Peer-Review #2

I really enjoyed the presentation on single parent households. I really learned a lot. I truly never understood the effect of single parent households. I was blessed to have both of my parents there to raise me. It is sad that we can look at single mothers and not even think about trying to help them. They struggle just like anybody else. We give our money to national causes, but are ignorant to the people that are struggling right beneath our noses. I applaud the strength of some of the kids who go through the struggle of a single parent home. The group’s research found that that were likely to do poorly in school, join gangs, do drugs, and go to jail. But there are still kids who make it. It isn’t all negative. I don’t know what I would do without both my mother and father being there, so I commend their mindset to strive despite how the odds are stacked against them. Still, as Americans, I feel as if it is our duty to stand up and help our neighbors. If a young boy or girl doesn’t have a mother/father figure, then someone needs to stand up and take on that role. All these young kids are looking for is a role model and someone to love them. They should not have to run to gangs to receive this. These young kids should not be asking for attention in the most negative way. We should already be giving it to them.

Self-Evaluation

My self-evaluation for this course is a little bit complicated. When I saw freshman seminar on my class schedule I kind of assumed that it was going to be an informational class on college. I thought that almost the entire grade would be based on attendance and no work would really be needed. This class however does require a good amount of time and effort. The knowledge about Howard, Black history and the our origins will be invaluable, in later life but right now I really think the kind of class that I wanted was one where I could home my study skills and achieve now so that I could use the other knowledge better on another level. I listened to the entire lecture and gained valuable information from each but what I really want is the opportunity to use that knowledge and to do that I need study skills. For this reason I in a way discarded the first half of the class, keeping the information, but not caring about the class itself. During the group project I gained some real life experience on how to research and present a certain topic so during that part of the course I was much more enthusiastic. I feel that if the organizers of this class were somehow able to infuse the cultural information that was given to s via the lectures with study skills and researching tips that would help us right now, that the class would be much more effective

Peer Group #1

The first group presentation that I would like to write about is that of the Music Helps group. There presentation on how rap music and its positive and negative role models effect the behavior of young people in society. Some of the statistics this group were able to come up with were very surprising. The fact that in a study that involved your women listening to rap music for a year it was found that thirty percent of those women acquired a new STD and that over seventy percent consumed alcohol was a shocking stat. It was also shown how role models in the music industry affect how people act. This topic of positive and negative role models is something that I have taken to heart and I have begun to evaluate artists on what type of message is sent out to the listeners. Trey Songz was cited as a negative influence and once I began to think about it I really did not see many good and important topics covered in his songs. Another artist that I picked out on my own who I feel has nothing but a negative impact on black culture is Wiz Khalifa. Many of his songs deal primarily with weed and none at all focus on relevant issues that could help a young person become inspired or motivated to be better. Positive role models such as Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige and John Legend do exist but it seems as if that are far outnumbered by the negative

African Burial Ground

The African Burial ground located in New York city is the area that many African-Americans are able to trace their ancestry too. I always knew that it was a very important site to black culture but once I visited it mixed feelings were evoked in me. The ground is very sacred to all Black Americans who my not be exactly sure where to trace their ancestry because the site is a possible resting place for our family members. The mixed feelings come from the fact that this site was seen as being so unimportant that it was paved and built on over century’s with complete disregard to the PEOPLE who were laid to rest there. Although I was able to see the shrine which has been erected, and feelings of pride and identity were awakened in me, I couldn’t help but to feel resentful over the treatment the site has been subject to. Even today much of the sacred burial area is left buried and undisturbed under the New York City streets because it is not considered to be of great enough importance to reconfigure a small area of the city. Some would see this as racism but in my opinion, until more black Americans begin to speak out against the ignoring of the burial, there is no room to point fingers. In fact if we do not take the appropriate affirmative action to get the rest of the grounds uncovered then we must point the finger at ourselves. The burial grounds is one of the most important monuments to black history in America, therefore we must make sure that it reaches its full potential.

