Dr.Segun Gbadgesin's Lecture

Dr.Segun Gbadgesin lecture on the story OMOLUABI was phenomenal as well as reflective to the character of the people one surrounds themselves around each day. He was very effective as well as creative in his opening of the lecture through playing the drums, a form of communication that is used in African tribes that also was used in times of oppression.This was a great method to expose someone to a culture up close and personal.It is said that one understands what the drums is saying through focusing, which I found fascinating.The story was about self actualization and maintains one character by being true to one’s self.One word in particular that was stressed throughout the lecture was Iwa, character and existence.In everyday society one character is challenged through many events that inhibits one to make crucial decisions that can be of benefit to themselves or be for the greater good of a collective group of people.One also has to keep in mind that patience is key and with every endeavor patience and Iwa overcomes all.One moral in the story is never take things for granted.Something that may be common you and your community may be a need from another community.This made me reflect back to my trip to Soweto,the largest township in South Africa and the living conditions of the people that lived in this community.They lack many of the basic necessities such as water and a stable roof over their head.This was a humbling yet saddening experience because many of the things I would have complained about earlier was nothing of importance to these people. Dr.Gbadegsin then discussed the principles of Ma’at that consist of spiritual,physical,and philosophical which is the basis of morality.He concluded by implying that he wants us to achieve OMOLUABI,which is a person of character etc

Dr. Dunston

This was one of the roughest weeks I have had in many years and it made college for me a little bit tougher. This week I was very ill and my throat was closed up almost and I had to go to the hospital to get the proper care. My adventure began Tuesday morning to the Howard University clinic to see about my sore throat that was preventing me from eating. I waited in a long line to finally get service at the clinic finally a saw a doctor, but I felt as he did not know what he was talking about. He asked me if I had any allergies I told him that I did not have any allergies then he proceeded to check my throat it turned out that I did not have strep throat he could not figure what it was. So he prescribed me allergy medicine any ways. I felt weird about him giving the medication since I do not have allergies but I thought to myself that he is a doctor and he maybe might know what he was talking about. I went to the CVS to pick up my prescription and took the largely sized pill but it did not reduce the swelling or closing up. The next day I still felt the same so I decided to make a trip to the emergency room to get the proper attention there I received the right diagnosis and was given the right medication my throat is now opening up and I feel a lot better. I know I was unable to attend Dr. Dunstons lecture I am pretty sure that I would have found it pretty interesting especially if it was about the human genome center I have always wonder what exactly is it maybe in the near future I can ask her myself.

Dr. Pollard

This details in this post maybe completely different from the groups and that because i was unable to attend class that Tuesday due to medical reasons however I was able to attend one of Dr.Pollard’s Lecture on another day and with the topic covering Civil Rights hip hop and hope

I learned that one of the first sit-ins was in Wichita, Kansas. There were a bunch of teenagers doing a sit in at a restaurant or bar and they were standing up against discrimination. Then it leads to others to par- take in sit-ins as well. But the point is to show that teenagers have the power to make a change. Dr. Pollard was saying that we are the generation to make a change in the world. The great leaders of today were all kids/ teenagers at one point. Then we become the future leaders of America. We are supposed to set the example and lead the way to do great things. It doesn’t have to start when we become adults it starts now. The people before us such as Martin Luther King and Ella Baker who has paved the way for the African American culture to rise and overcome. They showed that it was possible. Now when you look at the world; you see it every day. In more today we see it in the arts like poetry like Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Ed Bullins. These writers often wrote about their experiences in life dealing with racial issues and prejudice. We also see culture in music. It inspires and moves people artist like Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Tupac have really moved people in the world through their lyrics and new artist today have been inspired by these people and now they are creating history now. The main point of Dr. Pollard lecture was saying that we as young adults can make a difference and we are the future.

First Presentation

The group entitled Freshman Seminar 2014’s research topic was titled “Education Is Not Preparation For Life; Education Is Life Itself”. They started by trying to solve the issue of the poor educational systems in the Washington, D.C. area. They explained why D.C. had lower graduation rates and some of the reasons are: low income, inferior Facilities, Low Teacher/Principal Salary, and Demographics. Most of the schools around the D.C. area were thriving while the inner city schools were not. They later went on to try to see what we can do to raise the graduation rate because the discrepancy was almost unreal. They came to the conclusion that if we put more money into the D.C. schools by building better facilities and pay the teachers more than we could build a better learning environment for all which would in turn make the students become more willing to learn.

Second Group presentation

They were the second group in the class to present. They first began to express the statistics that our black community share with the incarceration rate. They said that 1 in 5 African Americans ore without health care and 50% of African Americans graduate from high school. They also expressed African American school systems has lower funding with less computer access and less enrollment. The group also interviewed professors such as Dr. Reever and Dr. Terry Adams-Fuller.

