My First Howard Homecoming 2011

Though this week wasn’t my first Howard homecoming, it was my first one as a true Howard student. While I knew how influential Howard has been on many significant figures in our society, it did not hit me until this week when I got to see how many important people graduated from Howard. Even people who didn’t graduate from Howard, like Diddy, come back year after year just because they are proud to have some sort of affiliation with the school. Until this week, I have never been prouder to be part of such a large and loving community, such as this one.

It was great to have my parents come down and I loved being able to experience my first Howard homecoming with my sister, who is a graduating senior. Being able to share this experience with my family and my friends’ families was amazing. I feel as though homecoming is the true orientation, the real welcoming that says, “you are finally at Howard University”. I feel lucky to have experienced this homecoming because it makes me feel as though I really belong in the Howard community now. I can’t wait to experience the different events in the next three years here as a Howard Bison.

Howard Homecoming Freewrite

In the beginning, I wasn't too excited about Howard's homecoming. I was more concerned with my schoolwork and going to all my classes. I felt that Howard celebrates so many different things, and that homecoming wouldn't be as exciting because of this. However, during the week, I've started to get more into the school spirit. Seeing so many people come together in celebration of our school made me more excited and more willing to be a part of it.

The most fun I've had so far was definitely at Yardfest. I enjoyed spending time with my peers and so many others. I couldn't afford to take part in any of the other activities, so I was glad that Yardfest was free. Yardfest brought people of all ages together. There was Big Daddy Kane for the older crowd, and Young Jeezy for my generation. There were also artists for the Caribbean demographic, as well. Everyone was included in the celebration of Howard University.

I'm also really excited for the game today. Whether we win or lose, I'll still be proud of our team and our school as a whole. Every day I am glad that I came to Howard University. I've met so many positive and bright people here who have influenced me for the better. I can honestly say there is no place else I would rather be.

My Initial Misgivings about Freshman Seminar

For the first few weeks of Freshman Seminar I did not understand why this course was mandatory. To me, it seemed like just another Black History course at Howard University. As the weeks progressed I began to learn things, however, I still did not understand the significance of this course in my life; I was beginning to think it was just another ploy by this HBCU to turn us into militant Black leaders. However, as I became more acquainted with Howard University, I realized that everything about this school is about Black history and in order to make it successfully you have to know a whole lot about Black history—Black people in Germany, Russia, China, and finally Africa.

I discovered that Freshman Seminar’s purpose is to prepare you for the Black History you’re going to get in your History classes, English classes, and even German classes. I even find that the presentations that are mandated like Miss Evers’ Boys to be quite interesting. Despite my initial misgivings I am beginning to quite enjoy Freshman Seminar.

Free Write: My Feelings About Freshman Seminar So Far

So far, I am enjoying the lectures given in freshman seminar. Through all of these blog posts I have been able to make connections between each lecture which will definitely help me as I start trying to answer the question How have scholars across the various fields of study advanced and transformed academic knowledge related to enduring problems of the human condition?. Especially after hearing Dr. Dana A. Williams speak to us about how to properly conduct a research project and paper, I am not feeling as overwhelmed as I was in the beginning of the semester.

I am hoping that once our group gets our research under way, I will be able to come up with helpful information in order to answer the question given. I hope that while answering this question I will be able to learn more about myself as a student and a scholar. Hearing these lectures have inspired me to learn more about the history of Howard University as well as the history of my family and ancestors in this country. I have learned more about myself in relation to what I want to do in my future and what I would like to do when I graduate from Howard University.  

I am really looking forward to the researching process that we will be starting next week and I hope that I can use the information gathered from these lectures in a useful and productive way.

miss Evers boys

Miss Evers’ boys is a story about a horrible situation that took place over fourteen years. Before going to this play, I thought I have heard it all about how cruel the American government could be. But to my surprise, I didn’t.

This story is about Nurse Evers, who wants to rid the world if diseases. She mets these four men who all have syphilis and they don’t know it. Miss Evers persuades them to participate in this study that would cure them of the disease. But after some time the government declared syphilis as a black mans disease. Miss Evers is forced to lit to the men and tell them they are being cured but in fact they are not. They are frd arsenic and rubber tainted with mercury.

Miss Evers formed a close bond with the four men, but overtime they friendship was broken due to lies and fear. This story is a prime example of how the American government can justify anything they want to make is seem as if they were trying to do good. America makes exceptions for what they want to. This was a medical experiment for them, but in another country it world be considered and attempted genocide.

This was a gripping story and I am truly amazed at some of the things that went on that I never knew about,

LEAP

Dr. Kimberly worthy’s lecture was very interesting. She Introduced the LEAP Math and Science school of South Africa to us. She showed us how dedicated to education the children of South Africa are. I never knew they had institution of that sort in South Africa.

Dr. Worthy showed us videos of how the students bonded in song and dance. During apartheid Africans were not allowed to keep their heritage or culture alive. So I found it interesting that they are allowed to be “free” and they chose to do things that represented their culture.

We were asked by Dr. Worthy to define freedom, freedom to me is the progress of your desires. Fredrick Douglas said “If there is no struggle, there is no progress” I totally agree with this. There must be a struggle to gain freedom in this world. The students at leap are truly amazing, after this lecture with Dr. Worthy, it made me realize im not living up to my full potential at Howard University. 

LEAP Maths and Science Programme

During this week's class, Ms. Worthy from the LEAP Maths and Sciences middle school came in to give an educational introduction into the programme, its goals and accomplishments. She explained that growing up being educated in the Roots programme and participating in protests for further rights of all, in hind sight, she realised her true calling was in education. As a result, she has been named "Teacher of The Year" in every school she has taught in, nation-wide. These are high feats, especially as she taught children that the system would simply give up on.

Ms. Worthy explained that she uses the African teaching system as a model for in her class, where the relationship between her and the students is amplified, a holistic approach is used to apply what is covered to the larger scheme of things and education is more than a grade; that a students more than a score on a SAT exam. When visiting Johannesburg, South Africa, Ms. Worthy touched base with her teaching model at their LEAP Maths and Sciences school. There was no drop out rate and all students graduated, although, she explained, the programme was so vigorous and demanded so much of students. Students went to school everyday, and when I spoke with Ms. Worthy on a one to one basis, she explained that even if the bus breaks down, these students will walk miles and miles to go to school.

As my father is from Mali, I was also exposed to a similar attitude towards education, but what he most emphasized was its importance. As he walked 5 miles every day to and from school, paid for his own uniform and books through out high school and graduated from medical school without any debts, his words meant a lot. He explained that your education is your own, it distinguishes you from other intellects, and from common people. You can literally show what you have achieved, but it must always be for yourself, just as all accomplishments.

Ms. Worthy's speech relates to the broader Freshman Seminar's mission of using educational to further the intellect of future generations. And as with all the speakers, the Black community is emphasized in their need to empower themselves to better America for all. In comparing the speeches, education is the determining factour in who will lead and when this revolution will come.