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.

Representative Thinkers

This week's lecturer, Dr. Kane Felder, examined the ideas of freedom and justice. In true Socratic fashion, the class was expected to really think about the questions: "What is justice?" and "What is freedom?". These questions seem to have such clear cut answers but in reality they're incredibly complex. Really thinking about them was a very self-actualizing experience. Dr. Felder very appropriately began the lecture with the quote, "All that is hidden will come to life!" From what I understand, this meant that regardless of what your idea of freedom and justice is, the two concepts exist and any action you carry out will be known one way or another.

Eloquence of Scribes

This week's lecture has been one of my favorites so far! Dr. Benjamin of the Fine Arts department spoke to us about the "ancient scribes" who have shaped the world's culture simply by writing things down. She then gave a detailed history of Howard, specifically explaining the significance of the numerous influential African-Americans many of our buildings are named after. I'm a history buff and loved learning about the meanings behind the names of the different buildings. I was somewhat familiar with many of the building's namesakes but there were a few that I did not know anything about. Dr. Benjamin referred to the Douglasses, the Lockes, and the Drews of the African-American community as our "ancient scribes". It's truly mind-boggling to know that one day my peers and I will make our own marks on the world and become "ancient scribes".

The Human Genome

This week's lecture featured Dr. Georgia Dunston, the chair of Howard's Microbiology department and a Founding Director of HU's National Human Genome Center. Dr. Dunston explained to us that Genome Center is just one of the many things that makes Howard such a unique institute because it is only one of a few in the country. Throughout her lecture, she explained to us that each of us has a genome, a type of genetic code that makes up who we are. What I found particularly interesting though was that she also spoke of a type of aura that surrounds that makes us who we are as well. She spoke with conviction as she explained to us the connection between science and the spiritual. that each of us has an aura. Because Dr. Dunston was so engrossed in the material, she unfortunately did not get to her actual slideshow. Although I was lost at certain points throughout the presentation, overall, I was impressed.

Learning Wisdom and the African World Experience

I've been experiencing difficulties with my blogger account and after FINALLY having them resolved, I'm posting all of my blog entries now.
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Dr. Carr's lecture was both enlightening and inspiring. He called to attention that as a result of years of historical disenfranchisement, all too often we are taught that our history begins with American slavery. This could not be any less true. Africa is one of the earliest, if not the earliest, of earth's civilizations. African history pre-dates slavery thousands of years. We are taught that the Greeks and Romans have shaped Western civilization. But, it was another Mediterranean country, Egypt, that shaped their civilizations. Classical Africa is a fascinating civilization that has had an astounding impact on all civilizations and unfortunately, much of it has been left unstudied. Nevertheless, I'm eager to learn more! I think this quote is the most appropriate way to conclude this entry: "To be black is to be the beneficiary of a great inheritance."

Self-Reflection

Aisha J. Brownlee
12:10-1:00
Freshman seminar was an interesting class. At first I didn’t really enjoy it. I didn’t understand why we had to take the course and what I was supposed to gain from being in this class. I don’t particularly enjoy lectures but I did find some of the lectures interesting and others not as effective as they should have been. Either way, I believe that the lectures should have been more interactive, seeing as how the speakers needed to capture the attention of 100 freshmen at a time. Although they weren’t interactive, the lectures were great and sufficient examples of detailed research projects that each speaker undertook. The speakers provided information from different fields of study that gave the freshman class a perspective of Africans and research from different points of view. These lectures showed that intellectual research is essential to all fields of study and that research should be done for the good of the black community. Once research is done, it should be inscribed so it can be passed down to the next generation. This concept of inscribing and moving information to the next generation was stressed in all of the speaker’s lectures and is needed in the reeducation of blacks in the community. These lectures provided the class with examples as to how to go about undertaking research which was ultimately the goal of the course, to conduct intellectual research to contribute to the black community as well as others. My experience with the research project was essential to the rest of my academic growth at Howard. To learn how to do research is an important part of learning and is something that contributes to one’s intellectual development. Freshman seminar is vital for this reason, and provides us with the foundation to build on our research to continue the inscribing for the upcoming generations.

Group Presentation: 4.0

Group 4.0’s research topic was informative. They did a comparison on Historically Black Colleges/Universities and primarily White Universities’, and compared the graduation rates. Their comparisons, as well as statics showed that HBCU’s had higher graduation rates than primarily white universities. Of course I find this information to be outstanding as well as useful, but I do believe that a little more information could have been put into this comparison. I think that reasons why HBCU have higher graduation rates should have been included in the presentation to make it well-rounded. I do remember the group discussing some of the programs that are offered at HBCU and not at the predominantly white schools, which can be seen as a huge contribution to the reasoning, but I still think that the group could have dug further. Instead of explaining programs and showing multiple graphs and statics of schools, the group could have given more reasons. Such as the learning environment, the faculty, the students they accept, or how confortable a student feels in a school. I think that such factors as these are very important when making a comparison and analyzing things. Ever effect has a cause. The group’s presentation was very information and is very encouraging it shows that HBCU has a lot more to offer than people expect. It shows how HBCU is progressing, which I think is another detail that the group should have mentions. But the overall presentation was very well done and informative. Makes me more proud to be at an HBCU!

