College is seen as a haven for better opportunities, more dating options and casual sex. Many colleges have more women than men, a ratio of 3-to-1 in some cases. This gives men the upper hand when it comes to choosing whom they wish to sleep with, and they expect their partners to be experienced.

That’s not the case for Traicee, a sophomore at Howard University who declined to use her real name. Unlike her friends, Traicee is not only a virgin, but she also has no sex drive.

“I feel like everyone has sex, and it’s supposed to be a part of the college experience,” she says. “It makes me feel a little offbeat compared to everyone.”

“Going to Howard, [men] are excited about having the option of a lot of women,” Traicee adds. “It makes me refrain from hanging out with guys one-on-one a lot; especially when they say, ‘Let’s hang out in my room,’ because I know what that leads to.”

According to a 2008 study by Obstetrics and Gynecology magazine, about 43 percent of women 18 and older have sexual problems. Ten percent of those women have complained about having low sexual desires.

Similar situations like this happen for Traicee who is attracted to men, but has no sexual desires past physical attraction. Since many of Traicee’s friends think her case is unusual, they think that she needs to seek help. According to the Mayo Clinic, common causes of low sex drive include anemia, alcoholism, anxiety, drug abuse, depression, stress and relationship issues. Traicee agrees that she occasionally experiences anxiety and stress, but says that this stems  mainly from college. In some cases, people who lack sexual fantasies and a desire for sexual activity for a period of time have Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD).

Diagnosing someone with a low sex drive is not that simple as Traicee’s friends make it, explains Diane Schank, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Washington, D.C. “It’s hard to say if women have low sex drives or if they fear of being in pain.”

Dr. Schank

“I don’t think I have ever diagnosed someone with HSDD, because I think the issue of sexual desire has to do with the type of relationship the person is in,” says Schank, who has been a psychologist for 16 years and worked in sex therapy since her yearlong internship in graduate school.

“It is only seen as hypo-sexual if the person is with someone who wants to have sex a lot more than they do,” Schank says. “Also, some people have an anti-sexual upbringing, where they were told how bad sex was or if they had sexual trauma.”

As Traicee reflected back on her upbringing, she realized her parents might have had a lot to do with her low sex drive.

“I think I’ve seen my parents kiss all of two times, so I didn’t grow up in a household where affection was normal,” she says. “I feel like my parents are more partners than a couple because I never see affection. Therefore, it’s hard for me to be affectionate.”

Traicee’s mother taught her as a young girl to not waste time on boys and said the whole point of dating was to find a husband. Since Traicee was young, she clearly was in no rush to look for a husband anytime soon. She also believed all men and women lost their virginity after they eloped.  Thus, she figured she would lose her virginity to the man she married. As Traicee grew older, she realized she does not wish to get married until she is in her 30s. She is uncertain on when she will ever have sex.

“I don’t think I want to have sex; well, eventually I will, of course,” Traicee says, taking the statement back in confusion. “But I want to be in a relationship based completely off of love that is not related to sex at all. Then eventually, after we have been together for a while …” Traicee insinuates she would be open to having sex.

Sarah, a student at the University of Washington who also declined to use her real name, is in a relationship and has no desire to have sex. Sarah and her boyfriend have been together for more than a year and are going strong without sexual intercourse because of Sarah’s low libido.

“Refraining from sex isn’t hard, but it is not completely easy, because he wants to do it,” Sarah says gently. “I don’t think it affects him in a negative way, but I think it would make him happier if we had sex.”

“I don’t think sex should be as casual as it is today,” Sarah believes. “People should be able to count how many partners they have slept with on one hand.”

Sarah’s lack of desire to have sex does not take a toll on her at all. In her case, treatment is unnecessary because she does have an issue with her low sex drive. However, for those women who would like a solution for their low sex drives there is hope. Alan L. Marcus, Ph.D., a psychologist who specializes in couple’s and sex therapy in Washington, has several suggestions.

Dr. Marcus

“Patients should get checked by their gynecologists to make sure there are not any biological, hormonal or physical issues that are creating it, including birth control,” Marcus said. Birth control pills contain estrogen and progesterone, which can affect a woman’s sex drive.

“I also suggest that they maintain a healthy diet and receive plenty of rest,” Marcus added. “If there are signs of emotional issues, check emotional issues. Then I would suggest therapy.”

