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Do you know Rod?
Do you know Rod?
You need to!!!!
Rod Online 2.0: beta) is one of my favorite blogs out there. It's like a new approach to an entertainment blog. It has a gay slant, but it's not like SUPER gay. (To me.)
I don't know, y'all. It's just good. It doesn't beat you over the head with a "message" -- it's just good clean fun!
Well, not CLEAN....but not DIRTY. Maybe just dusty. ;-)
Posted by Rashid on April 29, 2005 at 10:14 PM | Comments (2)
The baby comes home....
Special Guest Star: Big Mike, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Omicron Gamma Chapter, Spring '94
Posted by Rashid on at 10:28 AM | Comments (3)
Round-Up for April 28
Alphas and AKAs Get Down to Business in Pittsburgh
For the next four days, the camaraderie and time-honored traditions usually shrouded in secrecy on leafy college campuses will be out in the open.A legion of 500 men will march upon the Hilton Pittsburgh, Downtown, proudly showing the black and gold colors of Alpha Phi Alpha, a black fraternity founded 99 years ago.
At the other end of Downtown, at the Westin Convention Center hotel, their sister group, the Alpha Kappa Alphas, will gather 1,300 strong.
Each group is having a four-day regional convention. It's unusual that they happen in the same town at the same time and the coincidence means an explosion of social, volunteer and career development activities for the black professionals and college students who make up the groups' membership.
By the time the dinners, workshops and boat rides are over, the groups' members are expected to drop more than $1 million into the city's coffers, according to the Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Ice Train Attracts 1,000 plus (Arizona Alphas)
The sounds of stomping, clapping and canes against the stage floor filled Centennial Hall Saturday afternoon.More than 1,000 people attended the Sixth Annual Ice Train Classic Step Show hosted by the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
The event has grown every year since its inception in 1999. In the beginning, the show could barely fill the Social Sciences auditorium with the capacity of 500 people. Now the fraternity is celebrating its second year hosting the show in Centennial Hall.
The step show showcased the talents of six teams from all over the West Coast.
The Black Student Association and the National Panhellenic Council hosted a step competition as a finale to Stompweek 2005. Acts from Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas competed and young local step teams performed as exhibition acts.
Fraternity member arrested on battery charges (SIUE Ques)
Published: Tuesday, April 26, 2005
A member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity was arrested Sunday, April 17, on battery charges in an incident after the March Down.A 21-year-old woman came to SIUE from Chicago for Omega Psi Phi's March Down with two other women. One of the women was familiar with Harold Turney, a member of the fraternity.
After the March Down, the alleged victim said there was a "get together" at 12 Devon Court in Edwardsville where alcohol was being served.
While leaving, the alleged victim claimed Michael A. Parks, a member of Omega Psi Phi, lifted her skirt up while walking to her car in the rear parking lot.
"I turned around and said some choice words to him," the alleged victim told the Alestle. "Then he punched me in the face."
The alleged victim said she tried to fight back, but another person had came between her and Parks. Parks then allegedly tried to hit her a second time but missed, she said.
According to the victim, she was then picked up and carried to the parking lot. At that time, she allegedly tried to ask people for Parks' name, but no one would tell her.
"(Turney) wouldn't tell me because it would be disloyal to the fraternity," the alleged victim said. "Finally, a girl there gave me Parks' business card. He apparently gave it to her earlier."
When the alleged victim said she was going to call the police, members of Omega Psi Phi then allegedly gave Parks directions to leave and avoid running into police.
After Parks left, the police came, and the victim filed an official report and gave the police Parks' business card. The police then called Parks' cell phone and asked him to return.
When Parks returned to Devon Court, he allegedly claimed it was the victim who attacked him. Allegedly, no one in the fraternity admitted to witnessing the incident, but the alleged victim claims there were at least 10 people who saw it.
Parks was arrested for battery and taken to the Edwardsville Police Department where he posted the $100 cash bond.
Youth, parents get financial, health tips at annual summit (Jackson, TN Deltas and Ques)
Members of the local chapters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity did their part Saturday to help local youth maintain their physical and fiscal health.Sixty-two youths between the ages of 10 and 17, along with 18 local adults and parents, gathered at Jackson State Community College to participate in forums and discussions during the ninth annual teen summit. The target age for the summit was 12 and older, but some 10-year-olds attended.
The teens rotated between three sessions: ''Get Your Money Straight,'' ''Healthy Choices: Take Control'' and ''Being an Offensive Player in the Game of Life.''
Sigma Jewels presented at Miss Rhomania/Courante Ball: Shreveport SGRhos
Seven debutantes were presented Saturday at "Sigma Jewels, Timeless Treasures," the Miss Rhomania/Courante Ball.It was given by Beta Omega Sigma Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority at Shreveport Convention Hall.
As each debutante stepped onto the royal blue carpet, she made an entrance through a Victorian arch accented with yellow tea roses embellished with soft lights and suspended jewels.
The stage was set with columns draped with royal blue and antique gold tulle, elements that complemented the exquisite floral arrangements.
Each debutante was presented gifts from her sponsor and the sorority.
University of Washington Sigma Probate Warning, this isn't a good article, but they tried.
Drawing more than 300 people to see a rare -- and boisterous -- fraternity initiation ceremony, nine men took their first "steps" into brotherhood with a little sweat, blood and step dancing yesterday.The UW's black fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, showed off its new members in an elaborate celebration in front of the HUB.
The men, dressed in blue dress shirts with black ties, slacks and shoes, signifying the fraternity's colors, culminated with a probate ceremony after more than a month of memorizing routines, songs and fraternity history.
Posted by Rashid on April 28, 2005 at 8:23 AM | Comments (0)
Are you gonna get rich and quit teaching?
Rashid: oh, before you go
Him, via Sidekick II: Huh
Rashid: i had two of my books in a grocery bag today, and one of my students asked why was i always carrying books around
Rashid: and one of the other kids also said i was always carrying books around
Rashid: and the first kid says "Are those your books Mr. Darden?"
Rashid: and I said yeah
Rashid: and he said "You wrote them?"
Rashid: and I said yeah
Him, via Sidekick II: Yea
Rashid: so of course they got psyced
Rashid: then kid #1 says:
Him, via Sidekick II: Ok
Rashid: "Mr. Darden, so you're gonna get rich off of these books and quit being a teacher?"
Him, via Sidekick II: Awwww
Rashid: HI-fuckin-LARIOUS
Him, via Sidekick II: Its sweet too
Rashid: and i said YUP CUZ I WRITE BOOKS, BITCH!!!
Rashid: okay, not really, but i thought it real hard :-)
Him, via Sidekick II: Lol
What also happened was that my kids asked what the novel was about. And I said that it's about a guy who goes to college and experiences....stuff.
So they say "It's about SEX???!!!!"
And I say NO!!!! But it's for grown folks!
Then another kid says "So this book about Mr. Darden is about sex."
And I say NO, it's not about MR. DARDEN!!! It's fiction, you know, NOT TRUE.
And then the kid said "Oh okay. So this book is about a guy who went to Georgetown and is wearing blue and gray new balance, blue jeans, and a football jersey, and a purple bag, and has dreadlocks, and is standing right in front of me. HMMM, WHO AM I????"
Little whippersnappers!!!!
Posted by Rashid on April 27, 2005 at 9:23 AM | Comments (2)
Tuesday Twelve
Harder to Breathe, Maroon 5
I'll Fly Away, Aretha Franklin
I'm Afraid of Americans, David Bowie
Brotha, Angie Stone
Lil Scrappy Menace, Lil Scrappy vs The Phantom Menace Soundtrack
Controversy (Purple Mix), Prince
Show Me, Amerie
Live It Up, John Legend
Natural Woman, Kelly Clarkson
Kill You (Eminem Cover), Deftones
The Kids, Eminem
Marshall Mathers, Eminem
(That's really wierd about those last three....)
Posted by Rashid on April 26, 2005 at 10:56 PM | Comments (0)
A Toast to LAZARUS -- THIS Saturday!
Friends,
All of my life, I’ve wanted to be an author.
Now…I am.
Please help me to celebrate the release of LAZARUS, my first novel. We will be convening upon Takoma Station Tavern on this Saturday at 7:00pm. Takoma Station is located at 6814 Fourth Street in Northwest Washington, DC, just one half block from the Takoma Metro.
There will be no cover charge until approximately 8:30pm, so if you’ve never been to Takoma Station, Saturday would be a great time to come try out their drinks and appetizers! Stay through the evening, meet some new friends, come chat with me, pick up a copy of the novel, and then be introduced to a reggae band later in the evening. If you’re not familiar with Takoma Station’s legacy of live music, by all means try them out for the first time this Saturday!
This is the moment of my life that I’ve worked so hard for…all the blood, sweat, and tears shed at Georgetown and American…all the weekends I gave up the past three years just so I could write novels…all of my hard work and what do I have to show for it?
A BOOK!!!!! And I wouldn’t have it any other way. So come celebrate with me!!!!
See you Saturday!!!
Extra special invitation goes to all Coolidge and Georgetown alumni; the Takoma, Riggs Park, and Manor Park communities; Brothers of Alpha Phi Omega; Alphas, AKAs, Deltas, Zetas, SGRhos, and Gamma Sigs; and even the Kappas, Ques, Sigmas, and Iotas.
RSVP: rashid@oldgoldsoul.com
Posted by Rashid on April 25, 2005 at 10:30 PM | Comments (1)
School Dayz: Steppin' from Detention to Distinction
It was that time of year again -- time for the annual step show at Georgetown, sponsored by the Georgetown University Step Team (or GUST, which I am a founder of). This year's theme was School Dayz: Steppin' from Detention to Distinction. The event, as in previous years, was held in Gaston Hall, which seats approximately 700. I would say that the venue was filled to 75 or 80 percent, but I'm not the best judge of such things.
Although GUST tried very hard for the show to begin promptly at 9:00pm, it really didn't start until 9:30. Gaston Hall was in use prior to the show, so the earliest teams could come in for their stage time was 7:00pm.
This was the first year that so many teams adhered to the theme of the show -- it was also the first year that GUST really incorporated the theme into every facet of the show, from the programs (which looked like composition notebooks), to the hosts DeVoia "Principal" Stewart and Jaiza "Hall Monitor" Page, to members of the team who were planted in the audience and sent to "detention" for talking and eating in class. In fact -- I've never seen ANY step show go to such lengths to bring the theme home.
