College Experience So Far

So far my first semester as a college student at UNC has been amazing. I have had an awesome time and cannot wait for what next semester and the next 3 years at UNC will be like. I had some great times lets recap.....going to football games, being on the second row in the risers for a basketball game, meeting new and great friends, joining a fraternity, my first Halloween on Franklin Street, my first all-nighter writing a paper, staying out extremely late, parties, and so much other than things...which some Mom would not approve of. But overall I know that college life is going to be the best years of my life. I hope to continue to have a great time at UNC, but also remember to keep my grades up.

Native American Studies at UNC

Native American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an area of research and scholarship that offers interdisciplinary courses which bridge academic and Native perspectives on the cultures and histories of Native individuals and communities in North America. The mission of Native American Studies is to increase understanding of the historical experiences, cultural traditions and innovations, and political status of the Indian peoples in the United States. Our courses explore Natïve American ways of living, understanding the world, and organizing their societies; they also examine the impact of invasion and colonization on Native America, and the intersection of Indian and European histories and systems of knowledge.The courses in Native American Studies are open to all students at UNC. Students who wish formal recognition of their course work may choose from two options. One is to major in American Studies with a concentration in Native American Studies. The other is to attach a minor in Native American Studies to their major field.

Above is the mission of the Native American Studies Department at UNC. I did not know at UNC you could major in Native American Studies. This semester I took one of the required classes (Hist 110) for the major and I have become increasingly interested in at least a minor since my plans are still to do Pre-Medicine with a major in Chemistry. I have learned a lot in the course about Native American history and would love to continue throughout the rest of my time at UNC.

Kekwa Dance Practice

So this semester, with the help of a few people, there is a dance team that has been started named Kekwa. It focuses on incorporating Native American traditional dancing with hip-hop style of dancing. It is open to everyone who wants to join and I personally have a great time the times I have been to practice. I have only missed one practice, but there was nothing really covered that night so I did not miss anything. I am very excited about this dance team. Even though we are small right now, I hope that we will continue to grow. I have never danced any Native American style dances, and it has become also a learning process about the different styles of dancing and the meanings behind them. I cannot wait for us to get good and get a routine so that we can perform.

Cherokee as My Foreign Language

Above is a portrait of Sequoyah, the son of a Cherokee chief's daughter and a fur trader from Virginia, was a warrior and hunter and, some say, a silversmith. For twelve years he worked to devise a method of writing for the Cherokee language. His syllabary of eight-five symbols, representing vowel and consonant sounds, was approved by the Cherokee chiefs in 1821, and the simple utilitarian system made possible a rapid spread of literacy throughout the Cherokee nation.
UNC offers Cherokee as a foreign language and I have taken Cherokee 101 this semester and plan to take 102 in the spring semester. Even though I am not Cherokee, I was really interested in learning a Native American language since my language was lost throughout the years. At first it was a difficult and confusing, but I have studied hard and I am finally understanding the language. I hope to continue to take Cherokee throughout my UNC years, and in hopes study abroad to the Eastern Band of Cherokee in North Carolina and to Oklahoma.

Life Fitness Classes

This semester I decided to go ahead and take my Life Fitness course requirement, and I am so glad that I did. I took Exercise and Conditioning, at times it was tough but overall I had a great time. I was taught various activities to help me keep in shape and avoid the infamous "Freshmen 15" as a first year student in college. When I first came to UNC, I really did not workout or eat right. So I knew I was headed down the path of gaining weight. Life Fitness definitely helped me to stay active this semester and realize that I needed to change my eating habits. Buffet at Lenior and Rams Head can be tempting, but I have defeated the temptation and started focusing on eating healthy. I have become more active in my everyday activities and will continue to take steps to a healthier lifestyle. Thanks LFit class!!!

Dining Hall Food

I have not even made it a semester at UNC and I am already sick of the dining hall food. I find myself now everyday enjoying the "fine cuisine" of a salad and a sandwich. Really rams head and top of lenior.....imma need yall to do better. I guess I got spoiled over the Thanksgiving break by all the turkey, stuffing, collards, cornbread, ham, etc., I am already wanting for Christmas break to get here so I can have some more good food...ugh I cannot wait.

Native American Heritage Month Comes to an End

November being Native American Heritage Month, today it comes to a close. But it has been a great month. I was so surprised how involved UNC worked with the American Indian Center (AIC) and Carolina Indian Circle (CIC) to hold American Indian events, such as lectures, movie screenings, pit singings, etc., throughout the month. I was also glad to be apart of the celebration when my fraternity, Phi Sigma Nu, held an open discussion concerning the topics of federal recognization, race relations, and healthcare amoung Native Americans. I attended some other lectures and I was greatly surprised by the turn out of people. I think as my first year at UNC celebrating Native American Heritage Month was a big success. I cannot wait until next year.

