Waiting for tomorrow, where adventure waits

I am waiting anxiously for tomorrow. I am leaving my house to rent out a hotel room so I can go to a New Year's Celebration. I might as well tell my plans now before in the morning. This is going to be pretty sweet.
I will wake up around 8 am tomorrow and leave my house around 9 am. I plan to be out of the house for the entire day and most of Tuesday, New Year's Day. I wanted to do something different than I have been which was stay in my house and watch the ball drop from one of the television station celebrations. I wanted action so I am taking this into my own hands. My sister and I decided this will be beneficial for both of us (besides this will be the first time that I have left my house in about ten days- I was resting a majority of that time). The hotel we are going to is nearby (within a 25 miles radius of my house). However, we will not be able to check in until after 3 pm. My plan is to sightsee near the hotel area. I need to pick up a couple of things including a digital camera to show you all of the happenings during this celebration and beyond. I promise not to get the camera waterlogged again. We will probably go somewhere in the vicinity to eat at a restaurant. I am not the fastest eater and the day will still be young so I will take my time and then check in the hotel soon after.
After checking in and settling in for a couple of hours, we will hit the highway (I-77) straight to downtown Cleveland. Even though we made reservations, we still need to pick up the tickets in the dock area before the boat leaves. I am not sure how the parking is going to be so I am thinking about leaving the car in the parking lot for fear that if we leave, we will not be able to secure a parking spot. This might cause us to miss the boat. I know you are wondering why I am talking about a boat. Well, we are going on the Nautica Queen for their New Year's celebration. Honestly, I do not know what is in store when the ship leaves its dock around 10 pm tomorrow. I know that there will be some sort of entertainment along with dinner and champagne. I do not know if the deck will be available or if there are be any surprises that I was not told about. The party will last until about 1:30 or 2 am. I think that will do us in and we will travel back to our hotel (which was their own celebration but the price was much more expensive so we opted not to do that package). I do not know if I will stay up and watch a movie or something. We will see; I am determined not to rush anything.
I do not feel like going directly back home so since I am out, I might as well do some shopping on New Year's Day. We have to check out of the hotel by noon on New Year's Day so we will probably go to Crocker Park in Westlake and maybe Great Northern Mall in North Olmsted. There are a lot of bargain out there and I am highly skilled at traversing the highway so why not. I presume that we will return back home by dusk and soak up all of the events of the past thirty-six or so hours. I think I will be wasted by all of this- not alcohol, but the events (BTW, this is CLEAR's slogan for this year- pretty witty, isn't it).
That is the plan of events for the next two days. There is no telling if this events will go smoothly or will have many bumps in the road. I have to test the waters and see for myself. I believe this will be fun for me and quite the experience. I will brief you (with pictures) in a couple days. Until then, have a happy New Year's.




Set for a new year of celebration,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

My New Year's Resolutions

I know it is a tad early for them but if I do not do this now, I will surely forget to do so. There are a couple of things that I am wishing to do either better than in 2007 or for the first time. I will explain them in detail, like usual.

• Tap into my spiritual side. I felt that there were tremendous stride towards committing myself to a more spiritual self. There were many times that I faltered but I continued to push through. I hope that in 2008, I will be more connected than ever to my spiritual side and I hope that this will merge into my everyday life. This includes leaving daily time for the Bible, silent thought, prayer, going to church more, going to Crusade meetings in my house, venturing to Fellowship of Christian Athletes, going to one of my friend's Bible study, and promoting the Word more consistently. I want to listen to my music and really feel what the meaning of those spoken words are and tell people about that message. I want to make a honest connection with my spiritual side and become genuine with that side.
  

• Learn more about my weaknesses and improve on my strengths academically. This semester was rough on me. I never lost focus but sometimes, I felt that the courses I chose were the right combination. I wanted to have fun with the courses I chose, instead I felt constantly bogged and tired. I made mistakes in areas that never occurred before and struggled in areas that I could I improved on spring semester freshmen year. I have a lot of work to do. At the end of this semester, I clearly saw my weaknesses and had to improve on them. I see the weaknesses and for next semester, I have a vision for myself to improve. This is strategy for me. I am determined not to go back to the way I was. I can use the models of the work I destroyed as a do not do for next semester. I need to go to the writing center and see if anyone can provide a strategy for my writing style, which is alright but is often convoluted with unnecessary junk. Since all of my classes are strictly essay writing next semester, I think the writing can be monitored more closely. I also need to find people who are willing to help me proofread my papers. I need people who are honest and who can proofread particularly accomplished in history papers (e.g. HIST 493- senior history majors, you know who you are). I know that 2008 will be the year that I can change my habits that my History professors keep calling me out for all the while giving me constructive criticism. 2008 will be better than 2007 in terms of the quality of writing I can put out. I only have two history courses after the spring of 2008 and I want to be absolutely ready.
  

• Treat my body like a temple. Recently, I have put pigging out on fast food and treating myself to Delaware's restaurants. I do not go back to the fraternity house during lunch or dinner much so whenever I was hungry, I either had to ask one of my friends to get me food or I would use the money I earned working at Student Involvement to treat myself. As a result, I have packed on about twenty pounds; I weighed about 120 pounds when I arrived for Orientation and now I am close to 140 pounds. I do not mind the weight gain but I rather do it in a healthier manner. I know a lot of people who are suffering from diabetes because of all of the junk they put in their bodies. The things I put in my body have me concerned. Remember in my last post when I mentioned the Jack LaLanne power juicer. I am heavily considering bringing it. I want to have more healthy and not become another victim of high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I need the change in my life. I need to go to Kroger as soon as I arrive and get as much fruit and vegetables as possible in my hands and avoid red meats for a while. No fast foods, just a nice pomegranate or watermelon in my hands. This is a key resolution for me as many people have pointed out how bad my eating habits are, even though many of those people were joking somewhat- remember where I live, I have a lot of athlete around me. I think I will take their advice with the food.