The Stampede: Group Presentation

Suicide is a serious topic that has a lot of attention, or should I say enough attention. Such topic should be just as important as HIV/AIDS and even genocides. Group ‘The Stampede’ has done an excellent job by bringing to our attention the big issue of suicide. They began by defining the suicide, and then they began to discuss the causes. I believe that the information that they gave was accurate because I had recently been reading about the topic in my sociology book, as our professor discusses it as being a result to stress. The group overall performance I would say, has to be an 8 on the scale of 1-10. They were consistent, their ideas and thoughts were together. Everything flowed and I understood the concept of their presentation. One of the things that’s I thought about during their presentation was, how many people knew of the statistics and deaths that were caused by suicides. For me the information was not first time hearing, I have worked on projects for suicide awareness in the past and even help conduct assemblies so that my peers could be aware. But how many people really knew about suicides and how many people really cared. Some of the reasons that the group gave was, alcohol and drug abuse, depression, stress, and even relationship problems. Such reasons like these make me question our society. I have reason to believe that such factors are caused by unequal opportunities. The fact that our social structure makes it difficult for people to move through a class makes things harder in life, and results to suicide and even homicide. I really enjoyed this group and I give them two thumbs up for their presentation.

Interview: Dr. Ifedi - Politcal Aspects

My interview with Dr. John-Patrick Ifedi was very interesting and I really enjoyed listening to his opinion. Our topic was based on genocides and revolved around some of the political aspects and psychological aspects of genocides, so our group thought it would be a great idea to interview a political science professor. Although our presentation was based on the genocide occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the fact that Dr. Ifedi was from Nigeria contributed tremendously to some of the responses that he gave to the questions. For instance, I ask Dr. Ifedi, what did he thought of genocides in general. Although he gave me such a difficult time in answering such basic questions, I found his responses to be truthful. Of course like any human being with morals, and a sentimental heart, he thought that genocide was bad and should not happen. I then asked him what roll he thought the government should take in controlling the genocides, and did he think that foreign relations should get involved. With the most serious face he told me that the government should always help its people, but there are some cases in which the government is the ones conducting the genocide. As far as foreign relations, he told me that he believed in the good neighbor policy. He believed that other governments should get involved. But then he reminded me that a government has sovereignty over their own land, so who are other countries to get involved? Such a mind-bottling questions that I failed to think over when we as Americans enter other countries and get involved in other countries. I know for sure that America would not like anyone in their business, so why is it okay to be in others. What is the crossing line that makes it okay for countries to get involved, is it genocides, or economic depression? Even with these questions laid on the table, Dr. Ifedi felt strongly about the Good Neighbor Policy, and so do I. This information contributed to our presentation because it allowed us to be more open-minded 

Seminar in Cramton Auditorium

Aisha J. Brownlee
12:10-1:00
The seminar in Cramton was very informational and vital to succeeding at Howard University. The guest speaker was Roland Byrd and he gave a lecture on proper study habits. Though this lecture wasn’t as effective for me as it was for others, he mentions and provided the group with wise suggestions. Mr. Byrd gave suggestions for the following three categories; how you manage your time, how do you study, and how to develop a study schedule. For the first point, time management, this is something that I learned throughout high school with having a job, being active within my school, and juggling school work at the same time. How I handled my busy schedule throughout school and still today, is by making a schedule for myself. Along with recommending a schedule, Mr. Byrd suggested that we make our schedules in terms of priority. After providing the group with information on how to make a schedule he gave advice on how to study. He suggested studying in a quiet place and doing work in priority. To stay on top one should work ahead but in order for this to be effective and for one to become a successful student one must condition their selves to proper studying schedules. He finally gave advice on how to develop a study schedule. One must be discipline, alert, organized, and have set goals. All which were great suggestions and he ended his lecture with positive and encouraging words for us freshman by saying to have a positive attitude towards learning and staying committed to ones work, both which are key to being a successful student. Although this topic is one of importance, I feel that it wasn’t effective because it was at night and people weren’t as attentive due to other distractions. I also didn’t think the meeting was going to be an actual seminar, if that was the case; people would have come more prepared. All in all, I really didn’t take away any new information that I haven’t already practiced or tried but he was very detailed and informative.

Group Presentation- Group 4.0

Aisha J. Brownlee
12:10-1:00
I really enjoyed Group 4.0’s presentation. I found it very informative and their research extremely detailed. Their research question was does historically black colleges and universities have a higher success rate for their students’ then a predominately white institution of education? The evidence that the group provided sufficiently proved that the graduation rate of historically black colleges and universities is substantially higher than the predominately white institutions. I thought the group touched base on a very good topic, education. When determining whether someone is “smart enough” to attend college and how that affects their success in life, grades should not be considered. Isn’t a student wanting to learn and benefit from the experience enough? I think colleges and even high schools put too much emphasis on grades instead of the learning journey as a whole. The system is too competitive. A student’s success rate should be determined by the goals they set for themselves and how they go about achieving those goals. The group brought up different academic programs offered for students during the summer and for first year students in college. Programs such as upward bound and freshman seminar are programs designed to challenge students and help them to succeed in the future. Whether a student decides to take advantage of these programs to further their education is their choice. To succeed in life you have to set high but attainable goals for yourself, and be motivated and determined to stop at nothing to achieve them. Succeeding in life is more than just grades; it is about using all the resources available to you and furthering your knowledge outside the classroom.

