Homecoming 2011

As a freshman I know that I personally had A LOT of high expectations as far as the events and activities that surrounded homecoming. After being told endlessly by other students, family friends, and older alum about the "great HU homecoming" I was slightly disappointed. I did have my share of fun however nothing really lived up to its hype. It may be because I had a lot of preconceived notions, or because I've been told about the grandeur of homecoming since I told people I was applying for school.

To start most of the ticket prices were out of my budgeted range. Fifty dollars for a step show plus transportation there seemed unrealistic. One because I am a (relatively) broke college student, and two because I could just wait for my classmates to buy the tickets and then resale them, which is what I did in most cases. Another reason homecoming wasn't as spectacular as expected was the celebrities. Yes they were great however they weren't the ones I grew up with nor were they in the limelight currently with the exception of two or three. Once I got passed that and realized that homecoming is what you make of it I enjoyed myself. Homecoming left a lot to be desired but all in all I wouldn't say that the prestige team failed (they just need a little improvement).

My First Homecoming..

   My first Howard Homecoming... It was exciting and at some points anticlimactic, but overall it was a well appreciated experience. My best friend from home, Sabrina, flew in to help me celebrate. It has been months since I've seen her so her presence alone was enough to make my weekend enjoyable. I didn't attend any events during the week so homecoming truly started on Friday for me.
   Yardfest was more than expected. Not because of the performances but because of the abundance of food. The multiple options left me in a gluttonous bliss. Although Jeezy and Wale are great performance I didn't have the opportunity to see them because we had to leave early to make it to the r&b concert.
   The R&B concert of course didn't start on time; however, I know from the experience that I will be purchasing Melanie Fiona's CD when it's released. Friday night after the concert was an experience to say the least; but not an enjoyable one.
   Saturday's events topped those of the night before and my entire day was filled with entertainment. There was never a dull moment from 9AM Saturday morning to 5AM Sunday morning. Overall my weekend was more than fun and I am overjoyed for next year's homecoming.
Kristen Bailey

HOMECOMING!!!!

The only thing I can say is WOW!!!! I have never been apart of something so marvelous. This was a different experience for me because college homecoming is on a whole nother level than high school. I really did not know what to expect because this was my first college homecoming experience. It was like a festival. People were everywhere and the traffic was ridiculous. Although I did not get the entire experience it still was something new. I was excited because my family came and I have not seen them in about four months. We all just hung out in the yard and enjoyed the food and the music. We also got up early on Saturday and went to the parade. The parade was like the start of the day. It got us excited for what was to come later on in the day. The students that participated in the parade did a wonderful job. They were excited and they danced and marched with everything they had and I applaud them for a great show. That was basically all I did at Howard for homecoming because I decided to go to my brothers homecoming at the Naval Academy. Maybe next year I can get the full experience.

Niesha Bush

Freshman Seminar Overview

My overview of Freshman Seminar as a course is a positive one. I feel that freshman seminar has opened my eyes to be a more well- rounded African- American. Just a few days ago, I was having a conversation with a friend and I began to go into detail of how every individual has a communal responsibility.

Freshman Seminar has shown me a different view of how I should see how I fit into the world. I should expect out of myself, not only for myself to succeed, but the community around me to succeed with me because it is my responsibility to give back to the environment from which I came.

I have grown a respect and appreciation for Freshman Seminar and now when I look back, I am glad that it is a required course for all COAS students. Even doing these blogs every week was a good experience. These blogs allow for a reflection of how you actually felt about the lectures and your interpretations. I'm curious to see how my group project turns out, but nonetheless excited.

Jesseca Farr

iPhone 4S Rush!

Friday, October 14th was the day that the new iPhone was released. I had been planning on receiving one of these iphones but I'd missed the presale date, so my plan was to get up early Friday morning and try to get in line for one. I worked late Thursday night and had uncompleted homework due Friday, but I was determined to get my phone.

After work, I got back to my dorm around 1am Friday and began doing my homework. The apple store informed me the previous day that in order to get a phone, my best bet would be to be at the store (which opens at 8am) by 6am. I ended up doing my homework until 4am, taking a shower, and hopping on the bus (skipping sleep) just to make sure I didn't oversleep. Dozing off on the bus, I make it to Georgetown around 6:10am. There's already a line! I thought that by getting to the store before the sun even came up, I'd be at least waiting in front of the store. No dice.

News cameras and police were on the scene as well. I ended up in line about 200 yards away from the store, standing beside a lady and her canine companion. I was tired and bored, so to occupy myself I ended up playing with her dog to pass the time. Eventually Apple employees came out and started taking questions from consumers, streamlining the process which would allow us to get in and out the store faster. Apple employees also began passing out free coffee, water and donuts, which was a nice touch. Eventually, the clock struck eight and it was on!

Customers started filing into the store and making their purchases, finding their time and money well spent. After waiting about 5 minutes I was allowed into the store, and I bought my 16gb black iPhone4s! Its been 2 days, and I must say I'm in love with this phone. The rest of my weekend was spent playing with my new phone, which i thoroughly enjoyed.

M.L.K Memorial Dedication

The Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial Dedication is one of the best ways to celebrate a person of life, dreams, and legacy. This is a way that we as African Americans can show our appreciation to a man of integrity. What makes this moment so historical is that the memorial is the first in Washington, D.C to be dedicated to a person of color. King was a man of hope, love, justice, peace, and democracy.

President Obama spoke so well of King. He mentioned the things that we have overcome and yet more to come. It’s not about what we haven’t overcome but what we will overcome. Its time for us to stop complaining and get out and do what is right for African American rights. One of the things that we have to understand is there were people that paid the way for us. So what we have to do is work and fight for the things that will help the generations to come.

Niesha S.Bush

Passing Time...

With midterms finally here I've been reflecting heavily on my past few months here at Howard University. In high school, we often hear about and experience friends going to college and changing. A year ago I thought of this change in a negative light; however, after experiencing it personally I've realized change is a necessary part of life and isn't always negative. College students are forced to embrace a new lifestyle, new friends, and a new environment. It is human nature to adapt to new surroundings. While I try my hardest to keep up with people and friends back home, I find myself drowning in time conflicts. Here at Howard University there is never a dull moment. Being my first year I want to experience everything I can here and keep up with my schoolwork but I always feel as though I am being suspended between two worlds: my roots in California and my new life in DC. With the time change and schedule conflicts I am never able to have a full conversation with absent friends. Although I know I have not fully mastered this feat, I am trying hard to keep up with everything.
   One thing I know that will bring me back to the sanity I felt in California is my best friend coming to visit for homecoming. She goes to Xavier in Louisiana and I feel as though there is never enough time for us to talk anymore. Through everything she would always keep me sane and I am beyond elated that we will be able to reunite this weekend. Thinking about it makes me want to cry. I know through everything, even though we are not able to talk everyday and most times every week, she will always be my best friend.

Kristen Bailey