For more information about treating a low sex drive, check out this video on young women with low libido.

Rahshana Lester, 20-year-old college student, and self-proclaimed book-to-movie critic, applies
the finishing touches to her long textured hairstyle that she calls the “Katniss
braid.”-

She grabs her bag then pauses, returning to her computer desk to retrieve a printed movie ticket for tonight’s
9:50 screening of “The Hunger Games.”

Filmgoers like Lester walk into theaters with feelings of prestige. Long before the wide-eyed movie patrons
sitting in the row behind them were aware that the story on the screen even existed, they knew it all too well. The Lesters of the film world watch not only for entertainment, but also to deem whether the movie lives up to the
expectations set in the book. That’s true loyalty.

For Lester, the cinematic quality of “The Hunger Games” is enticing and the transition of futuristic America, Panem, from
book to screen is suitable. While the movie brings much to life, the avid
reader still leaves the movie saying, “The book was better!”

“The Hunger Games”- grossed $152.5 million its opening weekend, making it Lionsgate’s
#1 movie of all time, according to BoxOffice Media. It is the #1 non-sequel
movie to rank this highly at the box office, coming in third to “Harry Potter and
the Deathly Hollows Part Two” and “The Dark Knight” for the most successful
opening weekend ever.

With two more books in its trilogy written by Suzanne Collins, “The Hunger Games” is
expected to break even more records because of its growing fan-base and the
avid readers who’ve finished “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay” well before their
scheduled release dates next year.

What do Suzanne Collins, Stephenie
Meyer, J.K Rowling all have in common?

Success.

While “The Hunger Games” and “The Twilight Saga” continue, Rowling’s brainchild Harry
Potter and his wizardry expanded into several books and eight films that grossed
approximately $6.37 billion at the box office. The film’s success exceeded the
average merchandising value as far as a full attraction at Disneyland. The
books alone sold more than 450 million copies.

“I think the excitement comes more from the book and less from the actors,” Lester
says about reading before going to the theater, “it can all be really disappointing
if they don’t do it right.”

Lisa Schwarzbaum, film critic for Entertainment Weekly, had this to say about “The
Hunger Games”– “as Katniss struggles mightily to save her own life…[the film] doesn’t
match the psychological tension on the page…the movie shows how, but the book
shows why.”

The African-American actors cast to play three lead roles in “The Hunger Games”
faced scrutiny from readers who overlooked Collins descriptions of the black
characters, Rue and Thresh, while Lenny Kravitz was cast as mentor Cinna. Racial
slurs were unleashed via Twitter, personal blogs and Facebook accounts
protesting the African-American presence in the film.

“That’s the problem with reading before watching—not everyone can actually read,”
Lester insists.

The Oscar gold “Lord of The Rings” trilogy, “Harry Potter,” “Twilight” and now “The
Hunger Games” are the most apparent successes in the book-to-film phenomenon,
even though an average of 30 films a year are based on books and growing.

“I admit I camped out to see the last ‘Harry Potter’ film, I cried when it was
over.” sophomore Blair Crosby said.

Films based on novels have lots of visually pleasing moments. They bring the most
vivid scenes—with a reasonably large budget—to life and put faces and
personality into the characters readers admired in the book. It allows them the
satisfaction of murmuring, “Oh that’s what they look like!”

Several film studios, Universal and Focus features winning rights to E.L James trilogy “50
Shades of Grey,”which started out as “Twilight” fan-fiction and quickly developed into an adult
erotica far from the young adult book-to-movie hits.

The bid earned E.L James $5 million from the movie studios without the first film
even at its beginning stages.

A lot is to be desired for writers aspiring to take on Hollywood and see their novel on the big
screen, and the movie studios are more open than ever to attract a fan base
like no other—the readers. The film and book industry work hand in hand, while
promoting films and book simultaneously. Hope is alive for readers, writers,
actors and directors to be equally pleased.

Photo Credit: thisis50.com

Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. defeated super welterweight champion Miguel Cotto in a thrilling fight that lived up to its hype. Mayweather picked apart Cotto in dominant fashion Saturday night, winning his eighth world title. Mayweather won by wide margins dictating the pace and overall narrative of the fight.

