston placed several of his poems beside Lindsay's plate when serving him one night in a restaurant. Busboys and Poets is an amazing place to eat, serving fine cuisine from modern chefs. Though they may seem weird, these dishes surprise your taste buds and satisfy your hunger. I found the pink Salmon on sweet pancakes with syrup. This new age hang out is homey and nestled right into the busy U street scene and I love it. Oh, and don't forget to stop by the wonder machine, drop in your quarter and collect your random piece of garbage.

If you were the new mayor in D.C what would be your two priorities?

by Maria Aguilar

Ms. Barron: I would provide more low-income housing in the city by forming a partnership with companies that offer low wage jobs, such as Starbucks, Pot Belly Sandwich, and others. These companies would contribute money to a city housing account to provide subsidies to workers employed at low wage jobs.

Mr. Elbouhnini: I would do what ever I could to stop violence. I would make sure all students stay in school. As mayor I would make sure parents come to teacher conferences. If a teacher has a problem with a student and they call home, the parent needs to come or parents will receive a letter asking for a reason why they didn't attend. Also I would give more money to schools, that way students could get their materials and get a better education. I would manage all the money that goes to schools so it doesn't get to the wrong hands.

D'Quedia: I would try to clean the city, because Washington needs to look like a real city. I would add more street sweepers to clean the streets.

Dewayne: I would build new schools and put all the bad kids in one school and kids that have special needs in one school that can pay attention to them and have equipment just for their needs.

Rony: In every city office I would have Spanish people to help people that need help with the language.

Ms. Sylvia: We need to get a public hospital east of the Anacostia River because all hospitals are all together in one area. I would invest money to open a new hospital. I would also improve human services for the less fortunate people and children. I would focus on housing for people with lower incomes and improve drug treatment centers in the city.

Kibbles: I would make gay rights in the U.S. legal. I feel as though no matter what your sexuality is, you should be treated equal.

Edwin: I would get more money for all D.C public schools. I would fix all D.C schools, because they are falling down. Some of the schools even have rats and cucarachas. I would also make all jobs pay more money.