Stampede Presentation

Faith N. Odigbo

Freshmen Seminar

12:10 – 1:00

Dr. Carr

7 November 2010

Stampede Group Presentation

The group, Stampede, presented the topic suicide rate increasing within the African American community. I thought this was a brilliant topic to discuss because suicide is considered a taboo subject to discuss because many older generations have passed down their twisted view on suicide and on those who commit suicide to future generation. It is only now that the African American society is coming to terms with suicide and is slowly realizing that suicide is a much bigger picture then they thought. Stampede presentation was informative and was straight to the point. Every member of the group was an active participant and knew the topic very well plus the group was well prepared when it came time for question and answers. The group mentioned certain attributes contribute to the increase in the suicide rate such as unemployment, depression, hopelessness, alcohol and drug abuse, relationship discord, partner abuse, and child abuse. Since America is in one of the worst recession the suicide rate has doubled because due to the lack of money some people see no way out of their financial situation. According to their research, suicide is the eighth leading cause of death and five people per day fall victim to suicide. The social structure of today’s culture and society places a lot of stress on an individual. Stampede covered a topic that the African American community should acknowledge this topic and spread the awareness of the this subject which might help decrease the rate of suicide for future generations. Stampede presentation was good and left me wondering what I could do to inform the masses about this topic.

Interview-Dr. Harrell

Aisha J. Brownlee
12:10-1:00
For my interview, I choose to speak with Dr. Jules Harrell, who is my psychology teacher. I am a psychology major and found it important to interview him on our research project. Our group question for the freshman seminar project was what are the political and psychological frameworks of the Congolese people that contribute to the current genocide? I myself have a particular interest on the effects of people in hostile environments and how genocide affects their states of mind. I began the interview with asking Dr. Harrell what was his intake on genocide. He talked about when looking at genocide one has to first ask, why now? Why has the problem exploded to something this immense? When there are two groups fused to coexist with one another, tensions arise. Contributing to these tensions is always a third element, where if one were to remove this element, the problem wouldn’t progress as largely as it has gotten in the Congo. The third element in the Congo is the mineral coltan. This mineral has kept the fight between Tutsi rebels and national armed forces ongoing. This mineral continues to fuel the conflict by providing sources of funding for armed groups. The interview was then directed towards what psychological factors contribute to some of these leaders mind sets. We are all capable of ruthless. What I learned was that when a human is reduced to their lowest, the oppressor has a better chance of destroying the person causing their brains to go through mis-wiring which can ultimately set the person off. Also contributing to a person’s destruction is their social environments. If someone is raised in a destructive environment, that can alter a person’s state of mind and their perception on the world. Without love or a stable social environment one is pushed toward self-destruction resulting in mass effect of the people around them. Our interview taped deeply inside the human psyche and was very helpful to our research project.

Group Presentation Review-The Stampede

Aisha J. Brownlee
12:10-1:00
The presentation given by the stampede was on the suicide rates amongst African Americans. Their research question was why are the suicide rates amongst African Americans increasing? I found their research very interesting and original. They looked at all aspects which could be the result of such high suicide rates. Their presentation was very organized and easy to follow and understand. The group began their power point by defining suicide from their perspective. Their definition was the taking of one’s life. Although not a topic frequently addressed in the news, the group brought it up and gave an informative presentation. Suicide is something that effects young teens and blacks especially in today’s society. The group gave their reasons why in modern society the suicide rates have increased. Some include unemployment, depression, hopelessness, alcohol and drug abuse, relationship discord, partner abuse, and child abuse. All of the reasons the group came up with I agree. Because of today’s economic situation many of these problems named above have become more prevalent in black communities, causing the suicide rates to increase. According to their research, suicide is the eighth leading cause of death and five people per day fall victim to suicide. The social structure of today’s culture and society places a lot of stress on an individual. This stress causes a strain mentally on a person and their daily life. This is why I think The Stampedes’ presentation was very effective. They addressed a very vital issue that has sort of been placed to the back of the list in some of the important issues affecting people today. I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation given by The Stampede.

Group Presentation Review #1

Faith N. Odigbo

Freshmen Seminar

12:10 – 1:00

Dr. Carr

3 November 2010

Group 4.0

Group 4.0 presented the question does historically black colleges and universities have a higher success rate for their students’ then predominately white institution of education? The group presented substantial evidence to prove that the graduation rate of historically black colleges and universities is up there with predominately white institution of education. The presentation was informative I only wished the rest of the group got to talk but the overall presenting was ok. In my opinion, the only thing that should determine a student’s success rate is their determination and their will to see their goal of completing their college career. What really should go into consideration of the graduation rates of the students at historically black college and universities and predominantly white institution of education is the will and if the students are taking advantage of the programs that offer to help them when in need. The group did mention that both schools historically black and predominantly white offer programs in order to help their students succeed. Sometimes, the problems lies at the hand of the students and their mindsets’ and not in the hands of administrative. The presentation was informative, helpful, and made me aware that some students thrive in an environment where they can relate to other students like themselves while others can thrive in any environment. Though the value of education may be same between the two schools but sometimes the environment on the individual campuses plays a significant role then educators give credit. Who knows whether students at historically black colleges and universities because of the environment or the contact with students like themselves or if the students succeed due to their own determination and a good support system back home?

Interview

Faith N. Odigbo

Freshmen Seminar

12:10 – 1:00

Dr. Carr

3 November 2010

Interview

The question of our research project was what is the psychological and political framework that contributes to genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo? Well the group decided to interview Dr. Harrell, who has a Ph. D in psychology. We asked him pivotal questions on the psychological framework of the leaders who lead genocide to run rampant in their country and Dr. Harrell said that the mental wiring within the leader’s mind is askew and something went wrong during their development years because what would cause one person to think its okay to annihilation a certain ethnic group. While Dr. Harrell was answering our question, I could not help but think that the leaders who run countries where genocide is running amuck must be sick individuals to allow such destruction of human life in their own country. It saddens my heart to think that the media has brushed the genocide that is occurring in countries less fortunate then North America, who has the ability to avoid such catastrophic events in their history, well to a certain extent. I wished the media would shine a light on this event and how the natural resource that North America depends for everyday use is adding fuel, pun intended, to the events in other countries, whom are wiping a race in order to supply the North American demand. The interview with Dr. Harrell to be insightful and added beneficial information that helped get along with the research project.

