Gamble Away, North Carolina

30 03 2006

It’s a new day in North Carolina. Today, the lottery (the highly debated, refuted, and welcomed) begins. While I’m excited that North Carolina is taking the steps to increase funding for public education, I still maintain that it is a SAD day when we have to resort to gambling in order to get money for our schools. What message are we sending?

Anyhow, there have been several articles on this- check below:

Daily Tar Heel
Durham Herald-Sun
News and Observer

So, North Carolinians- gamble away. No more driving to Virginia or South Carolina for those tickets…





I don’t usually agree with the DTH Board Editorials, but…

30 03 2006

Claiming the past – Opinion

…with the above editorial that they printed today, they are right on. Written about the renaming of Hinton James North Residence Hall to George Moses Horton Residence Hall, the DTH Editorial Board pretty much says it all.

Kudos all around on this one…





Again, UNC Makes Me Proud

29 03 2006

Dorm renamed for slave – University

After reading the little bit of ignorance printed in yesterday’s Daily Tar Heel, I was excited to read the above article.

UNC is continuously making strides to let the nation know that it is what I believe it to be- one of the finest institutions of higher learning that this country has to offer. As UNC continues to grows, I hope that they constantly seek to acknowledge all parts of their history as a major institution in the South, even if that means uncovering truths that have been hidden for years in documents that have been long forgotten.

There’s still room for improvement- it’s the biggest room in the house. But this is definitely a step in the right direction…





wisdom from the Sunday evening lineup…

29 03 2006

When I have time, you can usually find me spending my Sunday evenings with the fam- who in this case consists of P-Dub, Felicia, and Lauryn. And after dinner, reflecting on church, and other things, we settle down for the Sunday evening lineup: Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy.

I’m not too sure why or how I got into these shows. I’ll definitely say that part of it was the hype of everything- everyone I knew was watching these shows or talking about them. And then I watched one Sunday evening and I was hooked.

That said, these shows usually have something quotable…so here are some of these quotes:

From Grey’s Anatomy:

“…I can think of a thousand reasons why I should quit. They make it hard on purpose… there are lives in our hands. There comes a moment when it’s more than just a game, and you either take that step forward or turn around and walk away. I could quit but here’s the thing, I love the playing field.”

“At some point, you have to make a decision. Boundaries don’t keep other people out. They fence you in. Life is messy. That’s how we’re made. So, you can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them. But there are some lines… that are way too dangerous to cross.”

“…Sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today’s possibility under tomorrow’s rug until we can’t anymore…knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying.”

“I’ve heard that it’s possible to grow up – I’ve just never met anyone who’s actually done it. Without parents to defy, we break the rules we make for ourselves. We throw tantrums when things don’t go our way, we whisper secrets with our best friends in the dark, we look for comfort where we can find it, and we hope – against all logic, against all experience. Like children, we never give up hope…”

“If you knew this was your last day on Earth, how would you wanna spend it?”

“Pain, you just have to ride it out, hope it goes away on its own, hope the wound that caused it heals. There are no solutions, no easy answers, you just breath deep and wait for it to subside. Most of the time pain can be managed but sometimes the pain gets you where you least expect it. Hits way below the belt and doesn’t let up. Pain, you just have to fight through, because the truth is you can’t outrun it and life always makes more.”

“Maybe we’re not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human. Maybe we’re thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we’re thankful for the things we’ll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate.”

“At the end of the day, there are some things you just can’t help but talk about. Some things we just don’t want to hear, and some things we say because we can’t be silent any longer. Some things are more than what you say, they’re what you do. Some things you say cause there’s no other choice. Some things you keep to yourself. And not too often, but every now and then, some things simply speak for themselves.”

From Desperate Housewives:

“Now and then, we all need a little help, so we ask for small favors. But it’s always best to be wary of those eager to come to our rescue. Because even the smallest of favors carries a price tag. Yes, everyone has an agenda. No matter what they may tell us. And in those rare instances where there is no ulterior motive we’re so taken aback that we may fail to recognize the truth that a loving friend has just done us an enormous favor.”

“The world is filled with unlikely friendships. How do they begin? With one person desperately in need and another willing to lend a helping hand. When such kindness is offered, we’re finally able to see the worth of those we had previously written off. And before we know it, a bond has formed, regardless of whether others can understand it. Yes, unlikely friendships start up every day. No one understands this more than the lonely. In fact, it’s what they count on.”