Inside the composition-style programs was our class schedule. First up was Homeroom, "Growth & Development" which was presented by the Self-Esteem Enhancement (See) Youth Step Team. Clearly coached by a Sigma, these young ladies were on point. While many of their steps were familiar to the audience, their enthusiasm and unique DC flavor set them apart from all other step teams. With their SEE shirts and blue jeans, these ladies were an excellent beginning to the show.
Our First Period Math class, Iota 101, was cancelled due to the Iotas not showing up.
Third Period brought us to Science class -- Kappa Kemistry. I must confess that I am am really fond of two of these gentleman, Mark and Fred, who crossed in Spring '02. Out of nowhere, it seems, Kappa Chi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., went from a small (and from an outsider's perspective, struggling) chapter, to a thriving metropolitan chapter encompassing men from Georgetown, George Washington, and American Universities. I am really proud of them, and happy that strong Georgetown men like Fred and Mark have led this chapter to many accolades and accomplishments.
This was a really good performance, full of precision and excitement. While it was known that the Kappas had another engagement the same night and would have to leave immediately after their performance, many audience members expressed their desire to see more. In contrast to their performance in the 2004 GUST show, which I considered excellent, last night's performance was only very very good. Which ain't bad at all.
Next up was English class with the Zetas of Beta Zeta Chapter. Although I am not one hundred percent sure, I believe that their performance was meant to mimic the film School Daze. I was a little disappointed in this performance. From an aesthetic perspective, I felt there was too much "talking" and not enough stepping -- an opinion that was shared with the audience members sitting behind me. From a Greek perspective, I felt as though much of what the Zetas were parodying was only really understood by Greeks -- a tactic that won't really work at a Georgetown step show as much as it would at say a Howard show. I believe that their 2004 performance was better when it comes to style and precision.
Bonus points for incorporating "Da Butt" into the routine, though!
We had recess (intermission) and then came back strong for Physical Education -- The Omega Workout Plan!!!
I was so happy that the Ques made their triumphant return to Georgetown. Even though the Que style is different from most other step teams, I was happy it wasn't all simple hops. They sang, they marched, they did the damn thing. Yes, some of it was sexual, but it wasn't disrespectful to Georgetown or GUST or ladies in general.
And uh ruh..... yeah, let's just say it was gettin' hot in there. I had my favorite, lol. The Omega Men of Baltimore can come back to Georgetown any day.
I'm just sayin'....
Next we had study hall with the AKAs of Omicron Pi Chapter (Georgetown, Trinity, and Catholic). Primarily there were four steppers wearing pink sweaters and pink shoes. In the background were a number of girls wearing brand new crossing t-shirts. Apparently, these were the chapter neos. Toward the end of the show, the neos came out and did a step that was to the tune of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme -- it was an allusion to the crisis of 1913, if you know what I mean. Something like "It was Northwest DC, born and raised/Miner Hall was where we spent most of our days....then a couple of girls who were up to no good/started causing trouble in my sisterhood..." The sorors did really well! This was the first time O Pi performed in this show. One of them is a former member of GUST! I remember when she was a freshman and Shari and I had just crossed Alpha and Zeta, respectively.
The Alphas were next. They were a lot better than last year. A few missteps when it came to precision, but all in all, it was nice to let out an A Phi.
And finally.....the ladies and gentleman of GUST. THEY WERE GREAT!!!!! They are damn near of a professional caliber now. They were the epitome of precision, rhythm, class, humor, and they had the theme DOWN. I can't even explain it adequately -- I wish I had a video clip. It was a long performance with many parts, but not a lot of pauses.
Damn....GUST done got as good, if not better, than some of the best Greek teams I know of.
All in all, I had a good time. Can't wait 'til next year!
Posted by Rashid on April 24, 2005 at 12:21 PM | Comments (1)
Black House Book Club: LAZARUS
Well, I finally have some time to recount the experiences of Thursday, April 21, 2005.
Erin Meadors was the Black House resident in charge of the event. She's also grown to become a good friend of mine. I believe I initially met her when our mutual friend Shaina Jones lived in the house in 02-03.
My Alpha Phi Omega Brothers Rashad and Fitz were there to help me transport the books from the Leavey Center to the White-Gravenor Building. In fact, these Brothers were the epitome of deference -- I didn't have to carry a single thing for the rest of the evening. It was good having some brother to brother time to catch up before the program started.
One of my favorite professors, Adam Rothman (who is the author of Slave Country: American Expansion and the Origins of the Deep South, buy this book now!
It wasn't a large crowd, but it was lively! Everyone participated in the discussion, too. About ten people showed up all together, including a nice Freshman named Indra, Bill McCoy (LGBTQ Liaison for the university), a lot of APO Brothers, and of course my mentor Dennis Williams.
A lot of the conversation focused on my opinions about being black and gay at Georgetown -- I didn't really expect that, but I went with it because it's one of the few topics I'm an expert on. It was interesting (and sad) to see that there are so few gay black men on campus who feel equally part of the black and gay communities. According to the people who attended, there are no visible gay black men on campus who are active in the Black Student Alliance and other organizations.
The Georgetown University Step Team sent their regrets to be read at the event. It was a TOTAL surprise. The letter they wrote was so great....absolutely beautiful....I was very touched. Yes, I shed some tears. I couldn't believe how highly they thought of me!
Finally, they presented me with a token gift -- a Georgetown paperweight! I had no idea I would get anything like that. It's so nice. Sitting on my desk right now.
We retired to the Black House for snacks, and realized that my brothers, the Alphas, had just concluded a probate show. It went on at the same time as the Book Club event -- which they were invited to co-sponsor.
Kinda sucks that your brothers would sorta piss on your event to have their own. But at this point, am I really surprised?
All in all, I enjoyed myself that evening! I am so glad that my very first event was at my own alma mater, surrounded by people who care about me. I'm still on that high!
And here are the pictures!
Posted by Rashid on April 23, 2005 at 11:43 AM | Comments (1)
Dating Diversions Famous Dating Quiz
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Your Top Ten Traits 1. Big-Hearted 2. Liberal 3. Romantic 4. Sensual 5. Practical 6. Adventurous 7. Outgoing 8. Wealthy/Ambitious 9. Stylish 10. Funny | Your Top Ten Match Traits 1. Romantic 2. Practical 3. Big-Hearted 4. Shy 5. Conservative 6. Adventurous 7. Wealthy/Ambitious 8. Traditional 9. Intellectual 10. Funny |
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Posted by Rashid on at 9:51 AM | Comments (0)
Round-Up Extra: Kappas at Bethune-Cookman Suspended for Seven Years
Kappas banned at Bethune-Cookman for seven years
By Kari Cobham, Voice of the Wildcats-BCC
April 15, 2005
The members of the Gamma Theta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. will not be wearing their gear on the Bethune-Cookman College campus any time soon.
Effective March18, Valencia Cooper, vice president for student affairs, suspended the college chapter for seven years in light of escalating conflicts between members in the group since spring 2004.
"I feel that the suspension was unfair and I was hurt," said Antron Mahoney, current president of the Gamma Theta chapter.
"But with a lot of the things that have been going on, I could see why the administration would want to take that action," the graduating senior said.
As a result of the suspension, the fraternity will not be allowed to have a tree or identifying landmark on the college's campus. They will also be prohibited from wearing member paraphernalia, hosting functions or engaging in a new member intake process.
The problems within the group have remained rumor until recently when some members of the chapter appeared on campus less than a week before the March 12 Greek Letter Advisory Council coming out show, bearing signs against other members.
Subsequent to the show, incident reports, a hearing, a suspension and fines brought the administration to the difficult decision to ban the organization.
According to Darnell Walker, a self-professed Nupe, the decision to bear placards publicly was a sign of protest against another group of Kappas and their presence in the brotherhood.
"I don't consider them part of the group," said Walker, 22, who was only recently reinstated in February 2005 as a Kappa after being suspended in April 2004.
Although admittedly now a non-financial member, Walker points to the fact that he and nine other members were not informed of their suspension by Cooper until October 2004 after making inquiries. Yet another example of how deep the division has become, he said.
On the Nupe side of the dissention, Walker believes the other members, who he refers to as "Paper," were threatening the Kappa tradition.
"We want to keep tradition in the organization, because when this happens there's a brotherhood that comes with that," said Walker, a graduating senior.
Mahoney refrained from commenting on Walker's allegations and the circumstances surrounding the suspension out of loyalty to the organization.
"Kappa business is Kappa business," Mahoney said.
However, he did voice his belief that certain members of the fraternity have gone against the rules of the college and Kappa policy.
"It's sad to see that an organization with such talented people won't be able to prosper on this campus," said Mahoney, a Kappa since 2003.
Despite the division, both Walker and Mahoney expressed regret at the state of the Gamma Theta chapter.
"I hate to see Gamma Theta go, but I believe in destroying everything and rebuilding," Walker said.
"Hopefully we can learn from this and other organizations can learn from our mistakes too," Mahoney said.
Vice President for Student Activities Valencia Cooper and Student Government Association President Jared Yancey could not be reached for comment on the decision to take the Kappas off of the yard.
Kari Cobham is a student at Bethune-Cookman College who writes for the Voice of the Wildcats..
Posted by Rashid on April 21, 2005 at 8:30 AM | Comments (1)
Round-Up for April 21
Family of Brothers
African-American Fraternities Foster Community at Georgetown
The red and white striped walking canes might give it away. Or perhaps the “skeeeeeee weeeee” calls to ladies in pink and green might let you know.Whether it’s through the paraphernalia or activity programming, Black Greek Letter Organizations — fraternities specifically tailored to the black community — are alive and thriving at Georgetown.
About a dozen Georgetown students are involved in historically BGLOs for a variety of reasons, even though Georgetown does not officially recognize Greek life on campus.
Mark Jean (NHS ’05) calls his fraternity a place to form “a bond.”
Jean became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi in spring 2002 after he “saw what the Kappas on campus were doing, and what the organization stood for … and that really resonated in my spirit.”
Inspired by the African American male businessmen, preachers, doctors and lawyers in the fraternity, Jean said that he felt that he would be pushed to be the best and would receive encouragement from a group of people who understood him and truly cared.
In this way, people like Jean say that black Greek life has helped them bond as sisters and brothers. Not only do these organizations stand as symbols of black culture, but they often plan events and activities to celebrate this.
The most active of the black fraternities on Georgetown’s campus are the Kappa Alpha Psi with six members, Alpha Kappa Alpha with five members and Delta Sigma Theta with one. In past years membership numbers have fluctuated.
