Peer Presentation: Poor African-Americans

Another group presentation that stood out to me was DC5’s. This group presented on the reasons behind and effects of poverty amongst African-Americans. They provided a number of interesting statistics including the fact that while African-Americans make up 12.5 percent of America’s population, they make up 15.5 percent of America’s poor population. This statistic was very interesting, because it so clearly demonstrated the difference between what the numbers are and what they should be. They also relayed the fact that 11 percent of African-Americans from the ages of 16-24 drop out of high school, and that 72 percent of African-Americans are born out of wedlock. While I doubt the latter statistic, these numbers are nevertheless discouraging. They described the education was key, but with the dropout rate combined with the fact that school districts with lower standardized test scores, receive less funding, it creates a vicious cycle. Typically the school districts with lower test scores are the poorer ones, and are prevalent in African-American communities. Therefore, the public schools that have lower funding can never have it increased, and the quality of education remains low. They also touched on the affect of the media, and claimed there weren’t enough positive African American role models present.

All in all this was a pretty good presentation. The statistics presented were eye opening, and their presentation put an emphasis on the fact that poverty amongst the African-American community is cyclical. Now it is up to us to break that vicious cycle, but the question is how?

Peer Presentation: Failure of The Family

One particular peer presentation that stood out to me was a PowerPoint on the Failure of the Family in the African-American community. This group discussed what constitutes a normal nuclear family and the disparities present when contrasted with a split family. They found that children in a split family are typically more aggressive than when contrasted to a family that stays together. They also pointed out that the divorce rate has gone down since the 1980’s, but so has the number of people getting married. They discussed that the number of grandparents raising children is also going up, and that the media plays a role in showing that a split family is acceptable. They backed this point up by saying that 99 percent of homes have at least one television in America. They detailed the effects of foster care and the role of child protection services, touching on the controversy of the cps’ ability to judge whether a family is fit to raise a child. They also claimed that typically a child taken away from their family generally tends to have low self esteem

This is a very poignant issue in the African-American community, because it seems so common. This presentation particularly stood out to me because I live in a home with a single mom, and was initially raised by her, and my grandparents. I feel as though family is very important, however, I do not feel as though it is necessarily failure if the family is not a stereotypically nuclear one. In my case my family has not failed at all, and has made me who I am today.

Self Reflection

I can honestly say Freshmen Seminar has been a new experience for. Coming into the class I thought it would relate more to helping me assimilate to the level of work that I would be doing. The class has taught me how to research properly and allowed me to meet many of my classmates. One thing I am confused about though is how the new system relates to us as new freshmen that need to know more about the history of Howard University. I will admit that sitting in the lectures was difficult. To listen to a straight forty-five minutes of talking and being able to take in the information and effectively take notes is a skill that I am not ashamed to say I have not fully mastered. This course however has set me on the road in order to obtain that skill. I have learned valuable lessons such as time management and the importance of teamwork while working on group projects. I especially enjoyed working with Dr. Williams. Some of the things she covered in her lesson I have applied in my other classes and it has proved to help immensely. Our very first lecture from Dr. Carr opened my eyes to just how blessed we truly are at this university. We are surrounded by some of the greatest minds in the nation as our teachers. There is no doubt in my mind that by being taught by some of the best, we will in turn achieve greatness. One thing I wish would be changed about the class however is that it would be more relevant to what we need as freshmen, not just a fascinating class where we learn pockets of information.

Suicide in African Americans

One of the group projects the stuck out to me was the presentation about suicide in African Americans. For years it has been a common misconception that African Americans do not commit suicide due to their pride. Recent studies however have shown that this belief is untrue. Over the last couple decades there have been higher and higher instances in which adolescents between the ages of thirteen and twenty are feeling the pressures of life. One of the main pressures happens in high school and college aged teens in the form of bullying. In some cases bullying has become so severe that these teens see no other way out of their situation then death. This is really interesting to me because the concept of suicide has been so controversial within my own mind let alone the public opinion. I thought it was brave of this group to take on this subject and apply to us as African Americans. The way they presented was spectacular in my opinion and they made it very clear what their research method was and their question. I’m not exactly sure how it applied to the class but it was still a great presentation.

Staff Interview

for our interview we interviewed Professor Jerome Kravitz, here are our following questions...

Q: How does sleep deprivation affect students academically?

A: Depends on the amount. Large amounts negatively effect health/resistance to sickness and being sick can mess up all of your courses. Sleep is also a part of learning, without it we can not form memories and there for take in what we learned.

Q: Do cat naps through out the day help students stay focused?

A: Yes they do.

Q: Are there things you can do to replace sleep?

A: No, there is no way to replace sleep

Q: What is the best type of sleep?

A: All parts of the sleep cycle are important, it is best to get at least 8 hours of sleep