Common Text with Isabel Wilkerson

I was excited to go hear Isabel Wilkerson talk about her book "The Warmth Of Other Suns". I wanted to know where she drew her inspiration from and what motivated her to even want to write the book. The first thing she said that really shocked me is that it took her 15 years to finish the book. Thats probably more than half her life but this just shows me how dedicated she was to writing a well thought-out book. Her parents were migrants which was apart of her motivation for writing this book. She also talked about the laws in the south that motivated African-Americans to migrate to the north. She went on to say if they came into interaction with a white person they had to behave a certain for example, if a black person was driving behind a white person they could'nt honk the horn or swerve in front of them to get in front because this sort of behavior could result in harsh consequences such as lynching. Hearing this just melted my heart because we have it so good today that we never really think about this kind of stuff. She then went on to talk about the people she interviewed for the book, who are the main characters, George, Ida Mae, and Robert. She said she took the initiative to travel the same path of migration that some of these characters did, just to get the full effect of what they had to go through. Isabel Wilkerson is really an inspiration of mines. She has showed me anything is possible, it just takes some time.

Miss Evers Boys

Miss Evers Boys was a really good play. It had a good story line but the overall story could've been a lot "juicer". I really liked the relationships between each of the characters, it was really clear, especially the relationship between the boys and Miss Evers. I was able to tell by the physical movements that their relationships grew over time. They began to interact with each other a lot more. What I really like about Miss Evers' boys is that there is a lot of physical movements especially with Stanley's character, and his movements also told a story over the width of the play. As he got sicker his movements slowed down and he started struggling to dance. When I left the theatre, I wasn't as moved as I think i should've been. I don't really know the reason for that, maybe it had to do with the play or directing or acting. I can't really point it out. Usually when I leave the theatre it has an impact on me but not this time. The best part of the play were the boys. The way they interacted and trusted one another was really nice to see. It was like a brotherhood and relationship is really important in the theatre. I felt like the directing was "ok", there were many ways the director could've made the scenes more interesting by placing the characters in different places, or different points of view. Besides my critique, overall I enjoyed the play.

Self-Reflection

Freshman Seminar has taught me a lot of new things that I had no knowledge of before, especially coming from a very diverse high school. When freshman seminar began I thought the class would be very pro-black and a lot about African studies, and I wasn't wrong, lol. Learning new things about African culture was very interesting, although I didn't think I would need to remember a lot of these things for future reference, especially because of my major. It was overall a good experience but I wish that freshman seminar offered more than just lectures about African cultures and terms. It would've been nice if the class offered us a guide to Howard University and spoke to us about how things work around campus, being that we are incoming freshman and don't really know much about that. I've never took a lecture class before, and though I learned some beneficial things, it would've helped to learn things that I needed at that point in time. I enjoyed blogging about the lectures because with each different blog that I did, I discovered more and more about the lesson that I didn't realize before hand. The Lectures' shared some beneficial knowledge with us, I enjoyed learning about the different people who worked with Howard and about the changes they were making and continuing to make.

Research Group Project Evaluation

Working on the group project was definitely an interesting experience. I usually rather work by myself, but I also enjoy working in groups because it gives me a chance to hear different prospectives from the different group members which benefits the overall project. Surprisingly being in a group of all women, we got along very well, there were no arguments, disagreements, or attitudes. Everyone had very welcoming attitudes and we took everyones opinions into consideration although like any group, we did have our issues. Our research question was "how have previous Howard professors advance the world of psychology?". I liked our research question because it gave me a chance to dig deeper into Howard Alumni and see the changes they've made within the University. I found out new things about the university that I've never knew before and it was an awesome learning experience. A key learning experience from all of this was interviewing a Howard Professor. This helped me to meet different and new professors and understand their reason for teaching at Howard, and why they love it so much. When presenting the group presentation I felt that I was a teacher myself because I was educating my fellow classmates and bringing forth new information that they don't know about. I mean, what good is learning new information if you can't share it ?

The Purpose of an Education

It is because of people like Ms. Worthy that so many young people today have been inspired to go beyond just making it through school, but actually strive to succeed throughout the rest of their lives. It is so refreshing to see the type of enthusiasm and dedication she holds towards giving children a better future through their education. She expressed how important it was for young African American children to realize their potential and how they need a deeper sense of knowing someone cares about their success.

Community responsibility was a topic that needs to be addressed more over the country. This concept is crucial in raising children to understand they can do anything and that they have the support of everyone. There is a saying I always hear, “it takes a village to raise a child” and I truly believe this is accurate. Everyone needs to work together to bring our people out of the bad stereotypes and let us know that we are just as god as any other race. We all need to support each other I order to survive at the fullest.