“Illness can take on many forms. Those of the body are easy to treat. Much more difficult are the hidden maladies that fester in our hearts. The secret addictions that consume our souls. And the diseases we deny which affect our judgment. To survive we need to find that special someone who can heal us. But we can never predict who have the cure for what ails us. Or when they’ll show up.”

“Everyone in the world needs someone they can depend on. Be they faithful friends, determined advocates, or a loving family. But occasionally in life, the people we thought would always be there for us…leave. And if that happens, it’s amazing the lengths we’ll go to, to get them back.”

“It’s an odd thing to look back on the world, to watch those I left behind. Each in her own way so brave, so determined, and so very desperate. Desperate to venture out, but afraid of what she’ll miss when she goes. Desperate to get everything she wants, even when she’s not exactly sure of what that is. Desperate for life to be perfect again, although she realizes it never really was. Desperate for a better future, if she can find a way to escape her past. I not only watch, I cheer them on, these amazing women. I hope so much they’ll find what they’re looking for. But I know not all of them will. Sadly, that’s just not the way life works. Not everyone gets a happy ending.”

“Nothing is forever and the time comes when we all must say goodbye to the world we knew. Goodbye to everything we had taken for granted. Goodbye to those we though would never abandon us. And when these changes finally do occur, when the familiar has departed and the unfamiliar has taken its place, all any of us can really do is to say hello and welcome.”





In Today’s DTH: We should follow God’s will and segregate ‘mockers’

27 03 2006

We should follow God’s will and segregate ‘mockers’ – Letters to the Editor

The above was a letter written to the Daily Tar Heel and appeared in today’s paper.

Is anyone else bothered by what it says? Things such as the following:

“We white English-speaking people would have a much better society if we were segregated as we were in the 1950s.”

“Today there are many anti-white, anti-European elements in our society mocking and hurting us, all the way from the man who recently went on a rampage at UNC to the gangs of thugs who target white people in robberies and assaults.”

“We desperately need the right to segregate our people in all areas of life to protect our young and our future from harmful negative influences just as Abraham and Sarah protected their son Isaac.”

Say it ain’t so. Please say it ain’t so. It’s 2006. Say it ain’t so. Thoughts from others are welcome and encouraged. I’m nearly speechless on this letter…





i don’t usually do it, but…

26 03 2006

…i did last night. “it” being, go out. usually you can find me in my room of apartment 1604 at riverwalk townhomes- reading, sleeping, watching tv, catching up with friends via IM, eating, on the phone…doing a lot of things…but you can usually bet ALL of your money that you WON’T find me in downtown athens.

so, last night i broke that rule and put march madness to the side, as i went out to celebrate the birthdays of a few people that i have met since i’ve been here. i figured that since i don’t go out much, the least i could do is hang out with some people that i’ve met since i’ve been here and wish them a happy birthday. additionally, i figured it would be a good opportunity to reconnect with some people that i’ve met at a few events but haven’t seen in a while, and a chance to meet new people.

going out in athens has always been a completely different experience than anything that i’ve ever seen before. we started just by chillin’ at the house- having a few wings, playing spades, listening to music, talking to each other. think about the “traditional” black gathering with a grown and sexy twist. and what was very interesting to me is that even with a group of people my age, i noticed that we were separated by gender. the females were gathered in the living room, while the males were together in the kitchen. while a reversal of location, the separation was still the same. think about your own family gatherings, perhaps thanksgiving or christmas. usually you’ll find the females somewhere together in the kitchen, while the males are gathered in the living room (or any other large space with a television).

anyhow, after a short while (and after all the house punch was gone) we headed downtown to an establishment called “the G spot”, which ironically enough, reminded me of chapel hill’s east end martini bar. “the G spot” was our destination for the night, and i watched as it went from being nearly empty (when we arrived) to being simply just too packed for anyone’s own good (i mean, should it really take you about 7-10 minutes to travel a distance about 10-15 feet). simply moving around or shifting your body became extremely difficult. i definitely felt that somebody’s fire code was violated.