Whereas most college fraternities are stereotyped as characterized by Greek houses, boisterous parties and collegiate camaraderie, members of Georgetown’s BGLOs say that black fraternities and sororities have an added element. They were established — many of them first in the District — as a way to foster lifelong sisterhood and brotherhood among black students as well as providing opportunities to network and to give back to the community.
Stomping to the complex rhythm of step routines, many students in BGLOs spend late hours perfecting this age-old cultural expression of rhythm and dance, for example. But they also roll out of bed early to participate in community service projects for the homeless and others.
Despite the positive aspects of BGLOs, negative stereotypes also accompany the groups.
Jennifer Fisher (COL ’05), a member of the Nu Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, said that many fraternal organizations in general are stereotyped as being entirely social and nothing else.
“Georgetown boasts about diversity and has been called one of the best universities for black students, yet it often fails to support issues that are most important to us,” she said.
Thus Fisher and other students look to BGLOs to build support networks and friendships.
But some administrators are opposed to fraternal organizations altogether.
According to Martha Swanson, Georgetown’s director of student programs, building networks is something that should be open to all in the university, not just those who make it into a fraternity or sorority.
“The university believes in open organizations and inclusiveness,” she said. “Any organization that does not allow anybody to join and has a kind of secret ritual around it doesn’t live out the values of Jesuit education the way Georgetown sees it.”
But while administrators have declined to offer official university recognition to BGLOs, student members insist that there are few organizations that they would rather be involved in.
“One of the biggest benefits is that you have so many opportunities to form lifelong relationships with so many different people, all while knowing that you are doing things to better your community,” Renee Coleman (NHS ’06), who is president of the Omicron Pi Chapter, said. “Service to all mankind is our primary focus, and even though it’s fun to fellowship with other Greeks, serving the community is our passion.”
UCSD students have party for youngsters in city (Alpha Phi Omega)
April 17, 2005
UCSD's Alpha Phi Omega threw a party for neighborhood youngsters at the North Park Recreation Center yesterday, but there was a serious side to the fun and games."We wanted to focus on kids planning for their future," said David Waymane, a University of California San Diego senior manning the information booth. So in addition to the ring toss and the ping-pong ball toss and face painting, there were bottle rockets for aspiring astronauts and some rain forest-oriented arts and crafts, including paper butterflies made from coffee filters.
The bottle rockets had their ups and downs early on, but once the technical details – mainly a mixture of vinegar and baking soda and the speedy placement of an all-important cork – were ironed out, suborbital launches up to 10 feet resumed with a fair degree of reliability.
There was some debate about what exactly happens when you mix the baking soda and vinegar fuels.
"Water for sure," said Kevin Tsai, a junior majoring in management science.
"And carbon dioxide," said Cornelia Burns, a sophomore majoring in chemistry.
The carbon dioxide provided the "oomph" needed to send some of the bottle rockets from a bucket doubling as a launch pad.
No one was a loser yesterday, and every youngster received at least one ticket just for a trying a game that was redeemable for a prize later on. Good scores on those games earned more tickets.
Josephine Quintero, 7, a pupil at North Park Elementary School, was encouraged to collect more tickets for a bigger prize when she decided to cash three tickets.
Josephine collected four more at the Lily Pad Leap, which involved landing a ping-pong ball in any of a dozen bowls floating in a kiddie wading pool, and then went in search of others.
Nearby, Michael Cooksey, 3, was a bit dubious about having his face painted with a spider web.
"He looks like he's going to cry. He's shy," said his mother, Carnel.
Jade Bito-Onon, a UCSD sophomore majoring in cognitive science, brought Eduardo Garcia and Ivan Ramirez, two 10-year-olds from National City's Central Elementary School, to the fair. She tutors the youngsters during school hours.
Parents also had an opportunity to have their youngsters fingerprinted and photographed, courtesy of the local chapter of the Child Rescue Network.
The group has provided identification cards for about 3,000 youngsters in the last three years, said director Jodi Breslow.
Alpha Phi Omega is a coed fraternity with a service orientation, and about half the 150 members were on hand yesterday, along with 10 pledges from the UCLA chapter.
Members had worked at Qualcomm Stadium and Petco Park to raise part of the $2,500 needed to stage yesterday's "Explore the Future" carnival, and grants and contributions made up the rest, Waymane said.
Purdue disbands Kappas, group revokes charter
A fraternity lost its recognition as a University organization after an investigation uncovered several infractions from a party on Feb. 12.Members of Kappa Alpha Psi rented a room at the Delta Sigma Phi house, 341 Northwestern Ave., during which Purdue and West Lafayette police departments and the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office were called to the house.
The investigation uncovered violations including underage drinking, fighting and possession of drugs and weapons.
Pablo Malavenda, associate dean of students for student activities and organizations, said the fraternity has had a history of misconduct that dates back almost 16 years and lost its recognition before in the early 1990s.
Malavenda said the fraternity had been allowed back to the University only because of his authorization.
"They knew what the stipulations were for them to come back and I don’t think they met the expectations I set forth for them when they came back," he said.
"This is one more indication that the organization did not have the leadership to understand right from wrong and didn’t have the leadership to get beyond this."
As a result, Kappa Alpha Psi will remain unrecognized by the University until 2010 and the national organization will revoke the fraternity’s charter and close the chapter.
Purdue also placed Delta Sigma Phi, the fraternity that rented the house to Kappa Alpha Psi, on probation until Sept. 15 for exceeding fire-code capacity standards.
"I’m confident that they’re not going to be renting out their house again in the future," Malavenda said.
Kappa Alpha Psi may submit an appeal request to the Campus Board of Appeals before April 27, which Shy-Quon Ely, chapter adviser and alumnus, said the fraternity will file by Friday.
Ely said that under no circumstances does the fraternity condone drug use.
"The sanctions levied do not fit with what we’re being punished for," he said.
"We are concerned with the allegations that have arisen about the party we threw and that the allegations are exaggerated. We will iron these details out through the appeals process and we feel that the issue will be resolved shortly."
SIUE Sigma Hazing Suit Settled
A lawsuit brought by an SIUE student who said he was paddled so hard during a fraternity hazing that he was hospitalized for three days was dismissed Thursday from Madison County Circuit Court.Advertisement
Click to learn more...The suit was brought by Prentice Motley, of Decatur, against Phi Beta Sigma, the fraternity he was hoping to pledge in April of 2002.
The case was on the trial docket for April 5 but was postponed while attorneys tried to reach a compromise. A member of the fraternity, Malike Perkins, who was 19 at the time, admitted paddling Motley the day before Motley entered the hospital and has been sentenced to a year's probation.
"This was just an out-of-court settlement at a considerably compromised amount," said Robbye Hill Toft, a St. Louis attorney who represented the fraternity. "It was just intended to bring resolution to an unfortunate situation."
She declined to comment further about the case.
According to court records, Motley was one of three people pledging the fraternity when the alleged incident occured. He went to the hospital the next day complaining of fever and severe pain.
Prosecutors said later that reports that the paddling had ruptured Motley's kidney were innacurate.
According to court records, SIUE officials suspended the fraternity pending an investigation. In a written response to Motley's allegations, Toft denied that Phi Beta Sigma had a chapter at SIUE at the time. She denied that Motley's kidney ruptured as a result of the paddling and she claimed that the injuries "were a result of negligent conduct of a third party over whom the fraternity had no control."
The suit alleges that the fraternity was negligent by:
- hazing Motley;
- physically assaulting and battering him during the process of accepting him into the fraternity;
- not properly supervising fraternity members during the pledge process; and
- not properly training its members in the proper methods of pledging.
The suit alleges that Motley suffered severe and permanent injuries, internally, externally, and emotionally.
The suit, filed by Collinsville attorney Steven C. Giacoletto, sought in excess of $50,000.
According to an Incident Investigation Report filed with the suit in June of 2003, Perkins acknowledged that he paddled Motley but said he did not appear to be in any pain during the incident or immediately afterward. Perkins waited until the day after the incident to seek hospitalization.
Frederich Spencer has been sentenced to a year's probation, and Adedamola Oshin has also been sentenced to a year's probation for lying to a Madison County grand jury.
On Feb. 17, 2005, felony hazing charges were dropped against another fraternity member, Deanthony Moore, of Edwardsville. He was allowed to plead guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
Motley, now 24, graduated from SIUE in December with a degree in management information systems.
Accident Takes Lives of UI Alumni (Two are Kappas)
Three University of Illinois graduates were killed early Sunday morning after their car flipped over the median on Interstate 57, slamming into an incoming van.Charisse R. Hartzol, 22, of Hazelcrest, Ill., Ramadan K. El-Amin, 23, of Chicago Heights, Ill., and Michael Edwards, 25, of Chicago were driving north to the Chicagoland area following a Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity party held on campus Saturday to celebrate the new pledge class of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. The driver of the southbound van - Edward T. Gaines, 62, of Monee, Ill. - was also killed, while the two passengers in the van were injured and sent to a nearby hospital. Two people in a third vehicle, which ran into a ditch on the west side of the interstate after trying to evade the accident, were not hurt.
El-Amin graduated from the University last May and had enrolled in the doctoral program at the University of Illinois-Chicago with a fellowship.
Oliver Hatchett, junior in communications, said he knew all three alums and that he was close friends of Edwards and El-Amin, whom he met his freshman year. He said the deaths greatly affected the African-American community, especially the upperclassmen.
"It's a situation that has opened a lot of people's eyes and help them realize how precious life is," Hatchett said.
Arthur Scales, president of the University chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, said his fraternity was especially saddened by the loss of El-Amin and Edwards, who had joined the fraternity together in the fall of 2000. Scales said that he feared the driver or one or more passengers might have fallen asleep behind the wheel, causing a loss of control of the vehicle.
The Black Greek Council at the University is holding a memorial service for the three University victims at 8:30 tonight in room 112 of Gregory Hall.
The Council forwarded an e-mail to its members on Monday that stated, "the tragic death of our three former students has left many of us feeling an extreme amount of grief. Please join the council in remembering the joy these students brought to our lives and help each other make it through these very difficult times."
Hatchett said the death of the three alumni will bring the African-American community together.
"God is in control of every situation," Hatchett said. "He has a purpose for everyone, and we have to look at the positives of this situation. This event will help unify the African-American community.
"At times like this, it is very important to continue to pray. These prayers will get us through this difficult time."
More than 200 students, faculty and alumni gathered on the steps of Foellinger Auditorium on Tuesday night to mourn the passing of three recent University graduates.Three alumni were killed in an automobile accident Sunday morning on Interstate 57. Charisse R. Hartzol, 22, of Hazelcrest, Ill., was driving home from a Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity party when her car crossed the highway median and slammed into an oncoming van. Her passengers, Ramadan K. El-Amin, 23, of Chicago Heights, Ill., and Michael Edwards, 25, of Chicago were also killed.
