A New Life

New Life

It was average day. Slept in because class was cancelled that day. A break from school is always a plus. My suite was quiet that morning. Got dressed and headed to the café with a few of the girls. The café was filled with excitement. Today was finally the day. My emotions were completely unstable that day. I was nervous, scared, excited and empowered. The air was cold and the skies were grey. After breakfast at the café, I went to the Thompson Center, where the festivities were taken place. The line was long, but I that didn’t nearly bother me, as it would have any other day. Volunteers stood around with their clipboards, answering questions while sipping on their cups of coffee and hot chocolate distinctively 40 feet away from the entrance way.
When I reached the front, I gave the volunteer my name and ID. She flashed a smile at me, suggesting that she was proud that I was here, and she was more than happy to help me complete this new but oh so inspirational task. The room filled with chit chatter, and minor chaos. All in 2 minutes, I was done. I placed my gloves on my hands received a souvenir on the way out.
Later that night, my suitemates and I cooked a big meal, and sat around the television. Anticipation, fear, excitement, pride… each individual had a different demeanor that night. My eyes were glued on that number. The number that needed to be 270 or more. Some of roommates paced back and forth up and down the hall, “I can’t look.” Dee, was the 1^st to see it. “We WON!” Everyone screamed in disbelief.
No less than 3 minutes later, everyone on the campus of Winston Salem State University was on the yard, celebrating our new president Barack Obama. There was no organization, no plan, no intent that night. We were just happy. There was no stopping what was already started. Us college students, enjoyed our time to appreciate, celebrate, congratulate, meditate, pray, rejoice….this moment.
The election on November 4, 2008 of our first black president was not the end of injustice, racism and inequality, but the beginning of a new life.

17 years and counting

First Tuesday of the semester, I walked in the classroom and sat in the first row far to the right of the classroom. When the professors came in, they told us to stand up, and move the chairs in a circular shape, they told us that we were going to conduct this class in a circle, where we can all see each other and get to know one another. From that day forward, we sat in a circle every class. We had name tags on our desk like we were in kindergarten. It was a great learning environment and it truly enhanced my participation and ceased my fear of talking up in class. (102)

I usually sit in the front row of all of my classes. My first college professor told me that’s how you make the Dean’s List. This particular class, I didn’t make it early enough to get a front seat. Sitting in the 2^nd row, I began to take notes. The professor was very vague and unemotional. He would crack a joke but barely smiled. He was biased in every topic we covered. And he knew not one student’s name. I highlighted my entire book, and wrote almost a book of notes. I failed the exams, and couldn’t understand why. Complaints raged across the classroom, but the heartless bastard could care less. He didn’t care if we all failed and I failed.(101)