what i have noticed about athens, is that there never seems to be a “bad” night to go out, unless there is NOBODY in town. night after night, every evening establishment (and there are several) seems to be packed to capacity, with lines outside. in chapel hill, i definitely remember going out with my girls a couple of times on a random monday or tuesday night just to get a drink and to unwind…and it there were hardly ANY people there. i felt that everyone was glad to see us because they weren’t really expecting any business.

anyhow…so i went out. and it was alright. definitely not something i’d do on the regular, or maybe even in the near future (the desire isn’t there) but i do enjoy celebrating birthdays as much as the next person.

so there’s my night out experience. since it’s so rare, i figured i’d write about it.





the WORD of the day…

24 03 2006

if you’ve talked to me over the course of this week, you know it’s been one of my more challenging weeks. between unexpected car expenses, not-so-good news about a job, and teaching students who sometimes just don’t want to act right- i’ve been feeling pretty discouraged.

on my way to school this morning, my ipod randomly played “all things are working” by fred hammond, and the lyrics really spoke to me:

“All things are working for me, even things I can’t see
Your ways are so beyond me,
but You said that you would let it be for my good,
so I’ll rest and just believe…
The truth is He cannot lie,
I’m in His hands and I’m on his mind,
promised me He’d always be there,
so by faith He will answer my prayer…”

so yeah…i’m trying to be encouraged. and i fully agree with what mother teresa has said: “i know that God won’t give me anything i can’t handle. i just wish he didn’t trust me so much.”





Our Young Black Men are Dying/Going to Jail/Selling Drugs/Not Going to College and Nobody Seems to Care

23 03 2006

Chancellor James Ammons from North Carolina Central University has issued a call to action to Black America.

The Durham Herald-Sun printed this article highlighting Ammons’ keynote address at a conference on black men in higher education. As mentioned in the article, this conference was cosponsored by NCCU, as well as the N.C. Community College System and the 12 colleges and universities, including NCCU, of the Historically Minority Colleges and Universities Consortium of North Carolina.

The article also provided some striking statistics presented by Ammons:

– In 1980, black men in college outnumbered those in prison 3 to 1. Now, for every black man getting a college degree, 240 enter the penal system.

– During the last decade, six black men entered prison for every one who entered college.

– Black children, although less than 20 percent of school enrollment, are 32 percent of those suspended from school and half of those in special education. Eighty percent of those black students in special education are male.

And so it seems that America, not just Black America has work to do. Educators, in their preparatory programs need to be taught about social and cultural differences that might incline them to indicate that a child needs to receive special education services. We must continue to be positive role models and to fight for the promotion of positive role models in our local communities, not just those that are consistently hyped up by the media (namely, BET and MTV). While I am torn between deciding whether the purpose of prison is for punishment or rehabilitation, I do believe that we must provide some sort of educational training and counseling for those in prison, especially those who shall be released back into society, to promote their successful re-integration into the outside world.

It may be true that our young black men are dying/going to jail/selling drugs/not going to college. But the real question is if we care enough to do anything about it.





Bringing Religion Back into the Classroom

23 03 2006

Most of us grew up knowing that one of the fundamentals of our American society is the separation of church and state. We’ve seen the debates between having prayer in school, and the issues with students having to say the “under God” portion of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools.

However, now it seems that religion is finding its’ way back into the classroom. In this article in today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution, they report that Georgia is about to become the first state to legally sanction taxpayer-funded Bible courses in public schools, with other states such as Missouri and Alabama considering such laws.

Right now, texts of holy book, such as The Koran, The Bible, and The Torah are included in many Georgia English and Social Studies classrooms, as a method to see how religions have impacted society or have influenced many literary works.

Georgia legislators maintain that in preparing students for society, they should make them aware of different religious beliefs, and that courses such as “Comparative Religions” would do just that.

So, what does this all mean for students? Are we doing them (the students) a disservice if we don’t teach them about the different religions that are out there? Are we going too far in our educational system? Tell me what you think…





Being Twenty-Something

20 03 2006

They call it the “Quarter-life Crisis.” It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn’t know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren’t exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don’t recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren’t really cold, catty, mean, or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job…and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn’t. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused.

Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can’t meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you know that you aren’t a bad person.

One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself… and while winning the race would be great, right now you’d just like to be a contender!

What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.

So, to all of those being twenty-something you arent alone!