Two judges scored it 117-111 and the other 118-110. Total punch stats were one sided as well with Mayweather narrowly out-landing Cotto. Total punches landed were 179 of 687 punches to 105 of 506. His tools of destruction were sweeping right hooks and left uppercuts.

Cotto was a solid contender and fought a heartfelt fight, but his offensive activity was nullified by Mayweather’s solid defense. Still, Cotto managed to bring the best out of Mayweather. At his post-fight press conference Mayweather praised Cotto’s toughness.

“He came to fight; he didn’t just come to survive. I dug down and fought him back.”

Mayweather, wanting to give fight fans their money’s worth, delivered big time Saturday night. Relishing the spotlight, he entered the arena with a star-studded cast of friends escorting him into the ring. Rap superstar 50 Cent, pop sensation Justin Beiber and WWE wrestling star Triple H were all in tow behind Mayweather, brandishing his seven world titles as he casually strolled to the ring.

Once the bell rang, Mayweather put on a dazzling performance that is sure to become a standout in his career. In round 2, Mayweather made the adjustments necessary to penetrate Cotto’s defense, stinging him with sweeping right hands. Cotto, buckling from the blows, inched backwards and came back with his own flurries.

By the fifth round, Cotto was clearly backing up from Mayweather’s offensive barrage. He landed few clean solid punches, but accomplished something few fighters can do against Mayweather. In round 8, Cotto caught Mayweather with a stiff jab effectively making Mayweather bleed profusely from the nose. The was the first time many, if anybody, have seen Mayweather bleed in his 16-year career. Though bloodied, Mayweather smiled in his corner at the cameras.

Dictating the pace of the fight, standing toe to toe, fighting on the inside and outside, and taking away the pop of Cotto’s punches, Mayweather dazzled viewers with raw skill and athleticism. He used his high boxing IQ to pick Cotto apart, making the tough champion look like an amateur for 12 rounds.

Mayweather closed the show in the 12th round, staggering Cotto with uppercuts to the head and bringing thunderous applause from the crowd. When the bout was over, the two fighters hugged and thanked their opponent’s team. Mayweather praised the effort put forth by Cotto.

“You’re a hell of a champion.” Mayweather said. “You’re the toughest guy I ever fought.”

Mayweather lived up to his commitment to give fans an entertaining show. His overall story still continues to grow, but Mayweather has given the world a reason to appreciate and marvel at his success with Saturday’s performance.

What’s more astounding than Mayweather’s victory on Saturday is the amazing amount of positivity Mayweather has generated for himself in the process. He managed to turn a 90-day prison sentence for domestic violence into an opportunity to cement his legacy.

Not only did he keep his perfect record safe, but he also managed to become the highest paid boxer ever.  Saturday’s fight guaranteed him $32 million up front. He will also receive shares of Pay-Per-View sales, a number many experts expect to break the previous record set by Oscar de la Hoya and Mayweather in 2007.

In total, an estimated $40 million payday awaits Mayweather. And in ESPN’s “Money issue,” Mayweather is crowned the highest-paid athlete in the United States. He managed to make the most of a tremendous negative in less than five months.

Despite his success, Mayweather will have to turn himself in June 1 to begin his 90-day prison stint, stemming from a domestic assault charge with the mother of his kids. At the post-fight press conference, Mayweather spoke candidly on his circumstances.

“June 1^st — it’s just an obstacle that’s in my way,” Mayweather said. “Only thing that it can do is make me stronger as a person  —say to myself next time I’m faced with that situation, approach it a different way.”

Mayweather will be heading to jail, but he left a better mark on some spectators’ perception of him. He downplayed his bad boy image to let the world see the hard-working, talented, smart businessman that defines boxing today.

On Friday, March 23, A$AP Ant hopped on stage to perform as a guest with a Howard sophomore in front of The Fiilmore’ s crowded audience in Silver Springs, Md.  There were no hype-men beside Matthew Xavier Walker, known as eMeX, pronounced M-X in a two-syllable salute to favorite rapper Jay-Z.  Instead, eMeX took over the stage with full force and energy, and perhaps a little lit by his own admission.

The sold-out venue was packed with hip-hop fans waiting to see eMeX, Marlee D, Phil Ade, Fat Trel, Smoke DZA and headliner Big K.R.I.T.  A$AP Ant was an unmentioned surprise collaboration.