Research and Methodology Inscription as a Liberating Practice

Aisha J. Brownlee
12:20-1:00
Last week’s freshman seminar lecture, given by Dr. Dana Williams, focused on the topic of research and methodology inscription as a liberating practice. Basically the lecture was on the importance of research and valuing its outcomes. The goal of the lecture was to gain an appreciation of research, offer independent discovery, and expand a commitment to academic excellence. This is essentially the focus of freshman seminar; this class assists students in developing issues in today’s society and being able to successfully conduct the research. I thought that Dr. Williams’s presentation on research was very informational and revealed to me the vitality of freshman seminar. This class was designed to aid the students in doing well organized and through work. Although my group hasn’t finished our research, I now know why it is important to know how to do research and how it is essential to every field of study. To summarize the rest of the lecture in relation to the research projects, the highlighted objectives were to identify principle components of research and relate them to the research question. For the group presentations, each group is to look at a specific challenge in relation to the research question. The basic components of research are vital in guiding how research should be done and good methods in finding research topics. Determining how you will address the research question is called methodology. This process is the method of data collection where one can collect information from a primary source, a secondary source, or an interdisciplinary source. The framework of the project is basically how the research is presented, whether as a report, presentation, or paper. Dr. Williams ended her lecture by stating some key facts in continuing our research projects, one, to know our limitations and two, ask ourselves what new insights the research reveals. This lecture highlighted many key concepts in conducting research and can be very helpful later on for future projects.

Research and Methodology Inscription as a Liberating Practice

La Brea Hill

Freshman Seminar   

    On last Monday, Dr. Dana Williams spoke on the subject of research and methodology. Her lecture as a whole, made the idea of the course much more reasonable and clear. To be honest I groaned at the fact I had to take the course, it didn’t seem relevant or to have any purpose for me. But once I was understood the goals that we are attempting to achieve while taking this course, I began to accept the course and make the most of it. Dr. Dana Williams discussed the purpose of our research as well as different ways that we should approach the research project. She gave us proper ways to research and different methods we could use when constructing a research so that it could be presented. She talked about the framework of research such as the structure, the presentation and whether it was scholarly or not. Dr. Williams gave an example of what the research should consist of and should look and general ideas of what we should aim for. She used our freshman seminar course as an example of a research topic (which made the course better to understand), by giving a thesis, and more information about what the course was designed to do for us as students. Some of the methodology that she instructed and s suggested that we took used was data and interview. The overall lecture was very helpful and gave much more reason to the course. Now, the next step is to achieve the goals that the course was designed for.

Research and Methodology: Inscription as a Liberating Practice

Faith N. Odigbo

Freshmen Seminar

Dr. Carr

12:10 -1:00

5 October 2010

Research and Methodology: Inscription as a Liberating Practice

Dr. Dana Williams had to be one of the best speakers we have had so far because she was clear and concise, got straight to the point, and she actually used her visual aid. Her presentation contained crucial information pertaining to our research project. Though she was the best speaker we had so far, in my opinion, the information she was presenting to the class was repetitive and some parts of the presentation would drag on for minutes, thus putting me to sleep or causing me to look in space. Dr. Dana Williams mentioned during her presentation that we should state the problem or the challenge foremost before we begin the presentation and with the statement we can acquire knowledge, solve a problem, or even inquire. Dr. Dana Williams mentioned that the statement should be as specific as possible to avoid a large scheme thus making the research process much longer then it needs to be. Then the next step is to consider the consider the state of the research project by indulging in reading other materials pertaining the subject, what information is needed in order to complete the research and to consider what has been said about the topic. Then conceptualize a research design, which basically is determining a method of data collecting, and which way will you present your presentation. Then the development of the thesis and the conclusion finishes the presentation. Dr. Dana Williams presentation was precise and contained important points that will not only help on this research project but for future research projects throughout our college career and beyond. The only thing I wished that Dr. Dana Williams did for her presentation was to make it more exciting I felt as though she merely was reading off her presentation and just reporting dry facts. I felt no excitement or any type of emotion in her voice but she did a good if not a better job then past speakers.

African Burial Ground

Faith N. Odigbo

Freshmen Seminar

Dr. Carr

4 October 2010

African Burial Ground

The trip to the African Burial Ground was interesting and was an eye opener for many people including myself. Though the journey to New York was long but it was so worth in the end. Once we arrived in New York, we entered the museum that was constructed in the honor of the four hundred and nineteen remains of slaves found in Lower Manhattan. There was a struggle for this museum to build and there is still fight today for the necessary funds to keep the museum running in tiptop order. The museum left some lingering questions in my mind such as why is the city more willing to fund some sports stadium instead of a museum that would help future generations to come with their history? This question baffled me but at the same time made me want to do something so that future generations would remember their history and what they can do to improve on their future. Even though the museum was interesting and quite heartbreaking to relive such a shameful period in American history. The trip would have been better if we had spent more time in the museum instead of on the bus or in Harlem. Harlem was also another quite exciting part of the trip but I wished I had spent more time in Manhattan because there is more to do in Manhattan and the stores are of a higher quality then in Harlem. The trip was an experience that I would never forget and that trip will forever be imprinted in my mind and will now shape my future for the better. Though the trip had many faults such as the short amount of time spent in the museum, spending more time in Harlem, and spending way too much time on that cramped bus but the overall trip was an experience that I will never forget.