• My last resolution is this: try to make time for myself. This will probably be the most difficult habit to break but I do not want to see my sanity in the process. Next semester, I am so busy. I need to make time to go to the gym more like my freshmen year where I need the wellness center outside of Stuyvesant Hall at least once every two weeks. My body was fit. Now, my body is losing that tightness and is becoming more flabby. Personally, I want that tightness back! Seriously, I want to relax more and with all of the events that I am doing away from the Ohio Wesleyan campus, I will be able to rest before the big events. I am seeing a lot of motels and hotels in the future, at least four of them. Hopefully, this will help with my resolution. There will be a lot of events in each I will be participating in on campus; that is what I am hoping I can just relax from. I do not have to go to all of the events but many of them are mandatory. I have some plans to balance my time out and no, none of these plans involve playing Halo or Fifa, two games which I cannot stand under any circumstance. It is not because they are annoying games; I just see everyone play those games. Anyway, my classes give me more of an opportunity to have study and free time. I will utilize the extra time to my advantage. This past semester, I had class, class, and more class on top of work and club meetings. I was begging to leave the Ohio Wesleyan campus at the end of Finals. I needed a break from the hustle and bustle of campus life.
  

This covers my New Year's Resolution that I want to see changed for the next semester in January. I know that I am strong enough in all senses to get these accomplished for myself. I have to focus on these goals and try to have balance in my life. The time starts when January 1, 2008 appears. Trust me: I don't want to look back, just forward into my future.




Aiming for my goals,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

When I was younger and at home more, I remember doing...

There were some things that I was able to do at home in my high school years more than I am able to do now. College is something that I have embraced more than I expected. Before I went to Ohio Wesleyan, I was fed all of these stories of other people's experiences in college. I had to go to different colleges before I decided on one to see if these stories could be potentially true and if they were, were they the right fit for me. I had a right more time to do whatever I wanted in high school; I did not have as many priorities as I do in my life now. I did not have meetings to attend, the organizations I am involved in are pretty in depth with the goals they set, and the classes/studying were not as time consuming. I have to worry about all of these things now and do not have all of the time to do these things that I did before I left. Enough on the background for the topic, let's get to the gist.
One of my favorite pastimes while in high school was after I finished my homework, I would love to relax playing video games. I am a video game aficionado and really enjoying the hours going away because of an intense battle. When I started playing video games, I was mostly interested in fighting games such as Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. At my home, I have a SNES, a Genesis, a Nintendo an Atari 4000, a Dreamcast, and a Playstation 2 console. In high school, I played either from the Playstation 2 or the SNES console. These are the game consoles that had the majority of the fighting games on it. I remember sitting down and playing Street Fighter 2 until I got frustrated or my hands were numb and could not play the system any more. I would look on-line for codes for Mortal Kombat and memorize the combos of each character. I know, this is nerdy, but it helped in tournaments and arcade battle a whole lot. I would spend hours looking at the fatalities and training myself where to stand, what specific techniques character possesses, etc. As I got older, I got bored with the fighting genre and switched it up a little. I started played games such as Killswitch, Need for Speed, and Contra. I decided not to limit myself to one genre and explore other opportunities of video game excitement. I am just now getting back into the groove of things- really, I have not pick up a game controller until next Thursday. Guess what the game was- you bet, Street Fighter 2. That bought back memories. During the Break, I have started to play Naruto. I was introduced to the Naruto series back in freshmen year when I had a little, just a little time to spare. I am hooked to fighting games again. I should really invest in a Playstation 3 or better yet, a Nintendo Wii. I probably won't do it because of the lack of time I will have free.
Another thing I used to do before I left for Ohio Wesleyan is make smoothies. Believe it or not, making smoothies was a stress reliever for me. Whenever my family left the house to do their weekly grocery shopping, I plugged the Jack LaLanne power juicer up. True story: I bought the juicer off Home Shopping Network for a Christmas present. As Naruto would say- "Believe it!" Anyway, I would take the juicer out and there would normally be an abundance of fruit laying around the kitchen (someone in the house would buy fruit for the week). I would pick my choices and blend the ingredient to a pulp. My favorite concoction would always involve apples and bananas and the rest of the ingredients would be an random, one week would be pears and grapefruit for a sour mix and the next week would be golden pineapples and watermelons. I had a system going for a while and the juicer still sits in the kitchen of my home. I have been tempted to use it over break but there is not enough fruit here to make an entire batch so the house can try some. I better put it to use soon though otherwise, the entire mechanism will become rusty and not as effective as before. I paid a good amount of money for the juicer and I want my money's worth. It is a good bet that the house is not really using the machine with the exception of my brother so I might take it back to my house in two weeks. This way, I can drink more healthy food instead of a daily intake of orange soda. The one bad thing about the juicer- the amount of time it takes to clean it up. Every crevice of the machine is affected by the remaining bits of pulp that did not get blended. I never said that the juicer was perfect just very effective in giving a person what they want in a drink. I know that the pros outweigh the cons so this does not bother me much. I want to bring that memory back into my life.
I dreamed about my future a lot when I was younger especially in high school. The future was so close that I could taste it with the scholarship opportunities, the decision about college, watching my friends experience different lifestyles, the list goes on. I pondered what kind of job would fit me. I did not wish to work in the fast food chain like how a lot of my friends did. Some of my friends did work with cars- I did not want a trade like that. I always thought that I would be in a job with security and many benefits to them. I dreamed of the opportunity to work with the best. I was persuaded to work for my own self- that was the ultimate goal so that I did not have to put up with restrictions of someone that was higher than me. Realistically, I knew that I needed experience in a certain field before I can manage to do that. I always wanted to be in a field that dealt heavily with computers. I did robotics and I was hooked to the programming portion of it, thinking that would be a cool career to have. If I didn't have programming in my future, I would still be interested in a career with computers. Programming was the first type of career in computers and information technology that I was introduced to. Toward the end of my career in high school, I realized there is so many different directions I can take to succeed in a career with computers, not just programming. My future became my reality when I was awarded a stipend for the fall semester of my freshmen and I was granted an internship opportunity with Parker-Hannifin. All of the thoughts I have been dreaming off once I started to use the robotics program were made into reality. Where that takes me- I have no idea. I have to keep dreaming.
The last main thing that I did before I left for Ohio Wesleyan was write. If you would have told me that I would be writing for Ohio Wesleyan as a blogger to share my life with students, parents, and those interested in Ohio Wesleyan in my senior year of high school, I would have shrugged you off. My tenth grade honors English teacher had us write a journal entry every day. This inspired me to do writing on my own for a while. I still my entries where I wrote in the morning about what I thought would happen that day and my reflections on what happened. I miss writing in that journal and keeping a mental note of what was happening around me. Writing in my journal was special to me because I had never endeavored to do such a thing before so it is like my precious message to myself whenever I look back into the past. What happened to me, what happened to people that I care about, what was the high and low points in my life. That journal give me direction to what I am today and where I am poised to go in the future.
These past events are significant to me and to my development as to who I am now. Many of these things I have gone without in the past one and a half semesters; however, they helped me calm myself and take my mind off things in my life, no matter how trivial some of these things seem. I am a video game aficionado, a health man, a dreamer, and a writer. I am all of these things which shape me. The younger me is a cool guy and still has a grip of the current me, even though I was doing newer things and focusing on other interests. Sometimes, I wish the younger me would come out more and blend with the current me. I know that will happen sooner than later; it just takes time. Ultimately, I am happy with who I am now and the past events that I described that gave me comfort in some way, shape, or form.




