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Howard University is making history as the first HBCU to take part in a figure skating competition
Maya James was determined to achieve her goal of starting a figure skating team at Howard University in Washington, D.C., a historically Black college and university.
So James, a junior, turned to Google to find other skaters. She ended up sliding into the direct messages of senior Cheyenne Walker in an effort to break the ice.
Despite setbacks that included not having an ice rink on campus and a lack of figure skaters, the duo found others who shared their love of the sport, and they eventually formed a team. On Saturday, their hard work will pay off when the team takes the ice for the first time at a tournament in Delaware. Howard will make history as the first HBCU to participate in a figure skating program.
“I think we definitely could be a contender in the future,” James said.
Both James and Walker had been skating since the age of 7. Walker grew up training with a group called Figure Skating in Harlem.
But with no figure skating program at any HBCU, Walker thought she would have to give up the sport she loved to attend the college she desired to go to.
“I loved Howard, but I also wanted to continue to skate, so it was like, which one do I choose?” Walker said.
Walker said once she and James began their quest to start a figure skating team, questions abounded.
“How do we get ice time? How do we get coaching? How do we do outreach to members on our campus?” Walker said.
So the two got creative, even recruiting ice hockey players like sophomore Toni Smith.
“There’s not a lot of Black, like, figure skaters don’t come here,” Smith said. “They don’t know it’s an option.”
Smith, who has been skating since she was 2, admitted that hockey skating and figure skating were different experiences.
“I’m actually having a difficult time,” Smith said.
The team also had issues finding a full-sized rink where they could practice after they discovered the only indoor public ice rink in the nation’s capital is waiting to be rebuilt. So each week, the team pays rent to a rink near the University of Maryland. Between practices, Howard students help others find their footing on skates.
“To come and see them just get on the ice and be happy, fall, but laugh, I love that,” Walker said.
Now, as Walker graduates, she is leaving James at the helm of the team.
“Having this opportunity to lead the club will definitely help her figure out that she has all the potential and that she’s able to do everything, so I’m excited,” Walker said.
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Washington — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the White House next week, in what could be his last visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue before President Biden leaves office.
The two leaders will meet on Thursday. Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Zelenskyy separately as well, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“The leaders will discuss the state of the war between Russia and Ukraine, including Ukraine’s strategic planning and U.S. support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “The president and vice president will emphasize their unshakeable commitment to stand with Ukraine until it prevails in this war.”
The meeting comes as Ukraine has pushed U.S. officials and NATO allies to lift restrictions on Kyiv’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles against targets in Russian territory. Zelenskyy discussed the matter with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a meeting last week. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the firing of long-range missiles into Russia would represent a major escalation of NATO’s involvement in the war, which has dragged on for two and a half years.
Zelenskyy has been appreciative of Mr. Biden’s support for Ukraine and in rallying other nations to support Kyiv over the course of the war. Harris has pledged to continue that support.
“I’m looking forward to hosting my friend President Zelenskyy of Ukraine next week at the White House,” Mr. Biden posted on X. “During his visit, I’ll reaffirm America’s commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom and independence.”
The next week is heavy on foreign policy for Mr. Biden. Over the weekend, he will host the Quad Leaders Summit — composed of the leaders of Australia, India and Japan — at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. That summit will focus on their shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The president is also attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, where Zelenskyy is likewise slated to speak.
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Scarlett Johansson on bringing Avengers-style physicality to voicing Elita-1 in “Transformers One”
Scarlett Johansson says she’s embracing the similarities between herself and the character of Elita-1 in her latest role in Transformers One. The Oscar-nominated actress voices a fierce leader of the Autobots in her role.
The role was tailor-made for Johansson after director Josh Cooley reached out to her personally and he said he could hear her voice in the role.
“It was a surprise to me,” she said. “It was such a great script. It had such cinematic qualities. It has so much heart. This film has so much heart. It really has amazing messaging in there, and it’s really funny, too.”
Johansson said physical demands of voice acting, particularly for action-packed scenes, are just as intense to some of her other action film roles. Johansson compared the experience to her decade-long work as Black Widow in “The Avengers” films, where intense physicality was essential.
“You’re squatting and punching and running in place … it’s just really very physical, but it brings the action to life,” she said.
When asked if she sees any similarities between herself and Elita-1, Johansson smiled.
“She’s very driven, she has a healthy ambition. She believes in her ability. She has all of these qualities that make a leader,” she said. “She’s a little bit of a control freak, which I may or may not know something about.”
“Transformers One,” distributed by Paramount Pictures, which is part of CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, will be in theaters on Friday.
