The Sustainable University

In my Environmental Assessment and Milieu Management course, we are now reading a book entitled The Sustainable University.  In this book published just last year in 2012 by James Martin and James Samuels, these authors make the case for higher educations' role and challenges in advocating sustainability.  Colleges and universities have been at the forefront of efforts to preserve our natural resources for our future generations.  The research and education around sustainability on colleges and universities have been second to none.  However, this book provides a lens for those who are currently or plan to lead any college or university in the future.

Today, there has been several hundreds of university presidents who have signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment.  However, there are a great many university leaders who have yet made this commitment.  This book outlines four biggest challenges for presidents and other university leaders to face along with solutions to address these challenges.  The four challenges are:

• Effectively institutionalizing sustainability thinking
• Developing an efficient, flexible system of sustainability benchmarks
• Implementing an accountable university budget mode
• Engaging the Board of Trustees in the campus sustainability agenda

This publication outlines solutions that tackles these four challenges with the goal of ultimately educating but equally important, preserving our earth's resources for the generation that follows us.  The purpose of higher education goes beyond the classroom!  This is student affairs!

Tapped: Have You Thought About How You Drink Water?

This week, I had a surprising opportunity to watch TV for leisure.  However, my brain and guilt forced me to watch something that I would consider educationally relevant to school or work.  So, therefore, I chose to watch a documentary called Tapped (2009).  This documentary examines the role of the bottled water industry and its effects on our health, climate change, pollution, and our reliance on oil.  It was a facinating documentary to watch and to see how the bottled water industry began to thrive and grow.

I have always thought of the idea of purchasing water as incongruous.  I grew up on a farm in a small country town in Mississippi.  We didn't buy water.  We were just a few years removed from having to pump our own water from ground wells.  I've actually had the opportunity to use a ground pump well and even an "outhouse". Therefore, buying bottled water has always been a foreign concept and practice in my family growing up.  So, seeing this documentary has made me appreciate my upbringing a little more and have reaffirmed my practice of drinking self filtered water instead of purchasing water from water bottled companies that affect so many local people where they have plants/distribution facilities.

I encourage you to watch the documentary. You will not regret giving up that hour and ten or so minutes for this worthwhile piece that truly challenges our contemporary culture of thinking.

Is water a right or is it a commodity?

Four Frames of Environmental Theory

During the first week of classes, I had the pleasure of touring the historic and preserved North Campus at the University of Georgia.  The tour was a part of a class activity for the Environmental'''' course.  It was fascinating touring north campus through the lens of the authors Strange and Banning (2010) through the four frames of environmental design.  These four frames are physical, human aggregate, organized, and constructed.  Environments on college campuses are created within these four frames.  As we toured north campus, it became evident how the physical environment was constructed with buildings, fountains, gardens, etc.  Immediately upon seeing north campus, I always thought of "college" when I'm there.  The historic buildings, green space, etc gives the true collegiate feel when I'm visiting.  The human aggregate was best understood by the long traditions that have continued to be passed down.  For example, we saw countless students walking around the famous UGA Arch.  The organized environment that I took notice of was which departments were in which building and even which departments were housed on North Campus in relation to other parts of campus.  The constructed environment was also discussed as some classmates talked about how they feel when they are on campus or even when game day comes and the campus is conveniently packed with 100,000+ people moving around the campus and the city of Athens.

This will be an interesting class and I'm looking forward to the continued conversations around how college environments affect student learning and development.

The Relaunch

I know it has been quite a while since I've written a blog. My last year has been spent becoming adjusted to being a student again. I am entering my second year as a doctoral student in the College Student Affairs Administration Ph.D. program at The University of Georgia. Again, my first year was a year of adjustment and rediscovery. Throughout last academic year, I have realized a lot more about my interest as well as who I am as a practitioner-scholar within Higher Education. My passion for higher education is still strong.

Over the next few months, I will relaunch this blog as I incorporate some thoughts from an ongoing class project. This course is Environmental Assessment and Milieu Management. The course consists of theories and techniques for assessing human environments in educational settings and strategies for influencing them. As a part of my ongoing project in this course, we are asked to understand how sustainability is or is not present in our personal and professional lives. We were asked to find a mechanism where we can record what we notice, think and do about sustainability. Later in the semester, we will have a class summit to discuss and analyze what we've learned and how we engage the topic of sustainability.

Therefore, this blog will be a place for me to share thoughts into my personal and professional journey with sustainability. I hope you will indulge me for this semester as a use this platform to record my thoughts. I welcome your comments and feedback and I look forward to this great semester of blogging...

Letting Go Of The Past: Black Greek Lettered Organizations & Pledging

Black Greek Lettered Organizations, often referred to as BGLOs, have been dealing with an identity crisis since 1990, when the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the governing council for all BGLO's, abolished pledging was known by all of these organizations since the early 1900's. Gregory S. Parks, J.D., Ph.D., faculty member at Wake Forest University, and 1997 initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, inc. is interviewed by Tony Reeves, a 1989 initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to discuss how all BGLOs are dealing with hazing.

