“My Measure of Success” September 29, 2008

         I’ve always dreamed that after graduation I’d wake up in some big city in my spacious condo, head off to my cushy job at a large magazine, dressed in clothes from my expansive and packed closet and edit others’ work while occasionally writing my own articles, the biggest exclusives, of course.

       In short I wanted to conquer the world, straight out of Hampton with a freshly printed degree in my hand.

      But the world doesn’t work that way. It can’t. Because if it did work that way, no one would truly work hard anymore. After all, earning the editorial spot in a magazine with a circulation of over a million takes work. Even the spacious condo and expensive clothes take work. Anything worth truly possessing does.

     Few can say that they’ve earned the salary, endless amenities and boundless opportunities life has afforded them without true hard work. And if they have, even fewer cherish it. It’s because it’s been handed to them, passed down from generation to generation in a way no more challenging than a great-grandmother’s recipe for peach cobbler. It’s always been there. And to them it always will.

      Yet for the many who’ve had to pound the pavement to achieve that entry-level job with menial pay or even worse, attain an internship that pays no wage but provides infinite wisdom, the end result is more than rewarding. In fact, it’s the sweetest thing worth having because it was accomplished by one’s own will, determination, plain old blood, sweat and tears.

      Too many times, we’ve taken today’s opportunities and misconstrued their purpose. Their definition has remained the same but our perception of them has changed over time. Yes, becoming rich has become easier, but possessing personal wealth has not. Collecting money isn’t everything if the personal wealth, financially and most importantly, personally and spiritually, is not there.

        Becoming a person who has an amazing work ethic, possesses an extreme amount of dedication to success and a drive that rivals even the wealthiest of businessman is what’s important. Success isn’t measured in dollars and cents, doesn’t come with a price attached to a home and isn’t available with a new pair of designer shoes, it’s measured in the constant pursuit of it. True triumph doesn’t come without trial and no success is true without stress.

        Success, or at least my view of it, must always be strived for and yearned after. Only then, after reflecting over a lifetime and assessing one’s determination to continue pursuing your personal best can one deem themselves successful. It doesn’t come overnight and it isn’t easy, nothing truly valuable in life is.

“HU v. HU…Football is the last thing that matters.”

        The two biggest rivals in the realm of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) faced off this weekend. Howard University squared off against Hampton University in Hampton’s first home game on Sept. 13, 2008. Hampton defeated Howard for the 13^th consecutive time with a score 38-27.

        Yet, the real battle of the HUs lies in everything outside of the football field. It seems the most anticipated game of the year has more to deal with good old fashioned rivalry than it does with the pigskin. “It’s all about proving who’s the real HU, who’s better than the other,” said Kayla Emile, a senior communicative sciences and disorders major from Boston and a Hamptonian.

         Both schools proudly claim the title of being the “real” HU. Howard students don’t consider Hampton to be the actual HU because of the fact that it started out HI. Hampton Institute was founded in 1868 and went through several name changes before finally ending at Hampton University in 1984. “Howard is the real HU, if you want to get technical. We were founded in 1867 as a university, Hampton become one years later,” said Nakia Hill, a 2007 graduate of Howard from Boston. Hampton students, however, argue that the name change is irrelevant and that Hampton holds the title.

          Yet Hill believes that the competition has another source. “It stems from both colleges being the best of the best,” said Hill. “From the students, to the school, to the alumni, both HUs are the best. No other HBCU is talked about as much as we are. So it’s only natural that the two most prominent HBCUs go at it.”

          So Hampton and Howard battle it out over everything, from the HU title, to the halftime show, to who outshines the other. Both universities attend the crowded games each year to hear the latest songs at the halftime show and see the newest fashion statements.

        “The Hampton girls try to fulfill the stereotype of being the pretty girls and Howard girls try to keep up,” Shannon Cosby said. Cosby is a senior marketing major from Plainfield, NJ.

Yet Hill disagrees and states that the Hampton stereotype at Howard isn’t about being pretty. “Howard is more down to earth, more grassroots. I’m not sure if it’s because of the different locations, but Hampton girls are known for being really stuck up,” Hill said.