Dr. Williams

Dr. Dana Williams gave the last presentation for our freshman seminar class. I found it ironic in a way that this research-based lecture was slated last on the list of presentations because I found it the most helpful to me here and now. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed all of the valuable information that was shared in all of the previous lectures but for attending college, I would have really like to have a class that was geared more towards student organization, time management, and research. With this presentation delivered last out of all the speeches I found it a little late in coming. In my opinion this last lecture should serve as an introduction to the other lectures on culture. This would allow future students to receive a preview of what the class will be like while still being able to gain a few of the essential tools that they will need for success in school. Ultimately what I think needs to happen, however, is that even some of the cultural speeches should be infused with knowledge about how to handle the college experience. What students really want in a course like this is to learn what college is going to be like. The information on culture can still be kept but there must be more in the way of skills that can be applied to success now. If this does not happen I believe that no matter how interesting u make this course, many students will pay very little attention to the important knowledge that is being imparted.

Peer-Review #1

Anytime I hear research about music, I think the same thing. Each and every research project about the effects of music says the same thing: it’s negative. When the group who did their research topic about this stood up to present their findings, I felt as if they were preaching to the choir. Now don’t get me wrong, I commend their hard work, and I enjoyed the way they conducted their research. Their survey was very intriguing and they way they conducted it was very well done. I like how they gave the survey to many different age groups. But I felt as if they didn’t bring anything new to the topic. Too many research projects have said the same thing. Negative rap music has a negative effect on kids. It has been said many times. I would have loved to see them show the positives of rap music. I feel like there is a positive effect of rap music on kids. Rap creates a social consciousness. It talks about things that are relevant in society. Therefore kids who listen have a better understanding of the society around them. Although it may not be directly around them, there is no reason to be oblivious to the fact that certain things are still present. It also has poetic justice. Few people can tell a story through words that can touch millions of people all at once.

I don’t ignore the fact that there is a lot of ignorant music in the world today. I also recognize that this music can have a negative role on youth today. But I also believe that you don’t have to listen to Bach and Mozart to hear positive music.

Self-Reflection

Coming into freshman seminar, I was falsely notified about how the class would work. I was told by upperclassmen that nothing was done in the class, and it was considered a “blow off” class. I originally did not like the class, as I blew it off as just another “black history” class. Don’t get me wrong I love my black history but I saw everything at Howard as this. But now as the end of the semester is here, I truly understand the value of the class. Not only did I not learn a lot about Howard, but I learned a lot about my ancestry. For the former, there is so much legacy reeking from the walls of Howard University and I never recognized it until I was told in freshman seminar. Each building is more than a building, but a representation of the famous people who helped carve African American history. It just feels great to know that I walked the same ground of many great scholars. I also learned a lot about my ancestry. The things that I was told in freshman seminar revealed my ignorance about my ancestry. It was because of this class that I would research my background on my own time. I never truly understood how rich my culture is. I was under the impression that my culture was always “down in the dumps.” But the time of slavery is only a road bump in our true history. My culture has had prominence for over 12,000 years. Furthermore, freshman seminar has made me understand the true legacy of Howard University. I recognize the where I’m at, why I’m here, and what it took to get me here.

African Burial Ground

Due to the fact that I have a Saturday class, I was not able to take the trip to the African burial ground. I really wanted to go, but I had to understand my priorities. But from what I heard, it was a truly inspiring trip. I looked up information on the trip and it seems very exciting.  Just to think that my ancestors could have been buried there excites me. I’ve always had a will to learn more about my ancestry, and the more knowledge that comes up about it I love to explore it. To think of the struggle that the people that are buried there went through, and the current situation of African-Americans today makes me more joyful. I recognize my blessings just because I know why so many bodies are buried there. I understand that some of their deaths gave me life.

It’s also exciting to say that I went to the school that did research on the bodies. It’s exciting to say that I been in the same building where the bodies were studied at. I feel blessed to say I go to a school that values African research so much. I feel like my ancestors died so I could come to Howard, and they came back to Howard to see how their hard work paid off. I commend all the people who worked to make the African burial ground what it is today. To all of the other 10,000 bodies that were buried in the area, although you weren’t discovered, you are still recognized.

Self Reflection

When I first came into the freshman seminar class, I did not know what to expect. I hadn't heard anything about the class but I knew it was something I was obligated to take. Now that we have reached the end of the semester, I have been able to see the rewards of being in a freshman seminar class. Not only did I learn a lot about Howard University but I also learn a lot about myself and who I am as a student. I am an observer of the world around me which is a trait that has been naturally bestowed within me. Furthermore, the knowledge of my ancestry offers me the competence that many others don't have the opportunity to ever obtain within their lifetime. I have been placed on this earth to contribute to the legacy of my past and I will seek to achieve nothing less than excellence. Throughout the freshman seminar course I have been able to learn about the legacies that have been established before me. Such knowledge empowers me to develop into an individual who lives out each day seeking improvement. Additionally, I have become more prideful in Howard University. Some of the lectures in freshman seminar taught me about some of the people who have attended Howard University and the amazing things they were able to do while they attended and after they graduated. I was also able to learn more about the history of the buildings at Howard University which is very useful as I walk around campus. Ultimately, I am appreciative of the freshman seminar class. I have learned a lot about myself and because of this I will be a more successful student in the future.