“He’s a homie,” eMeX said of the newcomer.  “We have a song together.”

The two performed “Ridin’ Round Slow,” a song recorded on whim after A$AP heard eMeX’s “Overdose,” the single for his next mixtape, The Sobriety Test.

EMeX’s first project, Honorable Discharge, was released in February 2010, shortly after his move to Washington, D.C. to attend Howard University.  His parents stood by his rap career, but stressed the importance of an education, motivating him to attend college as a political science major seeking a law degree in case his music career doesn’t work out.

But eMeX doesn’t live like a typical college student.  He was off-campus working and unavailable the entire week and weekend, leaving a phone interview as the only way to speak with him.  After some polite apologies, he opened up during an hour phone interview about his vision for The Sobriety Test, to be released early summer, his place in an ever-changing rap game, and the life-changing event that led him to a mic.

“I was always an athletic kid, but I was hit by a car in 2005,” he said.  “I think I was about 14-years-old.”

The car accident left eMeX unable to play sports, so he turned to hip-hop and poetry as a way to vent.  He first displayed his skills publicly a year later at his grandmother’s eulogy, where he asked his cousin to read a poem with him on stage.

“I was really shy,” eMeX said.  “That was one thing I kept to myself.”

After receiving positive feedback, eMeX was able to draw strength during what he called his “lowest point,” and sustain positivity around negative crowds.

EMeX was born and raised on the west side of Baltimore City, Md.  He attended private school is whole life, and his father kept him involved in sports to keep him out of trouble.  Despite his school life, he still feels connected to neighborhood he grew up with, and says he received “the best of both worlds.”

Home life is the reason eMeX chose to attend Howard.  The school is close enough to visit, but far enough so he doesn’t have to see his family all the time.  Before he even started performing at Howard, he was discovered by Justin LaMotte, the founding manager of entertainment company Fame Entertainment Collective.  That is, according to eMeX.

“He heard my music, and he hit me up,” said eMeX, before Stevie B, a Fame Entertainment Collective manager, playfully snatched the phone from him to correct him.

“Here’s what really happened,” said Stevie B.  “I saw him at a poetry cipher at the G2 lounge… it was my idea.  There were a few emcees there, but his presentation was fresh, he had good material, and he could have gone mainstream with the catchy metaphors and gained an audience.”

Although Justin already had artists to work with, none of them were like eMeX, said Stevie B.

Fame Entertainment Collective, which includes Justin LaMotte, executive manager, Komari “K-Rucka” Bailey, engineer and producer, and Martiea Anderson and Stephen “Stevie B” Baiyewu, assistant managers, manages eMeX as a team.  EMeX says he’s grown as a rapper since they started working with him.

“I never really gave a fuck about public appearance via social media,” said eMeX.  “They taught me I had to be mindful of what I was saying, and to be conscious of catering to more than one audience.”

Honorable Discharge includes “Show You” featuring Nick Sneed, the mixtape’s smooth sex song, and “Moment of Truth,” an a capella number that sings hard times but rings ambition.  Then there’s “Overdose,” the bass-ridden, braggadocio single for The Sobriety Test.

In an age of intense online marketing, eMeX aims to be versatile enough to appeal to everyone in his age group.  In this effort, he combines the witty metaphorical lyricism with slow-burning sex grooves and honest reflections of his past.

Still Sippin’

            “I write based off the beat,” said eMeX, before adding that The Sobriety Test will follow the theme of the name, some trippy, somber, and intoxicating tracks that match up with a strong buzz, but not without a few for the pre-game party.

“I’m not an old soul,” said eMeX.  “I want people my age to be able to relate to it.  I don’t think I have a specific crowd, some songs cater to college, partying and getting fucked up… but I feel like I have a good mix of everything.”

A stark difference between Honorable Discharge and The Sobriety Test will be in its recording quality.  The premiere project was recorded on a MacBook in Drew Hall.  Now, eMeX works out of a studio with a professional engineer.  His past two singles were professionally mixed and mastered.

As for now, eMeX is keeping it “in the family” when it comes to engineers and producers.  This may be in reference to all he considers part of the “Purple Hearts Gang,” a title he came up with after suffering a heartbreak, alluding to the Purple Heart medal injured soldiers receive in the military.  He hopes to keep features limited on The Sobriety Test as well, although “ Ridin’ Round Slow” will likely be featured as a bonus track.