Letting the past, the current, and the future form the total package,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Most music today does not have class

I don't know about you but music lacks class today. I know for some of you, a twenty year old from mainstream should not be saying this but seriously, I am tired of listening to music that does not have significant meaning to it. Lately, I have been hearing music such as Soulja Boy's Crank That and I admit it was catchy the initial twenty times I heard on Youtube or a person's radio driving by the campus. When I tried to listen out for the lyrics, I didn't catch anything important or awe-striking. I kept hearing the word "You." On top of that, the song has a dance to it. It is catchy too but to me, the dance is kind of silly. I know artist want the money and the quick means to success but this is killing me.
I know I sound older when I say this but remember the days when there were artists like Tupac. Okay, to be fair, they were talking about things that were not idealistic but they balanced these things out with other songs that talked about something. I am a conscious guy- songs about misogyny and flaunting money will not cut it. I listen to songs like Common's "The Corner" and "Retrospect for Life" featuring Lauryn Hill. I like listening to real life stories where the situation is real and the people are not in the best position at first but then realize that they can do better and turn their lives around. I don't like my music sugarcoated because real life is not sugarcoated. The problems that many of us face needs to be told to the mainstream and underground audiences. The occasional party song that be broadcasted but real music needs to be broadcasted all of the time.
In my Ipod, I carry a lot of diverse, eclectic artists with soulrendering songs. Included in my selection are Maxwell, Twista, and R. Kelly for the mainstream R&B, and artists such as Evanescence and Linkin Park for Alternative and Rock. Whenever I need inspiration to do something bigger than myself, I use either Classical music, preferably Andrea Bocelli or Josh Groban or my Contemporary Christian or Gospel music such as Avalon, Natalie Grant, and Jeremy Camp to revive my spirit. I want to be able to diversify with my music and not be stuck on the same monotonous material. I like all types of music but I have more music from the 90's than anything. I think the material from the 90's carries a lot more of an impact on a person's life. This was my first full decade of life and some of the hits then will have a long sustaining impact on me.
I don't know. I guess the material on the radio has finally gotten to me. Everywhere I turn to on the radio, I hear the same material. I have turned off the radio and now only listen to my Ipod. A healthy mind can start by filtering all of the bad stuff and broadening my mind with new material that provides diversity in music selection. I am like many people especially people with children- "I don't want my child hearing that stuff." It may be inevitable that children will hear this music of today but I want to provide the best diverse and musical selection for my child. I know this is a parental instinct but I believe enough is enough. This is why my Ipod is so helpful in maintaining the taste that I like. I will say it again- most music today do not have the class that the music of the 90's has. The music that does I will purchase on my Itunes program and happily listen to it. This is how I feel about music today.




Your music conscious man,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Post 50... Let us reflect and let me post something fun

It is weird since it has been over a year since I have started blogging. I have learned a lot from myself and from individuals that have taken the time to respond to the topics of my blog. Some of the responses have been constructive criticisms to the topics I wrote about and some of the responses have been reflections and thank yous for other topics. I am happy to still blog my thoughts to you. This winter break has made me realize just how much I love writing and getting a response out of people whatever I talk about a specific topic. For my 50th post, I want to talk from something that is a hot topic among die hard and enthusiastic Clevelanders and people that support Cleveland- Cleveland sports.
There are three main sports areas that a die hard Cleveland fan must have: Browns, Indians, and Cavaliers. One must not go without their weekly dose of LeBron, K2, and Pronk. Being a Clevelander has made me appreciate all of the hard work that the athletes have to go through week in and week out. Surely, I emote as much as other fans do when a pennant is clenched. Yes, I was at the clincher at Jacobs Fields for the Indians. I think that it will be our time and that Cleveland fans need to rise up and answer the call of duty very soon. For now, I hope that people can enjoy the exhilarating ride.
Let me start by addressing the Indians. We did not win it all but I believe it was their best showing in a while. It was overdue but well worth the wait. I believe that the Indians will make another run for the championship considering their lineup and their pitching. With people like Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, and C.C. Sabathia, I think that the team can be another 1995-1997 diamond in the rough. Obviously, the team needs to continue having a balance of pitching and scoring but I do not think that will be a problem in the upcoming season or the season after if management does not change things dramatically. I think that the Indians are the underdogs and usually, I root for the underdogs (I am an underdog myself in most situations, so there you have it). I do not have anything negative to say. Continue playing with consistency, guys!
The Browns. I am crossing my fingers like all true Browns fans. I hope that the Browns can win and go to the playoffs. I think this season has been the best, bar none. The team has had chemistry, especially in the middle of the season. Derek Anderson has finally developed into a good quarterback. I do not believe that he will ever be on the caliber of a Peyton Manning but Anderson has found his niche in Cleveland. That quarterback question at the beginning of the season did not help matters for Cleveland so I am glad that someone stepped up for the position. As for the last playoff spot, I think that the Browns deserve it a little more. I do not believe the Titans are that good and even with the Colts resting their star players, I think the Titans will close to the 13-2 Colts, no doubt. I will change my mind if the Titans beat the Colts and say that the Titans deserve it more. Until Sunday, my mind is the same. If the Browns advance to the playoffs, it will be a late Christmas gift and people's first resolution in sports concerning a fast start next season. The question is "Will the Browns break hearts or make us into believers?" We will see in four days.
Last but certainly not least, the Cavaliers. Honestly, I knew that we are not ready for the Spurs in the Finals. The game against Detroit was awe-inspiring but the matchup drained our energy. Turning to the current season, the Cavs are straddling the line with fans. I know that with the emergence of the threesome in Boston and the consistency of Detroit that the Cavs were going to have an uphill battle. I did not expect the Cavs to be under .500 at this point of the season. I still thought that they would be top contenders in the conference race. I see that some factors such as Anderson "Wild Thing" Varejao holdout, King James injury after the Detroit game (causing the other Cavs to lose five straight games), and the low production of Larry Hughes and Sasha Pavlovic to bury the Cavs. Hopefully, the Cavs can get their wings back and regain their position as top contenders. I suppose a trade will help but right now, we need all the people we can get to contribute and make sure that the burden is not on LeBron. I know we have the talent and the ability to go back to the playoffs and shut some naysayers up.
This ends my report for Cleveland sports. Cleveland is building itself again to become to premier town for sports. We are witnesses just like the billboard downtown says. Now we just have to continue supporting our teams so that they will respond with a championship. I am down for that feeling of a jubilant city celebrating success.