Peer Evaluation #2

Personally, I would like to commend everyone who completed the freshman seminar research project. I'm sure there are other things we would all like to do instead of a research project but hey, welcome to college. A constant theme I kept seeing during the freshman seminar presentations was "How does rap music effect the behavior of young children". The most common conclusion that all of the presentations seemed to address rap was the cause of youth disobedience and academic failure. Although the conclusion seemed to be unanimous amongst all of the presentations, the conclusion is actually WRONG. No group adequately explained the results of their findings correctly in accordance to psychological theory. CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION. To state that hip hop is the cause of youth disobedience is silly and inaccurate. Just because a child who listens to Lil' Wayne does bad on a spelling exam doesn't mean Lil' Wayne is the root of everything negative within the child's demeanor. None of the group presentations stated the proper limitations to their findings. To properly measure the extent to which the music influences a young person's behavior the researcher must first isolate their variables. There are many factors that limit such research. For example, IQ, adequate educational supplies, appropriate scoring rubrics etc. all effect the results in this specific research question. A more appropriate research method would have been to take a large class of the same grade and divide them into even groups allowing them to listen to different genres of music while taking a simple quiz. The results from this experiment will adequately show how music affects the school performance of youth because most variables will be controlled.

Peer Evaluation #1

Today a group presented on the effect one's favorite music artist can have on the morals of that individual. When I first heard the topic of their presentation, I was satisfied to see that it was an ORIGINAL topic. I was tired of hearing about the "effect hip hop has on school performance" and other topics along those lines. My opinion on those presentations will be in another blog. Anyway, since I was shocked to see such an original topic, I was immediately drawn into the presentation. The method in which the presenters attempted to draw in the crowd was quite innovative as well. The power point presentation was themed like a twitter trending topic. Since twitter is very popular on Howard's campus, that was a good way to relate to the members of their audience. Furthermore, the method in which the group collected their data was very effective as well. They took quotes from the artists and highlighted the main aspects of life they felt their music reflected and then they interviewed numerous people and asked them what they valued most in life and who their favorite hip hop music artist was. Shockingly, the group's results showed that the individual's favorite hip hop artist correlated to their values in life. I found this very interesting and it made me reflect on my favorite hip hop artist and how that person relates to my values in life. I give this group presentation two thumbs up but there could also be some improvements. Not everyone listens to hip hop so not everyone can relate to this presentation. Instead of only focusing on hip hop artists the group could have been a little less specific in order to reach out to everyone in the audience.

Faculty Interview

My contribution to our group's research presentation was to find out the effects my major (nursing/pre-med) has made on the relief efforts following the Rwanda genocide. Ultimately, the goal of our research topic was to show how every field of study, no matter how abstract, can contribute to the solution of any world crisis. The faculty member I decided to interview was my academic advisor Ms. Smith. I take frequent visits to go see my academic advisor and I always ask her questions about my major so I decided I might as well use the questions I ask her to guide my research. When I first came to Howard, my academic advisor asked me why I chose to major in nursing. I told her that my career goal was to be a pediatrician and by majoring in nursing I will able to have the medical knowledge and experience that will be beneficial when applying to medical schools in the future. She went on to ask me why I wanted to be a pediatrician and it was then when I realized the impact medical careers have on the community. I want to make the impact in young childrens lives that my doctors have made in mine. Doctors, more specifically pediatricians, have the ability to nurture a young child to health when that child is in their most vulnerable state. Every child healed is a new life given the chance to make a difference in our world. After being asked such thought provoking questions I went on to ask my advisor why she thinks nursing is an important major and influential career choice. I also asked her about her experience as a nurse and how education beyond a bachelors degree is beneficial to the medical world. The interview I had with Ms. Smith allowed me to reflect on the medical industry. That day I walked away with a new outlook on my future endeavors.