“I want [The Sobriety Test] to be where I’m introduced on a major level,” said eMeX.

In this case, he will likely continue to work closely with his team at Fame Entertainment Collective, in no rush to obtain a major label record deal.  EMeX referenced Drake, Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa as artists who worked on their own with a good management team, regardless of the record label they distributed through.  It’s likely that eMeX sees artistic independence as necessary to maintain his versatility.

“I want to retain creative control,” he said.  “I refuse to ever be restricted.”

Nina | 101

Ari Lennox sang during a guest performance at the music and poetry showcase sponsored Howard University’s entertainment industry organization, Endustry Power Players (EPP).

EPP held auditions for the event, so the show was primarily composed of Howard students, many of whom performed hip-hop and R&B covers and original songs without microphones, as audience members sat on the floor or cushions in a small room  on the lower level of Cramton Auditorium.

Lennox, however, introduced different genres to the showcase with covers of “Sparks” by Coldplay, “Pursuit of Happiness” by Kid Cudi, “Prototype” by Andre 3000 and her original “Random Heartbreaks.”

“I usually get very rock-ish when the beat is very live and there are a lot of drums,” Lennox said. “If it’s a nice soulful groove, you’re gonna here my Erykah Badu influence come out.”

Lennox moved and danced all around the venue during her performance, even stopping to pull a student up to perform with her.

“I would love to perform at every college in the world,” Lennox said. “I just want to vibe and chill and have fun, and I would like to do more college events because I would like to be around young people.”

Christian rapper MPH (Man Praisin’ Hard) hoped to bring a new perspective to college life by performing his original song “All My Love.”

“I’m inspired because I feel like everybody here at Howard has their own culture,” MPH said. “There’s a lot of drugs and drinking to get on their level … and I kind of have a different message, not talking about why my level’s the best, but where my level is.”

Despite the uniqueness of his genre, he noted that he was not nervous before performing or auditioning.

“I’ve always kind of been in the circle where I was the only one, and it motivates me to go hard,” said MPH.

Cortnei Brockington, freshman psychology major, was hesitant before auditioning for the show.

“I swore I would never perform in front of a Howard crowd,”Brockington said. “I’ve seen so many bad things happen on stage to Howard performers.  But I saw the sign and I was like, ‘I’ve never sung here; people don’t even know what my talking voice sounds like, much less my singing voice.’”

After performing an acoustic medley of “Thinking About You” by Frank Ocean and “Unthinkable” by Alicia Keys, Brockington received loud applause.

Flawed Logik, a soul band of Howard students, performed a slow arrangement of “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley, complete with a saxophone and chilling vocal rendition from Darynell Bell, freshman biology major.  The show also included performances from Jackie Blaque, Tyheim Brown, Makaela James, Taz, Rok Bailey and Elliot McKnight, before ending with Ari Lennox.

Producer Salaam Remi joined the District chapter of The Recording Academy for a question and answer session Saturday, April 21 at Omega Studios in Rockville Md.

Remi has produced for artists in many genres, such as Amy Winehouse, Nas, The Fugees and Jazmine Sullivan.  His work also includes film scores for Rush Hour 3 and the upcoming Sparkle remake starring the late Whitney Houston.  The event was hosted by The Recording Academy, of which Remi is a member.

Like many others in the music industry, Remi grew up in a musical family.

“My father is a producer,” he said.  “He started in Trinidad in the late ‘ 60s.  He and his three brothers had musical backgrounds, but he was the most serious about them.  On my  mother’s side, she and her brothers were musicians… so all the generations before me had [musical] ability.”

Remi began with hip-hop in the early ‘90s, and went on to work on Nas’s Hip Hop is Dead in 2006.  He later went on to work with Amy Winehouse on Frank and Back to Black, and even on her new album until her 2011 death.

Remi recalled recording Back to Black.  “My living room has two-story ceilings… and Amy liked how her voice sounded, so we ended up recording the vocals in my living room.”

They were going for a Motown, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” sound, said Remi.  He then played the first versions of “Me and Mr. Jones,”; first titled “Fuckery,” and demonstrated the differences from the album version.