“Ubuntu: ZULU PROVERB A person is a person through other persons. We affirm our humanity when we acknowledge that of others.” I love this concept also because it plays into the fact that we need to respect and treat others as though they were family. It is important to show respect to all people, no matter the case, because you never know what effect you may have in someone’s life.

Howard Homecoming...what an experience!

The amount of activities, performances, food stands, and entertainment in general was amazing. Homecoming here at Howard is definitely something you couldn’t even come close to at another institution. The football games, to begin with, keep your blood pressure up at all times with the many interceptions and touchdowns. The vendors lined up outside the gate added to the excitement and true football game feeling we had been lacking during previous games.

            Yardfest was an experience in itself. I couldn’t believe that many people could fit on the yard at one time. The performances were pretty good but I felt that we could have had better artists. The step show wasn’t as good as it had been in past years but it was still entertaining also. I loved watching the different fraternities and sororities get up and show their dedication and love with their line brothers and sisters. The performance by Travis Porter was also nice although it was hard to see from where I was sitting.

Overall, homecoming was an amazing experience and I truly believe no one can compare to a Howard Homecoming although many may try. I wouldn’t trade this school for anything and I love that we can be known as prestigious but yet know how to throw a good party.  

Freshman Seminar Group Projects

Our group focused on advances in the field of psychology and what scholars have done to further advance this field. Our power point focused on Mamie and Kenneth Clark who were Howard graduates who worked in child racial psychology. They studied the effect society had on black children and their thoughts of which race was prettier, better, uglier, etc.. They opened a counseling center over 65 years ago in Harlem, NY  in order to help the youth of the neighborhood overcome challenges and have a safe haven. This center is still in existence today along with many of the changes they made to help support Brown vs. Board of Education. The effort these two people alone made in the field of psychology is amazing and I really enjoyed learning about them during this project.

First Semester Lookback...

I felt that my first semester here at Howard University was without a doubt a learning experience. As I look back on things I have accomplished I am proud but I also wish I had known certain things before starting this semester. This semester was a bit of a struggle as I tried to adapt to the new work load and free time. It is difficult to transition from high school where your parents are there to help keep you on track, to college where your success is solely dependent on what you make out of your time here. I know that next semester I will be better prepared to tackle the work load and obstacles Howard will throw at me. It has been a great semester in all though.

Groups As A Whole

My group members and I focused on the filed of psychology for our group/oral presentation. one group in our cohort focused on biology and what it takes to find the cure for cancer. This group was particularly informative about experiments done previously and current work being done. Another group focused on the importance of one's voice. They focused on protests dating back to the 80's. Some were even at Howard. This included the several protests in front of the Administration building including the lockout done in '89.

Semester Review

Overall the first semester has been a good growing experience. As a student I have made adjustments to my study habits and have learned that study groups help me best. In particular, freshman seminar was a good addition to my classes. It was nice to have a class that was culturally relevant and informative on the condition of blacks in modern America. I found the lecture on the New York City burial ground lecture to be the most interesting lecture. I find it disturbing that cemeteries with blacks are still being destroyed and built upon. In general the course served its purpose, however I found it to be a lot of work for one credit. I would have preferred that half of the blogs were due but I still would have kept the freshman seminar project. In the future I think that the directions and prompt for the freshman seminar project should be made more clear for students. In all, freshman seminar did an adequate job at giving students a chance to reflect on African American culture.

One Semester Down, Seven To Go:Self Reflection

Over the past four months I have sat through countless lectures in several of my classes and have learned a great deal about my self as a student. For the most part, my classes have gone well and adequately taught me what was necessary. However, I find myself very disappointed with the Freshman Seminar course. This course seems to have been originally intended to help students become familiar with college and life at Howard University. Instead, this course should have been labeled Intro to African Studies. All we learned about was several African concepts and what it means to be black in America. I know that I attend an HBCU but that should help, not hinder, my learning experience. The blogs and group presentation are not a lot of work but they are a lot of work for a one credit course that will not be factored into our GPA if we pass. I did enjoy some of the lectures such as Dr.Carr's and the lecture about the African Burial Grounds in NYC. Overall, Freshman Seminar taught me about my culture and legacy as an African American student but it did not teach me what, I feel, it should have.

