Fruit for Thought: the Intersection of Education, Culture, and Performance

Before my current writing life, there was  The Hilltop ,  Howard University’s and the Nation’s Oldest Black Collegiate Newspaper, where many of the questions and themes I still explore first found their voice. What follows are my early published works, preserved in their original form. From The Hilltop Archives Originally published in   The Hilltop , Howard University — January 31st, 2003 __________________________________________________________________________________ Comp Ticket Not Free for Late Students "Students need to stay informed," Blake Carlton, a mechanical engineer from Atlanta Georgia, said.   Carlton is not referring to the tuition increase or even the proposed housing agreement for next year. He's talking about the ticket dilemma for the basketball and football games.   Carlton, in conjunction with several other students, makes up the well-known "Section 8 Mob." Started in 1998, the "Section 8 Mob" has been the coined the official prep ...

Before my current writing life, there was  The Hilltop ,  Howard University’s and the Nation’s Oldest Black Collegiate Newspaper, where many of the questions and themes I still explore first found their voice. What follows are my early published works, preserved in their original form. From The Hilltop Archives Originally published in   The Hilltop , Howard University — January 24th, 2003 __________________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Jekyll, Mrs. Hyde "We're only as good as our last performance," said Lady Bison Head Coach Cathy Parson. If that's the case, their performance at Delaware State on Jan. 27 should be just as promising. However, the Lady Bison did not come across their 81-59 win over the Lady Aggies easily.    They looked out of character in the first half and struggled with the 1-2-2 zone of A&T. Unable to penetrate the Aggie zone, the Lady Bison settled for poor outside shots and hardly went in the paint....

Before my current writing life, there was  The Hilltop ,  Howard University’s and the Nation’s Oldest Black Collegiate Newspaper, where many of the questions and themes I still explore first found their voice. What follows are my early published works, preserved in their original form. From The Hilltop Archives Originally published in   The Hilltop , Howard University — January 24th, 2003 __________________________________________________________________________________ Not Just for Show Since when has the super bowl been about the actual game? Rarely, with the exception of a few, does the game actually live up to its hype. The game is pumped up so much by the commentators and analysts that it tends to come up short.    Nine times out of ten, the game will already be decided by the start of the fourth quarter, leaving viewers and their interest tuned out.    However, unlike the game itself, the commercials are the only show that never disappoints. They...

Before my current writing life, there was  The Hilltop ,  Howard University’s and the Nation’s Oldest Black Collegiate Newspaper, where many of the questions and themes I still explore first found their voice. What follows are my early published works, preserved in their original form. From The Hilltop Archives Originally published in   The Hilltop , Howard University — April 18th, 2004 __________________________________________________________________________________ Big Ups to the Underdogs It's been a great year in sports.    A year full of triumph and emotions that almost made me shed a tear.   I said almost.   But I think there are some teams that deserve a special notice for their efforts in their particular sport. I am talking about those teams who may have been overlooked, disregarded and counted out before the game started. Who, like Shoeshine Boy, emerged from the phone booth to do the  impossible.   I am bringing it back, way back,...