Below is that interview. Please listen in and give your response and thoughts as you see fit.

Listen to internet radio with Tony Reeves on Blog Talk Radio

Black Identity: What's Your Appropriate Level Of Blackness?

BLACK! BLACK Greek Lettered Organizations (BGLO’s), Historically BLACK Colleges & Universities (HBCU’s), 100 BLACK Men, Inc., National BLACK Nurses Association! All of these organizations seem to be great organizations that have a few things in common. The obvious is that they are all historically black organizations serving predominately and historically Black Americans, contemporarily referred to as African Americans.

These “Black” organizations were all founded under the precepts of uplifting the African American race in an era in our country when access for African Americans was limited. These organizations provide a network of familiar faces to African American. However, recently, these organizations have been battling the label of being organizations that reverse discriminate. Also, most of these organizations have been known, historically, to have to do more with less. This means that most of these organizations operate on a small fraction of a budget than their white counterparts.

Because of these characteristics of these black institutions and organizations, some including African Americans, deem these organizations as being “less”. Some believe that they would receive a less valued education if they attend and graduate from a Historically Black College & University (HBCU) vs. a Predominately White Institution. I hear some people also say that a black student attending a PWI should stir away from joining black organization to avoid a stigma. There are also some African Americans that suggest that being too entrenched in the “black” culture could hurt the resume. This negative stigma comes from the idea that being stigmatized as being “too black” also gives the impression that one exclusive or racist themselves.

The question that individuals have to ask themselves is “What is my bias and does black identity show up in that bias anywhere?”

Twitter Debate: Black Greeks' Barbaric Behaviors at 2011 Atlanta Greek Picnic - How Should These Behaviors Be Addressed?

I'm a new user of twitter. (@TRAVISLMARTIN)

I once stated that twitter did not make any sense to me. However, what I didn't know, is that I can have current events in the palm of my hand and coming to my mobile device right as it's happening. This phenomenom drew me into starting a twitter account. On this morning, I woke up to a number of tweets concerning behaviors of greeks, particularly those who are member of the organization in which I hold membership to and esteem so greatly. Tweets came from fellow members as well as the General (National) President calling out the behavior of these greek organizations. I saw one fellow member of my organization rebuke the comments of the General President so we ended up in a friendly and brotherly debate below. Please give your opinion this...



TheGoodTK TK
@sdunlap21 @theanalyzer0226 bruhs got red tear drops, "Bloody Delta Gamma Chapter" and trading, can be homage to the past #NotThatSeriosSkip

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK @sdunlap21 @theanalyzer0226 I totally disagree with this paying homage to the past. This is not our past!

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin it's a stretch, but it's lots of attention at a picnic for college kids, what's next house parties it's #NotThatSeriousSkip

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Just as u wouldn't want family/kids doin crazy stuff, we need bros who feel the same way about his fraternity. #CallASpadeASpade

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin I agree but it's bigger issues than this picnic. 9 days away from "THE EVENT". Don't tweet bad press

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK There ARE bigger issues! So, instead of rippin Skip 4 calling dem out, rip bros who are acting ignorant! They are the "bad press"

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK It wasn't bad press when wood was swinin out in middle of thousands of pple but it is when called out on twitter. #seriously

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Bro's throw out the "bad press" card when it's convenient or when it helps 2 protect their interests.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin multiple tweets about a group of bruhs, in letters, at a Greek event. Versus addressing it and not tweetin about it.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin how do you confirm that the US president is coming in on tweet, and 10 tweets about "bloody" on nailia and trading with wood.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin was it only ALPHAS trading, was it sphinxmen trading? Or grown men who are at least active, doing service, and having fun?

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK It doesn't matter who it was! NE Greek, whether active or inactive should not behave in public like that in letters! #nonsense

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK If Bro's want 2 act out OUTSIDE of order of d org, they should be called out OUTSIDE. That's my stance.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin there will always be issues when it comes to bruhs in our frat. In our history book the jewels didn't like the beta chapter.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin they were doing things they didnt agree with, didn't like the activities and colors, but brothers interpret things differntl

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK U make statement about jewels not liking beta. Wow Where are you getting your history young brother?

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK ...and even if they did, does that make it right? There is an order n evry org & Alpha expects mem not to act as such.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin I get my history from the only book every brother is given.

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK If a bro don't like what org represent, then they shouldn't have joined in 1st place...or change it the correct way. Get involved

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK I understand ur point about keeping stuff in house but those bros were out of order.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin and they were, but the house of alpha is a house for a reason, we dont need outsiders reading, watching, instigating.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin I'm not arguing on ht happened, any competent person knows that was wrong including those involved. But more people found...