Loving Cleveland Sports,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

I found this info about being Greek interesting to share...

This topic has been on my mind for the longest time. I did not know how to address it at first but it has to come out someway. I figure this is the best way. I found the following information on Facebook about

The REAL Secret Behind Greek Life

Think Greeks are all about parties and paying for friends?? Have the idea that all sorority women are easy and fraternity men are stupid? Imagine goats being sacrificed when you think of ritual? Call Greeks followers and conformists?? If so, you may want to rethink everything because in reality you're the one following the stereotypes of Greek Life given by the media and gossip.

The REAL secret behind Greek Life is simple but first lets look at some facts!

*Nationally, 71% of all Greeks graduate, while only 50% of non-Greeks graduate.
*The All Greek GPA is higher than the overall collegiate GPA.
*Since 1910, 85% of the Supreme Court Justices have been Greek.
*85% of the Fortune 500 key executives are Greek.
*Of the nation's 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by Greeks.
*76% of Who's Who in America are Greek.
*All but two Presidents since 1825 have been Greek.
*70% of the U.S. Presidents' cabinet members since 1900 have been Greek.
*76% of U.S. Senators are Greek.
*Both women appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court were sorority members.
*Over 85% of the student leaders on 730 campuses are members of Greek-letter organizations.
*Less then 2% of an average college students expenses go towards Greek membership dues.
*A study by the University of Missouri found that Greeks throughout the US and Canada are more involved on their campuses and rate their overall university experience better.
*The same study found that Greeks are more involved in their communities; and give more generously to their alma maters.
*Greeks form the largest network of volunteers in the U.S.-Nationally, Greeks volunteer approximately 10 million hours of community service annually.
*Greek Life strongly encourages within its community to uphold the ideals that they were founded on: sisterhood and brotherhood, scholarship, leadership, philanthropy, and becoming better citizens of society.
*Hazing is against National Greek Headquarters policies.
*Nationally, Greek organizations are the largest and most visible value-based student organizations.

Now that you have read some facts concerning Greek Life, here are *some* familiar names who are Greek who might help you see how Greek Life helps people succeed!

Martin Luther King Jr, Adam Sandler, Admiral James J. Carey, Al Michaels, Ali Landry, Alice Sheets Marriot, Allen Bean, Alonzo Mourning, Amy Grant, Andy Griffith, Andy Rooney, Ann Margaret, Aretha Franklin, Ashley Judd, Aston Kutcher, Ben Savage, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Bob Barker, Bobby Jones, Brad Pitt, Burt Reynolds, Cedric the Entertainer, Colonel Sanders, Coretta Scott King, Cybil Shepard, Danny Thomas, Dave Thomas, David Duchovny, David Letterman, David Spade, David Stern, Dick Clark, Dionne Warwick, Dr. Alyce Gullantee, Dr. Collette Kohler, Dr. Seuss, Drew Carey, Dwight Eisenhower, Elvis Presley, Faye Dunaway, Fred Savage, Gladys Knight, Goldie Hawn, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Garner, John Wayne, Johnny Carson, Kate Spade, Katie Couric, Kurt Vonnegut, Lucy Lui, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Jordan, Molly Sims, Neil Armstrong, Nick Lachey, Roger Ebert, Rosa Parks, Shaquille O'Neal, Sheryl Crow, Stephen Spielberg, Will Ferrel, Woody Harrelson, just to name a few...

Quotes Regarding Greek Life:
*Letters today, Leaders tomorrow
*No matter the Letters, we're all Greek together
*Not four years, but for life
*Fraternities and Sororities symbolize all that we wish to accomplish in our lives. They represent the struggles we all face as we grow. Why we cling to them no one can explain, but in the end, we are all stronger for it
*People ask why I am in a sorority and I try to explain all the things a sorority is that they cannot see. A sorority is more than letters on a sweatshirt, I say. More than traditional songs, a gold pin, rituals, and obligation, or a way of life. A sorority is learning about people, a sorority is giving without expecting a return. A sorority is earning respect from others, as well as for yourself. A sorority will not solve all your problems. But I have made good friends and found confidence there to help me take life one step at a time.
*Even though the dues I pay for are like any other club fees (though more expensive because my organization is much more than a club) go toward housing, if I WERE paying for my friends, I wouldn't be paying enough!!!

So now that you have seen a glimpse of what Greek Life is all about, I hope that you will gain a better understanding about Greeks and not give in to believing the stereotypes. True, there are definitely some members who don't quite get what we're about yet and yes they need to learn but STOP THE JUDGING on all of us. Get to know an indivudual before you make an assumption based on their personal choice. After all, the REAL secret behind Greek Life isn't that we hold some magical powers in our rituals or that we only get to high places through networking. We are regular people wanting to do great things and we accomplish all of this with the skills we acquire through our time spent in our Greek organizations!

Most importantly...we all stand together in both good and bad times. The Greek system is a huge support unit to say the least. My school, The University of Memphis, was recently hit by tragedy and we lost two of our Greek members. The amount of support shown within our family can't be described in words. There is a difference between friendships and brother/sisterhood. I'm not saying one isn't more valuable than the other but the bonds of sisterhood and brotherhood are bonds that can never be touched.

FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN, YOU CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND IT. FROM THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT, YOU CAN NEVER EXPLAIN IT!