African Burial Ground

  The trip to New York was so fascinating and so intriguing. From the museum to the people in the city, I enjoyed it all. The fact that I have never been to New York had a huge affect on my visit. When we arrived in New York I was excited, but I was most captivated by the African Burial Ground. Libations were interesting and the museum walls and facts were great but I was mostly interested in the movie that we viewed. We had a chance to listen to the researchers who started and worked on the project, we got to see how the people of New York reacted to the founding of the site, and we even got a story of what life would have been like for Africans and the burial ceremonies. One of my favorite things in the museum was the barrel that we were allowed to push, that thing was heavy! The fact that our ancestors pushed heavy barrels around all day showed such physical and mental strengthen. Now days I see blacks that don’t even lift a finger at all! The sad part about it is, I’m not sure of blacks are aware of such hard work and labor that their answers went through. But as a student, I believe that it is my responsibility to share with those who are not aware of our ancestral history. Now I bet if they knew that in Manhattan under what is now a museum, laid many of their ancestors, they would work like no other. They would learn to appreciate and honor the prices paid from them.

  After we left from the African Burial Ground, we were allowed to have free time. And although shopping and a little trip to Applebee’s was not very education, I did notice something while walking 125^th of Harlem. I noticed the culture! When we first arrived in Harlem, I compared it to downtown Los Angeles, California, due to the people, stores and shops. But when we got off that bus, there was something different about Harlem than Los Angeles; the people were more intact with the African culture. There were many gift ships on the street where people were selling African artifacts, rarely seen in LA. By the Apollo theatre there was a show where the children performed. The people were live! It seemed to me that Harlem was more united as a black culture than what I was used to in LA and that inspired me and made me fall in love with the city!

African Burial Ground

Aisha J. Brownlee
Monday 12:10-1:00
Last week’s trip to New York to see the African Burial ground was breath taking. Before this freshman seminar class I never heard of this story and the findings of Africans beneath Manhattan. I find it so incredible how before people were just building and building on top of the ancestors without knowing. The findings of these African people are so essential and have made a vital contribution to the historical memory of this country. I cannot fault blacks for wanting other black scholars to research the African people and I can say that I am proud to say that I am attending the school that helped make such a profound contribution to history. I connected deeply to the first part of the trip where we poured libations, paid respect to the ancestors. Africans are the ones who built this country and to be in the presence of those who made many sacrifices was moving and a very powerful moment. I think it so beautiful how after the research was done on them, the researchers put their bodies back into the ground and held a traditionally African burial for the ancestors. The only thing that I can say disappointed me was the fact that I wasn’t there to witness such a breakthrough in not only African history but American history as well. The second half of the trip where we went to Harlem was entertaining. I never thought of visiting Harlem but am thrilled that I was able to visit such a cultural place, with a lot of history and life. The trip to New York was such a remarkable cultural experience and the African Burial ground is a historical monument that should be visited by all.

Self-Actualization and Communal Responsibility

Aisha J. Brownlee
Monday 12:10-1:00
Last week’s freshman seminar was very captivating and exciting. Dr.Segun Gbadegesind spoke on self-actualization and communal responsibility. Self- actualization means reaching ones full potential and communal responsibility meaning receiving an education to contribute to the community. He began his lecture by telling the story of Iwa, meaning character. When one loses Iwa, their character, they lose everything, their worth, health, children. He used the concept of Iwa to help center his lecture finally concentrating in on the importance of education. With education one is not only bettering themselves but their communities as well. Iwa can be looked at from different perspectives in relation to achieving ones full potential to contribute to community. Iwa as ones existence is the responsibility to yourself and your community. Many ancestors continue to exist today through immortality because of their many scholarly contributions. Essentially leading to the concept that education is the immortality of the crown of existence. Because of the many sacrifices the ancestors made for blacks and others, their existence lives through our memories. We honor them by trying and expecting to receive nothing but a higher education. Having a quality education leads to one having good character, the greatest talisman. Dr. Segun Gbadegesind was a very motivating and enlightening speaker. His repetitiveness of stressing the importance of education is something that needs to be stressed and instilled in many individuals. One thing that someone can’t take from you is your knowledge and with knowledge comes historical memory. With historical knowledge and a drive for a quality education African Americans can attain self-actualization and spread the knowledge to others along with providing an impetus for others to pursue the knowledge of the ancestors. I was very inspired by Dr. Gbadegesind lecture which reinforced the significance of receiving an education.

Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility

la Brea Hil

     “A man of character is a man of wealth.” This was a quote that Dr. Segun Gbadegesin used on Mondays freshman seminar class, when discussing the topic of Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility. Dr. Gbadegesin started his lecture of with a story about a girl name Iwa, character. The stories purpose was to simply inspire and show how having character and building character is very important for us as students and as blacks. The lecture based was based on this whole concept of character which shows to be the foundation of our ancestors. He goes on to say that “good character is beauty; good character is greatest talisman good character is essence of religion. I was really thrilled by the cultural performance. I think that the music and clothing that Dr. Gbadegesin showed us was very interesting and made me feel more involved as a student. “A man of character is a man of wealth,” this quote was the most important to me and grabbed my attention the most. I think that this is important because character defines who you are and what others will see you to be. When people describe you, they will describe your character quality, that’s why it’s important to build good character. You’re a person of wealth when you have character because character is something that makes you successful and no matter what happen it’s something that no one can take away but yourself. As students we should realize the importance in our character and in who we are. We obviously have some sort of character if we made it this far, but we must continue to build on it and take more notice of it.

