Love Note to the Folk Who Loved Kyle

The Boston University community lost one of our own recently. Kyle Anthony Trotman (CAS ’11) was a Howard Thurman Center Student Ambassador and an icon for many involved in the band, orientation, and student activities. Among the many who loved him is Dean of Students Kenn Elmore, who wanted to share these words on the life and legacy of our friend Kyle:

Sometimes it snows in April
Sometimes I feel so bad, so bad
Sometimes I wish life was never ending,
And all good things, they say, never last

From Prince’s “Sometimes It Snows in April”

I don’t usually write about alumni who fly away to lands where joys will never end — I do not write personal reflections about each alumna and alumnus who passes away. I do it here because Kyle Trotman was my man.

Kyle Trotman was our quiet muse who could glide into any scene – like a cat – to be there when you needed to make sure “it got done.”

I’m not shedding any tears. Nothing wasted. Kyle lived his potential. Everyday.  He did it by serving us in the traditional ways: Drumline; Orientation; Choir; mentoring; and, Thurman Center stuff. Straight up – Kyle was from around the way; a homeboy; and – most important – a friend. To make it plain, he was good peoples. He was always there to share a kind word or piece of advice. Present to lift your spirit or anything else. And, with love, he’d give you that kick in the seat of your pants, if you needed it. He knew when you needed a hug and a kiss, too. Kyle’s handshake and embrace were always wholehearted and full of substance.

Kyle always had our backs. He was my hero because he understood that life had meaning in struggles – he knew how to celebrate the struggles.  I had many a deep laugh and deep conversation with Kyle – he was like that.

He could rock a bow tie.

Kyle Trotman is the epitome of Steven Ivory’s cool: charismatic dignity; virtuous patience; intelligence; and, control.

Selfishly, I will cry for Kyle because I miss him and want to see him again.  I look forward to visits from our quiet muse.

All of my love to Kyle. Peace and happiness to his mother and the Trotman family.  Much strength to Kyle’s friends – and those who had wonderful encounters with him – as you go forward.

Time for a “Good Talk”

“Good talk!”

It’s what you say and feel after a conversation that truly enlightens, stimulates, and inspires you.

The Howard Thurman Center is giving you a chance to have a “good talk” unlike any other. We’re connecting BU students with an amazing opportunity: intimate chats with big names in diverse fields.

MTV’s Georgia Arnold and the Enough Project’s John Prendergast have already signed on for Good Talks. We’ll be adding more names to that list in the weeks to come.

Who would you like to chat with? Let us know! Have a connection to a big name? Hook us up!

Good Talk will launch in Fall 2011. Click here or follow us for updates.

Episode 6 – Blame it on the Alcohol

Episode 6

Description: Manager of Health Programs at Student Health Services Liz Douglas guest stars on The Common Thread to discuss college alcohol culture, how to be safe while drinking and what their most outrageous drinking stories are.

Special Guest: Liz Douglas

Episode 5 – The Color of Hate

Episode 5

Sociology Professor Dr. Ruha Benjamin joins The Common Thread to discuss how racism is perceived in America, the Trayvon Martin case, and the controversy over African-American actors in The Hunger Games.

Special Guest: Dr. Ruha Benjamin

For more information:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/03/trayvon-martin-case-timeline-of-events/

http://jezebel.com/5896408/racist-hunger-games-fans-dont-care-how-much-money-the-movie-made/

Episode 4 – How Invisible are the Children?

Episode 4

Summary: Amanda, Tarif and Greg explore the recent controversy surrounding the Invisible Children organization, the political situation in Uganda, and how the internet is changing social activism.

Episode 3 – Moving On

Episode 3

Description: The Common Thread sits down with the Howard Thurman Center Assistant Director Raul Fernandez to discuss his move to the Student Activities Office, what his goal for the Center was and who the sexiest person in the HTC is.

Episode 2 – Gender? I Hardly Know Her!

Episode 2

Summary: The Common Thread discusses sexuality and gender with The Vagina Monologues Producer Trish Garrity and LGBTQ activist Ileana Tauscher. Listen in to hear these college students talk about female sexuality, the sexuality spectrum, gender roles and biases as they prepare for Boston University’s annual Vagina Monologues show this weekend!

Episode 1 – Campus Hookup Culture

Episode 1

Summary: The Common Thread tackles college hookup culture, whether students really want relationships, and the four G’s of men at BU.

HTC… Instagrammed

Want to know what’s happening at the HTC? We’ll be posting daily photos on the sidebar, like this one of our newest office assistant Christina. If you have Instagram, you can find & follow us at BUHTC.

The Real-Life “Avatar” Story: Documenting the Chamorro People

Chamorro girl examining a native hermit crab species

The Council for Global Citizenship has teamed up with faculty at Boston University and students from the University of Guam to produce a photo-essay book and supplementary videos that introduce the Chamorro, one of the world’s oldest and most unique cultures, before a massive U.S. military buildup takes place in the Chamorro homeland of Guam. As the US transfers over 60,000 military personnel over the next four years, CGC will use modern technology and innovative business methods to document what remains of the Chamorro culture.

The book will combine simple, concise text and over 200 professional photographs to introduce one topic for each letter of the Chamorro alphabet. The book will explore cultural topics such as the Chamorro’s unique insights into the medicinal properties of indigenous plants and their reverence for the Nunu tree, where the spirits of their ancestors are said to reside and which bears resemblance to the “spirit tree” in the film Avatar.

The book will be marketed to tourists on Guam and school libraries across the US.  Retail sales revenues will then be used to put copies of the book in public schools and libraries throughout Guam.  All profit raised from this project will be invested back into the Chamorro community.

This project will raise national awareness of the Chamorro people, and provide future generations of Chamorro children a visual document of their precious culture.

Interested in learning more? Click here for a full project description or check out our article in the Daily Free Press.

Have you been shocked yet?

CULTURE SHOCK, the official blog of the Howard Thurman Center, recently celebrated its second bday! Edited and written by a team of undergrads, we’ve produced more than 1,000 posts that have been viewed by more than 110,000 visitors, including people in 189 countries and all 50 states.

Our writers represent all four class years and a wide range of experience and ideology. Check out the shock and let us know what you think. If you like what you see, please tell a friend!

Ideas? Questions? Email Student Ambassador Carly Fleming at bucultureshock@gmail.com.