Bus Experience

I do not ride the buses much on campus. But when I do, I appreciate them especially if it is rainy, I am about late for class, or I am just too lazy to walk. Anyway, my friends and I had went out to eat on Franklin street for our first thanksgiving at UNC. After we were finished eating, we decided to catch a bus back to south campus. We saw a bus that said UNC Hospital and figured that it was going straight to the hospital, so we got on it. What a big mistake! We ended up being the last people on the bus and rode around lost for an hour. We were all tired and just ready to get back to the dorms. Finally the bus made it back on campus and got off in front of the hospital and still had to end up walking to dorm. But we had fun and it was def a learning experiance: never get on a bus unless you know where it is going to take you. What, if any, crazy bus experiences have you had since being on campus?

My First Thanksgiving Break at UNC

So this was my first Thanksgiving break as a first year at UNC. I had not been home since fall break, so I was ready to go back to Pembroke and spend time with my family and friends; and of course get some real food. Thanksgiving was a success; the food was great, loved spending the day with my family, holding the newest editions (Babies) to the family, and was so glad that there was no annual thanksgiving arguments. At the end of the day, I was stuffed and planning when I was starting my diet again. Even though I had school work to catch up on, I still made time to get plenty of sleep and rest my brain. I guess tomorrow I will be heading back to Chapel Hill and start preparing for final exams. See ya again home and family...until Christmas break.

Cold Stone Sunday Tradition

So almost every Sunday night that my friends and I are on campus we have made it tradition to make a trip to Cold Stone on Franklin Street. Cold Stone has a special, where if you present you OneCard you can get any Love It signature creation for only $3.00. But if the right person is working you can get anything Love It you want for the same price. I usually get the Oreo Overload and one of my friends gets cotton candy with sprinkles, for only $3.00 for each. Its has become a time for us to get out of our dorms and just talk and relax some before our busy week starts. I looked for to doing this on Sunday nights. What have some "traditions" you and your friends have started since starting school?

Grooveshark

Since I have been at UNC, I have fallen in love with Grooveshark. It is a music website where you can search music and create your personal playlist(s). Almost everytime I log onto my computer and connect with the Internet, I go to grooveshark and just listen straight through my playlist. Whether I am just sitting in my dorm or in Lenior with my friends, I have grooveshark up and listening to my favorite music. I have only recruited some of my friends to grooveshark and I have some wanting to know my log in name so they can listen to my playlist. I love grooveshark, it has become my music vibe and will continue to use it. Do you use grooveshark?

Rainy in Chapel Hill

Lately it has been very rainy on campus and it has become one of the dislikes I have so far about the campus. Little flooding around campus and trying my best to avoid the puddles as I go to class. Before the day is over my feet get soaked and I have to end up going back to my dorm and changing my socks to prevent getting sick. I wish there was something that guys could wear to not get our feet wet, I am tempted to go get me a pair of rain boots like the girls on campus be wearing lol jk. All I know if i plan to attend UNC for the next 4 years I am going to need something to wear on my feet when I wake up and find it raining.

My First UNC Basketball Game

I was so excited when I attended my first UNC basketball game. I had phase 1 tickets and was ready to get to the risers and get as close as I could to the action. The game was against NC Central and I was so glad that my best friend had also got a phase 1 ticket, so that we could stand in the risers together. We got there early, but still there was a crowd of people ahead of us in the rain. We were glad to be finally able to go in and we quickly rushed to get to the risers and got to the second row. Even though we were extremely early, we had fun watching the JV team win and talking. Soon the game was about to start and I was so excited. Loving the hype of the crowd and of course the songs. The game was awesome and I didnt even realize that I was standing the whole time. It was complete excitement when we won and we got to do the final song and leave. I had a great time and cant wait for the next game.

The "Gift of the Old Well" Painting

I was looking on the American Indian Center (AIC) at UNC website and found this painting to be very interesting. It was painted by Christopher H. Kennedy and was created for the AIC and was unveiled on March 20, 2009 at the American Indian Reunion Banquet. This was with the painting...The creator gave land to the people. The people created a university. The university builds an “Old Well” in 1795. The “Old Well” gave life and sustenance to the people and animals. The creator is pleased, the bear is the symbol of strength for the people, the cougar is the symbol of balance and grace, and the eagle is the symbol of leadership. The pale of knowledge spills into the pool of the dream catcher and through time, hard work, and perseverance the “Old Well” is transformed into the current structure and the circle of life continues. I found this painting to be interesting and symbolic to Native American culture. What do you think about the painting?

Phi Sigma Nu American Indian Fraternity, Inc.

Well last Tuesday night, I became an official brother of Phi Sigma Nu American Indian Fraternity, Inc. Gamma Chapter at UNC-Chapel Hill. It was a long journey, but it was all worth it in the end. From an early age, I had always want to join a fraternity, but had some hesitation due to the many known stereotypes around Greek Life especially recently at UNC. But this experience was nothing like I had expected in a good way...can't go into details about everything but has become one unforgettable jouney in my life. So excited about joining this brotherhood, have great brothers, I have already been networking, and can't wait to become a productive member of this fraternity.