Self –Actualization and Communal Responsibility

Faith N. Odigbo

Dr. Carr

Freshmen Seminar

Self –Actualization and Communal Responsibility

Dr. Segun Gbadegesin was an enthralling speaker that captivated the audience but introducing him to his Nigerian culture. His speech was moving and left the audience questioning what they can do for their community. Dr. Gbadegsin emphasized that education is the central to the community and to one’s character. He also mentioned that we couldn’t move as a community if there are those who are ignorant to the blessing of education. He mentioned that an iwa is a person of character, disciplined, self-improving, and that iwa is responsibility to self. Our speaker mentioned that it is up to us to educate the next generation so that our legacy does not die. Education is the immortality of the crown of existence and is in the memory of the community. Education and the pursuit of a higher education help establish good character, which is the greatest talisman. Good character is the essence of a good person. Dr. Segun Gbadegsin was a motivational speaker that instilled some type of motivation in the audience that made us wants to go out and change the world. With education we have the chance to change the world and maybe change the way African Americans as a whole see themselves. With education we can even the plan field between African American and Caucasians so things. If education was available to everyone the world might change and equality might be accessible in the future.

Freedom and Justice

La Brea Hill

Monday 12:10- 1:00

This week’s fresh man seminar was given by Dr. Kane Felder on the topic of Freedom and Justice. Dr. Felder began the lecture with different definitions of freedom. One of the definitions that he gave was, and individual or groups inalienable to exercise choices. By choices he meant good and bad choices. As we began to go deeper into the lecture he began to make references to the bible by given examples of choices and freedom. For instance he discussed the choices of Adam and Eve. He began to speak on how freedom had responsibilities as well as consequences. I think the whole lecture on freedom was to inform how important or freedoms are, especially African Americans. After fighting so long to be free, people often take advantage of such rights given to them or hardly acknowledge at all. This lecture also allows us to raise questions about our government and about our freedom. Are we truly free though we are often restricted from doing certain things we want, and doesn’t go intact with the law? Such references of freedom and justice out the bible, allows us to compare past days to now. Dr. Felder started the class off with a Greek quote that in English meant “In time all that is hidden will come to life!” I believe this quote  means that soon such laws that we abide by and such rights we are given will no longer be what the government wants us to see, we will soon began to realize that we are not as free as they say we are. As we continue to study and educate ourselves we will perceive things different and look at life from a different perspective. Everything that we did not notice before will soon be clearer to our understanding.

Freedom and Justice

Aisha J. Brownlee
12:10-1:00
This week’s freshman seminar was very intriguing and informative. Our speaker was Dr.Kane Felder whose discussion focused around the terms of freedom and justice. He first began by defining freedom as the individual right to exercise choices to enable a person to develop their full potential. He discussed how the meaning of the term has changed with the centuries. In times of slavery, it meant to escape physical bondage, while today in contemporary society it means obtaining an education and trying to prosper as a whole. He discussed how after his many travels throughout the world America incarcerates most blacks and other minorities than any other country in the world. He then went on to define justice as the right relation, fairness, or balance in which the population benefits from it. Before furthering his lecture into justice, he mentioned how freedom and justice is based upon religion. Religion provides the laws of justice by doing God’s will. To help reinforce his lecture he referenced the bible and discussed many biblical figures. He spoke about how Jesus has been an inspirational figure in many leaders’ lives but the biblical translations of the bible are from a European perspective and at the center of civilization is Europe. However, the solution to African problems lies within an African perspective. While his lecture was an importance to the learning of divinity, I felt as if the lectures effectiveness did not reach people. For a more effective lecture, I would suggest that he have something that grabs the attention of the audience. I myself was not as engaged as I normally am. Even though the topic was interesting, I felt he needed to do more than lecture to capture the audience.

Freedom and Justice

Faith N. Odigbo

Dr. Carr

Freshmen Seminar

Freedom and Justice

Last week class discussion was quite interesting to say the least, and very informative. Dr. Kane Felder was an engrossing speaker when he was talking about freedom and justice. According to Webster’s Dictionary, freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. While justice is defined as the quality of being fair and reasonable according to the Webster’s Dictionary. Dr. Kane Felder mentioned that during slavery, that freedom meant how to get out of physical bondage but then when slaves were emancipation freedom meant getting an education and trying to prosper as a whole. Now freedom mean in the 20^th century means equal opportunity and trying to level the playing field among African Americans and Caucasians in all aspects of life. Dr. Kane Felder mentioned that freedom and justice are based upon religion. Religion provides the laws of justice by doing God’s will. Jesus is an inspirational figure for many people around the world especially leaders. Jesus is a pivotal figure for many and His words inspires others, though many indulge in the European version of the Bible which does not provide many answers for today’s generation but the African Bible is the solution and has many inspiring scriptures. Europeans are at the center of everything and many things form around that. Everything we see, read and even indulge in are from the standpoint of an European point of view, so some things may be distorted in order to maintain their image of the being the “creators.” Dr. Kane Felder speech was interesting and brought many things forward and to our generation’s attention.

Eloquence of Scribes

Aisha J. Brownlee
Freshmen Seminar

This week’s freshmen seminar was very fascinating. Dr. Tritobia Hayes Benjamin spoke to the class about the “Eloquence of Scribes”. The people she discussed in her lecture were people who founded many attributes that continue to make Howard an amazing university. Her lecture was centered on Howard’s founders and the people who founded the buildings that students attend class in. Dr. Benjamin began her lecture on discussing who a scribe is. A scribe is someone who writes books and contributes to the African experience of learning. The scribes she talked about in her lecture have greatly contributed to the academic success of Howard students. She talked about people who the buildings were named after on Howard’s campus. One of the people discussed that intrigued me was Inabel Burns Lindsey, who was the first dean of the School of Social Work. Because of her many contributions and dedications to the school, it was named the second accredited school in the nation. Another person discussed whose history I found remarkable was Prudence Crandall. Crandall is a dorm that is part of the Harriet Tubman Quadrangle. She fought for girl’s education and opened the first integrated school for girls. Her zeal and drive for all women to be educated helped shape the course of history. This lecture was very informative in knowing the history of Howard University and to know about the people that open the doors to many educational opportunities. Before this lecture I did not know many of the people that these buildings were named after. I did not know of their tribulations and devotion to educating blacks, and how they not only contributed to the history of Howard, but also to the history of this country.