           While Hill supports the stereotype of Hampton women being cocky and arrogant, Cosby believes the stereotype of Howard being a party school. “When it’s the HU v. HU game, Hampton has to try to keep up by having a lot going on after the game, some type of big party. Howard’s such a party school and Hampton tries to keep up with that,” Cosby said.

           Another important aspect of the game is the halftime show, yet another competition.

           “The biggest point of rivalry is halftime because it’s about seeing whose band is better,” said Hill. “Even though Howard’s band is better. We’ve definitely got the best band.”

           Yet despite the differences and huge rivalry, Hill insists that it’s all fun and games. “It’s a love/hate relationship because you have both HUs battling it out but it’s there’s unity because we’re both HBCUs,” Hill said.

“Obama ‘doesn’t understand’? He’s taken the lead, seems he’s got the idea to me.”

            On Friday, Sept. 26 all eyes turned to watch the most anticipated debate of the year taking place. Presidential candidates Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama faced off in a debate on the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford, Miss. The debate was centered on foreign policy and the economic crisis.

            Yet the debate almost didn’t occur as McCain was pushing for a halt on all campaigning, including the debate. McCain stated that all attention needed to be turned to the $700 billion bailout deal in the works for Wall Street companies. The House of Representatives will vote on the deal Monday, Sept. 29.

            Two full days after the presidential debate Obama has raised in the polls and many students can understand why he’s claimed the lead.

            “I thought Barack did better than McCain,” Benjamin Carter said. “He also was much more respectful of McCain’s views than McCain was of his. At times, McCain was extremely rude.”

            The senior broadcast journalism major from Pasadena, Calif. was not alone.

            “I was looking forward to the debate because I felt it was a chance for Barack to sway the independents,” said Marcus Davis, a sophomore English major from College Park, Ga. “And I thought he did just that.”

            While most agreed that they believed Obama had done well, they all had high expectations for the Illinois Senator.

            “I was expecting Obama to chew out McCain, to better him in the sense of policy, everything,” Carter said.

            Britney Littles, a senior business administration major at the University of Michigan, agreed.

            “I thought Barack would be dominant and McCain would look weak,” Littles said.

            Yet all agreed that the debate outcome faired even.

            “I thought Barack did better but as far as addressing the issues, they were equal,” Littles said.

            Though most haven’t declared a winner of the debate, many believe this debate alone won’t clinch the election for either.

            “The race has always been close. I thought the debate was important but I didn’t think it was going to make or break anybody,” Davis said.

            The race has been too close to truly call anyone a winner, but both presidential hopefuls plan to debate their ways to Nov. 4 to earn the title.

            The next scheduled debate for Obama and McCain is Oct. 7 in a town hall style meeting at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.

 

Obama/Biden ’08! J

“Kayla Emile: Strength Personified” September 22, 2008

            Kayla Emile has seen life’s ups and downs and she’s determined to enjoy the ups. The 21-year-old Boston native is a senior at Hampton University and her road to reaching the final year hasn’t been an easy one.

            After experiencing two hospital trips in less than six months, she knows the importance of persevering. In her junior year she survived on it.

            “You have to keep going. Don’t ever give up,” Emile said. “There’s been plenty of times that I just wanted to stay at home but I stayed on track and continued school.”

            In August 2007 Emile was diagnosed with auto immune hepatitis and encountered her first surgery, gall bladder removal. She returned to school a week after it began and started her junior year.

            Five months later, on January 1, she was involved in a car accident that left five people injured, Emile incurring the worst injuries. After two fractured pelvic bones and a set of crutches, she returned to school injured again, twice in one academic year.

            But Emile hasn’t let it hold her back. She has plans and she’s on the move. The communicative sciences and disorders major has plans to work as a speech language pathologist after graduation. She wants to work in a hospital and a private practice with children and patients with swallowing disorders.

            She knows the importance of helping others and has advice for others looking to follow her path.

            “Stay focused and determined,” Emile said. “It’s so rewarding in the end to know that you’re helping someone communicate. After all, communication is everything.”

            Emile won’t let anything deter her. “As an African-American female, I’m going to have to work harder than a white male. But I know that I have the knowledge to do just as well as anyone else.”