Culturally Relevant Teaching

Ms. Kimberly Worthy did her lecture and spoke about her mission with the students in the LEAP program. I never really knew about a middle school that focused so much on African culture, and seeing that Ms. Worthy focuses a lot on that was really interesting to hear about. The fact that she's teaching these students things as African Logic, and bringing them countries in Africa is amazing. Usually a teacher will teach their class the traditional way of teaching. Sticking to the the traditional techniques and lessons but culturally relevant teaching allows the students to be open to new experiences and develop new perspectives, which motivates them to succeed. Ms. Worthy also talks about freedom social-emotionally and academically. This brings up a good point because exposing students to a different way of learning, this allows them academic freedom. They don't only have to stick to the usual way of learning they have the freedom to expand their mind. The emotional program that her students have is something I wish I had when I was in middle school. Children don't usually get the chance to talk about how their feeling. They take their feelings out on other kids or just keep it to themselves, but the emotional program gives them a chance to talk about what's bothering them so it can't be deal with in a more appropriate manner.

For Colored Girls

For Colored Girls was the best movie of 2010. I had always wanted to see the play or at least read it so I was excited when I saw the posters in front of Ira Aldridge. On the opening night of the play, I had class at 6pm so I knew that I would not be able to make it. When I went back on Thursday, the tickets were sold out until Tuesday! My friends and I bought the Tuesday evening's tickets and made our way to the fine arts building around 7pm Tuesday in order to be allowed in at 7:05. The theatre was very small so it allowed for an intimate viewing. I loved the way the seats were arranged because you felt as if you were almost in it. When the actresses were singing, it seemed liked they were looking right at you. My favorite part of the play was the opening number because the dancing along with the soloist were so intense. My favorite characters were the Lady in Yellow and the Lady in Blue. I liked the Lady in Yellow because she was so tiny but when she opened up her mouth to do a solo, she had this bug. amazing voice. I liked the Lady in Blue because she did the poem about abortion and the way her legs quivered, she made me believe that she was actually up on a table getting life sucked out of her. All in all, I did enjoy the play. Howard students have a tremendous amount of talent and I am glad that they are able to display that talent.

My Take on Homecoming

In a nutshell, homecoming was interesting and at times hectic. There were numerous activities to partake in but classes restricted my participation. Yet I still managed to see Young Jeezy and Wale perform, which was a treat. The energy of the crowd and the atmosphere of the night made it an enjoyable experience. It was unbelievable to see the number of Howard alumni and DC locals attending the homecoming events on Friday. It was early into the night and people were still pouring in from out of town. I heard that the R&B show was a fantastic event and I wish I had a bought a ticket for this event.

I still made the night fun by being with friends and just taking in the feel of homecoming. I had heard that homecoming at HU was legendary. I found that fun was attainable without running from party to party.The essence of a good time came from being around people you enjoy the company of. In fact, me and some people on my floor found plenty of excitement in playing Call of Duty on the xbox for most of the night. Overall homecoming weekend was fun and memorable.

Homecoming 2015

Before coming to Howard, the biggest event that I heard about was homecoming. People would say that the overall experience was unlike any other school. I could not wait to experience the #1 homecoming event. When homecoming week started it just felt like a regular week. There were no decorations or posters that got you in the mood for homecoming and celebrating. As the events approached the excitement grew. I attended the R&B show and the Poetry Cipher. Both of these events were overpriced but definitely worth it.When the poets recited their poems the feelings were felt throughout the theater. As  a freshman the poetry cipher got me in the mood for homecoming and from then on I couldn't wait for the rest of the festivites. My only problem with homecoming was the prices of tickets. No amount of anticipation could make me pay $50 for a step show ticket without a student discount. There was only a certain number of student discount tickets for each event which made no sense. Between travel expenses , ticket prices and shopping for clothes to where to these events, homecoming proved itself to be extremely expensive. Overall I enjoyed my first homecoming experience and I really felt the pride that howard students had during these passt two weeks.

Homecoming 2011: Howard U Edition.

I expected Homecoming to be a week of non-stop FUN. For the most part, this week was fun but, not entirely. I went to the Gospel Show,Poetry Cipher, and Fashion Show II. The Gospel Show was lovely. I did not know who some of the artist were but despite this, I did enjoy myself. Our own gospel choir went above and beyond. Their voices were so powerful and when they were lining up, I knew that I was in for a treat. The best part of the Poetry Cipher is when Queen God Is came out. A few days prior when I heard that she would be performing, I did a little research about her so that I would not be clueless as to who she was when she came on stage. Her poems blew me away. The poem that she did about herself and music was the best poem of the night. What I also really liked about the cipher was the fact that most of the artists were Howard students. Our student body holds a lot of talent. The Fashion Show could have been better. I went just to go with my friends because I am not really into fashion. I did like the atmosphere; it was exciting. All in all, I did enjoy my first homecoming experience. My bestfriend was with me for a few days and that alone made me happy.