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin out because of his tweets, and are speeding rumors, lies, and misinformation, because hte attention he brought to it.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin at one point they said it was bruhs from my great state NC, acting like gangs and fighting and trading when that wasn't true

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin Travis to Travis I understand your point. But I don't like the attention brought into the matter. I feel tweets made it worse

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK I don't think tweets made it worse. It was already worse when actions of such was taken. Pple will always gossip & lie anyway.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin and I respect your opinion. But when you publicly criticize the actions of a few, the effects are never good.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin no matter the situation, approach brothers behind closed doors, the Jewels wouldn't tweet that. They would not use the public

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin everyone with a title wants to add their 2cents "oh I felt disrespected too" so what, handle it off twitter and carry on!

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Well u just said that things should be handled in house but u just quoted history that YOU said is published in a history book.

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK The History book is a published book for ANYONE to read. Now does that make the Charles Wesley wrong for publishing that?

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin Charles Westley the 8th jewel? I got that wrong on my test then

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin bottom line is I agree with what 99% of alphas agree with, but he shouldn't have even tweeted on the subject!

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin were doing big things under Pres. Mason, everyone is looking for flaws. Don't give their fire fuel, it's #NotThatSeriousSkip

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK What are you talking about the 8th jewel? Huh!? Don't stray away from the question. Does that make Wesley wrong?

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin He is historian, not a president! He's not the head of our organization. He isnt in the wrong. Our discussion now isn't wrong

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Ok Brother Travis. I will agree to disagree my bro. I'm done. Great debate though. #goodwill

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin As the president, most recognizable brother alive, and most importantly a leader you don't publically criticize or exasperate

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK LOL...had 2 response 2 last tweet. It doesnt matter if you're natl prez or a neophyte. EVERYONE should be held to same standard

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin I agree brother *follows* I'm still a young man, with a lot to learn. I understand your point, and respectfully disagree

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin I just feel like as a leader public reprimands, and criticizing isn't a good look. NEVER IN PUBLIC, OR WORSE ON TWITTER

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Pres Obama must and always do PUBLICLY condemn certain actions by citizens and that should b no different when it comes to Skip

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin Obama answers and leads the public, Alpha Phi Alpha isn't the public, but a close & private bond between brothers.

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Ok. Agree. But when things get outside of the house like behaviors this weekend, then the leader must speak on it.

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Alpha Phi Alpha is a priv and close bond between brothers but we're also a public organization/business

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Again, good debate bro. Take care & enjoy the rest of your evening. Hope to meet ya someday.

TheGoodTK TK
This is why I love APHIA a discussion with a good brother @travislmartin we didnt end up agreeing but we both see where were coming from

TheGoodTK TK
and @travislmartin didn't throw out age, pay grades, or titles a good debate. THANK YOU BROTHER onward an upward always!

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK "@travislmartin didnt throw out age, pay grade, r titles a good debate. THANK YOU BROTHER" >>Dat's what it's about. #brotherhood

Why Join A Church?: Fighting the "No Organized Religion" Arguement

Some of us grew up in families where our parents forced us to go to church. I know in my household, church was not an option, it was simply a requirement. I can remember being at a place in my spirituality that I didn't understand the purpose of joining a church family. Now, I don't know what my life would be like without a church family that keeps me sharp.

If you didn't know, Jesus, himself, attended church! It is evident in scripture when He wandered away from his parents, Mary and Joseph, to the local church (temple). When Mary and Joseph finally located Him, His explanation for His disappearance was "… How is it that you had to look for me? Did you not see and know that it is necessary for Me to be in My Father's house and about My Father's business?" (Luke 2:49, AMP) Even after this as an adult, one place you would always find Jesus was at the temple teaching about God. So, as you can see, Jesus was at church. If we strive to be like Christ and that Jesus is The Christ, then we should be at church like him right?

Another reason to join a local church is that we all need to rely on each other as Christians and believers. No one person has all of the anointing, revelations, gifts, or power...not even the preacher/bishop, etc. So, we all have to rely heavily on each other. So, in order for us to get all that is available to us, we have to be able to receive from somebody else and accept somebody else's ministry, call, and anointing. Only then can we experience the totality of all that Jesus has made available for us. Don't worry about fitting in or if the members of the church will receive you well. That's NOT the determining factor. This is explained and revealed in Matthew 10:40 as it's stated that if they receive you, then they have received Jesus, and God who sent Him. In other words, whatever part of the body they decide not to receive, then we are not receiving Jesus, nor the Heavenly Father for that matter. You just need to be sure that the church is helping you to grow as a Christian.

God wants you to desire His presence and have joy when you are in His house of worship. Follow the example of this ardent psalmist, who with a fervent heart toward God proclaimed, "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of host! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and flesh crieth out for the living God …O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah" (Psalm 84:1—4).

