Methodology Lecture

Dr. Carr's breif but informative lecture focused around the concept of how one adapts to their surroundings. He gave suggestions on how teachers can engage their students and assist with their said adaptation. He also discussed the individuals tendency to conform to the norms of society when branching out as a form of survival.

Though that part of the lecture was interesting, many people found his sidenotes about the election of Barack Obama much more interesting. Suggesting that his election still does not make blacks and whites equal in our country, Dr.Carr said we need to stand behind him as a race to combat injustice and make the needed changes in the world.

Dr. Carr is typically a very powerful speaker and a strong person who inspires his collegues and students and I think this speech was another great example of that.

HIV/AIDS lecture

HIV/AIDS is an alarming disease sweeping our nation, and on October 30, I attended the discussion about it in the Blackburn ballroom. The rate at which this disease claims lives in our community is startling, and the fact that such a common STD has no cure is unbelievable in this day and age. Since we have not found modern medicine to take this unfortunate disease away, we have to use preventive medicine- knowledge. That was the message the National Medical Association was trying to give us. Not enough people know about the risks and consequences of HIV/AIDS but by spreading useful information, we can hopefully spread less of the disease and create more awareness about the issue.

Colon Powell Lecture

I was very happy that I decided to go to see the former secretary of state, Colon Powell, deliver a speech in Crampton Auditorium. Before the lecture, I did not know much about him or what kind of person he was, but after the lecture I saw that not only was he a respectable man of wisdom who has seen the world, but he's also a kind, fun, down to earth guy.

After showing a brief slide show about his life, Powell was warmly welcomed by the audience of fifteen hundred in the auditorium. In his inspiring speech, Powell talked about his time in office as secretary of state, his relationship with president elect Barack Obama as well as his relationship with senator John McCain. He discussed how we as future leaders need to be "passionate and goal driven" while still being people of kindness and integrity.

Colon Powell's speech truly made me feel hopeful for the future and prepared for change.

Opening Convocation

Although I did not get to attend honors convocation because the auditorium had reached full capacity, I was still able to see it online and listen to our president, Mr. Sidney A. Ribeau, speak about the new changes he would like to bring to our school, Howard University.

With his theme "Now is the Time" President Ribeau spoke about his new vision for Howard. After familiarizing his audience with who he is as a person and president, he went on to talk about the spirit of Howard University and how the school is driven by this spirit and how it drives the society surrounding it. Last, he spoke about how he wants to make this school more prominent on the spectrum of prestigious colleges because he feels as though we have lost some of the spirit and meaning the school had when it was founded.

Already I can see the small changes President Ribeau is taking to make our school better. Since the beginning of the year, construction workers have been working hard to improve our schools outward appearance. For instance, they fixed the now beautiful fountain in front of Blackburn, they are currently restoring the clock tower above the library, there is a street sweeper out everyday cleaning up the campus grounds, they filled in the cracks in the walkway in front of Blackburn, they keep the grass in top shape, and they are in the process of fixing the call boxes.

Once they are done making outward changes, I hope to see changes in the various schools, particularly fine arts. Also, I would like to see changes made in the Administration building so processes such as registration are not so frustrating.

All in all I really like our new President and I can not wait to see what he does next.