The van's driver, Edward Gaines, 62, of Monee, Ill., was also killed. His two passengers were listed in critical condition at the time of this report.
Tuesday's candlelight vigil was followed by prayers and song. Those in attendance then proceeded to room 112 in Gregory Hall where mourners passed a table with images of the three alums to pay their final respects. A slide presentation depicting photographs of the recently deceased was shown to the audience as people offered scriptures, poems and songs.
University alum Sherrika Ellison and University student in LAS Arthur Scales preformed "Eyes is on the Sparrow."
Purple ribbons were given to attendees to commemorate the service.
"It's been very hard for upperclassmen; They were very very close to (the three)," said Nameka Bates, assistant director in the office of the dean of students, who was at the vigil. "For those who can't make it to the funeral, this is their chance to grieve."
Mourners were allowed to address the gathering of people and reflect on their memories of those that they lost.
Presentations from members of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and friends of Hartzol shared people's memories of the three.
The classroom quickly filled to capacity, and many mourners were left standing in the halls. The heat and anxiety to get inside the room added to the emotions of the already fragile group. Many began to weep as they passed the table with images of their friends. Many who were unable to participate in the services sobbed as they waited in the hallway.
Posted by Rashid on at 7:58 AM | Comments (0)
Mr. Darden, it's a boy...
Just in time for my event at Georgetown tomorrow night, LAZARUS has arrived hot off the press.
I was getting concerned. I didn't want to have a "Meet the Author" event without having my novel there with me. It was bad enough that I was too sick to attend the event at American back in February -- I HAD to have Lazarus there with me tomorrow.
I talked to Central Plains on Tuesday, and they assured me that they could overnight the books to me, since they were going to be bound that very same day. But still, anything could happen, so I would believe it when I saw it.
Incidentally, my relationship with him seemed to have reached a turning point of some sort. I felt a lot more comfortable lately confiding in him, talking to him like we used to. He was sharing in my frustration, my fears, and my sadness. Somehow, he was anchoring me -- even though for the past few days I felt like everything was spiraling out of control. He wasn't just listening to me, though. He was listening and hearing. He really cares. If I were him, I don't know if I would put up with me!
We talked a lot yesterday, on IM and on the phone, well into the evening. He told me that I would cry when I feld the book for the first time. I was like yeah right, not me. On IM this morning, he seemed to just know that the books would come today, even though I hadn't received a final invoice from Central Plains yet. I hadn't even gotten a phone call from my customer service representative letting me know the books had been sent. So I was assuming that I would get the books tomorrow.
As it turned out, I didn't get a call to substitute teach today, so I was at home catching up on emails, maybe watching a little TV, and chatting on IM. I'd been wound up so tightly that I didn't need to do too much with Lazarus, lest it overwhelm me.
I think it must have been 12:30 or so when I decided to go upstairs and call Central Plains -- again. I had gotten tired of having to chase after them for information on the production of my novel, but I'd get answers no other way. I brought my rep's number upstairs with me and turned the TV on to The Young & The Restless.
I noticed that the mail carrier had already come. Nothing major was on the floor, just a catalogue and a few bills. I wasn't sure whether Central Plains was using the postal service, UPS, FedEx, or what. Another good reason to call and find out.
But I was hungry, so I grabbed some Chex Mix and began eating them straight out of the bag. I looked at the phone and picked it up, with every intention of dialing. But something told me to turn around....
Outside of my house, nearly perfectly framed by the living room window, was a FedEx truck.
This ain't real, I thought. Since everything in my life can be summarized by either The Color Purple or School Daze, as I recounted to my mentor later, seeing that FedEx truck felt like how Celie must have felt when Nettie finally came back. She knew what was in that car, but she didn't quite believe it. After all that time, Nettie was home. And for me, Lazarus was home. Adrian, Savion, Nina, Beta Chi Phi...they were home.
But the FedEx driver was making a liar out of me as I saw him come out of the truck and walk up the path to my front door. He was about ten steps away when I opened the front door.
"Rashid Darden?" he asked.
"Yeah, that's me?" I said.
"Okay great, got a package for you. Just wanted to make sure you were home first before I carried these heavy boxes to the door."
He carried the boxes to the stoop and I slid each one into the house. I signed for them and the driver was off. What a nice man he was....
I saw that the boxes were indeed from Central Plains, and they were too heavy to be anything but books. I found some scissors and carefully -- very carefully -- opened the box.
Staring back at me from inside the box were four perfect books representing the top of a stack of 32 perfect books.
I didn't cry....but I sho' did get right misty, Miss Celie.
I can't really describe how happy I was at that moment. I am kind of glad I was by myself because I was acting a damn fool, running around the house with the book in my hand, wondering who I was going to tell first.
Well...there was no question...
I got back on IM and asked him to call me at home. Once again, he was there for me, this time to share in my joy. He was so happy for me, so proud. I was glad to share in this moment with him. There will never be another moment like this one -- my first book, my baby. Everything was all there...not fingers and toes, but the cover, spine, pages...it was perfect to me. And again, I'm so glad I had someone like him to share that moment with.
Next, I got in contact with my mentor....man. To speak with someone who knows exactly how I feel. He is going to see me tomorrow night, too. I also hear that Dr. Mitchell is going to be there, and I haven't seen her in quite a while, at least since the 2004 graduation, and that was only for a moment. And dang, she has a book or two out as well!
Wow, I'm in some kind of elite club now...this is crazy.
I'm a lot less nervous about tomorrow night. I got a call from Rashad, my APO brother who is helping to promote the event. I don't know how he is able to do so much and know so many people. He's like my little brother who I know is going to be way richer and more successful than me one day, and I'm okay with that. :-)
I picked out my selection that I'm going to read tomorrow night. I will probably pick a few more, but it's kind of tough because I don't want to give away too much of the novel for those who haven't read it.
For the aspiring self-published authors, here is a word of advice: give yourself plenty of wiggle room in your publishing budget. The final invoice is threatening to kick my ass. Of course, having books overnighted didn't help, but it was necessary. No...the big, hidden cost was two-fold: residential delivery and overruns.
Why didn't anyone ever tell me about overruns! lol I actually knew about overruns through my contract and maybe a little bit in the Self-Publishing Manual by Dan Poynter, but it never clicked in my head that hey, if I get overruns, I have to pay for them. I always assumed that I would underrun and save money. C'est la vie, we're going to work it out.
I only have 64 books in my possession so far. This batch will be dedicated to the event at Georgetown tomorrow night. I would love to start sending out novels to those that pre-ordered, but right now I can only accommodate the pre-orders from Georgetown. After I distribute those, and perhaps sell more at the event, I will begin sending out the rest on Friday. Hey, pray that I sell out those 64 though! The rest of the books will be sent as soon as the final invoice is settled, which will be tomorrow or Friday. By freight, the books will take about four days to make it to DC -- just in time for "A Toast to Lazarus" at Takoma Station.
Things are really working out! I have a book, my Georgetown orders will have their books, and everyone else who pre-ordered should have theirs next week.
Now let's all collectively....exhale.
Posted by Rashid on April 20, 2005 at 8:45 PM | Comments (5)
Tuesday Twelve
I Would Die 4 U (glitchmybitchup remix), Prince
Fantasies Come True, Avenue Q Soundtrack
La Dormeuse Méchante, Vanity 6 vs Pleasure Game (manriki)
Don't Stop, Sylvester
It Must Have Been Love, Roxette
Ladki, Rishi Rich
Deep Inside, Mary J. Blige
Mars, Kelis
I Am Man African, Trojan Box Set: Roots (1 of 3)
Dead Wrong, Eminem (Live)
Honestly, Annie Lennox
On Fire, Lloyd Banks
Posted by Rashid on April 19, 2005 at 8:55 AM | Comments (1)
EVERYTHING'S ALRIGHT
When my life feels like it is spiraling out of control (as I've felt the past few days) I try to focus on something, anything that will calm my nerves, whether it is a mantra, a prayer, a song, a quote. I've been known to recite Invictus when feeling low.
But the one song that really makes things feel better is "Everything's Alright." That's the song that Mary Magdelene sings to Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. I prefer the Yvonne Elliman version.
So that's my little secret. It's been a rough 48 hours. I probably should have gone to work today instead of staying home to work on Lazarus stuff -- which I didn't even get all done.
Life is hard right now. A lot of people around me don't fully understand that THIS...all this...is my life. It's my career, my passion, my dream. Yesterday, one of my friends accused me of treating him more like a customer than a friend.
That really fucking broke my heart. Yeah, we talked about it, and it's squashed, but how can you forget something like that?
People want me to vent to them, but I can't. Venting is stressful, and I don't always feel like rehashing every failure of the day to all of my friends. I don't want them to assume EVERYTHING is okay but I also don't want to burden them. I just want to be a friend to them and keep things as normal as they once were.
But that's a crock, because things will never be normal, will they?
I told one of my friends today that I don't feel like many of my friends are intuitive enough. Which, in a nutshell, means that I probably expect too much. On one hand, I don't want to burden people with my problems, but on the other, I want to be asked if I have any problems.
Kinda makes sense, kinda doesn't.
People are in my corner, I know that. But people are people, and I've got to do a better job communicating with people. I am internalizing things I shouldn't be.
It's all so complicated, but so simple.....
MARY MAGDALENE
Try not to get worried, try not to turn on to
Problems that upset you, oh.
Don't you know
Everything's alright, yes, everything's fine.
And we want you to sleep well tonight.
Let the world turn without you tonight.
If we try, we'll get by, so forget all about us tonight
APOSTLES' WIVES
Everything's alright, yes, everything's alright, yes.
MARY MAGDALENE
Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you, and anoint you.
Myrrh for your hot forehead, oh.
Then you'll feel
Everything's alright, yes, everything's fine.
And it's cool, and the ointment's sweet
For the fire in your head and feet.
Close your eyes, close your eyes
And relax, think of nothing tonight.
APOSTLES' WIVES
Everything's alright, yes, everything's alright, yes.
JUDAS
Woman your fine ointment, brand new and expensive
Should have been saved for the poor.
Why has it been wasted? We could have raised maybe
Three hundred silver pieces or more.
People who are hungry, people who are starving
They matter more than your feet and hair!
MARY MAGDALENE
Try not to get worried, try not to turn on to
Problems that upset you, oh.