Now for my thoughts:

I knew that I wanted to pledge somewhere in college. That is why I took the time out to research these national and international organizations on my campus. I did rush events as a freshman and I visited all nine fraternity houses to get a feel for if I wanted to live there. Some of the houses were nice and the members were welcoming while others were more remote and selective in having random men viewing their houses. Nonetheless, I found a home in Phi Delta Theta. I had my reservations about certain things when I was pledging in the spring. One of those reservations was about "How will I balance the pledge process with the overwhelming amount of classes and other responsibilities I had on my plate. Unlike the rest of my pledge class, my responsibilities did not end after basketball season or the end of a theatre production. I needed some time to develop so I could be devoted to the pledge process. Another one of my reservations was that even if I did cross in the spring, will I be able to help out enough for the class next in line? With my responsibilities in other organizations going for another academic year, would I be able to commit to all of the activities I have to help out with for rush events and pledging. I didn't want the other guys to think that the other organizations I am a part of would render me useless to the next set of guys coming in. All of these thoughts rushed into my head and gave me doubts in the middle of pledging.
Realizing all of this, I took the spring days one day at a time and eventually, I crossed into my first year of being a Greek. The first semester was not bad for me; it is the second semester I am worried about. The one thing I did have to worry about was trying to make people understand that going Greek is not supposed to take your manhood away or to give people a picture of movies such as "Animal House." I found myself educating freshmen and unaffiliated persons about the advantages of Greek life at Ohio Wesleyan and how it can benefit you throughout your time here and outside of Ohio Wesleyan. I have made some believers out of people and others are still skeptical about how the Greek system works. I want to be the person (or one of the people) who rid stereotypes of the Greek system so that the Greek system can become more efficient in recruitment and its presence on the Ohio Wesleyan campus. 35% of the student body is Greek. This is a far cry compared to the percentage of the student body in the 1970's and 1980's. Incoming freshmen are not exposed enough to the positives. Sometimes, the only times that many people on campus are exposed to Greek life is during parties advertised on Facebook or as ads on campus. Most of these parties have alcohol in them and many students just want to have fun without the alcohol or rude people, i.e. from my experience.
I feel that it doesn't matter if you are international or domestic, Greek life should be presented on equal terms. I represented Greek life as soon as I started my Orientation leader schedule in August; this was my first introduction to the new student body of 2011. Whether I was aware of being the representative, I knew of one thing, I AM OWU. Let's face it, Greek Life is OWU. There are many teachers and administrators on campus that are Greek and are proud of their experiences as Greek men and women. They would not take it back and either would I. Despite the differences that some of the fraternities have with each other, I am not going to discriminate against another fraternity just because of their history or the people who have pledged there. Just like Facebook stated, we are all Greek so whether people at OWU like it or not, we all share a common bond in joining that we all hold dearly to our hearts forever. In conclusion, I am doing all that I can to invite people who have little or no clue about fraternity as well as people who are interesting in joining a fraternity like Phi Delta Theta AND even people who are already in another fraternity on campus to events and on regular days to chill, study, or whatever they want. For me, this is the best and the only way to create awareness of a fraternity on campus.

If anyone wants to comment about their experience in Greek Life or about my blog about Greek Life whether it is my feelings or the Facebook feelings, feel free. I am welcoming any and all comments and constructive criticism.




Greek Life Forever,
Hasani Wheat
Phi Delta Theta
Class of '10

Financially, I am not the richest person

As a college student, I know that I am not the best person to ask for money. Despite working during the summer and possibly during Winter Break, I know that as soon as the spring semester starts on the 14th of January, I will be using more money to accommodate my needs. This semester, I used money to pay for the essentials but that was about it. I did a lot of fund raising for the causes that I am in including my Spring Break trip to North Carolina for Habitat. In the spring, I think that I will have to use more money. Let me break it down so I can get a personal account of how much it will take to accommodate me for the spring semester.

Books- I will have to purchase a lot of books for the spring semester. I am guessing anywhere between 25 and 30 books. Hopefully, the amount is a lot less. However, as a history major, I generally see between 4 to 6 books a class. These books are usually small books that pertain to a particular section of the course. For example, in my Making of Britain class which covers prehistory in Britain to the reign of William and Anne, I bought a book that talked specifically about the life of Queen Elizabeth. Usually, I have to purchase a major textbook and three to five smaller texts to follow the class. Hopefully, I can purchase all of the books in one sweep that I can get this part of the money for the semester out of the way.

Dues- I am not looking forward to paying dues of any sort. This is one of the many sacrifices I have to make as a member of a fraternity. I wish dues were not so high. Dues are important though for all of the activities I want to do.

Conferences to which I have not paid for- This category is kind of sketchy because I am juggling between two conferences at the same time. One is the NACA conference and the other is the Jubilee conference. I am interested in both and both have their own pros and cons. For the NACA conference, a pro would be that I can see more acts to bring for OWU in addition to attending a free conference. The con for NACA would be that I will be gone for 5-6 days and missing a good portion of my classes. Most of my classes are one day a week seminars in which attendance is a crucial factor to the overall grade and the other classes with the exception of one is two days a week (the two days Tuesday and Thursday I will be missing the classes). Honestly, I don't feel like I want to negotiate with teachers about why I will be missing that much class time. I don't believe the reason will be legitimate enough to explain that I need an extension on a paper. For the Jubilee conference, a pro would be leaving OWU on Friday and returning on Sunday. This way, I don't have to miss any classes (I don't think I will). On the con side, I will need to register and spend another 220 dollars for conference fees and lodging in a nice hotel. I need some time to decide which one will be more beneficial to me in my growth academically and otherwise. Can I truly afford to miss a week of class or can I truly afford to miss more money in my checking account. Only time will tell- hopefully, I will know my decision before the Winter Break ends.

Food and clothes- Even though I will probably bring with me an emergency care basket loaded with Chef Boy-R-Dee products and healthy snacks, I will eventually run out of this. I will need money to buy more food. I can always make food at my fraternity house but sometimes, I want to treat a person on a night out in Delaware or better yet, in Easton or Polaris. I need the additional funds to do so (nice restaurant suggestion anyone). For clothes, I like to style and profile. It is true that I bought a ton of clothes before I went back to OWU for the fall semester; however, I may need some clothes before Spring Break because there are many big events after I come back from Break that I want to be looking fresh for. One season is not enough for my tastes, I need clothes that represent every season. I know that I don't have to have any new clothes and that this is a miscellaneous category but I am just throwing it out there.

My account bill- This is where a good portion of the money will go. I received a reminder in my school mailbox- seven hundred and fifty dollars. I wish my scholarships would be of greater amount- then again, I wish that my grades were a bit higher to accommodate more scholarship dollars. I am still reeling that my Ohio Choice was cut almost in half. I am still filing for scholarships, still looking for that extra boost for financial stability. I know that I will get another reminder of the money that is due for the school before I arrive on campus. I am blessed that I have scholarships to cover half of the bill and that I have the sufficient funds to pay for the remaining portion even if I have to take out a loan or two. I guess it stinks because I am still strapped for cash.

Other miscellaneous things- As always, there will be other things that I need money for. If I want to buy items when I am away from OWU, I will need money. Hopefully, I will have enough sources to get money.