So, I challenge you to go out and find a church home now. It doesn't matter the size, the denomination, etc. It matters that you are putting yourself in the presence of God and doing the work of His kingdom with fellow like-minded believers so you can benefit and growth from each others' annointing. God wants you in HIS church! If you're in His church, then the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)

SELAH!

Earning Your Letters: An Outlook On Being a "Real" Greek vs a "Paper" Greek

Hazing has been around in our society for quite some times. Actually, according to some sources, hazing has been around for centuries. Hazing was apart of the American academy since the beginning of higher education in the United States dating as far back as the Cathedral church schools. During this time, upperclassmen would often haze freshmen students in a sense of "initiation" for them entering college. Terms such as "crabs" was adopted to belittle freshmen students as they had yet to earn the name "upperclassmen". Today, hazing is more associated with membership, whether formal or informal, into a particular group such as military, athletic, fraternties, sororities, etc. More recently, bands have been in the highlight of this contemporary hazing phenomenom. However, as one thinks of hazing today, it is more associated with fraternity & sorority life. Therefore, given this and the topic of this blog, I will focus hazing on fraternity and sorority life, particularly with BGLOs (Black Greek Letter Organizations).

Given that my background is in Higher Education Leadership emphasizing in student development, I enjoy examining and encourage you to look more into this subject from a student development standpoint through the lens of the William E. Cross Model of Pyschological Nigrescence. Now, for you non student development scholars, this model defines the resocializing experience in which the student's identity is transformed from one of non-Afrocentrism to Afrocentrism to multiculturalism. The five stages, Pre-encounter, Encounter, Immersion-Emmersion, Internalization, and Internalization-Commitment. Some black students entering college may come with the belief that college is supposed to be open to a diverse body of opinions and ideas and that their race will no longer matter and become unimportant. However, some students go through their first few weeks of college and may begin to realize that their race does matter. The university, whether in the classroom or through programming, may encourage the student to embrace his diversity, recognize and celebrate his difference or, the student may experience and/or recognize racism from his/her classmates and/or roommates for the first time. According to the Cross model the aforementioned experiences would move the student to the Encounter stage, which destroys the students view of the world and pushes the student to think and view the world in a different way from before the experience. Students in this stage may often feel the need to associate themselves soley with their culture and BGLOs often provide this cultural support and belonging that students often feel the need to associate themselves with. Now, I won't go too much more into details with this theory, however, I encourage you to look more into how hazing and this theory coincide. (http://www.stophazing.org/devtheory_files/devtheory9.htm)

Within the culture of fraternities & sororities, particularly BGLOs college life, being "real" and being "paper" are two contrasting ways of becoming a member of an organization. It is the culture with fraternities & sororities that pride, dedication, and respect will be instilled into aspiring members who are "real" vs. those who are "paper" For the sake of this blog, "real" is defined as a greek member who went through more than the sanctioned intake process of the particular organization they're aspiring to be a member of. "Paper" is defined as those members who went through the sanctioned and legal membership intake process.

There are constant arguements on which path that one should take in order to be a "good" member of these organization. "Real" greeks state that there is no way that one can learn or earn respect from the organization unless one is made "real". In contrast, those who are considered "paper" often didn't choose the process that they were taken through as this process was chosen for them by members who took them in. On a more important note, Hazing is considered illegal in 44 of the 50 states (www.stophazing.com). The only states that currently do not have hazing laws are Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming. In each of the divine nine BGLOs, anything outside of the sanctioned membership intake process for that particular organization is considered to be hazing. Therefore, in essence, being made "real" as it relates to the standing orders and constitutions of BGLOs is illegal.

On a more comparative note, being made "real" or "paper" have neither been proven to retain initiates as active members in their organization. Therefore, there is no researched data that proves which process makes better members of our organizations. However, there is statistics that show that risky hazing behaviors, or making "real" members damages the organizations fiscally and as it relates to public opinion more than making "paper" members.

Speaking from my personal experiences, I have yet to read anything concerning the founders of my organization, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. that would suggest that our membership process should be one that physically abuses an individual. All membership intake process should be in place to teach aspiring members the significant aspects or the organization along with helping to develop aspiring members into more productive leaders on campuses across the U.S. Some believe fraterities & sorories, particularly BGLOs, have become nothing more than mere street gangs for college students who brutalizes each other, disrespect themselves and the opposite gender by doing things that harms themselves and others.

The mission of most BGLOs are to bring a closer bond of support (brotherhood) amongst its members, uplift the communities they are in through service, and promote scholastic achievement both in college and in careers. Therefore, I think we have to often think to ourselves as we're participating in membership intake processes..."how does doing this to an aspiring member prepare them to carry out the mission of the organization they are aspiring to be a member of and how is this bettering them as individuals?" So, could "paper" simply mean that you are a member of your organization on paper and that you are not contributing to your organizationa and community? Could being "real" simply mean that you are contributing to your organization and community?

That's my opinion! What is yours?

Selfishness In Relationships: How Much Room Is It For This Disease?

