**Review of Second Monthly Learning Colloquium

The second community learning colloquium for the College of Arts and Sciences was held in Cramton auditorium on October 29, 2009. Dr. Harris was the speaker for this event. He spoke about how technology has advance from the dawn of time to present day life now. His speech began with a detailed description of a man named Imhotep whose work dates back to 2300 B.C. Imhotep made many great achievements in various fields. He was the prime minister for the King Zoser III dynasty. He was the co-author of the first medical textbook, an architect, and engineer, and a poet. Dr. Harris spoke about how students should idolize Imhotep and follow in his footsteps.

Another topic discussed by Dr. Harris was the condition of Africa and black people. When our ancestors were taken away from their homeland, they ultimately lost their identity. They lost their name, way of life, and culture. This lost of basically everything still has an impact on black people today because we do not have anything to call our own. The ability to call something your own is a joy that no one should take for granted because it is essential aspect of the black culture that was stripped away from us many years ago. Dr. Harris revealed that despite being held in slavery for many years, African-Americans have been able to make several great accomplishments. By 1912, African-Americans held over 100 patents. Granville Woods held over 60 patents. He sued Thomas Edison for infringement on patent rights. Rufus P. Turner wrote over 45 textbooks on electronic and theory of transistors. Walter Link Hawkins developed plastic on wires. John Thompson developed legos. Garret A. Morgan developed the stop light. Louis Latimer developed carbon filaments to govern the light bulb long burning time.

Dr. Harris discussed how plant Earth underwent a continental drift that separate dthe huge landmass into various continents. A man by the name of Peter created a map called the world projection map that showed equally proportional images that were distorted. He illustrated the Pyramid of Gizah, a very important facet of Egyptian culture. Many Egyptian cultural elements have segues into American culture. The God of the Dead, Osisris, can be found on the American Dollar bill as well as the prescription symbol.

In conclusion, Dr. Harris had an engaging speech that left me with the message that I can be successful in life despite the obstacles related to being an African-American. My ancestors were able to overcome the evil forces that attempted to hold them down for so many years, and I know that if they could do it so can I. I was encouraged to learn from the achievements of my ancestors and keep in mind the great accomplishments that they have made that have shaped history of the world over the years.

Interview with Patricia Noone

My honors composition teacher is Ms. Patricia Noone. She has been an english professor at Howard University since 1990. She has earned a BA and MA. I decided to interview Ms. Noone because she seems to be passionate about her career. Regardless of what field I ultimately decide to enter, I wish to be passionate about my work. I interviewed Ms. Noone in an effort to understand how and why she entered her field, and what led her to Howard University.

What college or university did you attend?
University of Maryland, College Park

What was your major and the courses that you took?
English. But I took many different types of class--astronomy, Earth science, lots of history from all over, piano, sociology, psychology, history of theatre, economics...too many to list really.

What major accomplishments have you made?
Hmmm...well, I have my daughter from China. She feels like my major accomplishment of life!

What inspired you to enter your field?
I love to read. Unfortunately, I learned at the end of the PhD process that the scholarship of English is not really about loving to read.

What inspired you to come to Howard?
I had a friend who taught here and loved it. At the time (and perhaps it is still true) Howard was somewhat unique in the field in that they actually hired people (like me) to teach their freshmen courses as full-time employees, with benefits. Many, many major colleges and universities simply throw adjuncts and part-timers in those types of courses. At the time, Howard was unusual in that they had a commitment to having freshmen taught by full-time faculty.

Did you ever wish to enter another field?
When I was young, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I thought about archaelogy for awhile when inspired by Dr. Jashemski at UMCP in a humanities course. She was a prime excavator at Pompeii. But since that was perhaps the only thing that would have been more impractical than an English major, I did not pursue it.

Interview with Zora Neale Hurston

In 1918, Zora Neale Hurston began undergraduate studies at Howard University. At Howard, Hurston was a co-founder of The Hilltop, the University's student newspaper, and a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.

What college did you attend for your undergraduate years?

For undergrad, I attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., but in 1924 I transferred to Barnard College.

What was your major and what courses did you take during undergrad?

