Final Blog Entry: Self-Reflection

This past semester has been unforgettable. I've had my ups and downs, trials and tribulations, and hardships and triumphs. I've learned so much about myself and the world around me. At times I was overwhelmed and at times I was surprised at my own capabilities. Freshman Seminar has helped to strengthen my research skills and shape my view of the world. I can't wait for next semester!

Review of Peer Presentation #2

I went to Thursday's night class in support of my friends in the group HKSWW. They did their research on low political participation and voting rates amongst African-Americans. The group gave a lot of shocking statistics showing low voter turnout rates amongst African-Americans. HKSWW explained that the low participation is largely due to distrust of the government and historical barriers to the political process. For years African-Americans were left out of the process so when they were given rights to vote and become involved, they felt so detached that they had no desire to become involved. It is unfortunate that so many African-Americans are so uninvolved in a process that affects so much of their lives. The voter turnout rates for all Americans very dismal in and of themselves. The group's research was very thorough and very informative.

Review of Peer Presentation #1

One group's presentation today was on HBCU graduation rates. They presented data on recent Howard graduation rates, recent graduation rates of other HBCUs, and recent graduation rates of predominantly white institutions. The group's findings were fascinating when looked at in the right context. What was particularly interesting was that HBCU graduation rates were not too different from the national college graduation rate. I think all too often we sensationalize the problems of HBCUs and unfairly compare them to only the most elite institutions. Overall it was a great presentation on a topic very relevant to Howard students.

Interview with Dr. Harrell

Aisha and I interviewed our Psychology professor . Psychology is one of my majors and Professor Harrell is one of my favorite professors. I really thought he would have an interesting view on our research topic, genocide, and he did not disappoint. Our actual research question was: "What are the political and psychological frameworks surrounding genocide?" The other members in our group interviewed a political science professor. There were a few things that really stood out during Professor Harrell's interview. When asked what would lead a person to start a genocide, he explained to us that their is something wrong with the mental wiring of a person such as this. He also told us that when one group is leading the genocide against another, at some point before the genocide, there was coexistence between the two groups and that some third influence is what caused the genocide. Dr. Harrell believes that this third influence is often an issue of leadership. The issue of genocide is one that I'm pretty passionate about. In high school, I did a lot of activism to increase awareness of genocidal issues. Dr. Harrell gave us a ton of information that will be so useful in putting together our upcoming presentation!

African Burial Ground

I couldn't go on the trip to the Burial Ground the week my class was scheduled to go so I went this past week. It was a blast!

I live really close to New York so it was nice to almost be home and even just to be in another city for a day. I often take my proximity to New York for granted. Many of my classmates had never been to New York before and it initially came as shock to me before I quickly remembered that not everyone lives as close to New York as I do. NYC is one of my favorite cities in the world!

Visiting the Burial Ground was a truly moving experience. The park rangers were very knowledgeable and reinforced Dr. Carr's teachings about being in touch with our African heritage and knowing more about Classical Africa. I learned so much about Africa's influence on Western culture and of how so much of Africa can be seen in our culture today. One of park rangers was of mixed ethnicity but he looked as if he was only white. He had a very interesting take on the Burial Ground and Classical Africa that reinforced a strong sense of pride in me. It was also great that one of the park rangers was an HU alum.

Once we left the Burial Ground, we had some time to roam the Harlem area. Though some may disagree, Harlem is a bastion of rich history and culture. It was great to end the trip at one of my favorite soul food restaurants, Sylvia's!

Research and Methodology: Inscription as a Liberating Practice

This week's lecture was our last of Freshman Seminar! I can't believe the semester's almost over; it went by so quickly! Our final lecturer was the chair of the English department, Dr. Dana Williams (she's a fellow Williams so I knew she would be great ;) ). Dr. Williams really put the purpose of the course in context. She spoke to us about how to be effective researchers. She shared a variety of methods and resources for us to make use of in order to conduct proper research. These tips could be applied to just about any research field of study. It was interesting to think about how the previous lecturers employed these tools to conduct their own research. I've been doing research in my English class and I hope to conduct research this summer. I know for sure I'll be using a lot of what Dr. Williams covered.

Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility

This week's lecturer, Dr. Segun Gbadegsin, was very engaging. He spoke on our responsibility to our community and the importance of realizing that we are each a part of something larger than ourselves. Being an African-American in today's world, this message rings especially true. What made this week's lecture particularly engaging was the fact that Dr. Gbadegsin lectured from his personal experience. The way he spoke was so narrative-like. He told us of his life in Nigeria and gave a real life example of an abstract theory put to work. This was definitely one of my favorite lectures.