Don't you know
APOSTLES' WIVES and MARY
Everything's alright, yes, everything's alright, yes.
JESUS
Surely you're not saying we have the resources
To save the poor from their lot?
There will be poor always, pathetically struggling.
Look at the good things you've got.
Think while you still have me!
Move while you still see me!
You'll be lost, and you'll be sorry when I'm gone.
MARY MAGDALENE
Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you and anoint you.
Myrrh for your hot forehead/
Then you'll feel
Everything's alright, yes, everything's fine.
And it's cool and the ointment's sweet
For the fire in your head and feet.
Close your eyes, close your eyes, and relax
Think of nothing tonight.
APOSTLES' WIVES
Everything's alright, yes, everything's alright, yes.
MARY MAGDALENE
Close your eyes, close your eyes, and relax
Posted by Rashid on April 18, 2005 at 8:30 PM
Just in case you miss it everywhere else
Thursday, April 21, 7:30pm
Black House Book Club: Lazarus
Georgetown University (37th & O Streets, NW)
White-Gravenor Hall, Room 311
Join us to discuss the new novel Lazarus alongside
Rashid Darden, a native Washingtonian, former
Black House resident (1999-2000), and alumnus of
the College of Arts & Sciences (2001). A light
reception with the author will follow the event at
the Black House, located at 1410 36th Street.
Contact Erin Meadors at emm24@georgetown.edu for
more event information. See www.oldgoldsoul.com
for more details on Darden and his work. For more
information on the Black House, see
http://blackhouse.georgetown.edu on the web.
Event Cosponsors:
The Black House
Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity, Mu
Alpha Chapter
GU Pride (In conjunction with PRIDE Week 2005)
***
Saturday, April 23, 8:00pm
School Dayz: The Georgetown University Step Team
Charity Step Show
Georgetown University (37th & O Streets, NW)
Gaston Hall
$10.00
Featuring: Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha,
Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Zeta Phi Beta,
Iota Phi Beta, and the Georgetown University Step Team
Special Appearance by Rashid Darden, Author of Lazarus
***
Saturday, April 30, 7:00pm
A Toast to LAZARUS: The Debut Novel of Rashid Darden
Takoma Station Tavern
6914 Fourth Street, NW
Join Old Gold Soul as we celebrate the publication
of LAZARUS at the historic Takoma Station Tavern.
Meet Rashid Darden and pick up your very own copy
of his debut novel. Grab a drink from the bar,
order up some appetizers, and then stay for Takoma
Station's legendary live music!
Posted by Rashid on at 12:17 PM | Comments (0)
Television
Television has been really good lately!
I caught me a Girlfriends marathon on BET yesterday. I finally got caught up to speed on EVERYTHING, especially how William realized he was in love with Joan.
Can I just say Girlfriends be havin' some HOT male guest stars? Oh my damn. Rockmond Dunbar? Come on, now. Can I marry him?
Speaking of my husbands, how about Jesse Martin on Law & Order getting shot this week! I wanted to throw myself in front of that damn bullet to save his fine ass. Law & Order: Trial By Jury was also really good this week, and I was glad to see that Jesse aka Detective Green was recovering.
Sidebar: I know it's been said a lot already, but dammit, I swear Oz and Law & Order are the same damn show.
The Inferno 2 was interesting this past Monday. In another sidebar, so somebody asked me had I seen it and asked me what I thought about it. I got literally three words out, and do you know this nigga cut me off and proceeded to tell me his thoughts? I am like you monkey ass motherfucker, how you gonna ASK ME what I think, then cut me off ON PURPOSE? That shit pissed me off, and needless to say, the conversation was over after that.
I REALLY don't think I'm that high maintenance. For real.
So, The Inferno 2. Karamo doesn't like the water. Karamo doesn't like the cold water. Karamo doesn't like the snakes in the cold water. I am not mad at Karamo. Plus, I think CT and Abram and all the little white boys on that show are some beeeeeyatches.
On the real, they ALL need to get real lives, but something just rubbed me the wrong way with how they handled the Karamo situation. Still, if Karamo couldn't do the mission, he could have conveyed that in a way that would garner more sympathy.
I can't believe that jerk interrupted me. I really don't like that shit.
So the news....Nancy Grace. I don't particularly like Nancy Grace or agree with her most of the time. BUT, I like her. She's like....Blanche Devereaux doing the news or some shit. Just everly dramatic, overly Southern, and delicious! LOL I didn't realize she was in that show Cochran & Grace until she said it 40 times the day Johnnie Cochran died.
I watched this flick called The Truth About Jane over the weekend, where Stockard Channing plays a mom who has this Lebanese daughter...I mean Lesbian. It was pretty good! RuPaul was in it playing a man! I like RuPaul, he's a handsome man. Anyway...it was your average coming out story with the overbearing mom who finally comes to her senses by the end of the story. It was also a great commercial for P-FLAG. Okay, so maybe it wasn't a GREAT movie, but it's something I think middle schoolers could watch. Parents, too.
That's about it!
Posted by Rashid on April 17, 2005 at 10:09 PM | Comments (1)
Rudy
Okay.
I know it's not only me, Jimi, and Shari that notice this.
Why is it that Rudy on The Cosby Show was ALWAYS wearing pink and green?
Was the stylist an AKA?
Did the stylist want to create a connection between Rudy and Phylicia Rashad, who is an AKA (Alpha Chapter) in real life?
And -- because some of you dorks will just DIE if I don't say this -- did all the pink and green drive little Keshia Knight Pulliam to pledge Delta at Spelman?
Was it an act of rebellion?????
Those are my thoughts for the day.
And yes, Bill Cosby is a Que and Joseph C. Phillips is an Alpha.
I think I have everything covered now.
Posted by Rashid on April 16, 2005 at 5:09 PM | Comments (0)
LAZARUS Update for April 16
Hello people!
Here is the latest update on when YOU will receive your copy of LAZARUS.
LAZARUS will be ready THIS week (April 18-22) and will be sent out the following week. I am allowing for time for the books to get to my house from Kansas, where the printer is.
The rest of this entry is just narrative for those of you who are invested in this process.
I spoke to Central Plains Book Manufacturing this week. (In case I never said so before, they are the people who are printing LAZARUS. They are located in Kansas.) To be perfectly honest, I am not one hundred percent pleased with the communication between us. However, I realize that some of my concerns are due to the fact that I am a first-time publisher/novelist, and I am getting used to the fact that some things aren’t in my control.
At any rate, a month ago I told them that I absolutely HAD to have LAZARUS in my hands by the end of the month. Well, the good news is that they said LAZARUS would be ready this week, perhaps as soon as Monday. The bad news is that it will take about four days for LAZARUS to reach me via freight. That means it is highly unlikely that the novel will be ready in time for my Black House event this Thursday.
I am very disappointed by that news because I really wanted the Georgetown Community to be among the first to be able to support this novel. I lived in the Black House myself, and we hosted self-published authors there while I lived there, too! But, I guess everything happens for a reason. We will just have a great discussion about the writing process, those who have read the ebook can share their thoughts, and we’ll make plenty of connections. I’ll also heavily promote my launch party at the event.
In the event that the books come after the Black House event, but before Saturday, I will set up a table and sell books at the Step Show on Saturday night. At least it will still be at Georgetown so that would be pretty meaningful.
In any event, the books WILL be here by April 30, so any of you planning on attending the launch party at Takoma Station won’t be disappointed.
Thank you ALL for your support, whether you bought the novel in December or if you bought it this week! I really appreciate all that you have done to talk up this novel among your friends, to share my website, to just pass along the word. Every mention of LAZARUS or Old Gold Soul is priceless to me.
Keep on visiting the site!
Posted by Rashid on at 9:22 AM | Comments (0)
States I've Traveled To
create your own visited states map
(I've also been to Russia and England, with a layover in Germany. I guess that makes up for not having been to Florida or California!)
Posted by Rashid on April 15, 2005 at 7:11 AM | Comments (1)
!
I wonder if I caught another cold.....allergies can't be like this, can they? I am incredibly congested -- to the point where for a while, I couldn't even breathe out of my left nostril. I'm getting really, really tired easily, too.
Ugh.
I didn't do a damn thing around the house all day.
I don't even feel like saying more right now.
Posted by Rashid on April 14, 2005 at 9:06 PM
April 14 Round-Up
Southern University Greeks Faced with More Vandalism
All nine black Greek letter fraternities and sororities at Southern University have trees or areas decorated with their paraphernalia. During the past two years, five Greek organizations have had their area vandalized and several experienced it more than once. Areas decorated by Alpha Kappa Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta have all been sabotaged."It is happening too frequently," said president of the SU Pan-Hellenic Council Mary K. Sims. "They are not getting caught so they just keep doing it."
On Wednesday, the Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta area behind Augusts C. Blanks Hall was found defaced with green spray paint. Paint was found on their tree, trashcan, all four benches and the cement between their trees.
"You know how you put your heart and hard work into something and somebody just trashes it, it just hurts your heart," said Genael Moore, senior history major from Shreveport and member of Phi Beta Sigma.
Howard Greeks Present Their New Members
Rashid's note: I like how the Hilltop just steals one of my pictures without the proper credit or a link to my site. Where are the ethics? Jerks.
Classes seemed the furthest on students' priority list Friday, as a crowded Yard was the scene for the probates of four Greek organizations' newest members."It was a mad scene out there," said Deirdre Waters, a freshman biology major. "There were people covering every inch of the Yard, people in trees and in windows; it was just live."
One of the biggest spectacles was when the "137 P.R.I.V.Y." strutted onto the Yard dressed in salmon colored dresses, accentuated with white pearl necklaces and earrings, and sunglasses, forming "AKA" on the main circle.
University of Missouri - Columbia: Black & Gold Pageant
The pageant was one of the many events the fraternity sponsored last week. Other events included free bowling in Brady Commons, a forum discussion on black male-female relationships, a powder-puff football tournament and an open mic night. The fraternity also took a trip to Hickman High School to inform high school students about the benefits of a college education."We focused our week around the motto of our fraternity, 'First Of All, Servants Of All, We Shall Transcend All,'" Ayanaw said. "We wanted to uplift the community, while at the same time being innovative with the events that we put on."
UNC: Diverse groups step out in sync
The diverse crowd at the 16th annual Greek Freak Invitational Stepshow and Afterparty on Saturday night proved that it only takes a single mutual interest to fuse an unlikely medley of audience members.The more than 2,500 people who filed through the bleachers of Carmichael Auditorium were interested in seeing some of the best clapping, dancing, stomping — and, occasionally, grinding — that teams hailing from Pennsylvania to Florida had to offer.