I was an english major at Howard University, but I received a bachelor of arts degree in anthropology from Barnard College.

What inspired you to become a writer?

I was inspired by a professor of philosophy and authority on black culture, Alain Locke, to pursue a literary career.

The Strengths and Weaknesses of Nigeria

Present-day Nigeria was ruled by Britain until the 19th century. They declared their independence and became a military ruled country after World War II. In 1994, Nigeria became a democratic nation. Nigeria is a massive country,one-third larger than Texas, of 100 million people, 250 ethnic groups, and 4000 dialects. The first inhabitants of Nigeria were believed to be the Nok people. Since its independence Nigeria has developed into a country with many strengths and weaknesses. Nigeria is Africa's most populated country, and at one time it was a large net exporter of food. Nigeria as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Nigeria has one of the highest literacy rates in Africa and one of the largest and most vocal presses in Africa. The amount of students enrolled in Nigerian schools is more than the total human population of South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, and Tanzania. The literacy rate in Nigeria is one of the highest in Africa at fifty percent.

One of the major problems in Nigeria is inadequate power supply. This and many other problems are responsible for the problems with small scale enterprises. Cancer is a major health problem in Nigeria. The problem involving cancer has been overlooked by agencies that have been advising health projects in Africa. Due to the AIDs epidemic, the life expectancy is relatively low at 47.44 years. Approximately 5.5% of the population has contracted HIV or AIDs. The risk of contracting an infectious disease in the country is relatively high due to this epidemic. Nigeria has a major problem with the transporting of illegal drugs. It is a mid-way point for the distribution of heroine and cocaine to Europe, East Asia, and North America.

**The Educational Journey of Rodneysha Brown

“A bright future lies before you.” Throughout my life, I have been told by various individuals who saw something in me that I did not originally see in myself. Every since elementary school, I had always worked hard to bring home straight A’s. It was not because my mom threatened to punish me if I did not, but to me, school was fun and interesting. I was excited about going to school every day and being able to come home and tell my mom what I had learned. At the elementary school level, I was unaware of the benefits associated with being successful academically, but once I entered middle school the rewards of being a great student were revealed to me. My educational career thus far has been an extremely successful one. I have always strove for the best and accomplished just that.
In middle school, I was enrolled in the honors courses that were available. The teachers noticed my work ethic and pushed me to work even harder. While in middle school, I never received a grade lower than an 89 on my report card. One of the most significant academic moments for me was when I was announced as the valedictorian of my middle school graduating class. Before this point, I had never really been notified of the significance of being the valedictorian. I had no preset intentions of being the valedictorian, but once I accomplished this goal at the middle school level, I begin to notice what others had seen in me from the tender age of five or six. I decided that I would work extremely hard throughout my high school educational year and earn the title of valedictorian.
I entered Frederick Douglass High school in 2005 as a shy reserved ninth grade student. Many people had told me that this transition would be one like no other, so I did not know what to expect. I came to the school in the magnet program, so I was enrolled in all honors courses. I knew that the workload would be difficult, but I was prepared and ready to take on the challenge. Upon completion of my ninth grade year, we had an assembly were our rankings in our class were announced. In the ninth grade, I was announced as the individual with the second highest GPA. Although I had worked hard throughout my first year in high school, I realized that I would have to work even harder to guarantee that I graduate in 2009 as the valedictorian of Frederick Douglass High School. From that point on, I did everything possible to ensure that my grades were of excellent quality. On May 26, 2009, I stood before family and friends of the Frederick Douglass Class of 2009 as the valedictorian.
My educational journey is one that I am extremely proud of. My mom has raised me single handedly for all eighteen years of my life, and everything that I do, I do with her in mind. I strive to succeed in school to make her proud and realize that her amazing efforts as a single parent paid off.

**Clubs and Organizations at Howard University

Georgia Club

The Georgia Club at Howard University was founded in 1977 by Robert J. Holley II, Garland R. Hunt, and Michael D. Stinson. The Georgia Club is a student run organization that has brought students together from all areas of Georgia for fun and service. The Georgia Club is known as being one of the largest and most recognizable state clubs at Howard.

