Thursday, August 20, 2009

Rock the Blue and White....

I was reading this blog this afternoon and the memories of my experience raced to my fingertips. I guess that meant there's a blog in here somewhere. LOL

I went to a black college to meet my Dwayne Wayne - flip glasses and all. There I said it. LOL

Actually, that's only a smidgen of the story but I laugh because damn it all, if I didn't somehow think of Hampton as Hillman on some occasions. Come on, between School Daze and A Different World, how could you NOT want to attend an HBCU in the early 90's?

Despite no air conditioner in my freshman dorm (that should be illegal in the South, even the projects get central air...LOL), the horrible food in the Cafeteria (Gourmet Services is an oxymoron, right?), having a curfew for the first time in my life (only for the first 6 weeks), I wouldn't change a thing about those 5 or so years I spent there. Well, maybe changing my major earlier and maybe the outcomes of some friendships but overall, attending an HBCU was the best decision I've ever made in my life.

With all of these memories flooding back, I've decided to do a Walk Down Memory Lane Series - the Pirate Edition. I have soooooo many stories from college, and right now I'd rather write about that time in my life as opposed to what's going on now (UPDATE: still employed - the person who is making the decision about my office is having open heart surgery tomorrow. Yes, I'm serious. I couldn't make this up if I tried - well actually I could because it does have a dramatic flair to it but it's true nonetheless.) For those of you who read this blog and were there during those times, hopefully this will be a walk on the yard for you too. And don't worry, I will still change names to protect the innocent and the foolish.

Let the games begin.......

5 comments:

rashad said...

Congrats on still having a job, now let's hear these HU stories.

makeba said...

Is it because its that back to school time of the year. I wrote about the same thing the other day. My Hampton experience. Primarily because I was at Howard taking a look at my husband's daughter's dorm room. Yes she will be a HU girl, not a Hampton girl, but HU (of course we will have the real HU rival talks I am sure). Anyways, being in the midst of the freshman bag of nerves and excitement bought me back to my days at Hampton. It was amazing because as much as I HATED Hampton while I was there, thinking back took me back to some good times. And I so wished I could rewind time and go back. I am so glad I went to an HBCU! When and if I have a child, its a must that they go to a black school. I know I am the exterme of a Belle in Brooklyn. lol

The principles and values black schools were built on are so important to our culture. To support them means supporting the blood, sweat and tears it took to build and sustain them. Rock the Blue and White! I need to go to a homecoming. Haven't been back since graduating, pretty sad. :(

asha said...

the blue and white is always rocking. O phi O VIII! the rumor was that hillman was supposed to be hampton but presdient harvey had a problem with some of the issues that were scheduled to be addressed so they had to change it. i don't know how likely that is. that would've made ADW the first "college hill".

anyway, i too hated HU when i first started. coming from ny with everything accessible all the time, it was a serious adjustment to being in a town where the buses stopped running at 9. but then again, other than the colesium mall, where were you going? yes, i rode the cheese bus to parties and clubs in norfolk, portsmouth, chesapeake and va beach. yes, i gained some of my freshman 15 from only eating rice & gravy because just about everything else from gourmet services was nasty. i wonder, is the "you want mo' rice & gravy, baby" cafe lady still there? yes, i broke curfew and looked the other way when my girls broke curfew and i was the ra/ga. speaking of, i'm really looking forward to reading about your freashman year memories, janelle;)

i did a 6 year bid at hampton (just joking) between undergrad and grad but i am much better for it, especially after attending an all girls, predominantly italian and irish catholic school when i wasn't even catholic. i have sooo many stories to share. let the games begin indeed!

Janelle said...

Rashad: yeth, I will churn them out like Diddy churns out bands. Wait, this is a quality blog. Oh nevah mind. hahahhaha

Keba: a girl that I mentor who went to my High School just started at the other HU also. And I guess talking to her about my experience of leaving the white marble walls of high school to attend an HBCu may also contribute to my nostalgia.

Let's do homecoming this year!! You know you want to!!! It's gonna be fun!!! :)

Asha; Am I the only person I know who LOVED Hampton from the minute I stepped foot on campus?? LOL Okay, I missed my corner bodega but other than that I LOVED IT!!! lol Thankfully, you and Ms. G weren't too strict on curfew because that was an adjustment. Even though, you're right - where was I going after 11 in Hampton, VA?? 7-11?? hahahahahaa I never knew our HS experience was so similiar.

£ said...

LOL we are on the same page. i almost blogged about this topic, but i ain't really have much to say except that for a minute i was on the road to HBCU purely for men. I couldn't care less about academics.

i wanted to go to Howard for Garfield Bright AKA the lead singer from Shai. I figured that if that was what the HBCUs, and by extension - the DC urrea - was putting out, then that is where i needed to be. Nevermind that by the time i got there he woulda been long gone, and that he wouldn't have wanted my supreme corniness anyway. lol. I just wanted that baritone in my ear.

baby i'm yooooooouuuuurrrsss

but yeah, i kind wish i had gone the HBCU route because it sounds like a dope experience.