Normally, my dad will pay for half of everything that I have mentioned on the list. For this, I am fortunate. In some households of people that I know, the only person that is paying for these things is the person who is actually going to the college. I have to find ways to pay for college. Last semester, I had an on campus job working for Debra Lamp and Student Involvement. The pay was not bad and I got along with everyone. Currently, I am searching for other options- maybe the Historian will take me if there are any openings remaining after Break. I like a nice change in scenery even if I have to travel to Elliot Hall in the cold and walk up four flights of stairs to get to the Historian office. I need the money to pay for the spring semester just like most OWU students. I am just venting where the issues of financial assistance lie and how each area affects me financially. I just hope that my accrued interest on my Sallie Mae loan was not built up too much... that would be a pain to deal with in the summer when I return to my job at Parker-Hannifin. I figure that I will be alright for the spring semester. If not, I will scrounge up a way to find cash to help myself out temporarily. Money is always on this college student mind.




Looking for sources of financial production,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Review of all the activities and organizations I have done for fall semester 2007

I would just like to reflect back on the things that I have done for this semester, the main goals that was accomplished, and my future goals with these organizations including some of the events for next semester.

Choosing and Learning Environments with Alcohol Respect (CLEAR)- I felt that the semester for CLEAR was a big success. I was not able to make all of the noon meetings due to my involvement in WCSA but whenever I did go, the meetings were always fun and business. I had a lot of fun going to the Indians game, the corn field during the week of Halloween, and to King's Island for FrightFest. Along the way, I have met new people in which I never probably would have openly interacted and have made new friends that I can say Hi to whenever I am walking down the JayWalk or wherever. I highly anticipate the events that CLEAR will be throwing for the spring semester including white-water rafting, rock climbing, broomball, and maybe even a Cavs game. There is no limit to how much fun that will take place next semester. I had that fun in my life!

Habitat for Humanity- I went to a couple of meetings and there were not as many people as I thought it would be as indicated in the beginning of the semester. I realized that there were a lot of houses that were in need of repair in Delaware and I constantly thought about being the person to build these houses for people. I did a couple of pizza deliveries to raise money for our chapter and I cannot wait to go build more houses in the spring. The members of Habitat are cool and laid back (No pressure whatsoever) and ironically, I have been chosen to go to North Carolina for a build week for Spring Break. I already have my money in so I am willing and ready to rock with my hammer and drill.

Circle K- Honestly, I did not expect to get as heavily involved in Circle K as I did this semester. I expected to do a community service project here and there and then get other people outside of Circle K. This was not the case. I went to service projects around Delaware such as the Blue Limestone Park clean-up as well as regional projects such as the District Service Project where I went back to Cleveland and helped scrape, prime, and paint an individual's house. After that particular project, I was hooked. I ended up paying my dues (which were not that much) and participating in more Circle K projects. I would say the highlight of my time in Circle K thus far is going to the Membership Awareness Conference where I learned more about why I was interested in Circle K in the first place. I learned a lot and met people from other schools. I was interested to seeing where I will land after the end of the academic year. The huge event that I will be preparing for is the District Convention held at the University of Akron. THIS could be a lot of fun. The horizons are endless for development as well.

Choral Arts Society- All of the preparation for Bach and Mozart seemed to be endless. I do not know what it was this semester but the time I spent on the material in class was exceedingly long. I remember thinking "When is it going to end?" When the time came, the concert came and went without a hitch. The concert was pretty quick- about an hour. The entire choir had five songs, the men's ensemble had three songs, and the women's ensemble had six songs. This semester is over and to be honest, I am glad the song selection is out of the way. Now I can prepare for the BIG concert, Mozart's Requiem. Kenichiro Matsuda will be directing us. I am remembering the BIG concert last year under the direction of Jaime Morales-Matos; that was a night to remember. I am so excited. Now I have to register for Choral Arts Society again.

Wesleyan Council for Student Affairs (WCSA)- Overall, this was a productive year. To your average student, there was nothing much going on in WCSA. However, there was lots of activity. The mid-semester check was a good thing for me because I saw a different side to the people who are on the Executive Cabinet. We discussed where we wanted WCSA to go for the next semester and how to implement this. WCSA had input on the Presidential Search Committee and the sub-committees such as Residential Life, Budget, and Campus Relations were active. There should be town hall meetings in the near future (I know because of my role as a member of the Res-Life sub-committee). There will be changes in the roster. Two of the current members are leaving for the spring semester to pursue study abroad or locally interests and one member, Robert Shelala, who had worked with me on the President's Commission for Racial and Cultural Diversity, will be graduating this semester. This will be missed but their opinions not forgotten. Ultimately, I felt that once elections come up in March, the course of WCSA will again be altered to fit the next President. Whatever this year's WCSA has to do, we have to do it quickly and in an efficient manner. One thing that will happen is the annual Trustee Dinner, held on January 25, 2008. I am excited to meet more of the alumni that constantly donate to the school. I am gradually meeting the alumni and hearing their opinions out. All I have to say is "Let's finish this academic year out strong!"

Black Men of the Future (BMF)- Well, what can I say. This is a home organization
where I can count on my fellow brothas (not to confuse this with my fellow fraternity brothers). We got out to a slow start but there are many projects and pizza deliveries coming in the spring semester to hopefully make up this semester. We have eight of them to bring us closer to the goal of having a retreat. Personally, I want and need that retreat, not just for me, but for the guys that are freshmen so we can bond and grow closer. This is important to me because the older classes have to mentor strong and emerging Black men on campus. This concept has been pounded into my head by men that have graduated and are pursuing their dreams. I did like that we treated to the Black women on campus with the Best Wishes on Finals and Happy Holidays Card. I thought that was classy. There will be elections for a new Executive cabinet so I hope that the new Executive cabinet will be able to rise to the occasion and put a face to our organization.

Student Union on Black Awareness (SUBA)- There is a new president and her name is Tiffany Nicole Ware. I have seen her in other roles on campus as a dominant force. I feel that she will get the job done and will be a force for all of the Black population on campus. Right now, we need it. In the beginning of the semester, I was not able to go to SUBA meetings because I had to attend my fraternity meetings; however, the day was changed for that and now I have the time to attend SUBA meetings, which I really wanted to go to. Many of the members in Cabinet are of the freshmen class, just like last year. I really hope that SUBA can start the spring semester running with its involvement in the Martin Luther King Jr. festivities that the President's Commission for Racial and Cultural Diversity has put on. Then, the events for Black History Month should commence soon after. I see the light shining now we as a Black Student Union must set the Ohio Wesleyan campus on FIRE with that light. Ya dig!