In my opinion, as humans, our greatest longings are the needs for connection with others and the opposite needs for space and individuality. These two needs can somtime work in conflict with each other. The need for connection forces us to have the desire to develop relationships with other individuals in the forms of friendships, significant others, spouses, etc. The need for space and individuality sometimes creates narcissism/selfishness with these same relationships. This can really cause "drama" in your relationships. What a setup for problems?!!

There is an ever increasing number of breakups in relationships & marriages as a result of the role and amount of selfishness that had found its way in. According to Merriam-Webster, selfishness is defined as a few different things:

1. concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself; pleasure or well-being without a regard for others

2. arising from concern with one's welfare or advantage in disregard of others

3. being genetic material solely concerned with its own replication

In all three definiitions, the common theme is being concern solely with oneself. In retrospect, a relationship can be defined as a state of relating, kinship, etc with two or more individuals. Simply looking at the two definitions, selfishness and relationship, you can even see that these two definitions are in contradiction to each other.

Selfishness can manifest itself many different ways in a relationship. It can be something as simple as forgetting to call if you're coming home later than usual, to not inviting your significant other to a gathering, to having an affair with another person. If you are working at a relationship daily then your first and foremost concern should be the other person. Consider their feelings, or what kind of food they like. Since we as human beings are naturally selfish it will take some work to get past that. However, it can be done.

So, in my opinion, the more love one has in their heart, the less room one has to be selfish. The less love one has in their heart, the more room there is for selfishness. This goes the same with relationships. Relationships that have lots of love in the foundation are the ones that have less room for selfishness and vice versa. Just as the Bible defines love, I'd like to show what God has said through the Apostle Paul about love: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

If one works towards this type of love in all of their relationships, then there would not be much room for selfishness. However, I do know this is easier said than done, but with the right attitude and faith, one can easily break this chain/bondage of selfishness.

Fighting Racial Profiling: An Occurance & Examination

This blog will be a venting session of something that I witnessed first-hand last week. This is NOT another punching bout against the majority culture of our country. However, this IS a challenge to all, both those of the majority and minority cultures, to take a more active and responsible approach to making our cities, states, and country, a more welcoming environment for ALL individuals regardless of how they look. Racial profiling is not restricted to only being done by the majority so, this is why I opened this blog up as such to help with understanding that anyone can perpetuate racial profiling. The next paragraph will briefly explain what I encountered on last week.

As I was leaving my office one day last week, a Middle Eastern middle age male, was outside of my office almost in tears. He stated that the police at an academic building on campus had racially profiled him. The man stated that he had a daughter who attended the university and often drive her up for classes from Lawrenceville, GA, which is approximately 45 minutes away. Since the beginning of the school year, he drives his daughter up and walks around the campus and around the building his daughter takes classes. According to him, he was merely sitting outside of the building on a bench when the police drove up and questioned him about being near the building. They identified the man, then drafted documentation barring him from being within 90 ft. from the building for 90 days. The police stated that they had received a call from someone in the building about him loitering around the building. Again, the man was in tears and wanted to know how I could help him, as he merely wanted to know a place where he could wait until his daughter finish with classes. I suggested that he try waiting in the library as this could pose a less threatening act to the campus community.

In my previous blog entitled Christianity & Islam: Are We Heading To Another Crusades?, I examine briefly the relations of between Christianity & Islam, however, this fear that I refer to of supersedes religious warfare. Since September 11, 2001, so many Americans have feared another terror attack. The focus of this fear has been against Muslims, particularly those with any ethnic visible traits people in Middle Eastern countries. Many Muslim in America have been hated and even kicked out of stores, etc. Why is it that people assume that all Muslims are Terrorists or “anti-American?” This assumption and fear makes Americans group anyone that looks as if they have any ties to Islam or Middle Eastern countries with the terrorists and extremists who were responsible for the attack in New York. Given that we are, naturally, creatures who like to categorize everything to help our minds make sense of the world, a lot of these assumptions are simply in result of our minds simply trying to process and make sense of our society. However, we must continue and always challenge this thinking to help educate the greater community that all people with Middle Eastern decent are not terrorist and not even Muslims, not all Hispanics are illegal immigrants, not all Blacks are thugs, lazy, athletes, or any of the other stereotypes that comes with these ethnicities.

Police typically don’t feel as if they are being wrong in profiling individuals after all, they are merely trying to keep our neighborhoods safe. However, according to Harcourt (2006), racial profiling is ineffective because it assumes that terrorists are not going to adapt to changing circumstances, and, as a result, putting the police one step behind. Now according to this source, they are referring to using profiling as a counterterrorism approach. However, this can be applied to any racial profiling situation. For example, the police can’t assume that every Hispanic is an illegal immigrant because if that’s the case, then those from other countries could “dress” themselves as a citizen when they themselves are illegal.



