November 30
World AIDS Day
BU has put together a collaborative effort to recognize World AIDS Day. Please view the schedule below, or visit the Community Service Center’s website for more information.
Read the rest of this page »
Archive for November, 2011
November 24
Thankful
The good Reverend Dr. Robert Allan Hill makes it plain, “Howard Thurman was a hundred years head of his time fifty years ago.” Dr. Thurman’s poem is just right:
Today, I make my Sacrament of Thanksgiving.
I begin with the simple things of my days:
Fresh air to breathe,
Cool water to drink,
The taste of food,
The protection of houses and clothes,
The comforts of home.
For all these I make an act of Thanksgiving this day!
I bring to mind all the warmth of humankind that I have known:
My mother’s arms,
The strength of my father
The playmates of my childhood,
The wonderful stories brought to me from the lives
Of many who talked of days gone by when fairies
And giants and all kinds of magic held sway;
The tears I have shed, the tears I have seen;
The excitement of laughter and the twinkle in the
Eye with its reminder that life is good.
For all these I make an act of Thanksgiving this day
I finger one by one the messages of hope that awaited me at the crossroads:
The smile of approval from those who held in their hands the reins of my security;
The tightening of the grip in a simple handshake when I
Feared the step before me in darkness;
The whisper in my heart when the temptation was fiercest
And the claims of appetite were not to be denied;
The crucial word said, the simple sentence from an open
Page when my decision hung in the balance.
For all these I make an act of Thanksgiving this day.
I pass before me the main springs of my heritage:
The fruits of labors of countless generations who lived before me,
Without whom my own life would have no meaning;
The seers who saw visions and dreamed dreams;
The prophets who sensed a truth greater than the mind could grasp
And whose words would only find fulfillment
In the years which they would never see;
The workers whose sweat has watered the trees,
The leaves of which are for the healing of the nations;
The pilgrims who set their sails for lands beyond all horizons,
Whose courage made paths into new worlds and far off places;
The saviors whose blood was shed with a recklessness that only a dream
Could inspire and God could command.
For all this I make an act of Thanksgiving this day.
I linger over the meaning of my own life and the commitment
To which I give the loyalty of my heart and mind:
The little purposes in which I have shared my loves,
My desires, my gifts;
The restlessness which bottoms all I do with its stark insistence
That I have never done my best, I have never dared
To reach for the highest;
The big hope that never quite deserts me, that I and my kind
Will study war no more, that love and tenderness and all the
inner graces of Almighty affection will cover the life of the
children of God as the waters cover the sea.
All these and more than mind can think and heart can feel,
I make as my sacrament of Thanksgiving to Thee,
Our Father, in humbleness of mind and simplicity of heart.
And, of course, a simple playlist for your travel and prep-up groove:
- Together Again – Janet Jackson
- A Night Like This – Caro Emerald
- The Traffic Jam – Stephen Marley featuring Damien Marley
- Shut Up And Let Me Go – The Ting Tings
- Adir Adirim (Nickodemus Remix) – Balkan Beat Box featuring Victoria Hanna
- Brighter Than the Sun – Colbie Caillat
- Tell Me What I Did Wrong – James Brown & The Fabulous Flames
- Wash U Clean – Beth Thornley
- Sweet Thing – Rufus geaturing Chaka Khan
- 100 Days, 100 Nights – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
- Flashback – Fat Freddy’s Drop
- Whoever You Are – Geggy Tah
- Good Feeling – Flo Rida
Peace.
November 18
Let Confidence Have the Hour
Heavy D (Photo from beembee.com)
I often suggest that “networking” is an important skill. When it comes to connecting and winning others over, Heavy D was one of our honored teachers. He accepted his self.
This week in Money-earning’ Mount Vernon, Heavy D will lay down. Dwight Myers was a man I admired. Smooth deep voice, Jamaican groove. Agile. A big man. I adored him because people loved him. He was confident.
Let’s be real – he was a public big man in a world where we prize the svelt. It did not seem to phase him. He was agile – the man could move on a stage. He accepted his weight and wasn’t afraid to dance in public. Articulate. Stylish. Cool. I wanted to hang out with Heavy D – so did everyone else I knew. He was an actor and an entrepreneur – he was interesting. Whenever I saw him or heard him, he seemed to flirt. His sound and his smile lifted me.
A networking observer’s dream: do your thing in public; be ready to listen and add to a conversation; walk in to a spot like you won it; be interesting; have an introduction – with your body and words – that captures others; and, be confident in who you are.
Peace out Mr. Myers with the Big-Confident-Old Jams to Pump Your Kicks Before You Go Out to Network Playlist:
- The Overweight Lover’s in the House – Heavy D & The Boyz
- I’m Bad – LL Cool J
- La Schmoove – FU-Schnickens
- Sucker M.C.’S – Run-DMC
- Night of the Living Baseheads – Public Enemy
- Doowutchyalike – Digital Underground
- The Choice Is Yours – Black Sheep
- Hot Sex – A Tribe Called Quest
- Plug Tunin’ – De La Soul
- Flava In Ya Ear – Craig Mack, Rampage & The Notorious B.I.G.