Eloquence of the Scribes

La Brea Hill

Freshman Seminar

   Freshman seminar lecture was quite interesting and very insightful. We receive a lecture from Dr. Benjamin on the “Eloquence of the Scribes.” We started the lecture off with a few definitions of what a scribe was or what he/she did, then went on to discuss some historical and important scribes of Howard University. Some of the few scribes that she mentioned were people like Oliver Otis Howard and Mordecai Wyatt Johnson. These were important figures and founders of Howard University. As we began to go further into the lecture we began to discuss other people who made a difference in history, in which we named our buildings in honor of them. I found the lecture to be significant because we spoke of historical scribes who made an impact on many lives, and now going into the buildings of such scholars and heroes, we should to be striving to have impacts on others life. Dr. Benjamin said, “Academic life is a path to an eloquence success,” when meditating on this quote I came to an conclusion that I too want to be a scribe for future generations and by educating myself I will be able to be just that. To be a scribe is to document events or jot down such ideas—most of the time such things are passed on—which is another reason why this lecture is important. While discussing such historical figures, we remember such wise they passed down to us and how we use such wisdom to help educate one another. Such lecture has broadened my horizon about Howard University, historical figures, and education.

Eloquence of Scribes

Faith N. Odigbo

Freshman Seminar

Dr. Carr

Eloquence of Scribes

Dr. Benjamin discussed the eloquence of ancient scribes and the legacy of Howard University. Dr. Benjamin talked about the ancient scribes who preserved a nation’s culture, history and even way of life through their efforts at writing down historical, political, judicial, and even sacred narratives from certain tribes. Though the scribes played a big part in preserving African American history, oral tradition played a big role in keeping the history live for many centuries. The scribes also had a ranking system from the royal scribes to the unknown scribe who received no recognition for his work. Each family had a scribe write down their family history so that they preserve the family history for future generations. Then, Dr. Benjamin proceed to talk about the influential men and women who shaped Howard University history for the better and she discussed why the building on campus were named after such influential people. Dr. Benjamin discussed the how the Harriet Tubman quadrangle because she was a motivational woman who lead many people across the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman put her life on the life in order to help those in need escape from the inhumane treatment of their slave owners. Within the Harriet Tubman quadrangles there is Sojourner Truth, Phyllis Wheatley, Prudence Crandell, Frasier, and Baldwin who are all influential women who changed the way the world looked at African American women for the better and it is because of these women that our generation can go to places where they did not think was possible many years back. Then Dr. Benjamin proceed to talk about George Washington Carver, Lucy Digge Slowe, Charles R. Drew, Mary McLead Bethune, and Ernest Everett Just who played such a fundamental role in shaping Howard University history and legacy. These men and women who changed the world were scribes who went to great length to preserve our culture and history, so now it is our generation’s turn to do the same for the next and prosper to the next level that the generation before us could only imagine.

Genome Project

Faith N. Odigbo

Dr. Carr

Freshmen Seminar

Genomes Study

Dr. Georgia May Dunston speech was moving and inspiration to say the least. During her discussion she talked about genomes and how genomes are the record books of the times and legacy of humankind. In Webster dictionary, genome is defined as the ordering of genes in a haploid set of chromosomes of a particular organism. Though Dr. Georgia May Dunston talked about that she explained that genomes is what set each individuals apart and what makes us so unique from anyone else. Dr. Georgia May Dunston was sure to emphasis that genome was the universal code but though it may be universal it is unique to each to every individual. Dr. George May Dunston was sure to emphasis that all individuals are unique that not even set twins could even have a same set of genomes. Dr. Georgia May Dunston is the founder of the genome project at Howard University which is currently researching the genomes of African Americans so that we as a people collectively can learn more from our ancestors such as what about our genomes that made withstand such cruel treatment and inhumane living conditions to live for such a long period of time to the point where we could pass on our oral tradition on to the next generation so that they were aware of their ancestors battle, hardships and way of life. I feel that our generation is just being swept away and just going in any direction. I feel that we need to reconnect with our ancestors in order to discover who we really are as a whole and individuals, plus is we know more about our ancestors we will appreciate life and the opportunities that come our way when we realize how much our ancestors went through in order to provide the next generation with a better life then what they had.

Genome

Aisha J. Brownlee
Wednesday 12:10-1:00

Last week in Freshman Seminar, Dr. Georgia Mae Dunston gave a lecture on genome research. Even though she didn’t get a chance to go into depth of her research, her introduction was very informative of the genome and its importance to life. She began her lecture by defining a genome, which is a record book of history and legacy of human kind. What astounded me was how each person’s genome is unique. Even though we come from two people not one person is like another. Our genome is what makes us unique but the history of our ancestors are traced within each person. Dr. Dunston connected the presentation from Dr. Carr’s lecture to the genome project, just from a biological perspective. To trace the origins of life one must not only have to understand history but also biology. Due to the research on the genome, scientists have traced the origins of life back to Africa. In order for one to understand African people and how they experienced the world, requires one to obtain knowledge of the genome. In studying the genome you see people’s history, enabling researchers to understand Africans and their ways of life. We trace this history back to Egypt and discussed that that is where wisdom is founded. This knowledge the Egyptians and how they created mathematics and letters shows that Africans provide the world with the history of mankind and its influences that are present today. Dr. Dunston furthered her lecture by talking about vibrations and how each person carries within them a vibration that others can sense. She said something in her lecture that I resonated with me and it was, “Each of us is a grace note and has sound in the universe and when playing sound we are in harmony with life” (Dunston). This quote amazed me in that how each individual is influential to others. This quote further explains the importance of the genome and how it connects life.

