Take advantage of the opportunities that are given to you
By Cheval John
Dr. Pruitt - Courtesy of SHSU Department of History
“Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted one moment. Would you capture it or just let it slip?” Eminem
Everyone who are fans of Eminem knows this quote from the song “Lose Yourself”. This song rings true for a lot of reasons and unfortunately, some miss that chance. Whenever things don’t go a person’s way, they try to find excuses on why they did not succeed, but in reality, they miss their opportunity.
In my experience, I have notice that some black individuals who make excuses on why they are not progressing. It seems to me that they are using slavery as an excuse. Yes, I understand the issue of slavery and I wish that it did not happen, but they should not use it as a crutch. Also, it seems like they are many obstacles that are in the way that are keeping them from being successful, including being raised in a single parent home.
People like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, W.E.B. DuBois and many others fought and risked everything for equal rights for future generations. Different acts including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed through Congress that gave Black Americans the opportunity to succeed. But it seems like those individuals are not taking advantage of it.
While I realize the challenges many of these individuals face in their pre-existing circumstances, I also see others who have had the same background and took advantage of the opportunities to get out of the situation instead of making excuses.
For instance, Bernadette Pruitt, Ph.D., associate professor in the History Department, had a difficult childhood. It seemed as if nothing was going her way, including with the education system, but she graduated from high school and came to Texas Southern University. Not only did she earned her Bachelors and Masters degree, but also earned her Doctorate from the University of Houston. She exemplifies how it does not matter how you grew up, you have to work hard to get what you want.
The reason why I am writing this is because I am an African American and I understand the pain and suffering of being stereotyped by others. I understand the circumstances and the pain of slavery and at times, it infuriates me, but at the end of the day, it already happened. It is time for everyone to take advantage and go to college to obtain a degree so that you can be successful in life and set an example for those who are looking up to you because like it or not, you are a role model to those that will be taking the same path.
Welcome to Mr. Rodgers’ Neighborhood
As the saying goes “Patience is a virtue”. That saying is more true for Aaron Rodgers. After being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first round in 2005, he was a backup quarterback to Brett Favre, who at the time was the starter.
During that time for 3 years, he had to sit on the bench and look on as Favre was starting every game during his streak. Rodgers learned the system of the Packers and did not complain about it. He felt that his time was coming to be the starting quarterback of the Packers.
Then his opportunity finally came when Favre had announced his “retirement” from the NFL. It would have been a smooth transition if Favre did not change his mind and tried to hold the Packers hostage. In that drama, Rodgers kept his cool and handle the situation with class and dignity.
Rodgers did not fail to disappoint because he played very well during his three years as a starter. Then there is the Super Bowl when he passed for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns, and led the Packers to victory and won the MVP.
His story shows that even if things don’t go your way immediately, you have to be patient and wait until the opportunity comes to shine. In the end , it will be more sweeter than you can ever imagine.
Friends, Let Your Friends Study Abroad
By Cheval John
When a person chooses to study abroad, they are embarking on one of the greatest adventures of their lives.
The national average of students who study abroad is 1.44%. The number of students in Texas who study abroad is .86%, which is below the national average, according to NAFSA figures of 2007-2008.
“Study abroad makes a person stand out with employers and higher education”, said Jesse Starkey, Study Abroad Coordinator for the International Programs at Sam Houston State University. “It shows their ability to work across cultural lines”.
Bloomberg’s “In Business with Margaret Brennan” discusses what goes on in the stock market, acquisitions, CEOs, etc. Many people doesn’t know that the host of the show, Magaret Brennan, speaks Arabic and was a Fulbright Scholar that allowed her to study abroad in Jordan for a year. Now, she’s in a better position because of her in-depth knowledge of Middle Eastern affairs.
The reason why I believe this is because I have studied abroad in Mexico and Chile. Because of those experiences, it has given me a much deeper appreciation for the world and the different cultures. Also, because I speak Spanish, it has allowed me to work for Channel 7 News en Espanol and write a blog for the Houstonian.
They are many sites and sources available to help students along in the process to begin the journey of a lifetime. Here are the links:
www.shsu.edu/~int_www
www.nafsa.org
www.goabroad.com
www.transitionsabroad.com
www.bloomberg.com
www.teacherhit.com
Wendell Baker: The Martin Luther King of Huntsville
by Cheval John
Today begins the month of black history. Everyone knows about Rosa Parks and her refusal to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus in which it led to her arrest and started the protest in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. That led to the emergence of Martin Luther King, who organized and led protests in the South for civil rights. Everyone knows his famous speech “I Have a Dream” in Washington, D.C. in 1963. But few know about the Martin Luther King of Huntsville and Walker County, who organized and led protests for integration not only at Sam Houston State University, but also for the entire city of Huntsville. That man is Wendell Baker. He was born on November 13,1922 in West Walker County, Texas to Jesse and Fannie Baker. He was the eighth of ten children. He grew up in a farm in Walker County and learned the lessons of hard work and dedication from his parents. He was a very talented and smart person. He graduated from Sam Houston High School in Huntsville in 1939. He wanted to attend Sam Houston State Teachers College (now Sam Houston State University), but couldn’t because they did not accept African Americans. He served in World War II and after the war, he attended Texas Southern University and graduated in 1949 with a bachelors degree in chemistry. He had aspired to go to medical school and taught at Huntsville Intermediate School as a science teacher. With a wife and a growing family, he realized that he would not fulfill that dream. He was the chair of the science department there and continued to teach there until 1962 when he got fired for building his home near a new white subdivision. That not only changed the destiny of Mr. Baker, but would also change the destiny of Sam Houston State. In that same year, he got hired at the Goodyear Tire Company in Beaumont as a quality control specialist, making him the first African American technical professional in the Golden Triangle. He got promoted to chemical engineer in which that position increased his salary and it allowed him to be an activist for civil rights in Huntsville and Walker County. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed in Congress and the winds of integration began to shift. In that same year, Angie Kizzie applied to Sam Houston and was denied admission because of her race. The same thing happened to another black student. That led Mr. Baker, along with the Voter’s League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People(NAACP) to file a suit with the federal district court. Before the suit could reach the court, the governor, knowing the negative publicity that they would recieve, ordered the Board of Regents to change the policy and admit black students. The board did just that and in that same year, John Patrick became the first African American to enroll at Sam Houston State. Since then, the university have a diverse student body. Mr. Baker continued his activism until Huntsville was fully integrated. He stayed with Goodyear until 1984. Now he is retired and still lives in Huntsville. Sam Houston State University is a much better place thanks to Wendell Baker, the Martin Luther King of Huntsville.
Now I’ve Seen Everything
by Cheval John
A little of Panama was featured at the Latin Jazz Concert last Saturday night. The concert was headlined by Danilo Perez of Panama and the “Perez Trio” which featured bassist Ben Street and drummer Adam Cruz, both who from the New York area.
The first half of the concert, the SHSU symphony orchestra played with the trio along with a couple of jazz musicians from Woodcreek High School.
The second half of the concert, the SHSU Jazz Band, under the direction of Aric Schneller, professor of music at SHSU, played along with the trio. In the final rendition, pianist Luis Marin of Puerto Rico, who played on Monday night, joined in the festivities.
The concert was the finale of Festival Inspiracion. I personally enjoyed it because of the presentations that was given, the improvisation concert on Wednesday that featured the works of Jesus Moroles, a sculptor from Corpus Christi, Texas in which the musicians played music from the works and the SHSU dancers created choreography for the performance.
Will we see another festival inspiracion? Only time will tell.
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