Natalie Betts

Some 3,500 Howard students will graduate Saturday into a global and national environment marked by political and economic turbulence. The Bison will be celebrated by roughly 14,000 people on The Yard for the first time in two years, according to Howard’s Executive Director of the Office of University Events and Protocol, Andrew Rivers. The return to The Yard on May 10 follows the last two commencement ceremonies which were held at the Capital One Arena.

When I applied to The Hilltop my freshman year, I had no idea this would be where I’d finish off. I joined the newsroom as a staff reporter—just someone who loved writing and was eager to get involved. My aunt, my guiding light, encouraged me to take that leap of faith, and I applied the night applications were due.

After the Howard University Elections Commission announced most of the student leadership election results last Friday, a series of campaign violations alleged by the commission prompted them to suspend campaigning for the HUSA executive positions. In response, the Howard University Student Association (HUSA) called for an executive order to effectively fire the Elections Commission, citing concerns about its handling of the election procedures.