After reviewing these statistics i have been given a sense of information that i was not aware of before coming to class. I have been living in a bubble that people may have not been aware of the critical affects in our community that we were not aware of. After being in this class I have been trying to attempt to understand but i am grateful

Final Thoughts

The first semester has by far been a telling period for me in my maturation. This semester has been a learning experience for me. Being a first semester freshman at Howard University is a growing experience due to the new lifestyle one experiences. Freshman Seminar has been a great experience for me thus far.Going into the course I was not sure at the importance of the course and the effects it would have on me. Then I went to the lectures,that I was glad to be exposed to during the first six weeks of class.The speakers that conducted these lectures were very inspirational and introduced to a different mindset each time a lecture was held.After every lecture I would walk to class reflecting on the words of wisdom the was bestowed upon me.I would have conversations with my peers on the topics that were discussed that day. The replies from my peers were very insightful,showing the enthusiasm we had shared for the course.The trip to the burial was informative as well as a memorable experience being exposed to history that was concealed from me being a native in New York.The work done for the project was great as well.Going to the homeless shelter was eye opening for me to hear the various stories of unfortunate events that brought a feeling of slight sadness to me.I would recommend this course to all students at Howard University.I am glad I have had the opportunity to experience this class with my friends and mature while taking this course.

Self Reflection

Coming into freshman seminar, I had many feelings. I was confused as to the purpose of the class and why it was a mandatory course. I was annoyed that I couldn't actually take the course my freshman year (I'm a sophomore) and I was nervous about the research aspect of freshman seminar because I felt that conducting research was a weakness of mine.

Attending the lectures weekly, I noticed some great qualities in myself as a student. I noticed that I usually listen and retain information well. I take good notes and am able take to information I hear and make it pertain to my life and experiences. With all that said, I noticed some not so great things as well. For example, instead of going home and doing my weekly summary right after class, I would procrastinate until the last minute and sometimes even past then to complete work. I'm not good with time management. This is something I must work on and I'm glad that I was able to pick up on this flaw.

On thing that I cherish the most from this whole freshman seminar experience, aside from the fact that I can conduct research more confidently, and aside from the fact that I got more experience in working with groups (something I used to despise), is a bit of information, or a perspective if you will, on African Americans and “miseducation”. In that very first lecture by Dr. Carr, he talked about miseducation and the fact that we as African Americans are not necessarily deprived of education, we have all the same rights that everyone else does in this country to be educated in any type of institution we desire. Our problem is more so the fact that we allow ourselves to be fed these negative images of African Americans; who we are, what we are like, how we speak, act, etc. We allow ourselves to be portrayed as the “Madea's” and the “Lil Wayne's”; the “athletes” and “hood stars”. We don't truly embrace the modern Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s and Maya Angelou's. We run away from them; We ignore them; We shun them. But why? What are we afraid of. Coming up in the world? Being he to whom others looked up to and not he who looks up? Are we afraid to achieve great things?

This idea is something that has stuck with me throughout the semester and probably will be with me for all my life. I hope so, at least. I want to live my life knowing that there is something, this “miseducation”, that I absolutely must beat and try to help my fellow people beat. We can be more than just jumping athletes and gyrating, “blinged-out” music stars. We can be presidents, senators, principals, doctors, lawyers, professors, even kings and queens if we want to be. For this brand new perspective, I am truly grateful.

Peer Presentation Reflection #2

The second most influential presentation I saw, was the presentation on teen pregnancy. True; it is one of the most talked about issues today. And yes, hearing the same things about teenagers acting sexually irresponsible gets old. But the fact remains, teenagers have sex with a lot less thought to the consequences in this day and age. Maybe, it's because we feel invincible walking around with the ignorant “it can't happen to me” attitude. Maybe it's due to ignorance of the facts, and the weight consequences. I think it has a lot to do with immaturity and the lack of sense it takes to think before we act.

Whatever it is. This is a situation that absolutely needs to stop, or more realistically, decrease. Children are being born to children more frequently than ever before. This means that more children are born into unstable, broken, unhealthy families. More babies are growing up with our real guidance. More children will grow up to be menaces to society (hustler, murderers, gangsters etc.). These are cycles we need to stop. Thing that need to be prevented.

I think, that it was brave to touch based on a subject that we all have heard about so much, because the problem is, indeed, relevant. I enjoyed the information that was presented and respect this particular group to choosing the topic. It never hurts to ear information over again. I think that is a good reason why there are not more teenage mother's than there are now.

Peer Presentaion Reflection #1

Throughout the past couple of weeks, I've experienced some great presentations from my fellow classmates. While I feel that overall, we as a group (the freshman seminar class) did a great job presenting and researching as a unit, two particular. The first was the presentation titled, “To Sleep Or Not To Sleep” [I forget the name of the group]. The presentation talked about college students and our sleeping habits or lack there of, and the effects on bodies. Of course, knowing the basics, like the fact that sleep is a biological need and that the less sleep you get, the less you function is knowledge that many of us gain as early as middle school. But the fact that long term sleep deprivation can lead to depression, various illnesses/diseases, and even death can be shocking information to even most adults.