“Everyone brought such quality acts and performances,” said T.J. Abrams, president of the Mu Zeta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity Inc., which hosted the event.
Howard AKAs Emphasize STD Awareness, Prevention
In an effort to create awareness surrounding health issues facing college students, the ladies of Alpha Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. hosted "Uncovering the Risks" STD Awareness and Prevention, with Planned Parenthood health educator Courtney Lewis as a guest speaker.The purpose of the program was to encourage students to remain aware of health risks associated with unprotected sex.
"We felt it was important to enlighten the Howard community about safe sex and uncover the risks of STD's," said Alpha Chapter President Lisa Braz.
Howard AKAs: Free Health Screenings
As part of Health Week 2005, "T.R.U.T.H. Is...Unveiling a Healthier You," the ladies of Alpha Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. offered free health screenings yesterday in Blackburn Center from 12p.m. to 3p.m.It included body mass index, cholesterol, alcohol/depression, dental screenings and more.
"It's always important for students on college campuses to get tested for various things," Amie McLain, a senior broadcast journalism major and co-chair of the Health Week 2005, said. "Today, we had students get tested for depression, body mass, dental screenings and alcoholism."
West Memphis AKAs hold 14th annual twenty pearls scholarship pagent
The ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Pi Chi Omega Chapter of West Memphis presented their 14th Annual Twenty Pearls Scholarship Pageant recently at the Holiday Inn Ballroom, West Memphis.Thirteen contestants participated in this year's pageant consisting of area high school senior young ladies, and more than $10,000 were awarded in scholarships. The theme of this year's pageant was "Cultivating Our Precious Pearls in the Spirit of Alpha Kappa Alpha".
Northern Kentucky University Step Show
Hip hop, R&B, funk, stepping, dancing, sketch comedy and Greek calls filled Greaves Concert Hall April 10, during the Northern Kentucky University National Pan-Hallenic Council, Inc.'s third annual Spring Step Off.The trophy for best sorority went to NKU's Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., whose members wore pajamas while performing amongst a set of props including a giant red teddy bear, stuffed animals, toys and a Nintendo.
The women performed a skit where they acted as grade-school-aged "Future Deltas" at a sleepover party and, at one part, used canes as part of their step routine.
Fight Stops Step Show at University of South Carolina
(Sounds like a probate show to me)
The Omega Psi Phi step show and induction ceremony at the University of South Carolina was disrupted Thursday night by a brawl involving about 40 fraternity members.The show, held in the Russell House Ballroom, was split by a shoving match that turned into a fight between members of the Phi Beta Sigma and Omega Psi Phi fraternities.
Northwestern: Color divide goes beyond Greek houses
Last week more than 200 students gathered at The Rock to celebrate and support the new line of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. In attendance were Daily editors, Associated Student Government presidential hopefuls, musicians, engineers and so on. It was quite the sampling of the Northwestern community -- except, of course, for white people. This is just one of many events the black Greek community makes little effort to extend to others, and one the larger community makes little effort to involve itself in.This recent probate show was a celebration of minority Greek life. The black, Latino and, to a lesser extent, the Asian community all shared laughter, song and pride in their communities. If Kappa Kappa Gamma were to hold a similar event, everyone remotely related to the Greek experience would know about it. So why is it that none of the 30 random students I asked had any idea what the probate was?
UNC-Charlotte and Davidson Kappas: Kappa Alpha Psi reflects on weeklong events
Last week, the Zeta Delta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. held this semester's Kappa Week, a series of social and educational events sponsored and facilitated by the chapter members.This year, as in every year, the fraternity used their week as an opportunity to show the campus community that Greek organizations, in general, are not all about parties and step shows, according to chapter president Terrence James.
Events during their week included a cook out at the Moore and Sanford Halls U and a party at Zapata's restaurant, both of which were well attended. They also held an interest meeting for their Miss Kappa Alpha Psi pageant to be held on April 29 at the South Tryon Embassy Suites Hotel in conjunction with their Kappa Ball.
Their other two events were of a slightly more informative nature. "Dating in Today's Society," held March 29 in the Cone Center, was an open forum on relationships, including interracial relationships, the rules of dating, sex and other related issues.
Fraternity member Brian Alston, who was host of the forum, saw it as an opportunity for males and females of the University to come together and talk about problems and questions they may have with the opposite sex.
Prairie View Kapps Host Toga Party; Sports Editor Loves It
After attending last week's toga party hosted by Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity Inc., I realized what this school was missing. I'm not talking about the need for more parties, or women walking around half naked with togas, what we need is a more open-minded and unified student life.I've addressed this topic early in the year on how our school has lost its "mojo." I can't remember any school function since 2002, that was worth attending on campus. I mean, the students promote their own personal parties at the community center better than the campus activity board promotes school related events.
Posted by Rashid on at 7:13 AM | Comments (1)
Itchy and Scratchy
I KNOW I did not wake up with an itchy throat.....
Posted by Rashid on April 13, 2005 at 7:15 AM | Comments (2)
First Graders and "Vegetable Soup"
Throwing in a little bit of everything, Vegetable Soup mixed equal parts culture, cartoons, live-action drama, and life lessons, cooking up a diverse, entertaining dish. Produced by the New York State Department of Education, the show ran simultaneously on both commercial and public television stations, a TV first.
The show’s format consisted of several segments, including the memorable Woody the Spoon cartoon. Bette Midler provided the voice of Woody, who taught kids recipes from around the globe. James Earl Jones voiced another cartoon character on the show, Long John Spoilsport, who taught kids how not to behave in the Adventures in Saniland segments. Long John’s polar opposite was Luther, who gave kids a friendlier role model. Long John also appeared in a segment called 'The Big Job Hunt'. This is a trivia game show that is hosted by Sue and faces two different schools up against each other, to win the ultimate prize, the MAX trophy. MAX is a giant computer that gives the categories for the questions and lets the answering party know if they are right or wrong.
Also on the show were short films, skits, “man on the street” interviews, the show-opening Outerscope spaceship segements, brief biographies of minority professionals, and Real People, a running drama with an ethnically diverse cast.
Vegetable Soup ran every day on PBS and on Saturday mornings on NBC. There was Vegetable Soup I which was the first series and ran for 39 episodes and then two years later, Vegetable Soup II, which premiered in 1977, making a total of 78 episodes. NBC ran both series. It was also available in 15 minute format for school use and school TV broadcast. It may never have gained the success of Sesame Street, but while it lasted, Vegetable Soup showed kids the world was more than white bread, apple pie, and meat and potatoes.
So I'm obsessed with this show. Somebody on ebay sells these tapes and one of these days I am going to get the complete set. But I decided to try them out by getting the first tape, which has four episodes.
Oh my god, the memories just came flooding back. Nigel the boa constrictor and his owner Martin were on the first episode, just like I remembered. So was Woody the Spoon, making guacamole. Damn, it was just great to see black, Latino, and Asian people on children's TV.
So I went in to sub today and popped in the tape for the first graders. They LOVED it -- everything about it. I was kind of amazed because kids today seem to crave the fast paced, post-modern Sesame Street type shows. But sometimes you gotta get back to basics.
I'm definitely going to be finding the rest of these episodes on tape because my kids have to find out what happens to the Outerscope I!!!!
Posted by Rashid on April 11, 2005 at 5:57 PM | Comments (9)
Greek Round Up for April 10
Kentucky Greeks Team Up for Step Program
Amid the sounds of stepping, Delta Zeta, Alpha Delta Pi and Alpha Omicron Pi are just a few sororities the audience will see at 6:30 tonight at Memorial Hall.The Epsilon Chi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha social fraternity is hosting the first annual Stomp-A-Palooza stepping competition for various Greek organizations at UK.
In the past, predominantly white and black fraternities and sororities have had little or no integration.
Stomp-A-Palooza was created to bridge this gap between historically black and white Greek organizations, said Brian Johnson, an Alpha Phi Alpha member and marketing senior.
Indiana State: Dedicated Soles Step to Unified Rhythm
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. is undefeated again.The fraternity won the Statewide Stepdown at the Hulman Center Saturday. It has consecutively won the title of hosting the show for the past four years.
"We are very excited over the win. We felt as if we had a lot to prove this time," said Anttonieo Madison, a senior communications studies major. He also added that each year the show gets bigger and better.
Indiana State: Students compete for Miss Black & Gold title
Cristina White was crowned Miss Black and Gold at Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.'s annual Miss Black & Gold Pageant Friday.White said, "I was excited, enthused and also privileged and honored all at the same time."
This was the second annual pageant held at Indiana State University. Carmen Rouse, last year's winner, thought there was a better turnout this year.
"When comparing last year's show to this year's, I think that all participants worked very hard," Rouse said. "I enjoyed sitting in on the their practice and watching the ladies compete."
University of Central Florida: Miss Black and Gold named
Adorned with Egyptian pyramids and sphinx statues, the Visual Arts Building auditorium was filled with anxious students waiting to see who would be crowned the next Miss Black and Gold.On Tuesday, Brandy Hollinger was crowned Miss Black and Gold 2005, winning a $500 scholarship and the opportunity to compete nationally. The first runner-up was sophomore Michelle Gordon.
The 15th annual Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant was presented by the brothers of the Xi Iota chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
U. Penn: BIG-C Board to stress academics
Representatives from Penn's 12 Bicultural InterGreek Council chapters came together on Monday night to elect their executive board for the upcoming year.College sophomore Malaika Staten was the uncontested candidate for president and was elected unanimously. She will lead Penn's minority fraternities and sororities during the coming year.
"One of the big things I want to do is put a bigger influence on academic excellence ... in the Greek system in general," the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., sister said.
Pitt Kappas Evaluate the Times
Members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and others gathered in Alumni Hall Monday evening to hold their first-ever, C-SPAN-inspired, State of the Black Union.The event was supposed to spotlight several guest speakers, including Vice Provost of Undergraduate Affairs and Dean of Students Jack Daniel, but the speakers were unable to participate because of scheduling conflicts.
Despite Kappa Alpha Psi's advertising, the discussion attracted fewer than 20 attendees. Kappa brother Edward Smith attributed the low turnout to the scheduling conflicts.
"If [the speakers] would have been able to come, I think that would have brought more people out," Smith said.
U. Southern Cal Greeks: Re-living Childhood in Song
After months of preparation, the organizations involved with this year's Songfest performed to a sold out Bovard Auditorium Friday night.Songfest, a fund-raiser for Troy Camp, USC's largest, most-diverse philanthropy, raised a total of $14,376. The committee's goal of $10,000, 10 times the amount of last year's Songfest, was an unbelievable goal that the event was able to surpass.
