Dr. Dana Williams

October 7th 2010
The topic of the objective of this evening was: to identify the principle components of research, to relate these components to group project. Tonight Dr. Williams did not lecture us, instead she went over the 6 Basic Components of Research. Having these simple components and applying them towards our project will definitely keep our  group on the correct page.
1) Statement of the Problem
     Includes considering the purpose, advancing knowledge and solving the problem. In this first Component we must have the "reason" for our research. Once there is a reason then you have to decide if the reason is specific enough to even do any further research.
2)Current State of Research
     In this stage Dr. Williams says that we should state what research has already been told on our topic, and also what will be revealing ? Will it be something that no one has ever heard of? One main of the main things I took from the second component was that "research tells us something about a subject"
3)Methodology
4)Framework
    How will the group present the subject?
5)Development of Thesis
     This component contains the convincing details of the group topic
6)Conclusions
    What new insights have we explored?
All together these components are the guidelines that we will NEED for our final project.

Ashley Turner

Omoluabi: Self Actualization & Communal Responsibility

 On Thursday night Dr. Segun Gbadegesin told us the story of Iwa (Ee-Wa). Iwa stands for existence and character. It also means the nature of being who we are.That evening we were told that character is the most important thing that we as people can have.
  Dr.Segun says that before we had our great philosophers of today there was The Goddess Ma'at who had the Principles of Ma'at which taught lessons of order, balance, harmony and justice. Following was the Book of Instructions, which included the humanistic maxims for the living. "A man of charcter is a man of wealth"- Dr.Segun. The Coffin Texts were writtin for the tombs of the nobles, from 2200-1800 BCE. They contain themes of rewards and punishment.
   We also learned about the ties that bind together Ancient Egypt and the African world.There would be the physical, spritual, and philosophical which is broken down into two parts: mental, and ethical. When cultures began to migrate it would start from the inner lands towards the coast.
   After the speech on character we were informed that wisdom means the application of knowledge, and that the process of improvement is the process of education. The final thought Dr.Segun left for us was to avoid miseducation! In todays generation we need to learn to focus more so that we can obsorb allof the edcucation as possible to better ourselves.

Ashley Turner

Practicesof Freedom & Justice

  The week of September the 23rd Dr.Cain Felder spoke about freedom. To start off he explains how in America people may talk about freedom, and all the time but that it would usually be the majority race. Freedom is a matter of an unfeathered ability to exercise choice. Everyday we have the chance to exercise this freedom of ours (either good or bad). Both sides of freedom have consequences.
  Dr. Felder then began to speak on the garden of Eden, which is located in Africa. Even though everything started in Africa he made sure to tell us not to have any negative thoughts towards Greece and Rome. He connects the first book in the bible, Genesis chapters one through 11 to crime and punishment.
  History never began at slavery, which is what the average high school teacher will not tell you. This generation has been getting lied to from the people that are suppose to be teaching us. History is always written from someones perspective. "We are people of the day before yesterday" - Dr. Felder
  Human beings have a need to gain POWER, most of the time, when we do have power we abuse it. Instead of using it and distributed help among others we continue to be selfish, and this always backfires on us, which is how we lose the power that we once had. Also justice played a major role in Dr. Felders lesson. He spoke of how justice is just establishing the right relationship, basically when it is "well balanced".
  In the ending of his speech he mentioned two amazing freedom and justice leaders. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery and had a stroing sense of destiny and courage. Dr. Felder also mentioned Nkruma Kwame, he was the prime minister of Guana. He knew his destiny included great things. Kwame was brought up in a Catholic school and developed the sense that GOD definitely had major plans with his life.

Ashley Turner

The Eloquence of the Scribes: Continuing the Legacy of Howard Univ

              September 16th we had Dr. Eleanor Traylor come and speak to us about a variety of topics. One of the first topics she began to explore on was “Diversity in Higher Education”, she also went on to inform us that knowledge is only one thing, but how we use it is a total different thing.  Dr. Traylor says that we all have a special type of power within ourselves; she tells this new generation that we need to learn to listen with our telepathic ears.  Between her topics, Dr. Traylor names a few people who have maintained to receive their higher level of education, and who have set the atmosphere for others to do the same thing. Ronald Walters, one of the few she named, was an American scholar and was also known worldwide for his knowledge of African American politics and most definitely through his leadership and his writing. Dr. Traylor goes in to tell us that Ronald Walters wrote a book in which he predicts the challenges of a black president.
                Even though I did not follow everything that Dr. Traylor was saying, I did pick up on some of her main key points.

Ashley Turner

Abandonment,Dismemberment,& Reawakening: The History and Legacy of Howard

           On September the 9th Dr. Georgia Dunston informed our class that we are the "phenomenal generation". She also that we are a problem solving generation. Dr. Dunston was extremely passionate and so full of wisdom that there was no way you could leave the seminar without a new thought process on the human genome. . Further into her speech she said that the "Age of Human the Human Genome Knowledge" contains information needed to make, and operate the body itself. basically saying that the genome is the most sophisticated system flowing through our bodies.

         Dismemberment came from the dislocation from our African roots. (which Dr. Carr spoke about last week) This separation caused a temporary abandonment of the focus on wisdom. The ultimate goal that this "phenomenal generation" needs to really learn, is to obtain wisdom. Having knowledge is power, but WISDOM is supreme! One of the quotes Dr.Dunston gave us came from Einstein:

                        "You cannot solve a problem at the same level of thinking"

         From this we were informed that thinking is only biological, and that our warfare is not with the people we see, but it is with our minds. So our thought process is a major obstacle that holds us back from the progress that we need. So we should not blame anyone but ourselves, because we have not yet fully tapped into our own thought process. Once we can finally conquer this goal well be able to fulfill and accomplish being the "phenomenal generation". Dr.Dunston also gave us the major challlenges of our time which include:

• medical opportunities
• commercial promise
• ethical danger ( meaning that we must get involved)
• social challenges

        Overrall I was fulled to the top with Dr.Dunston's lesson, even if she did not use her presentation. She proved that she didn't need it to use it, and I am glad she didnt. I rather have the "raw" wisdom, versus planned wisdom. You tend to obsorb more, well I thinkg so anyway. I hope next weeks seminar will be as powerful as this weeks!

Ashley Turner