I am in other organizations such as the Student Homecoming Organization and Orientation but I have already spoken at length about my involvement in these. If any prospective students or parents are looking at this, I would look at my experiences to see if there is a connection between what you are looking for in a school and organizations within that school. I did this and I am now suggesting the same thing. This makes a world of difference in a college search. These organizations have made an impact on me and reflecting on these experiences has helped to realize that I belong in each one of them.



Glad to be reflecting about my organizations,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

I have about two weeks until break begins..... I am so stoked!

Finally, I have two weeks until the end of this semester. I am so happy to be finished with this semester. This semester was very grueling for me and I think that next semester will be a better fit for me in terms of classes and experiences. I have become accustomed to not particularly liking the first semester, just because there is not as much flexibility as there is in the second part of the academic year. In the second semester, there are a lot more opportunities for me to leave the campus and to pursue the conferences and all of the big things that the spring has to offer: Springfest, Formals, Trustee Dinner, and other important events. My courses for the next semester are also a reason I have to yell about (in a good way). My courses are flexible and all of them are in topics that are of interest. I think I am saying to myself "there is light at the end of the tunnel."

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One of the things that I was enjoying was the always pleasurable President's Ball. Sponsored by WCSA, this year's President's Ball was awesome. I went to help set-up early for the annual event and enjoyed two hours of the really fancy Cocktail Party. Being one of the only people at the event that is not 21, I opted to play it safe (that was a good thing because I had ticket and door duty from 11:45-1:00 a.m.). I decided to chill with some of the seniors such as FIJI's former President, Jimmy Mako and the Historian's own, Matt McGuire. The atmosphere was laid back like last year; the background of New York City in the background, the Jazz Band playing some up-tempo beats to pump up the crowd, and the mellifluous powerhouse alumna Qiana McNary tantalized everyone's minds with those songs of delight. I LOVE the cocktail portion of the President's Ball.
Instead of being a loner like my time as a freshman on WCSA last year, this year, I enjoyed the company of friends and my fraternity brothers. Having everyone around me really made the night one never to forget (at least while I am at OWU). Even the subtle things became important- you know, all of the interactions with women, discussions about the future, etc. I mingled with the big heads on campus- from proven and emerging student leaders to Dr. Robbins and Dr. Omahan, our Interim President and Interim Dean of Students, respectfully. I was comfortable with portraying who I was to everyone at the cocktail party. I was me and that was great!
Around 9:30 p.m., the emergence of the rest of the OWU campus showed up to make its presence felt at the President's Ball. The room that was once empty was now full of new faces that were not seniors or faculty. I was already in the zone with the music blaring in the background. Around 10:00 p.m., all of the elements that made the cocktail party; the wine and beer, the heavy hors d'oeuvres, and the live jazz band with the quick emergence of the Swing Dancers, were being replaced with a DJ (courtesy of fellow Phi Delta Theta member Mr. Ted Thode) and the abundance of freshmen experiencing the joys of the President's Ball for the first time. The experience after the cocktail party seemed to be better this year than last year, mainly because last year as soon as the cocktail party ended, I worked ticket sales and the door. I left soon after because I was already tired. This year, I was out on the dance floor and enjoying myself early. Most of the faculty and the seniors were gone by 10:00 p.m. and all of them are virtually gone by 11:00 p.m. The lower classes started to dance to the sounds of Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Soulja Boy, and Nelly (yeah, this is an eclectic mix, indeed). Compared to the beginning of the night, the atmosphere was electrified and full of energy. There were a lot of seeing people enjoy life as many people got into bid crowds to watch people do whatever they do to get that reaction. I know this sentence is a bit confusing but if you can interpret the actual meaning of what I am trying to say about the energy on the dance floor, and then you can understand the craziness that the President's Ball became.
The day calmed down for me as I went to my seat near the door to sell tickets. People were pouring into the dance area around 12:15-12:30. Opera singers came after their performance earlier in the day, Thetas showed up for more partying, and more freshmen than you can imagine continue to drag all of their friends along. I was not anticipating the amount of money people gave to come to this annual event. I was ecstatic with the final results of happy people using Facebook to portray their experience at President's Ball. Hopefully, WCSA can do it again next year. I just wish I had my camera like last year; oh well, check out www.mypictures.com or if you are an OWU student, check out Facebook for more photos. I have posted two picture links near the top of this blog. Check those out, too!
It seems like just a minute ago that I was a freshman getting my first feel for this blog. A year later, I am nearing my 50th blog and I am a year older. I am so happy to be writing to you because there is so much I can document as a sophomore. I have so much access now to anything that it is not even funny. Next semester, I know that I will probably document a lot more because I am planning big things for myself and for all of my organizations. So for now, all I am saying is stay tuned, it is going to be an awesome ride through spring semester- sophomore year. I have to go to work now at Student Involvement and plan out my night: Dinner on the town, One-Acts, and the amazing phenomenon known as the Bhangra Party.





Enlightenment is the key to continued opportunity,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