...
Best singing went to Alpha Delta Phi sorority and Kappa Alpha Psi for their performance titled "Nightmare before College," a take-off of Tim Burton's "The Nightmare before Christmas" and talked about the fears of going to college.
Pitt Greeks visit Funkytown, Las Vegas
Sisters and brothers of Pitt's Greek community spent months planning and practicing for a one-night, song-and-dance extravaganza, the annual Greek Sing.This year's event took place Friday night in Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, with sororities and fraternities paired up randomly to put on 11 different acts that featured colorful costumes and elaborate scenery. The performances showcased karaoke-like singing and intricate choreography, as groups vied for the first place trophy and extra points toward the overall Greek Week competition.
Eastern Washington University: Students dance the night away in Spokane
The bass boomed, the lights were dimmed and shadowy, people decked out in their finest trickled into the Royal Ballroom at Spokane Center Stage for the 2005 Omega Psi Phi & Black Student Union dance. 9:30 p.m. April 2, the first Saturday of the quarter, DJ Dominique Corr whisked around the stage preparing for the dance.He said he would be playing “strictly hip-hop.”
Popping records on and off, Corr shook the whole floor, including pieces from Snoop Dog, OutKast, and Fifty Cent.
BSU and Omega Psi Phi did a terrific job hosting the dance. Along with a DJ, catering and a grand dance floor, they also provided great snacks and beverages.
Ques: Many St. Croix residents take advantage of free health screenings
ST. CROIX - With the cost of medical care climbing at astronomical rates, many island residents jumped at a chance for free health screenings during the weekend at the Reginald Molloy Medical Symposium Health Fair.The symposium for local doctors and nurses ran from Wednesday through the weekend, but Saturday was the best chance for most of the community to get in on the action. With educational booths, screening trailers and the bloodmobile set up in the Luis Hospital parking lot, residents filed through blood pressure and glucose checks and could also sign up for breast and prostate exams.
"It's good to find out what's happening with your health," said Dolores Griffith, as she moved from one station to another. "And all in one place is very nice."
The symposium and health fair was organized by the Eta Iota Iota chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
Pine Bluff, AR Deltas: Delta Gentlemen Challenged to Aspire to Excellence
The Rev. David Smith challenged the 2005 Distinguished Delta Gentlemen to aspire to a new level of excellence and to continue to overcome barriers."You have already overcome barriers," Smith told the 48 young men during the 19th annual Distinguished Gentlemen's Banquet, sponsored by the Pine Bluff Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. Smith is the pastor of Old St. James Baptist Church and the principal of Southwest Middle School at Little Rock.
None of the honorees is a father or an expectant father and each has done well in academics, church attendance, athletics, music -- the many things that set apart those who are being honored tonight, Smith said.
Indiana State Alphas and Sigmas: Black male summit encourages unity
Mark Blade, an ISU alumnus, told an audience of men at a black male summit Tuesday that politics are not just for politicians, but they also carry into the private sector.Robert Willis, state director of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., also spoke and said everyone has a purpose.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. hosted the event.
Blade was the first black Student Government Association president at ISU. His two terms as SGA president jumpstarted his career in politics. After graduating from ISU in 1976, Blade used his leadership experience and political science major to become involved in his community.
Blade said getting involved in the community is essential for a career in politics. Before running for office in 1997, Blade said he worked in his community for more than 20 years.
Sigma Zeta Zeta, the Jersey City chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, honored three area residents at its third annual Finer Womanhood Luncheon, held Saturday at Casino-in-the-Park, Jersey City.The luncheon's theme was "Zetas on a Mission, Honoring People with a Vision." Proceeds will fund scholarships for deserving youth in Hudson County. This year's honorees are: Karen Miles, Tracey Arrington and Robert Rubinsky.
Baltimore: Sigma Gamma Rho Steps Up Sisterhood
Sigma Gamma Rho may be best known for their popular step dance routines at events such as Fall Festival and Culture Fest, but this metropolitan sorority is much more than a dance team."There is more to National Pan Hellenic Council organizations than stepping, which is what Black greeks are known for," said junior Iyamide House, the president of the Gamma Mu chapter on campus. "The sororities of NPHC are different then others because it is truly a life-long commitment that members are expected to stay with long after college, and it focuses more on the black community's development, rather than the college social scene."
The Sigma Gamma Rho sorority dates back as far as 1922, when it was originally formed at Butler University in Indianapolis.
"It is a historically Black sorority, though we have members of various descent," said House.
The Gamma Mu chapter, which includes Hopkins, Goucher, College of Notre Dame, BIC, Sojourner Douglas and Baltimore community colleges, was founded in 1964. Sigma Gamma Rho has had several Hopkins members since then, but lacks any recent new members. They are currently rebuilding at Hopkins and trying to get their name out on campus again.
"Right now our members consist of two presidents of the BSU, an RA, and a Student Council member," said House.
Florida Iotas: Fraternity club fight brings brutality accusations
A brawl erupting outside a downtown club early Sunday morning has left one UF fraternity’s members claiming brutality.An Iota Phi Theta-sponsored party at the club 238 West on University Avenue ended earlier than expected when a fight broke out just after midnight, forcing the club to shut down.
Nobody in the fraternity could verify who started the fight, but some fraternity members claim that security was insufficient to contain the growing brawl. An estimated 700 people were inside the club during the fighting.
Iota Phi Theta secretary Rafeal Dominguez said security used a Taser on him, before a Gainesville Police officer trampled him with a horse.
“I weigh 128 pounds,” Dominguez said. “It was really unnecessary.”
Neither GPD spokesman Keith Kameg nor club owners returned calls seeking comment.
Several Iota Phi Theta brothers originally said members of the UF football team were involved in the brawl, although nobody could verify the claims. No arrests were made.
“When you see guys that are 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, you’re going to call them football players,” fraternity member Gino Lerebours said.
Defensive end Steven Harris said that he and other players attended the party but denied any of them were involved in the brawl.
UF Athletics Director Jeremy Foley denied knowledge of the incident.
Fraternity officials said they will soon speak with UF administrators before deciding what actions, if any, to take.
Posted by Rashid on April 10, 2005 at 10:55 AM | Comments (1)
The Day of A Thousand Probates
Can I just tell you how utterly drained I am?
Four probates in one day is CRAZY and never should be done again. (Unless you are at one of those schools where everyone happens to come out on the same day, which is pretty cool if you ask me.)
I ran into my girl Chetachi while I was there, and she done finally messed around and got her a PhD! Scared of her!
I saw the Sigmas first. They were good! They were very high energy and I liked that a lot. The chants and stepping were all good. The only thing I didn't like very much was that the "look" of the neos was very similar, if not identical to previous years. And you know....I'm really not a fan of the face paint thing. I think it looks kinda sloppy maybe? But all in all, it was a great way to kick off the day of a thousand probates.
The Zetas were next. Their greetings were REALLY good. To be honest, I didn't get to see the straight up stepping part, but everyhing before that was great. Wow, I was out there for so long, you'd think I'd have more to talk about. Oh yeah, I was there with one of my favoritist APO bros from Howard. :-D
THEN came the sorors. Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. So basically, there were a crap load of neos. But they all looked good -- I've got mad repect for them way beyond the Phi Skee thing.
Later (and finally) I met my first Gamma Sigs and my first Gamma Sigma Sigma probate. Theirs was nice too! I think they had the best outfits of the day.
Okay, so maybe I don't feel like writing this long-ass narrative after all, like I thought I would. All in all, I had a GREAT day. There was a negative patch involving the FRAT (of course) but whatever.
I will post the pics as soon as I am done resizing them all. The Day of a Thousand Probates is best told in pictures, anyway.
Posted by Rashid on April 8, 2005 at 10:28 PM | Comments (2)
My Mood
I'm not sure that my mood is better.
I didn't work today because I was a little concerned about the bruising on my ankle and wanted to see a doctor. But of course, my latest doctor wasn't answering her phone. It's possible she could still be in India, but she said she'd be back in a month.
I looked up sprained ankles on the internet and basically, I'm doing everything right except staying off of it. I have to face facts -- I'm not as young as I used to be and I can't just bounce back from injury and illness as I once did. Yeah, I'm only 25, but I've sprained my ankle at least three previous times since I was 15.
My emails are mostly all caught up with. I am drawing back from the number of yahoogroups I get mail from as well as the number of message boards I participate in. It's just too much. Maybe my mood changes as soon as I come home because I'm not being entertained when I cut my computer on.
It's a nice day out today, and I will indeed enjoy the weather, even if it just involves sitting on the wall of my yard.
Posted by Rashid on April 6, 2005 at 12:16 PM
Crazy dream
And I do mean crazy.
So me, my mom, and her fiancee planned a vacation to the Virginia coast and we took Liz along. It was a very cloudy day. For some reason, Liz lived near the coast and we;d be picking her up along the way. I remember lying to her about when we'd be there to make sure we wouldn't be kept waiting by her.
I don't remember the drive, but when we got there, I remember having breakfast with Sandy and then asking her a question about Alpha Gamma Delta conventions. She seemed very knowledgable. Somehow, the little restaurant turned into this third world, Asian town square type thing, and Sandy and I were sitting in a gazebo wathing the street urchins pick-pocket people.
Suddenly, all these people start RUNNING. Like dozens of Asian folks are running through this town square like death itself is following them. So me and Sandy are like oh no....please don't let it be.....we stood up, and of course right there on the horizon we saw this HUGE wave. A tsunami was heading right for us.
So we were like shit, where do we go? What can we hold on to? I don't remember where Sandy went, but I found this two-story hotel with a balcony that had an iron gate. I latched onto the bars and watched the wave roll in. We all got drenched, but we were safe. After the first wave, I noticed that James Earl Jones was there, as was his father, who was on the first floor. We thought we were safe after the first wave, but when we turned around, we saw that behind us was a second, third, and fourth wave, back to back to back, much larger than the others. (We were on an island, so we were surrounded on all sides by waves.) I braced myself as the waters slammed into me.