Campus Pals

Campus Pals is an organization at Howard University that was founded in 1946 by Samuel B. Ethridge. Mr. Ethridge and his friends at Howard would greet new Howard students as they arrived on campus and provide them with useful information regarding the campus. Campus Pals was recognized as a campus organization in 1947, and they begin to put on activities to unite the freshmen. The mission of the Campus Pals is to provide new students with opportunities to become acquainted with one another through fun events during “Freshman Week.”

Gentlemen of Drew Social Club

Gentlemen of Drew Social Club was created in 1982, to create a bond and alliance to combat the neighborhood violence within the community surrounding Howard University. The organization has evolved into an organization assisting men on the Campus of Howard University. This social club focuses on scholastic success, leadership, and serving the community.

Caribbean Students Organization

The Howard University Caribbean Students Association is one of the campuses largest and most diverse student organizations. The goal of this organization is to promote cultural awareness and recognition of people in the Caribbean within the University and community. The club is open for everyone to join regardless of their descent, especially if those who are interested in learning about the Caribbean. In an effort to entertain and educate its members and the surrounding community, the Caribbean Students Association host parties and social events.

Circle K International

Circle K International is a service organization that promotes fellowship, leadership, and service. At Howard, the organization seeks to uphold Circle K’s mission to develop its members into responsible citizens and leaders with a lifetime commitment to serving the children of the world. The organization at Howard consists of over 100 members who participate in 10-15 community service projects each year.

**My Resume

Rodneysha Brown

2455 4th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20059
678-235-1045
astrocheer09@yahoo.com

Profile:

An intelligent, hard-working, and determined freshman college student seeking to become a member of the Ladies of the Quad Social Club.

Education:

Frederick Douglass High School Atlanta, GA Graduation Year: May 2009
Howard University Washington, DC Graduation Year: 2013

Extracurricular Activities:

Junior Varsity Cheerleading 2005-2006
Varsity Basketball Cheerleading 2006-Present
Varsity Football Cheerleading 2006-Present
3-D All Star Cheerleading 2005-2007
Bison Cheerleader 2009-Present

Clubs and Organizations:

Junior Honor Society 2005-2006
National Honor Society 2006-2009
National Beta Club 2005-2009
National Honor Roll 2006-2009
Muh Alpha Theta 2007-2009
Top Ten Percent of Class 2005-2009
Dual Enrollment 2007-2008
(MS)² Summer 2007, 2007, and 2008
National Honor Convocation Summer 2008
FBLA 2007-2008
12th Grade Secretary 2008-2009
Miss Frederick Douglass 2008-2009
Valedictorian 2006-2009

Work Experience:

February 2007-April 2008, Courtesy Clerk
Kroger Company
Bag groceries and assist customers with any of their needs.

February 2008-May 2009, Cashier
Chick-fil-A

May 2009-July 2009, Intern
City Hall of Atlanta

Volunteer Work:

Toy Drive December 2006 and 2007
Mentor at F.L Stanton Elementary August 2008-May 2009
Boy Scouts of America June 2006 and 2007


References:

Available upon request

**Review of First Monthly Learning Community Initiative

The first monthly learning colloquium was held in Cramton Auditorium. All Freshmen students taking a freshman seminar course were required to attend this event. It was a very interesting and informative session. Through this session, I learned a number of things regarding research, Howard's history, intellectual work, and different tools that are essential for freshmen that originally eluded me. The discussion was led by Dr. Carr, a College of Arts and Sciences professor in the African-American Studies department.

The discussion began with research. He asked the audience what their definition of research was, and then he showed a list of the basic steps in the research process. When performing research, an individual is to try and state the topic as a question that you want your audience to answer. If the topic is too broad then you will not be able to successfully write a research paper because there will be too many aspects of that topic to cover. Narrowing the topic to one that allows you to concentrate on it and pose different subtopics is the key to an excellent research paper.

