Up-town “swag”, Caribbean accents, conversations on the yard ranging from party moves to black Marxism are what I remember when reminiscing on my first week at Howard University two years ago. It was a culture shock coming from a predominantly white boarding high school and being considered a minority. However, it was a pleasant change of scenery. I had never been surrounded by so many people who were all the same based on skin-color yet were all so different when you consider many other factors. The culture shock wasn’t just because everyone was black. The culture shock was seeing the dramatic range of actual cultures infused in the campus population. All throughout my first week I kept meeting people with different personalities, different styles than my own, different accents than my own, different political opinions, religious beliefs, and social ideals.
Because of my interest in the culture of the student body, I am most excited to participate in the freshmen seminar lectures on the black Diaspora, and the African world experience. Even sitting in freshman seminar this week I could look around and be reminded how beautifully different we all are, yet how we all have similar goals in pursuing education. I can imagine that the rest of my college experience will continuously inspire me to learn as much as I can from those surrounding me both in and outside the classroom. My only goal coming in to Howard is to graduate with a feeling of purpose. I know that being active in my learning experience here and in this seminar will help me towards that.
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