James Earl Jones remained safe, but his father was washed away. Now somehow the hotel turned into a stationary submarine, James Earl Jones disappeared after mourning his father, and I was joined by Bernadette Stanis (Thelma from Good Times). When the water receded, she and I were being harrassed by this older white guy, so we hijacked the sumarine, which was no more than four feet tall, held two, and was on wheels. We rolled that sucker all around town in the middle of the night. Instead of coastal Virginia or a small Asian nation, it semed like we were in some black ghetto now. Could have been Harlem or could have been Gary, IN, for all I knew. All I remember is the more we rolled that submarine, the smaller it got until it turned into this red scooter toy. We were running for our lives away from this man, who ended up turning into a wolf -- possibly a feral cat. We finally stopped running and cornered the wolf/cat in an old warehouse. I jumped up on these huge tupperware containers and the wolf/cat chased me. Finally, it tried to attack me, but I ended up grabbing it with both my hands and choking it to death.
Me and Bernadette Stanis were safe, even if we were still mourning the lives lost in the Tsunami, including James Earl Jones' father.
Posted by Rashid on at 4:46 AM | Comments (5)
YAY NOW I CAN BLOG AGAIN!!!! aka Unloved
FIRST OF ALL....
I am depressed. I say this not for sympathy, so please folks, no emails being all sympathetic. I say this because it would be really nice if I were insured and could just up and go to counseling whenever I feel like it. The past few nights I've just come home and all but boo-hooed. Ironically, I've had great days at work!
Okay, I lied....I did kinda boo-hoo. There are a few theories relating to my sadness, but who knows what it really is? I feel lonely, certainly. I've been having crazy body image issues. And my damn ankle still hurts. I guess pain does change attitude.
And yeah, putting a book out is stressful. People don't understand that yes the book is late, yes, it's at least partly my fault and I feel major guilt about that, YES, it will be coming out the third week in April, AT LEAST I HOPE, and emails and IMs saying "where's my damn book, gimme my book" although sent with a light hearted intent ARE VERY FUCKING STRESSFUL GOD DAMMIT.
*exhale*
I don't say anything because I know the people sending me these messages are just joshin me.
I lost all my fucking passwords and bookmarks. Netscape, I was your biggest fan until yesterday. That shit sent me over the edge. Okay, not really over the edge, because it's not like I did anything but go to sleep.
I scrolled down my phone numbers and tried to think of someone I could talk to who was likely to be awake at 11:30pm. I knew him would probably be asleep, so I didn't call him. I called a few more folks who didn't answer their phones....yeah....and then I called one of my boys. This nigga couldn't talk because he was playing Texas Hold 'Em.
You know I was heated....I am thinking damn, we BOYS but you wanna play Texas Hold 'Em??? Of course I kept it inside and just deflated a little bit more.
Throughout it all, I was waiting on a call from my boy Luma. I feel so close to him sometimes, really intimate even though we're not romantically involved and don't really want to be.
When he finally did call, it was well after midnight, and I had been asleep for like ten minutes. I felt bad for ignoring his call because the one person who did come through for me....damn, I ignored them.
Depression is a bitch.
I checked his message right before I fell asleep and he said something like "Hey Rashid, I'm just calling you as I promised I would...."
Damn. So I called him mad early this morning and left him a message apologizing for ignoring his call -- yeah, I admitted to ignoring it. No need to lie to the man. I know he'll understand. He's seen me at my best and worst.
I told Diddy I felt unloved. Then he tells me what I expect anyone to say about the matter...something about there being a difference between being loved and being in love. And I'm like yeah, I know. I learned not to argue with him about such things. But at the end of the day, no, I really don't think I feel loved. I feel liked, admired, tolerated, and respected, but I don't know about loved.
Whatever.
I kinda lost my train of thought, so I guess I will pick this up another day.
Posted by Rashid on April 5, 2005 at 8:24 PM
Nothin' major.
Work today was cool. I went in not knowing who I was supposed to be subbing for, but it turned out that I had sixth graders. Woo hoo! And I had the same sixth graders that I had last time I subbed. Some of them are some surly little bitches, but all in all, I had a good day.
Posted by Rashid on April 4, 2005 at 10:09 PM | Comments (1)
Which Sci-Fi/Fantasy Character Are You?
Princess Leia
A strong-willed herald of causes against injustice, you passionately strive to right the wrongs around you.
Somebody has to save our skins!
Leia is a character in the Star Wars universe. See her character entry at the Star Wars Databank for more information.
Posted by Rashid on at 4:37 PM | Comments (1)
Section 84 Conference
WELL, I am back. Okay, so I've been back since this morning, but I slept much of the day away.
Yesterday, I went to the Section 84 Converence of Alpha Phi Omega, hosted by MY home chapter, the Elite Mu Alpha Chapter at Georgetown University. My goals were to support my chapter and promote my novel a little bit.
The Saturday weather was SHITTY. I didn't mind it though, I stayed pretty dry in the beginning. My ankle was still in some pain, but I had it wrapped all day, so it wasn't a huge deal. My limp was noticable though, so it made for some conversation.
I registered and left some postcards at the registration table. Almost immediately, I ran into some former Section and Region staff members. It was cool seeing them, I guess. I didn't exactly leave Section staff on the best of terms, and frankly, I'm glad I'm not on it. I'd much rather help out my own chapter at this phase in my life. (Or advise another chapter, but more on that later.)
The conference shirts were NICE. I forgot I would even get one for registering, and when I saw it I was like WORD??? These are nice! Apparently an APO bro in Texas did them. I need to get his info.
The workshops in the morning were decent, if not limited in scope for alumni. One of my chapter bros, an alumnus himself, really did a great job with the Alumni Involvement workshop. I was proud! You know, I'm a bit of a snob as it is, but it really reminded that the Brothers in my chapter are, in general, GREAT public speakers. I was like damn, for real Mu Alpha? lol We had it going on.
I wish more undergrads had participated in things throughout the day, but, whatever. I wasn't really privy to how people were helping behind the scenes, so I'm not really judging them.
It was DEFINITELY sad that one of the newest rechartering chapters didn't show up until the banquet. I was like damn...three years ago it was like 20 niggas rolling deep to these things when they were striving to become a chapter. Now? Forget about it. Not that I am one to talk, because lord knows my home chapter doesn't generally like conferences and conventions. But it sucks when you see how hard a Petitioning Group works and then the resulting chapter gets complacent.
At any rate....I took a break at midday to grab some sushi and hang out with my girl at the Black House. I was thinking of going to the library to do some preliminary research for my chapter history project, but then I ain't feel like it no more, lol. I went to the service project, which was sandwich making for Martha's Table (I think). I took a lot of pictures.
Earlier in the day, I was making a point about alumni involvement in a workshop, and I had said that when I was a grad student (before I dropped out, lol) I was told that I could affiliate with the chapter at AU if I wanted to, and I saw that the delegates from AU were there. (It came to pass that I never affiliated with Eta Phi because they met on days that weren't convenient for me.) Later, after the service project, I met up with them and we started chatting about my book. One of them was really enthusiastic about it! Turns out, we know some of the same people. We had these really interesting conversations about race and ethnicity and white privilege and white people who pledge black fraternities. It was awesome! I really like those girls. By the end of the evening they were like "Do you want to be our advisor?" and I was like "Yeah right!" and then they were like "Okay, well can we just adopt you?" and I was like sure. :-D
Man, I forgot why I like APO conferences and conventions so much!
We had a business meeting in which the delegates voted on the boundary which would divide section 84 into two new sections, 85 and 86. It's going to be VERY weird remembering to say Section 85 from now on. I think it kind of sucks that the delegates had no real choice in the matter, especially since for the most part, they really didn't want to be split. I think that if given the chance to come up with an adequate compromise, they would have. But whatever, that's fraternity politics at work.
Okay, so this one dude was at the business meeting (and the rest of the conference) and basically, he was a fuckin' hottie. I was like dammmmmmmmn I ain't know _______ University had it like THAT! And he was white, too. Not that it matters. Just an unusual thing for me.
THEN we had a senior/alumni reception that was pretty nice. I met this one chick from GW who was my boy's line mate. We chatted a bit and she seemed really cool. It's nice to see young people who have found their faith, you know? But she totally wasn't trying to push her faith onto me. I liked that.
THEN we had the banquet, awards, and all that jazz. Basically, I am tired of typing now, so I will sum this puppy up: pretty good food, GREAT speech by past National President Jerry Schroeder, nice roll call from McDaniel College (AEL Chapter), reallllllly off beat Mu Alpha Roll Call featuring fork wars and face wars (don't ask), and in general, catching up with bros.
Snap, I forgot there is more....after everything was over (did I mention I had a good time) I PLANNED on catching a cab home, but there really weren't any around, so I went back to the Black House to CALL one, but I couldn't get through! So I hung out with my girl, a soror, and my girl's girl, and I stayed there overnight. God bless the undergrads for lookin out for their wayward older brother, LOL.
Overall, I think I did a pretty good job at promoting the novel without being too overbearing. I mean, it was a fraternity function, not a literary event, so I didn't want to get all up in people's space -- just wanted to announce that I had written a novel.
Yay for APO events....I need to make this more of a habit.
Posted by Rashid on April 3, 2005 at 10:44 PM | Comments (1)
Cuttin' it close in more ways than one
Good morning! It's Saturday and I have a full day ahead of me and only like an hour to get ready for it!
I'm going to an APO conference to support my undergrad chapter, help where I can, and promote Lazarus. I will be bringing a bunch of post cards and a little notebook where people can sign up for more info. I won't actually be soliciting pre-orders unless they REALLY want them. Kids in APO are poor, so they might just want to peep the website, lol. Maybe the alumni there will be interested. The most important thing will be showing my face and getting rid of those post cards.
My ankle unfortunately still hurts like a bitch, but it is not as swollen. I'm not really taking anything for it, which would explain the pain, right? (Hey, DUMB ASS!!!) but I don't like taking pills unless I HAVE to. I try to convince myself that I am strong. Tee hee.
I'll be gone all day -- I have the option to stay overnight, but I really don't want to this time around.
I don't quite know what to wear -- I can be casual up until the banquet if I want, but do I really feel like bringing a bag and change of clothes? So maybe I will just wear a shirt and tie all day....but ILL, that's like WAY too grown up, LOL. Hey....I know! Shirt, tie, APO jacket. Bam. I hope I have some appropriate slacks. HEY! Maybe khakis. I'll take pics.
Let's see....in other news. (Not enough time for a new entry):
The Pope: This has got to be the longest death in history.
Prince Ranier: It sucks that he's dying, too.
RIP Frank Perdue
RIP Johnnie Cochran
Anwar Robinson: Leave that boy alone.
And by the way, I did get an approximate date that the book will come out, but that deserves an entry when I get back.
And remind me to tell the story about how I called Howard with an alias to find out if there were any probate shows scheduled....
Posted by Rashid on April 2, 2005 at 7:11 AM | Comments (1)