What made this particular presentation and subject so interesting to me is the fact that I, like most college student and teenagers my age, suffer from sleep deprivation weekly. As if being a student were not time-consuming enough, I am a commuter from Germantown, Md with a part-time job and 19 credits. Everything is so fast pace and there never seems to be enough time in the day. “School is always first” in the eyes of most student due to the pressures of society and family friends to do well or die; not literally of course. So, I spend more time working, than sleeping And I undoubtedly feel the effects each and everyday that I am further deprived of rest.

I think the best part of this presentation was the advise, “Make sleep a PRIORITY.” Yes school is important, and yes you should do your work and make time for studying, but more importantly than those things, we as people, not just students, need to make sure that we get an efficient amount of sleep each and every night. Otherwise, we set ourselves up for failure and, eventually, bad health.

Self Reflection

Even though I expected freshmen seminar to be geared towards helping us transition to college life and help us with the many things concerning the college of arts and sciences, it was interesting. All of the lectures brought on a new idea about life, particularly the African American life. It focused on our beliefs, our weaknesses, our strengths, our past, present and future. Many, if not all the lectures were inspirational in its own way. I have gotten a lot of information out of these lectures.
My favorite lecture came from Dr. Segun Gbadegesin. It was about self Actualization and communal responsibility. His lecture was enjoyable because not only did he speak about bettering our selves but also our community. By working on becoming a better person, we can reach out to those who are not on the path. From doing that, it will create a positive; much needed path in the African American community.
Another favorite lecture of mine was learning about the history of the names of the many Howard University buildings on campus. Before and while being here, I had not much of a clue why or what the buildings on Howard’s campus were named after.
Overall, this class has been helpful. It has sort of acted as a history class for me. I enjoyed hearing the lectures from the many guests we have had. I also enjoy Dr. Carr’s many speeches. I really loved the African burial ground in New York and learning about the many historical events that have happened regarding the burial ground.

Peer Presentations # 2

For this presentation, the group, The Chosen Ones, did a presentation on black women and the perception that is given off. They connected many degrading images of the past and connected them to the ideas of today. Such thing as the degrading images of the mammy, who took care of the family and the house, and the overly sexed black women are still shown today. Now these images take place in movie roles such as Madea and Big Momma. The overly sexed and promiscuous black woman is shown throughout music videos and movies such as Monster’s Ball.
I enjoyed their presentation because me as a black young lady, I feel as if these images portray us in the wrong light. I feel as if we as African American women hurt ourselves more than anyone because we condone the behavior shown in the music videos and movies. Because of the media, black women are given a negative portrayal. The negative stereotypes are being lived through the media. If black women want to gain back their respect, we will have to take giant steps and fight those who are against us. We will not only have to fight those who purposely show negatives images about us, but also teach the younger generation of males and females how to respect themselves. When they learn to respect and love themselves, it becomes impossible for them to be shown in a negative light which will eventually improve our image in the world.

Peer Presentations

This week for presentations, a group presented the question, why are college students not getting enough sleep? I feel this question greatly affects all the students I know. They began their presentation with the causes that may contribute to the sleep deprived college students. The biggest contributor to lack of sleep for college students is the excessive amount of homework that is given. The large amount of work leads to pulling “all-nighters,” long and over bearing study sessions and stress. Those things in turn affect how many hours of sleep the students will get. On average, college students receive is 5 hours. Researchers have said on many occasions that a person 18 or older in fact needs 7 and a half hours of sleep. The 7 and a half hour long sleep is the only way to get the full cycle of sleep that the body needs. The lack of sleep can attribute to the low grade scores. Studies have shown that students who receive more than 7 hours of sleep score higher on tests and get higher grades than those who only receive 6. There are, however, many solutions in how to gain back sleep. One way is to set a bed time. When one sets a bed time, it will train the body to fall asleep at a selected time. Reduce the consumptions of energy drinks and other caffeinated drinks.
I enjoyed their presentation because it gave many helpful tips. They spoke very clear and was very helpful when questions were being asked.

Self-Reflection

Overall I learned a great deal while taking this class, it was actually more interesting than I expected it to be. After I sat through the first lecture, I found myself interested in wanting to know more about the topic that Dr. Carr spoke about. Many speakers during the weeks made me feel proud to be a Howard student and determined to be a Howard graduate. The group assignment was excellent practice for future projects I am sure I will be doing in other classes.I am still a little surprised at how much I have learned and gained from this class this semester. I believe this class should be a necessity to anyone new to Howard because it will leave you with a resolve to be the best you can possibly be during your time at Howard.