Genome

La Brea Hill
Monday 12:10-1:00


    Last week’s Freshman Seminar, given by Dr. Dunston was on the genome research. Although we did not get a chance to go into depth with the research as a whole, we received much information during the introduction of the lecture. We discussed the importance of the genome and how it related to us as humans. One of the main points that Dr. Dunston discussed, and I found most interesting, is the uniqueness of our genomes—comparing them to how we are unique ourselves. Each of us has our own set of genomes which makes us different from each other, not one person contains the same set. This to information came to me as an opportunity to us my differences, and uniqueness to stand out. The lecture, I found to be motivational because it sort of pushed up to try and seek out information about ourselves and our cultures. The genome project as a whole can be symbolic to our African studies—because we seek to find out more information about our origins. Discovering and researching our genomes and different genes allows us to reveal more about ourselves and about our history. Although it may be a bit difficult to completely recover our ancestor information based on genomes and genes, there is symbolism when discussing such things. We set out to find what is so unique and different about our genomes from others—that is what is so unique about our African culture than any other culture. Why start with just genomes, when we can go into a deeper study of finding the uniqueness of oneself.

Pres 1- Learning, Wisdom and the African World Experience

Aisha J. Brownlee
Freshman Seminar
Monday 12:10-1:00

In our first lecture in freshman seminar we discussed the topic, learning, wisdom, and the African experience. The objective of this lecture was to draw the connection to learning and wisdom, reflect on the African foundations of our intellectual scholars at Howard University, and to open our minds to the African experience and engage in our historical roots. Throughout the lecture we discussed the many intellectual works of Africans and their contributions to society, but, we focused heavily on the connection between learning and wisdom. We began our lecture discussing the basic terms that helps shape African culture. Learning and wisdom contributions such as these terms created by the Egyptians have transferred to today’s African communities. These basic terms were evidence of African deep thought. We discussed how Africans were the first thinkers and developed many concepts that Europeans adopted and called their own. Many Africans are mis-educated because the learning of African culture has been forgotten, hidden, and water down in the traditional textbooks. To treat this problem (the mis-educating of African Americans) there must be a trigger of remembrance of our genealogy of African learning and wisdom. To do this there needs to be a reconnection of our forgotten roots. To access these connections one could look to literature, music, or art. Hidden in each work are the ancestors’ experience and wisdom that Europeans have worked so diligently to hide from Africans. As we move forward to an advancing society it is more than ever important to trace our roots and educate ourselves on our history. To do that, a series of memories that our ancestors have left for us must be uncovered and remembered in order to pass them down to the next generations. When those generations receive the knowledge of our past they should continue to pass it down by educating African communities and helping them to gain insight to who they are and where they come from.

Learning Wisdom and The African World

Faith N. Odigbo

Freshman Seminar

September 5^th, 2010

Learning Wisdom and The African World

Today’s generation is disconnected with their African roots so with this lecture and class we will try to dig deeper and try to connect with our ancestors. During the discussion, we talked about the principles of wisdom, which entails, learning, the art and science including the mathematics, which is the core of African wisdom. Many people believe that Africans did not contribute anything to the Western World when in reality African created math, astronomy, science and writing yet they get no credit as a nation for their contribution. Though, Africa contributed greatly to the Western World it really starts with the Egyptians since they have origin for Africa and it is the best according to Dr. Carver and has been the foundation for everything from culture to literature everyone has copied the Egyptians since then. Egyptians and Africans are interconnected with one another. During the class lecture we discussed what learning really is, which is when boiled down learning is collective, experiential, and incremental and is measured by rites of passages, which is witnessed by the community as a whole and determines one’s content of knowledge and expertise. The key points to learning what success is really is that is defined by traditional African Intellectuals which are excellent reading, writing, counting, measuring, excellent service and reflecting on one’s self in order to contribute. The overall class discussion was learning about African wisdom and how to apply it to our generation so that we never lose our roots.

Pres-1 Learning Wisdom and the African World Experience

La Brea Hill
Freshman Seminar
Mondays 12:10-1:00


Learning Wisdom and the African World Experience, enables students to understand African deep thoughts. The main concept of the lecture was to promote the intellectual abilities of our African ancestors and to take in what we have learned from our ancestors (whether it had been passed down from classical or medieval ages), and use it today. The basis of the lecture was to understand our roots of intelligence and gain wisdom about our African culture. Throughout the lecture we discussed African contributions to our learning communities in which we were encouraged to pass on. Some of the African traditions and techniques are still seen across the world today. The lecture also inspires us to research our lineage of African traditions and teachings, so that we would not forget them or be “mis-educate” (a term used in the lecture). The overall lecture inspires me as a student and an African American to seek more information about my African roots and become familiar with African education. It is very often that African teachings and traditions are mis-represented, stepped over, or forgotten. The Ideas were stolen by Europeans and made into something else. Learning Wisdom and the African Experience, means to understand the African teachings and the genealogy in which it was passed down today. Although some of the teachings became lost and mixed within European culture, we can still build healthy communities where students can be educated in about African studies, especially African American students.