Amber Spencer: Miss Evers' Boys

I attended the production "Miss Evers' Boys" this past week, and I'm glad that I got the opportunity to see it. Not only did the actors do great, but the plot of the story was also intriguing. It was basically about a research study dealing with Syphilis in black males. The point of the study was to see if blacks responded the same way as whites to the effects of the disease. Hundreds of the subjects died due to mistreatment.
I find this entire situation horrible. How can someone sit and watch a large group of people, black or not, die due to a disease that could have been cured? It seems almost not human. Using humans as guinea pigs for research, is completely immoral. Some respect can be lost towards the government and to those who knew about the study, but let them die anyways. I wonder why they would choose to let the blacks die and treat the whites. I wonder this because I don't fully understand what this study could have possibly proven effectively. And whatever was proven through this experiment, was it worth the loss of hundreds of innocent black people? I feel as though it was not. When they saw that so many people were being affected negatively, they should have stopped the experiment and cured the people who were infected.

Amber Spencer: A Charge To Keep

Ms. Worthy spoke about the LEAP schools and mentioned how culturally relevant they were. She explains the five tenants of culturally relevant teaching. These five tenants are African logic, African Epistemological Styles, African Axiology, cultural visibility, and social, emotional and political responsibility. All learning should be based on these five tenants because this would make the learning system much better. I think that people would get more out of school if schools based their learning on these five tenants.
She also spoke about LEAP's emotional program. LEAP basically meets the emotional needs of the students and the people involved in this program. They have a class that develops a learner's sense of belonging and having an identity. This in turn creates a "safe-haven" for the students where they are allowed to grow and feel comfortable with themselves. This is a good thing for students to have because everyone needs an environment that they feel comfortable growing up in and for being able to show their emotions without feeling judged. It's difficult to feel this in most school systems. I have personally never felt that in any school that I've attended.
Ubunti means humanity. These schools are based on this. Under Ubunti, the LEAP code of conduct is created. This code of conduct states things such as being kind, honest, and never giving up. It is full of inspirational aspects unlike many other schools. I don't remember reading things such as this in my high school code of conduct for example. I think that if every school's code of conduct included these things, then schools in general would be much better for students. After hearing this lecture, I wondered why every school does not do this.

K'ara Locke-" A Charge to Keep"

Ms. Worthy explained to us how the LEAP schools, like the one she visited, are culturally relevant. One of the ways their teaching is culturally relevant is by incorporating African Epistemology in their learning environments. Their school day runs a lot differently than our school day in a typical American school would run. They have multiple age groups together in one class and they do not break up all their subjects the way we do because African people learn better in that way. Ms. Worthy thinks we should re-segregate the schools in America and teach the black children in a more culturally relevant way so we can excel and be up to par with our white counterparts because it worked before, when segregation was forced. All this sounds good but it makes me question what was it all for in the beginning then, with fighting for desegregation of schools.

LEAP also caters to the emotional needs of the students. They have an entire class dedicated to sharing how they feel and “to develop the individual learner’s sense of wholeness, identity and belonging.” This gives them a safe, non-judgmental environment to learn and thrive in, which many if them still need since the apartheid has just recently ended and they are not adjusted to the changes. This could help a lot of American students, just to know that you are surrounded by people who care; because we definitely do not have that feel in our school system.

These schools work based on Ubuntu, which means humanity. A man defined freedom as “the struggle for humanization.” The LEAP schools put a great deal of emphasis on Ubuntu, it is almost like their way of life, it guides them throughout their entire school day. There is more to it than just humanity, it is the LEAP code of conduct. I think it would be beneficial to American students, if we learned about Ubuntu and applied it to our lives as they do.

K'ara Locke- Eloquence of the Scribes

To be the “best and brightest” of Howard be pushing to excel in every course I take. I came Washington with the mindset that I was going to leave with a 4.0. But I won’t top there, I will work hard to make myself well rounded and aware of the world around me. This way I will know how I can be the change I want to see.

To be a citizen of the world to me means to be aware that there is a whole other world outside of the one I live in and know. And to know that I have to help change it and help make it into what everyone wants it to be. As a world citizen, I have to truly understand the importance of progress. My citizenship in the nation informs my world citizenry because I realize how much we have already done, is no where near enough, compared to what we still have to do to make the world all be on one accord.

I know Thurgood Marshall is going way back in time but I know that he had “to till and turn over” a lot “soil” to get where he got in the time that he lived in. Thurgood Marshall, although he chose a career opposite of the one I am pursuing, he inspires me to keep pushing and try my hardest at everything because if he could achieve all that he did at the time that he did, then I should be able to do more.

Eloquence of the Scribes- Princess

To become a part of the "best and brightest", I will do my best to excel here at Howard. I feel as though I've already made a leap in the right direction just by attending such a prestigious, historically black institution. I'm already aiming for a 4.0 GPA. I had a consistent 3.2-3.5 GPA in high school and now I want to achieve more than I ever have. To be a citizen of the world is to be an educated member of society who attempts to make the world a better place. An important aspect of being a world citizen is to recognize the importance of progress. Being a citizen in the nation as compared to being a citizen of the world has made me realize all of the work that still needs to be done, not only in the United States, but across the land. I'm not sure what is meant by a "representative thinker", but if I had to pick someone, it would be Dr. Abdul Karim Bangura. Every class he questions my traditional values of society. In an early Freshman Seminar presentation, one of the speakers spoke about advancing versus transforming knowledge. I believe Dr. Bangura is one of those people who transforms knowledge, which is why I look forward to his classes.

Princess Jenkins-Simlin

Sierra Williams- Eloquence of the Scribes

To be the best Howard scholar, I know that I must take all of my work seriously; and that I cannot achieve my goals without hard work. I strive to obtain a 4.0 GPA. Being involved in my own future, and the future of others will help me contribute to the Howard legacy. Working on areas that need improvement is also key to becoming the best and the brightest. To be a citizen of the world means to acknowledge the existence, and taking responsibility for what goes on around you. To be a citizen means that you have rights, but there are also rules to abide by. My citizenship in the nation will inform my world citizenry because based of the opportunities that I am afforded in America; I know that I have the potential to help the global community. I think a representative thinker that has inspired me is Patricia Bath, M.D. She is an opthamologist, the first African- American woman doctor to receive a patent for a medical invention. Her life’s work inspires me to till and turn over the soil, because I aspire to be a medical doctor, and from a long time ago it wasn’t possible for everyone. Even though it is a competitive field, if you work hard enough you can achieve your dreams.

Being a Howard student and World Student: Trey Lasane

As a student, I want to embark on a journey that leads to the future of energy in America. I believe energy will be a key resource for our nation as we move forward with technology. Our environment, economy, and foreign relations can all be improved with a little dedication towards renewable energy. I will be the best and brightest at Howard by forming my own organization: Future Energy of America.

A citizen of the world has strong nationalism but at the same time accounts for people everywhere. As we recognize how America was formed and aided by other nations, we must be a part of the help in other nations around the world. The United States simply couldn't stand by and watch Quaddafi stop the formation of a democracy. We couldn't sit back and watch the tragedy in Darfur. We proudly stand as a United nation, but we must be our brother's keeper to other countries just how others have done for us. Being a citizen of the world means that you care for more than just your own country.

For my Howard role model, I look no further than my Commandant of Cadets 1st Lt Baynard. Lieutenant Baynard has demonstrated superior during her Howard tenure as well as her leadership as a member of the cadre at Howard University. She has showed me that it takes more than brains to be a successful Howard student. Lt Baynard shows power of will and sets the example for everyone in the detachment.