Remi also emphasized the importance of thinking like a producer, not a beat-maker.

“It’s not even about the beat,” he said.  “I don’t care about the beat.  It’s about making sure the song’s there and the artist is telling a story.”

Remi described his recording process, different from that of many “beat-makers.”

“It’s more than, ‘ here’s a track, sit on top of my track, you’re hot now,’” he explained.  “It’s the exact opposite of that. I kind of go, ‘ let’s talk, what do you want to do?’  I ask a million questions, and after I’ll play some music.”

His goal is to make the audience connect with the artist, not just the song, Remi said.

Remi also referenced travelling to Prague to record an orchestra for future tracks.  He ended up using the tracks for Jazmine Sullivan’s “ Bust Your Windows” and “Lions, Tigers & Bears,” which featured no drums.  Sullivan’s label didn’t want to invest so much money into the orchestral samples on a new artist, so much of it came out of Remi’s pocket.

“They were looking for this hip-hop infused record that was all the drums,” he said.  “Again, my focus is always about the artist’s message and story getting out. So I ended up making Jazmine’s record intentionally with no drums.  I wanted people to feel her and feel the song.”

After the success of both records, Sullivan’s label began to put more trust in her skills as a songwriter.

Inspiration remains Remi’s focus, and was much of his reason for becoming a part of The Recording Academy.

“It’s really about sharing inspiration and knowledge,” said Remi.  “And the value of the Grammys is that it goes to inspire the community of people who create… I look at it as my opportunity to give back to my community and my peers.”

Graduation is rolling closer, and the finish line is drawing near. Like the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Based on your personality, here are several ways you can really go out with a bang. Click to enlarge.

Stacy-Ann Ellis

Keneisha Deas

Michael Ealy has been traveling around the country to promote his latest movie, Think Like a Man, the film adaptation of Steve Harvey’s best-seller, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. Before his Q&A session with fans at Howard University, 101 Magazine sat in during his press conference, where the University of Maryland graduate gave relationship advice and spoke about the film.

“In a relationship, it would be strategic and wise to understand how a man thinks,” Ealy said, in reference to the movie’s title.  “I don’t think a woman can actually think like a man. What makes women dope is that they’re thinking like women.  I think what we’re trying to do with the movie, and what Steve was trying to do with the book, is to give some sort of insight to how men think.”

The film is a “guy’s movie” that most men can relate to, Ealy said.

“This is not a chick flick,” he said. “We learn that we can’t live without women, but the guys will recognize themselves in each one of us. If they don’t recognize themselves, they’ll recognize someone they know.”

Ealy plays Dominic, whom he describes as a “dreamer” who learns to “man up.”  Dominic spends much of the film struggling to woo Lauren, played by Taraji P. Henson, despite his less-than-glamorous occupation.

“What I hope people take away is that sometimes the way people treat you matters more than what they can do for you,” Ealy said.  “Have a little bit of patience.  This person may end up being all you ever wanted and all you ever needed.”

That said, Ealy doesn’t necessarily believe that black women must lower their standards when dating.

“I’m not a fan of telling black women what they need to do,” he told 101, before adding, “I don’t think all black women have a certain set of standards for a man; I just don’t. I think if you as an individual are having a hard time dating, look in the mirror.  It might not be your standards, it might be your breath.”

Ealy also gave advice to students of color seeking acting careers.

“When I first got to New York, and this is kind of painful for me, but when I first got to New York, I was told I wasn’t black enough to play certain parts,” he recalled. “That hurts. But if there’s one thing actors need to know, it’s that you need to learn how to take rejection and keep it moving.”

Ealy also emphasized the importance of business knowledge for those seeking to work in entertainment.

“What I didn’t get when I was coming up in acting school was a class in the business,” Ealy said. “There’s no class on the business side of things, and as I’ve grown in this business, I’ve learned that it is a business, and it’s important to understand it as a business.”

While Think Like a Man may spark dating and relationship conversation, it is still a comedy, and Ealy encourages college students not to take dating too seriously.

“Don’t fall in love in college,” Ealy said.  “You’re way too young to be all lovey dovey in college.  If you break up, it’s not the end of the world.  You’ll probably fall in love a couple of more times before it’s right.  You might even get married before you get it right.  Just have fun. Be safe, but have fun.”