I came to Howard University knowing hardly anything regarding its history, but Dr. Carr enlightened me on a number of things regarding this subject. The only thing that I knew was that it was found in 1886 by General Oliver Otis Howard. I was even unaware of the fact that General Howard was Caucasian. Through the learning initiative, Dr. Carr revealed the purpose for Howard's establishment and other important aspects of the college. I learned that Howard University has always been a university, unlike many other schools that started as a college and developed into a university. Howard was not established to simply allow African Americans to learn a trade, but it was founded to educate African American. The idea of educating African-Americans was an idea between the AUC, Fisk, and Howard. On the other hand, Hampton University was stressing the idea of blacks simply taking up a trade. Before coming to Howard, I had seen the seal many times, but I had never taken the time to examine it. The Howard University seal originally had people in the background, but the seal was redesigned by Kelly Miller, and his design stands as the seal to this day. I learned that the motto on the seal, "veritas et utilitas" translates into "truth and service."

Dr. Carr laid out a checklist for freshman listing our roles as first year students. He entitled it "Intellectual Genealogy and Purpose." The first item on this list is to obtain library cards in Washington, D.C. We are to get a library card from both the Library of Congress and a local D.C. library. Dr. Carr's three ground rules for intellectual work are: be present, read and write, and speak.

In conclusion, the Learning Community Colloquia was very insightful and beneficial to me as a freshman student. Dr. Carr kept me alert and attentive throughout his presentation. He gave me a new perspective about what it will take on my behalf in order to have a successful year in not only my Freshman Seminar class, but all of my other courses as well.

**African American Heritage Trail**

The prestigious Howard University is located in the heart of Washington, D.C. Howard is Washington, D.C.'s third university founded in 1867. Since its founding many years ago, Howard has birthed intelligent individuals who have ventured into the world and made great accomplishments.

A Brief Tour Of Howard University


I. Founder's Library

This library was dedicated to the university in 1939. The library consists of a changing historical exhibit, a permanent exhibit that depicts the university's history, and the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center. The library was designed by Howard's architect, Albert Cassell.

II. Freedman's Hospital

Freedman's Hospital was originally set up by the federal government during the Civil War to assist the many African-Americans seeking freedom. The hospital was established in 1862, and it was officially named "Freedman's Hospital" in 1863. In 1869, the hospital was moved to property owned by Howard University, and it became the University's teaching hospital. Dr. Alexander T. Augusta was the first individual to be put in charge of the hospital. When his tenure ended, he was replaced by Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, followed by Dr. William A. Warfield Jr., and then Dr. Charles Drew. In 1908, the building that stands to date as the College of Nursing was built on College Street. The hospital was named Howard University Hospital in 1975 and moved to Georgia and Florida Avenue, NW.

III. Howard University Hospital/Griffith Stadium Site

Before Griffith Stadium was demolished in 1965 and replaced by the Howard University Hospital, it served as a social center for the city it was the site for everything from sports events to baptisms. The stadium was constructed in 1914 and named after the manager/owner of the Senators baseball team. Professional teams, D.C. college teams, and high school teams all played at this stadium. The stadium was one of the few public places that was not segregated during this time period.

IV. Kelly Miller Residence Site

Kelly Miller is considered the nation's first black graduate student in mathematics. He attended Howard University on a scholarship and graduated in 1880. He attended Johns Hopkins University where he studied advanced mathematics. He was appointed to the faculty at Howard University where he added sociology to the curriculum in 1895. During his tenure at Howard, Miller taught sociology and served as the dean of College of Arts and Sciences. Miller served as a spokesperson against the rise of white supremacy, and he was a national leader between the approaches of Washington and Du Bois. In 1965, Miller's house was demolished and replaced by a dormitory.

V. Howard Hall, Howard University

Howard University was named after General Oliver Otis Howard. General Howard was one of the founders of the school, and he played an instrumental role in the development of the university. Howard Hall was originally the home of General Oliver Otis Howard. It was one of the first four buildings to be built on the campus, and it is the oldest standing building on campus. The building began to deteriorate in the mid-20th century, and Howard Hall was declared a national landmark in 1974. After Howard's death, the University purchased the property, and it has been used for a number of purposes over the years. Howard Hall currently serves as the university's Alumni Center.