Opening Convocation 2008

Being that this is my junior year at Howard and I attended the Opening Convocation my freshman year in 2006, I decided to sit this one out and let the newly enrolled freshies enjoy this significant experience. I planned to watch it on WHUT at 11:00 but was unaware of the scheduling changes. So I caught it online. I felt that the way President Ribeau addressed the audience in a casual way was fitting for the wide range in audience. One of his first statements was an acknowledgement of the young audience (some elementary schoolers) and the diversity in the audience. His theme was "Now is the Time." He was very down to earth. He made jokes about his family and preparing his speech. He claimed he was part of the class of 2012, "these are my classmates." In saying that he made himself very accessible to the students. He attempted to give the audience a sense of who his was beyond what's written in his bio and on his resume. I felt he accomplished that by letting the audience in with his personality. He also wanted to talk about the spirit of Howard, what intangibles Howard is driven by. What makes it significant to society. He also wanted to talk about how to make Howard the university of the 21st century. I felt that the topics he addressed and the way in which he addressed them resonated with the students and he was able to connect with us in a way that President Swygert didn’t. His speech was excellent. My grade: A.

The Howard Legacy

You know... I been thinking a lot lately. When I decided to come to Howard, it was a purely monetary decision. Howard covered all of my expenses; tuition, room & board, fees, meals, and even books. Howard wasn't even one of my top choices before I got my award letter. I had heard about its reputation of being the "black Harvard," the number one HBCU, the birthplace of most of the Divine Nine, and so many other things. Initially to me, it was like "Oh, that's nice, but that's not why I'm coming here." But now, when I sit back and think about it, so many brilliant minds have matriculated here and are currently professors here. We've had visitors from all walks of life. Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, John Kerry, Nikki Giovanni to name a few that's been here in the 2+ years that I have. I'm privileged to be in this environment. That's inspiring to me. But I haven't been taking advantage of that. I haven't picked the minds of some of the world's foremost African-American scholars and artists. Scholars and artists who share their classrooms with me, many of whom have open-door office policies. Most of them hare their stories and are waiting for an eager student who wants to learn about their experiences. I'm not saying I totally disregard my professors and their views. Quite the opposite actually. When they speak, I'm intrigued. I just haven't developed those personal relationships that I would be able to continue long after graduation. Why? I don't know. Maybe it's because I don't ask questions unless I have a problem that I can't solve on my own or am just completely lost. That's hardly ever. Well, I think I would like to make a resolution to get to know at least one of my professors outside of class.

I'll let you know who I meet. Don't be jealous. Peace.

Cultural Heritage Tour

This is my junior year at Howard. I’ve been in DC for three years and haven’t seen even half of all DC has to offer. Over the summer, my best friend and I decided to do more cultural activities this year. Not to say I haven’t done anything, but that I would like to do more. I’ve been to plays and musicals, art galleries, many museums, and restaurants with live music. These kinds of things excite me and I was excited by the Heritage tour. It allowed me to become more aware of the historical resonance of the grounds that I walk on. I’ve passed by some of these buildings and landmarks multiple times over the 2+ years that I’ve been a student at Howard, without really knowing their history and significance outside of general knowledge. For example, take the Minor building; I pass it on my way down the hill to A-Building and up the hill on my way to Burr Gymnasium. I knew it was old, but I didn’t know it was a teacher’s college. Nor did I know where the Howard Hospital stands was once Griffith Stadium. Howard Hall is the oldest building on Howard's campus and it was the home of Gen. Oliver Otis Howard, one of the founders of Howard. (Lol, he stayed on campus just like me.) I liked learning these little not well-known tidbits about my school. I feel enlightened. Howard has such a rich history and when I think about it, I feel inspired to be here because of that history.