            Yet she explained that there would be challenges along the way, specifically racial bias and discrimination in the workplace.

            “You’re based on your appearance,” she said. “Although we try to deny it, we still stereotype based on race, height, weight, gender, everything.”

            Her wisdom, she explained, came from the same experiences at Hampton that have tested her.

            “I’ve learned a lot about myself. I learned to be more open-minded, to try to be more patient,” Emile said. “I also learned a lot about other people. I’ve grown to appreciate other people’s ideas even if they’re different from mine.”

            Emile was faced with obstacles and overcame them, presented a trial and triumphed and managed to learn the valuable lesson involved in it all.

           

“The Power of Chosen Words”

          Failure has and will always be my biggest motivation. I fear it, despite it and run desperately from like my bachelor’s degree is the North Star and if I could just keep my eye on it; I’d make it to freedom, financial stability and independence.

            It seems my fear of failure has tripled since being in college. It has almost consumed me, taken over my whole life. I’ve had nightmares about it, daydreamed about it.

            I have been constantly worrying about not measuring up to my idealistic future plans that I believe I developed a mild anxiety about it. Although my grades are good, I’ve achieved almost everything I’ve put my mind to in the last three years, I have an extreme fear that I won’t be successful after graduation. I’m not sure where it came from, why it’s there or when it’ll leave but it’s there. A seemingly permanent fixture in the back of my mind.

            Yet this summer I had a revelation. My pastor came up to me one day at church and simply said, “Let it go. You’ve been holding on to it for so long, just let it go.”

            And I did.

It wasn’t until I finally released my grip on that fear that I didn’t realize just how hard I was holding on to it. With those simple words I got the power and confirmation I needed to just let it go. I opened my hand, stretched my fingers and as scary as it was I freed myself from my unreasonable expectations. And I almost didn’t let it go; after all it had been a close companion for years. Not really a friend but just someone who was always there.

Unbeknownst to her, my pastor had given me the affirmation to liberate my fears. To breathe deep.

To challenge myself but not exhaust myself.

And it felt good.

“You’re right. You’re bourgeois. Just plain Middle Class…” September 21, 2008

            While attending Hampton University for three years I’ve seen a lot come and go. Fashion trends, people, friendships and relationships, but one thing has remained the same, its’ stereotypes.

            Hampton has been known for having cocky, stuck up, arrogant people. Yet to its’ students HU is known for being the best of the best, chic and cutting edge. Constantly delivering fashionistas and famous faces. So, a mixture between HU’s self-image and the portrayal of it among other HBCUs differs quite a bit except for one thing, both proclaim Hampton as bourgeois.

And one would think that it was the perfect portrayal of a bourgeois institution.

Women strutting the campus in 5 inch stiletto heels, looking through their Dolce and Gabbana bags to find their matching brand name sunglasses.

Men standing tall in the student center, looking down at their Rockin Republic jeans to make sure they hang just right over their Prada shoes.

Yep, they’re bourgeois.

So concerned with their clothes and confidence that they miss out on class and character. Swag isn’t a substitute for self-determination. And neither is limitless spending for unlimited wisdom. Neither of the latter can be bought, traded or returned. Once you’ve achieved them, you’ve got them for life.

So, what’s really valuable these days? Obviously, what I wish was available for purchase isn’t the same as my bourgeois counterparts. Because what I wish that I could find, buy and hold onto for life isn’t available except through true hard work, determination and self-examination. Searching within yourself to find out how strong, focused and deep your character is matters to me. If they had even one of those on sale I’d buy it quicker than people do anything that Apple Inc. puts an “i” in front of.

People at Hampton will make sure their shoes match their bag before making sure they’ve fulfilled graduation requirements. Shine up their car before brushing up on the test information that determines their future.

Yep, they’re bourgeois.

Similar to people in the hood who will buy some new rims before they make sure their rent is paid. Buy a new flat screen before buying children new beds they’ve outgrown years ago.

Different locations don’t mean different values. It’s all about priorities. Or the lack thereof.

So, who’s really bourgeois in the comparison?

They both are. Somehow, along the way the meaning of bourgeois got twisted around like the misguided priorities I’m speaking of.