There are a handful of people walking the planet that you must check off your list of characters to meet, at some point in your lifetime. After scrolling down this page, consider a line on your list checked. Meet George Chapman, Jr. On paper, he appears as regular as any college student could be. In person, it’s a completely different story.

“It’s so frustrating having a head so long. Everyone can wear a snapback. It doesn’t work for me.”

I just had to write that down.

“I like your little ensemble today,” he says to me.

On my lazy day, I threw together a tan pashmina-scarf-turned-turban, oversized gray Cosby sweater, semi-sheer grannyesque maxi skirt, and some beat up Chuck Taylors (along with a little mahogany lipstick to avoid looking like bum central).

“I am ready for love…” He croons a couple of India.Arie’s favorite hits jokingly. “I am not my hair.”

My face drops briefly in response, resembling that of a flattened Emoji, but like most, I can’t help but shake my head and crack a smile. “Oh, George.”

That’s the usual response to George Chapman.

@writefromBK Heading to the doctor with my sister and her fiancé to find out the sex of the baby! Come on blue ivy!!!!

It is noon on a school day in the yearbook office at Howard University, and the pop culture aficionado (or more so, lover of all things Beyonce) is fiercely defending his peers’ denial of her baby’s existence. “She did have that baby. You leave her and Blue Ivy alone!”

“George, she doesn’t even know you!” snaps a skeptic.

“Of course she does, I’m the baby sitter!

After a brief moment of silence and confusion comes the usual Chapman response followed with an outbreak of laughter: “Oh, George.”

 “My mom’s gone backwards. She thinks she’s 20. She said, “Are you going on spring break? Don’t forget your condoms so you can get it in.” If you know anything about me, you know I don’t get it in. I just sit there.” 

Everybody hates Chris. But apparently, the universe loathes George.

On Feb. 2, he went to his teacher to tell him why he was absent from class the previous week. It wasn’t due to work or illness or even a hangover. It was robbery.

“He started laughing. I didn’t even say anything,” George began, with an emotionless face.

“They broke into my house,” said George, who lives with his sister, who was three months pregnant at the time. “Of all the houses in that complex, they chose mine. They broke into it, took our sh*t, loaded it into the car, and stole the car. My sister’s car. F***ing D.C. crack heads out here.”

On the surface, it was apparent that he was still mind blown, but you could tell by the tone of his voice that the strange occurrence was just another Chapman misfortune running its course.

“She might have left the door open,” he admitted. “Her pregnant self forgets.”

@writefromBK JESUS BE A “C” IN MATH!!! …..JESUS YOU CAN REALLY BE “D” IN MATH…BUT JUST BE A DEGREE IN 7 WEEKS!! #SOIKNOWITSREAL

If you couldn’t tell by his twitter handle, @writefromBK, George has always had a way with words. He’s a storyteller if you will. Actually, George is a rambler, to say the very least.

“I wish I had a deep voice. I can’t even sing low. I was the only boy that the choir director let sit in the front with the sopranos. I used to ask my mom, ‘Mom, did you like my song?’ She said no.”

Witty statements like this come from his mouth a mile a minute, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Whenever there’s a lull in a room that Chapman is in, he wanders through his memories and starts telling stories about his childhood, present, and future.

“One of [my sister’s] boyfriend’s didn’t like me,” he told a room full of classmates. “He told her, ‘Yo, your brother is so f***ing weird.’ He said I was a nerd.”

His closest friends repeatedly tell him that he should do stand up comedy, but the quirky Howard University journalism student hardly considers himself a comedian. Chapman simply tells it like it is and, more often than not, people listen to the eccentric Brooklynite with open ears.

“My life changed when I met Bianca. I found my other half. I found someone just as awkward as me.” 

At 22, George has been battling his vices, situational mishaps, and self-diagnosed social flaws for years.

“I’ve been trying to develop swag since I was in high school,” he said. “They don’t sell that in stores.

I beg to disagree with this swag shortage, but in the end, George will always be George. A brilliant mind is hidden behind his small frame, black rimmed glasses, and quirky spirit, and it is evident that he will always be loved and readily received by his peers, perpetual misfortune or not.

“Recently, I had an epiphany. I accepted that this is me.”