Harcourt, Bernard E. 2006, Muslim Profiles Post 9/11: Is Racial Profiling an Effective Counterterrorist Measure and Does It Violate the Right to be Free from Discrimination? The Chicago Working Paper Series. http://www.law.uchicago.edu/Lawecon/index.html

How Has Hip Hop & Rap Influenced Society Today?

It’s obvious that Hip Hop has been a significant influence in today’s society. Hip hop has managed to shape thinking, crossed cultural barriers, and have been considered, by some, to be a lifestyle and not just a music genre. Hip Hop has been a “movement” in today’s society. Although all of this is true about hip hop, there is still controversy on whether hip hop, as a whole, has effected society more positively or negatively. This blog will try to present both arguments of hip hop and allow YOU, as a reader to provide your comments about which you feel more about.

According to hiphop-history.com, the culture/lifestyle started in the late 1960’s and the Official Birthday of Hip Hop is November 12, 1974. Most current rap/hip hop listeners didn’t know that this culture/genre/lifestyle started at such an early time. Also according to hiphop-history.com, hip hop music was first introduced in the Bronx located in New York City by a Jamaican DJ, named Clive Campbell a.k.a. “Kool Herc”. Hip hop music and rap are two inseparable terms. The word “rap” derived in the 1960’s, from a slang word that basically meant conversation. Rap was speaking up rhythmically in rhymes with style and is generally along with beats. Rap currently represents the recording aspects of hip hop. According to an article called Hip Hop: Negative Effects on Today’s Youth on bookrags.com, hip hop branched off into “rap” near the end of the 1970’s.

On the negative side, hip hop and rap is believed to have caused a generation of young adults to be more violent, abuse drugs, and be more sexually promiscuous. Hip hop & Rap music contains some violent lyrics and can be interpreted as endorsing violent and illegal behavior in order to get material things such as gold and/or platinum chains, expensive cars and clothes.

Positively, according to ehow.com in an article entitled Positive Effects of Hip Hop Music, violence, drugs, and mysogyny is only a small portion of hip hop and suggests that there are many positive effects hip hop provides to its listeners. The article also suggests that hip hop promotes critical thinking, political awareness, and have the ability to provide role models(can be good) for youth. Since hip hop/rap is such a pop culture phenomenom, then it has the ability to affect the most change in the young generation.

In my opinion, there is no doubt that hip hop has its negative and positive contributions to society. Just as anything, parents and others have to be selective in what type of music we're allowing the youth to listen to. Just as there is bad hip hop/rap, there's also bad music in ALL other genres. Hip Hop does indeed expresses a lifesyle of many African Americans and currently, even others outside of the African American culture.

How do you see it influencing society?

College Athletes: Paid or Played?

As we embark on this 2010 College Football season, I can’t help but reflect on my college football experience as a college football player at Mississippi Valley State University, a Division 1-AA Historically Black College & University in the heart of the Mississippi Delta.

I can remember the rigorous schedule that I had to keep with maintaining both my academic and athletic schedules. This schedule consisted of early morning classes until, at the latest, 2pm and, from 3pm until 6pm being in football practice and meetings. After dinner, there would be either study hall, or more meetings and afterwards, it was time to start preparing for the next day. Although I was a student who always wanted to be involved in campus life, it was often very difficult to be involved in other student organizations outside of the classroom and off the football field.

My college experience at Mississippi Valley State University is certainly different than more high profile athletic programs such as Ohio State University, University of Georgia, University of Florida, University of Southern California, etc. These athletes not only have to manage a rigorous schedule, they also have to be able to deal with a heightened profile in which they are now role models to many youth, in the light of every press/media outlet near and far, etc.

Over the past several years, there have been some debate on whether college athletes, especially the athletes from these high profile programs, should be paid other than the form of scholarships, etc. According to Rod Gilmore of Espn.com, he feels that at one time, college football was consistent with the mission of a university to educate and provide for the well-being of its student body. However, college football is no longer very different from NFL. He feels as if college football is a part of the entertainment industry. Adam Powell, of the Blue & White Flash, the official student newspaper at Jackson State University, feels that paying student athletes (cognizant of the word student before athlete) would also ruin the greatest part of college athletics, which is its tradition and innocence.

In contrast, according to allsands.com, college athletes have traditionally been prohibited from taking on outside employment, and although the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has recently begun to allow scholarship athletes to take part-time jobs during the school year, the fact remains the majority of college athletes have severely restricted earning potential during their college career. Some also argue that college athletics, particularly at large and more successful programs, generate large amounts of revenue. Although coaches at these successful programs receive, sometimes, million dollar contracts, players, who are putting themselves at more risk, aren’t able to receive any earnings from their consistent sacrifice from being a traditional college student.

So, the debate continues on which prospective holds more valid on whether college athletes should share in the large revenue generating business or should they simply be contributors to this growing industry?

School Season: Going 'Off' To College. How To Prepare?