According to Webster’s dictionary, bourgeois means middle class. Not the wealthy, high society meaning everyone thinks it has. It’s just a complicated name that means a simple thing, middle class.

Bourgeois is “the social class between the very wealthy and the working class; middle class.”

Or for my Hamptonians, there’s even a definition for your liking. It also means “conventional, smug, materialistic.”

So for those who love or loathe the title Hampton has earned for being bourgeois, face it, you are.

You’re bourgeois. Just plain middle class.

Obama’s “Baby Mama?” Obama’s looking like Aunt Jemima? What’s really good? September 19, 2008

Martin Luther King Jr. called for a day when race wouldn’t matter, a man would be judged by the content of his character and not the color of his skin and when little black children and little white children could hold hands and play together.

Yet King’s dreams have yet to be fully realized. 

While little black and white children can hold hands and play together, they can’t do so without unwarranted stares or side glances. A black man can’t walk into a room and be transparent, have his personality shine through his ever-present dark skin. Just like a black man can’t run for president and be judged solely on his ideas, platform, morals and character without his skin color being put on display.

We’ve won the right to vote, attend college, apply for positions that our white counterparts can and attempt to grab a slice of that American pie dream, but we can’t pretend our skin color doesn’t matter. It’s too dark not to.

This historic presidential election is supposed to be based on the critical issues that are affecting our damaged economy, shattered patriotism and unspoken sense of fear for our government.

Yet, it’s not.

Senator Barack Obama is running for the presidency, the first African-American with an actual chance at becoming president. While racial prejudice and preconceived notions are supposed to be a thing of the past, it’s become one of the biggest topics in this election.

On June 11, 2008 Fox News called Obama’s wife of 16 years, Michelle, his “baby’s mama.” A term almost always associated with the African-American community, a “baby’s mama” is known as a mother who is unwed and typically not with the father of her child. If the couple were in a relationship, the woman would be regarded differently, as a girlfriend, fiancée or wife. Known for its negative connotation to signify an out-of-wedlock relationship or unbalanced family structure it is mind boggling that Fox News would use this term to describe the Obama family.

Married for over a decade with two children, the Obama family structure seems to be fine. Outstanding actually, considering that over half of America’s marriages end in divorce. They represent the nuclear American family. They’re the new Cosbys. Everybody wants to be the Obamas. With their unified Christian family, 1.6 million dollar home and prosperous future, the Obamas have become the new black family ideal.

So how could a news station responsible for reporting ethically cover politics with such a bias? It’s obvious. They’re racist. Or ignorant. Either way, their actions were inappropriate.

Not once did they refer to McCain’s wife as being his “baby’s mama” or made mention of her being his second wife. So when looking at the campaign it seems clear who the statistic is. It’s John McCain. Presently in America, almost all families are blended, including second spouses and step siblings.

If Fox News wanted to make a play on words and statistics they should have come up with some clever joke to describe McCain’s family life. It wasn’t funny and it wasn’t responsible. Two things Fox News has never been too successful at achieving.

Yet, Fox News isn’t alone. Two writers who deem themselves humorous came up with a product called “Obama waffles.” Marketing them nationwide, Mark Whitlock and Bob DeMoss, have made money featuring Obama’s image with politically incorrect satire. Obama is shown at the top of the box with a Muslim headpiece on and an arrow saying to “point the box to Mecca.” He is also depicted with a sombrero erasing the border between the U.S. and Mexico saying that the box of waffle mix “makes up to four illegal aliens.”

And when asked about the similarities between the “Obama waffles” and the Aunt Jemima box, the creators shrugged it off and laughed. They stated that they didn’t realize at first the similarities but that they didn’t matter because to them, Aunt Jemima meant quality. Yet when thinking of Aunt Jemima no one immediately thinks of quality. They think of the image of her in a red scarf, big lips and nose, extremely dark skin are racist. Just another incorrect image and portrayal of African Americans.

Both Fox News and the “Obama waffles” creators were wrong and proved what black America has known all along. Race does matter and it always will. While King dreamed that they would judge a man’s character, they will. But you can rest assured that they’ll always judge the color of his skin too.

 

Obama/Biden ’08! J