Happy cinco de mayo. It snowed a few days ago. The last 6 of 7 fridays have been either snow filled or rain soaked. Damn this minnesota weather is something else!
The semester is wrapping up, and since I haven't written in several months, I should probably make a quick run through. Here it goes, it will be breif.
Social Justice and Community Service (or something like that): Philosophy- It's been a good class. The professor, John Wallace is a really nice guy, very gentle with his words, and brings out the best in people. We've been looking at the gaps in society...how the world should be and how it actually is. It's been challenging to look (so hard) for the positive, but it has also be so rewarding. And, I made a few friends in the class, that I think will be around for a long time.
Hip Hop in a Global Perspective: Anthropology/Global Studies- This class is dope. The professor, M. Riveire is super dope, and she does so much good work in the community with promoting hip hop. She did her dissertation on cuban and puertorican hip hop. She's got a website (www.tc.umn.edu/~rivi0001). The class she teaches is one of the best I've ever had. It's a very thourough look at hip hop, it's conception and history, as well as all of its elements. She expects a lot from the class, and I have learned a lot. In fact, I think what I have learned the most from her, is that you don't have to sell your soul in order to make it through the academy. With her advice, I've learned (sort of) how to "draw my own box" as she suggested... to do what I want to do, but in a way that is acceptable by the University standards. It's dope. If she teaches the class again next year, I highly reccomend it.
Crtical Pedagogy: Curriculum and Instruction- This is a graduate class. I'm the only undergrad in it. The professor, Tim Lensmire let me in the class, because I spoke with him ahead about it. Dude is really great. He is hilarious, and pushes you to really challenge yourself and what you believe. The class (readings) have been difficult, and I have struggled through many, but so have other people in the class... so I don't feel completely inadequate. I had a hard time with the "elite jargon" that was thrown around in the readings and the discussions, feeling like it alienated the people who were actually supposed to learn from critical pedagogy (i.e. students, the oppressed, etc), but thanks to this woman named Anne, I learned that I can take my ideas, and words from rappers like Immortal Technique, Brother Ali, and Dead Prez... and I can match them with critical pedagogues like Paulo Freire, Chet Bowers, Antonia Darder, (my favorite....sike!) Patty Lather. I think a problem I had early on was that I felt like words of rappers ARE critical pedadogy, but they are not respected in the academy. Anne pointed out the power in linking the two together, and then being able to show (the academy) the similarities. I've been really stoked about it every since. I also made some good friends in that class too! Woo hoo.
Project Proposal: Program for Individualized Learning- We had to come up with our project drafts in this class. I have one with my southside kids, and one with music as a form of communication. I also became friends with a dude named Troy in that class. He cracks me up, and we have fun.
Those are the classes I have taken this semester. They are done in a week or two, and then I have a week off (i think?) , and then may session starts. I'll be taking a science class, in addition to an english class, I think.
Oh yeah, I moved. I live near the cathedral now. It's nice. It's funny though, cuz when I was little, we used to always talk shit about the selby/dale neighborhood. It used to be "I seen yo momma on the corner of selby and dale, turning tricks!". The area has been gentrified like a mother fucker, and so now its more like "I seen yo momma on the corner of selby and dale, at yoga class!". Oh jeez.
Whatever. Life is good. For the most part. I am living, and growing, and questioning my surroundings. I am meeting new folks, and trying to catch up with old folks. It had been forever since I last wrote in this blog....ooops. I'd like to get back into it.
Hope everyone is well. Peace and love.
asha.