As we enter the month of August, stores began to announce sales, salesmen and sales women get excited, recently graduated college bound high school seniors get excited, and parents are stuck in the middle of all of this. “Going off to college” is a pretty significant time in the life of students. Believe it or not, just as this is significant to the student, it can also be just as significant to parents. Although there are things that needs to be known as one prepares for college, such as financial aid, things to buy, etc., this blog will examine the theoretical developmental approach of preparing for college.

Anxiety, fear, and excitement, typically comes over students in anticipation of what the college experience will be for them. Students often view college as a collegial atmosphere where lots of students go to start preparation for getting a good paying job. In reality, however, college is a time where students are developing and figuring out who they are. In 1969, Arthur Chickering found that successful students are able to achieve a sense of competence, learn to manage emotions, develop autonomy, establish one’s identity and interact with others. So, with this, students will be going through lots of changes throughout their time in college. Also, college is a time where students are more susceptible to mental health issues as they could possibly suffer from depression and homesickness. Other issues that students may face is roommate conflicts, feelings of inadequacy and inferiority due to the discrepancy between high school grades and status and college performance, value conflicts, increased sexual pressures, and financial adjustments. Although all of this sounds quite frightening, there are quite a few positive things about the college experience. Students often meet lifelong friends, spouses, future employer/employees and other great network of individuals that will be an integral part of the students’ development. Again, even with those conflicts mentioned above, it is very important for students to go through these situations as it often helps to develop their sense of identity. Therefore, it’s not always bad if there is a slight roommate conflict or other peer pressures.

Just as students deal with the fear and anxiety of going off to college, parents deal with these emotions as they are watching their child “leave the nest”. Melissa Kenzig, certified health education expert from Columbia University stated, “It’s about walking that fine line between helping your kids and at the same time letting them grow as adults.” Most parents want to let go, but are scared they haven’t prepared their kids well enough to handle the issues that were mentioned above.

Again, college can be an overwhelming experience for both students and parents. However, overall, this experience and time in the students’ life is vitally important. Students have to address these issues that occur. Also, parents have to trust how they’ve raised there children and walk that fine line between being helpful to their children and being a handicap as it relates to their development.

Being Religious vs. Being Spiritual: Is There A Significant Difference?

Spirituality has really come into the scene in contemporary terms for the "Western World". In the western world, there has become a broader view of spirituality. Religious individuals feel that spirituality is a part of their religious practice although spirituality has become more and more detached from religious practices and become more secular in nature. What is meant by spiritual secularism is a spiritual outlook that is more personalized, less structured, and more open to new influences.

Religious Fundamentalists feels as if there is a huge misunderstanding with what "being religious" really mean. These fundamentalists reflect on the meaning of religion/religious in scriptures which is a positive state of mind that results in genuine devotion to God. Therefore, acts of mercy, love, and holiness, are religious. This is not far removed from the term spiritual, which refers to those acts from the spirit, instead of the flesh. They also feel that if you are spiritual, then, naturally, you would be religious. According to Robert Johnson of the Gospel Gazette, whether in worship or service, religion and spiritual are complimentary terms, as we are "living sacrifices" (religious) who are not conformed to the world but transformed by the will of God (spiritual - Romans 12:1-2).

On the other hand, those with the trendy phrase, "I'm spiritual but not religious" feel that they don't need an organized religion to live a life of faith. The solely spiritual beings feel that religion practices a faith of the past instead of focusing on the present. They feel to attain liberation we need to live in the present. It is not the past or the future that gives us liberation. We achieve peace of mind only when we concentrate on doing the right thing here and now. The spiritual beings also feel that religion practices a faith of fear in that you do the right thing in fear of suffering in the future instead of approaching God in the path of love, that is doing the right thing because you love God.

From my research and conversations with individuals who consider themselves both religious fundamentalists and those who feel that they are not religious but simply spiritual, these are the contrasting opinions of the two groups. With this, I feel that people's religious practices is sacred and based on their relationship with God. I believe that everyone must have their own relationship with God and that you cannot be saved by your mother's, father's, or even your pastor's faith. Therefore, you must know what God means to you as an individual. Religion is what we practice and spirituality is what we believe.

We practice our faith based on what we believe, so is there a significant difference?

How Far Should Universities Go To Rewrite Their History In The Spirit of Inclusivity?

“Diversity” has been a buzzword for today’s higher education system. Most colleges & universities like to boast on the diversity of their student body. Also, with this comes lots of education and initiatives to create inclusive environments and reduce marginalization of any particular culture. These intiatives have included changes to songs, mascots, and have gone as far as changing names of buildings who are named after salient members of the schools’ history due to affiliations of that member. Recent examples include North Dakota State Fight Sioux mascot change and the University of Mississippi Rebels mascot change. Most recently, there has been discussion about changing the name of a residence hall at the University of Texas, Austin.