- Still Not a Player – Big Punisher featuring Joe
- Now That We Found Love – Heavy D & The Boyz & Aaron Hall
- Going Back to Cali – LL Cool J
- Welcome To The Terrordome – Public Enemy
- Can You Rock It Like This – Run-DMC
- Set Adrift On Memory Bliss – P.M. Dawn
- Move the Crowd – Eric B. & Rakim
- Me, Myself, and I – De La Soul
- Check The Rhyme – A Tribe Called Quest
- Children’s Story – Slick Rick
- Moment Of Clarity – Nick James
- Baby Don’t Cry (Keep Ya Head Up 2) – 2Pac & Outlawz
- Just a Friend – Biz Markie
- Vivrant Thing – A Tribe Called Quest
November 17
Sexual Misconduct and the Judicial Process
An addition has just been posted to the University Lifebook regarding sexual misconduct and how it will be handled by the administration. Please read the policy here.
November 14
Coffee & Conversation: “Education Under Fire” Again
Despite seeing some of the best and the worse, I’m a believer: education – both formal and the schooling on the outside of a building – saved my life.
Education also made my life.
Much of the chatter about education centers on the economic angle. What happened to the civic, social, and moral aspects of education? Not important? Can we truly be hopeful without making education an entitlement – including education beyond the traditional American compulsory years?
And what of the folks dying for an education?
Rainn Wilson BIHE Video Appeal from Education Under Fire on Vimeo.
Do we take education and its impacts for granted? Is our collective identity tied to education? Why is it all so crummy? Should education, at all levels, be a right? It’s already globally recognized, but should America guarantee education? How much and how little? Can you be a human being without an advanced education?
This Friday, during Coffee and Conversation, let’s talk about the expectations of education. We’ll start by checking out the 30-minute documentary Education Under Fire. You take it from there – I’ll bring the cookies and coffee; you bring the convo. See you – 3-5 p.m. – at the Howard Thurman Center.
Peace.
November 14
Nice Flash of the Spirit!
With the greatest of ease? Justin Chen (CAS’14) is flying through the air on Marsh Plaza practicing parkour, a method of moving, developed in France, by vaulting, rolling, running, climbing, and jumping. Photo by Cydney Scott
Congrats! Last week was a sweet flare-up of spirit. Lots of students throwing down and plenty of us out to watch, listen, support, celebrate, and participate in the efforts – the dramas, get-togethers, performances, activism, fundraisers, and games.
We were being us.
Sometimes we forget to show up; to laugh together; to hold each other with joy; to jump and dance with each other; and, to recognize each other. Last weekend, you remembered.
I like your style. Thanks for a spirited weekend of activities and good participation. Way to represent!
Peace.
November 11
Coffee & Conversation: Special Sports Edition
From: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/CanadaAM/20111110/penn-state-rally-grows-violent-111110/
When did this happen? In addition to the athletes, we’ve all been enslaved. A football coach runs and takes down an institution? People take to the streets to protest the firing of a football coach. Justice? And, why is it the lead on the national news?
Corrupt stuff, for sure, but I can’t help myself. I’m a fan. I love the drama and the chance to see it live. Sport has mattered in my life. It’s a way to connect. It gives me the chance to see people at their best. My excuse to scream. It’s fun. It’s Neanderthal-ish, and, it’s corrupt.
It’s terrible because we let it get that way. We’ve stood enchanted on the corner watching monuments to nothingness and shadiness grow and run our lives. Enough?
Let’s talk about sports. Given recent events, is it time to call a time out? Since we’re all chatting about it, is it time to finally redirect the way we put our resources into games and sports – at all levels? Should any college football be played this weekend? Where is the NCAA?
Time for an overhaul or – at minimum – a few fresh ideas. I’m calling a special Coffee and Conversation this afternoon. This week, the location changes to 973 Commonwealth Avenue (not the Howard Thurman Center). I’ll put out some food and snacks; you bring your best game (or conversation). This week, we’ll chat from 3-4:30 p.m. – then we’re all rolling over to the games (I’ll have tickets at the convo). Hope to see you.
Peace.
#buconvo
November 10
Veterans Day Commemoration
The Boston University community honors the service of our members of the military through the following events:
Read the rest of this page »
November 9
Remember The True Center
With all due respect to the FitRec, my colleagues in the GSU, and the soon to be completed Student Services Center, the real student center and student union is at the plaza in front of Marsh.
The simple summary is that Marsh Plaza is a paved open pedestrian space at the center of the campus – a plain summary that neglects the place. It deserves a better description. It’s one of those ways that justice might show itself – the place to parade, show off, propose, chit-chat, sing, argue, play, protest, cut through, create, listen, style and freestyle, celebrate, cry, snap a picture, hug, check-in, meet up, and, gather.
I can’t disrupt the flow. I have to respect the space.
It’s our – the people and the community – place. Sometimes the flow is official and organized; often it’s not and we get to figure it out. Regardless of what flows in the space, I take care not to disrupt it. Disruption might be the height of disrespect for the community and the sense of place.
It’s the front of our house.
Our porch.
Our common.
Our piece of common ground.
Peace.
November 7
Give US a Break?
Lots of questions that the interviewers rarely ask.
Can you have this discussion without finding ways to cut the actual cost of producing a high quality liberal arts education? The marketplace – education is a market? Can we agree on measures of quality in the higher education marketplace (other than what is popular)? Should cost and the earning potential of a concentration or major be a legit consideration for education? The public and private things makes it all too complicated.
Is college the new state-subsidized bubble?
Should we all suffer? Should we all get a turn? Time for us all to just pay for the education of America’s citizens? Can we afford to continue to let education be a market?
We need real discussion.
Peace.