Homecoming

Coming into Howard, I didn't know what to expect out of homecoming. I know I was expecting something great because I've only heard good things about it, so therefore I was expecting nothing but the best. The first event I went to was the comedy show, it takes a lot to make me laugh but I have to admit, I laughed pretty hard. The next event was the celebrity basketball game. I was a little disappointed about the celebrities they chose, I felt they could've chose better celebrities to play, but I still had a good time so I didn't really mind it. The next event was the R&B show which I ABSOLUTELY LOVED. Im a huge r&b fan, and the artist that performed were some of my favorites. I'll definitely be going to that next year. Last but definitely not least was the step show. I watched so many of the previous step shows on youtube before I even got to Howard and I loved everything about it, so actually being there for the first time, I was ecstatic. Overall i enjoyed my homecoming experience very much and I can't wait to do it again.

My Critique on Howard, Life, and Freshman Seminar

The past few weeks at Howard have taught me many things. Often you can hear people voice their frustrations with Howard and compare it with well known white schools. Though I do agree that Howard University is overpriced in comparison with other schools, the overall experience is what you make of it. I have met many interesting people from all walks of life and found that I share more in common with them than the people at my high school. I have also lost many "friends" due to my decision to study rather than hang out all night. I have discovered that there will always be a party and that most parties are the same. In addition I have found that DC tries to nickel and dime you to death. From the clubs and house parties that change prices depending on their mood, the metro system which charges you to get ON and OFF the platform, and the HU bookstore that overcharges on everything. Now on to Freshman Seminar...


Freshman Seminar was enlightening, time consuming, but overall enjoyable. It made me think of my role within the global community and of my responsibility to my race. It allowed me to think of the history that Howard holds and its part in molding some of America's brightest leaders. It also made me proud to say that I come from a long line of people, who despite the misconceptions, laid the foundation for many subjects of academia. Do I think freshman seminar should be mandatory? Yes. Do I believe that blogs should be done EVERY Sunday by 6 pm? No, not really. I would have been happier with blogs due every other week or just a sum total of blogs required but to each his own.


My classes in general have been good. It has not been hard but a matter of balancing out my schedule. With 20 credits as a freshman and a biology major, its hard to write in fun, sleep, and studying into my schedule. In addition I have found that the golden rule of attending ALL of your classes is important to earning the right grade. I personally cannot wait to see what the next semester holds, hopefully not organic chemistry (I heard its torture), and hope to grow into the man I envision myself to become.

Where I Should Be

Out of all the blogs I have done for freshman seminar, this one has me most excited. there has always been something that I had to write about but this is about MY feelings. I DID NOT like freshman seminar when classes first started. I thought we were going to learn about how to succeed at Howard and how to survive. I felt that we were being taught to hate all white people for years of oppression. I thought this class was a waste of time and I wondered what other schools were learning in their freshman seminars. Over time I began to realize that Howard's history is Africa. Howard is an Mbongi. Howard has taken people of all walks of life and put us in a situation where we have no choice but to grow and learn about each other. I didn't know where i would fit in or if I would even make friends as well as I did when I was home. I was wrong. Wrong about freshman seminar and wrong.Freshman seminar allowed me to open up my mind to Howard. it allowed me to open up my mind to life and the true definition of  humanity.  Howard has so much too offer its students. All the organizations on campus offer us the opportunity to open ourselves up to different kinds of people. Howard University is more than an HBCU; Howard is the breeding ground of greatness. Although I just started, im eager to see the legacy that  I will leave when I walk the stage in four years. It is alright to be yourself when you know your strength and who you are. I AM HOWARD!

Oh You Go To Hampton? I'm Sorry.

Every other blog has been assigned a topic and questions but because this blog is about whatever I would like it to be about, I will reflect on my first semester at Howard University. We are now halfway through the semester and I have a pretty good understanding of how things work around here so here are a few things that I have learned to be true:

1) A 14-meals-a-week meal plan is ridiculous ! Unless a person is an athlete, they will NOT be utilizing all 14 meals. It seems as if the cafe's hours do not even allow that.

2)Your style of fashion will change. It may be a drastic change or a mild adjustment but, it will change. I remember when I shaved my head, people told me I had become Howard-ized.

3) There will ALWAYS be something to represent. It may be your school or your hometown or your dorm! You can scream for just about anything.

4) There will always be a party or a reason for a party.

5) I've also learned that I am just not a party-type of person. I can have a social life without being at the club every weekend.

6) I realized that I work better under pressure. My worse papers have been written a week in advance and my best ones have been written the night before class. Go figure.

7) I learned that missing even one class can mean a failure and when you are on a scholarship, that is NOT acceptable.

8) I've learned that I may not always like my roommate but I must always respect her and should expect the same in return.

The list of things that I have learned over the past couple of months can go on forever. In the end, I am glad that I have chosen to experience life at the MECCA because I was not all that excited to be coming here a couple months ago. This week is Homecoming week and I can not WAIT to see what it has in store.