The University of North Dakota debated whether the mascot, Fighting Sioux, was racially insensitive to Native Americans in our country. Some believe that this mascot insinuates a sense of disrespect to the Native American culture. On the other hand, some believe that they are taking inclusivity too far because there is no controversy over mascots such as the Fighting Irish, Vikings, etc.

A similar controversy occurred in the South with the mascot, Colonel Reb, at the University of Mississippi who simulates a plantation owner/confederate soldier. Colonel Reb was forced into retirement in 2003, students were no longer allowed to chant the phrase “the South will rise again” after the school song. The crowd favorite, Dixie, was prohibited from play by the band.

In recent news, the University of Texas at Austin is dealing with a controversy over the name of a residence hall on campus. One of their residence halls is currently named after William Stewart Simkins, who taught at The University of Texas at Austin School of Law from 1899 until his death in 1929 but, who also was known for his ties to the Klu Klux Klan after the Civil War. This part of Simkins’ history was recently published in an article in Social Science Research Network by former UT Austin faculty member, Thomas Russell. In this article, Thomas Russell suggests that in 1954, the Faculty Council and the Board of Regents of Texas decided to name the residence hall after Simkins to snub Brown vs. Board of Education, thereby intimidating Blacks from attending and residing on campus. Since this publication, and to the credit of UT Austin, the university has been deliberant in making attempts to ensure inclusivity on campus.

Nevertheless, this country has to deal with the harsh sin of slavery. However, in the spirit of “inclusivity”, lots of debate is taking place around changes in our history, naming of buildings, mascots, and other things. One has to be able to realize how far colleges, universities, and scholars should go to right wrongs of this country’s history.

So, with that being said, “How Far Should Universities Go To Rewrite History In An Effort Of Being Inclusive?

The Crisis of African American Males

Just think with me...How often do you see a black male as the Valedictorian of a class? How often do you see a black male who is married and in the household with his children? How often do you see black males going to jail? How often do you see black males dropping out of school? How often do you see black males suffer from health issues such as prostate cancer, diabetes, HIV, cardiovascular disease, etc?

First, let me say that there has been a decline in ALL male achievement across cultural lines. However, it cannot be argued that there has been a significantly higher amount of decline in black male achievement in educational settings. According to the National Urban League's "State of Black America" report, black males are often categorized as at-risk in educational systems, and they often lag behind black females and their white male counterparts. They are more likely than any other group to be suspended from schools, and they are often underrepresented in gifted educational programs or advanced placement courses and often experience the most challenges in higher education settings as both students and teachers, according to research.

Black male underachievement leads to lots of other issues. For example, according to the National Urban League's State of Black America's Report 2007, Black men are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as White men and make only 74 percent of the average yearly salary. Black men are more than six times as likely than White men to be incarcerated and their average jail sentences tend to be 10 months longer than those of White men. Also, 16.5 percent of the Black male population had been to prison compared to 7.7 percent of Hispanic and 2.7 percent of White men. Young Black males between the ages of 15 and 34 years are nine times more likely to be killed by firearms and nearly eight times as likely to suffer from AIDS.

In my opinion, this crisis needs to be address by first addressing the achievement rates of black males. There has to be a way that we can help black males see that being educated and learning how to speak correct English is not acting and trying to be "white". Also, there needs to be a respect of womanhood that should be garnered. There has been this negative stigma on valuing education and women in the black community.

However, there are several opinions on how to address the "Crisis of African American Males". What is yours?

Are Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) Still Relevant Today?

This year, the U.S. News & World Report provided separate rankings, for the first time, of Historically Black Colleges & Universities. The top 5 included Spelmen, Howard, Hampton, Morehouse, & Fisk respectfully. Although I'm not surprised of this ranking, I am still a bit partial to my undergraduate institution, Mississippi Valley State University. :)....as I digress.

On another note, during a Tavis Smiley interview of Mr. Kenneth Terrell, an editor of the U.S. News & World Report, it was reported that of the 100 or so Historically Black Colleges & Universities, the collective endowments of these institutions are $2 billion. In comparison to their historically white counterparts, some Predominately White Institutions have this amount alone ($2 billion). For example, in 2006, according to the National Association of Colleges & University, Harvard University endowment was over $34 billion. The University of Virginia held an endowment amount of $4 billion. The University of Arkansas held a an endowment of $900 million.

$2 billion isn't a lot of money for 104 colleges & universities across the country. Just think....Harvard has about 17 times more money in endowment as ALL of the HBCUs combined. Williams College holds a $2 billion endowment and it enrolls 1,000 less students than Morehouse College.

As I think about why HBCUs are so underfunded, I began to think about the relevance of these institutions. Being a proud undergraduate of an HBCU and since then being educated at Predominately White Insitutions, I often feel conflicted about some issues effecting HBCUs. Are they still as relevant as they once were when blacks lacked the access to attend Predominately White Insitutions? How well do these homogeneous settings prepare students for a heterogeneous world? For whom are they most appropriate?