The anxiety of facing classes for the last month

That is right. You didn't read the title wrong. Right about now, I am starting to get a little anxious and a little nervous about classes. In a way, I want to just finish the classes I have now and start on the classes that I have already signed up for for the spring semester. Part of the reason is that for whatever reason, this semester seems to be dragging along ever so slowly. It is like watching maple syrup go down a jar- painstakingly. I am glad that the classes I am taking now is for my Geography and Urban Studies (I am not declared, but I am praying that everything goes right for me so that I can declare as soon as possible). However, some of the classes I am taking are too frustrating or too elementary. There is no middle, really. For me, the fall semester is slower than the spring semester because the weather is turning cold and the options for preferable and required classes are now available as I would like it to be. Well, this is something I do not have any control over. I just pick that would be a good time for me and try to deal with the class as best as I can. In the spring semester, I am taking mostly History courses. I am so happy. Personally, I can't wait to take courses like Crime and Punishment in Modern America and Economic History (British History, if you were wondering the genre of the course). These courses are preferable and required, respectively. I am not the strongest writer but I am willing to give it 150% to a project. I am ready for a change in my classes.
I am typing this at 1:45 in the morning. I have class at 10 a.m. (Applied Statistics). Thanksgiving Break does weird things to me and I think the same sentiment is felt by most OWU students. I have nothing against my four classes and other responsibilities tomorrow but to be honest, I do not feel like going. It has nothing to do with receiving my test back in Statistics (I do not have a good feeling about my score, unfortunately) or doing homework for Power of Maps (why didn't I just do the homework over the break like I did the other homework and readings) or having to endure a grueling hour in Gray Chapel, singing Sanctus and Gloria (honestly, I was so busy doing other work, I didn't study the music; however, I am a good enough musician to recover from this, I hope) or the fact that I have to turn in a paper for Cultural Geography and unveil my plan for my part of the presentation for Bangladesh- all in the span of four hours (10 am- 2 pm). Eventually, when I am walking to class, my stomach will drop and I will have to play the endurance game of being attentive in all of the classes. Well, guess that? I probably will not have the pleasure of losing my attentive in class because my grade for the exam will probably penetrate to the cores of my being and shake my being into consciousness for the entire day. Yeah, I am preparing for the worst, expecting a miracle, somehow. Honestly, I am not 100% at Ohio Wesleyan. A part of me wants to go back home and attend to business matters back there. We all got business matters back at home. I'm here now so I might as well go and face the day.
I am anxious to see how the semester will turn out for me. So far academically, I have achieved in the above average range- not superior but better than your average student. If anything were to happen that I didn't anticipate, I will have to deal with that when the time comes. I am a man and I will have to own up to that and fix it. I will succeed and a bump in the road SHALL not stop me. The last month will be a roller coaster, for sure. Well, I gotta get some shuteye; it will be a shame if I miss my first class because I decided to stay up all night writing to you. I also have to study for an Environmental Alteration Thursday and turn in my research paper on Elizabethan Literature and the Experience of England for my Making of Britain soon after on Thursday. You know what they say: Life is (fill in the blank).




Hanging like I'm John McClain,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Three Weeks Later- I Know...

Wow. Has it been over three weeks since my last blog? I must admit that the lack of a camera has made it difficult for me to get topics that will stand out. The use of the camera helped me to remember that I have to send pictures in through to show people what was been happening with me visually. In addition to the lack of the camera, I have been swamped with reading, research, and dealing with everything else that comes with Ohio Wesleyan life- you know, fraternity life, work, student organizations, and other important obligations. I know-- it is still no excuse to follow the routine of posting regularly. I have more free time at work than in my organizations so I promise to fill you in on events in my life as a student on a regular basis- even if I have to sacrifice something. This is important. You, the reader need to know what is going on for me from my perspective. Bottom line: camera or no camera, expect to see a good amount of blogs from me in the next month.
I guess I will talk about my experiences in the last three weeks. I went to Culture Fest, which showcased talent from OWU's international students. A lot of my friends and classmates are from these countries and I came to show my appreciation and support. I also know that this is a time where I can bond with more people while enjoying the festivities. This year, Culture Fest was very surprised and unpredictable. Last year was fun but not too interactive. This year was very interactive-the Stick dance got everyone's juices going and ready for more. There was singing performances by artists from Sri Lanka, the Chinese Culture Club, and other countries. There were dance performances by Bonya from Kazakhstan (those dances moves were hot, I must say!), the Rafiki Wa Afrika dancers (nice job!), and other performers. The performers did things that were traditional and modern. Kevin Nguyen's rendition of The Calling's Wherever You Go was classic (I didn't know he could sing). I would say the last 15-20 minutes was the best of the night. Alex Paya (Ultimate!) did a performance with strobe balls that mesmerized the crowd... in the dark. A brief description- the balls seemed like they followed him. Why you ask? The ball were being swung by Paya and when it was dark, the balls were swung and it actually looked like the spirits were guiding him. It was awesome. You have to see it to believe it; honestly, I don't think that a digital camera would have handled the performance. The last performance of the night was by Sangam. I kinda figured it out as soon as they arrived on stage. They did their traditional performance and then out of nowhere, the party got started! They invited everyone in the audience (those that were brave enough to join them in celebration). Sounds sort of familiar? If you guessed the makings of a Bhangra party, then you would be right! That was fun! Seriously, I can't wait until the actual Bhangra party. Hopefully, there will be one this semester- I did it to rejuvenate my mind, body and soul. I will be ready, you know it. After all of the performances, the audience finally got something to eat. The food was as eclectic as the performers. There was food from Pakistan, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and other places in the spectrum of our international students. I was in heaven. Boy, am I glad to have picked OWU for its diversity in the student body! At the end of the program, I got my name in calligraphy. Two simple symbols is all it took. The symbols are now on display outside of my room and it has already become quite a hit.
I had an excellent time as always at the Culture Fest. I invite all OWU student to attend. Maybe you will learn something about yourself while you enjoy the festivities and educate yourselves about the cultures of others. "You think you know, but you have no idea." This wraps up this session. See you for the next session.





Until then,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Homecoming... need I say anything more!

Well, Homecoming was last week and I am still recovering from all of the events that took place. I was a part of the Student Homecoming Organization (SHO); the purpose of SHO is to provide students the opportunity to enjoy homecoming. Within the past couple of years, students were stuck on campus, doing school work instead of enjoying the festivities, which were mainly set up for alumni. SHO promotes awareness of activities that students can get involved in to celebrate the spirit of Homecoming.
Let me give you a rundown of all of the different events that took place last year that I was a part of:

Monday: Pie a Professor
All of the money went to Delaware area school for equipment such as parts for the school's AV center and for the classroom in general. The event was really pie a interim president or a public safety officer. If for some reason, you had or have an agenda with one of these people then you can oblige them with a pie to the face. Honestly, it was funny seeing the reaction on people's faces when these people got pied. I know some people were like, "Take that, Officer Mickens!" I liked the event and I believe the reaction on people was priceless. The day was also aptly named Pajama Day. Like people on campus don't arrive to class in their pajamas enough (especially after a long trip or a string of events that goes into 2-3 in the morning).

Tuesday: Rockstar/Celebrity Day
Truthfully, I didn't heavily promote this day. People dressed up and there are not much commotion about it. Therefore, I probably don't need to explain any further.

Wednesday: Hawaiian Day/Luau
This is the event that I chose to help out with. The luau was a promotion to get people really juiced for Friday. This event was the appetizer for the entree, so to speak. I arrived early to get equipment and other supplies to set the mood. Student organizations on campus had to bake a chocolate dessert and people on the committee judged the food. In addition to this, the homecoming court was formally introduced and they leied people who walked in the Student Center. I got leied a couple of times- it was fun. The winner of the dessert contest was something that looked and tasted like a pizza except that it had a chocolate dessert feel to it. The desserts were good.

Thursday: Prince/Princess Day
Nothing was really eventful on this day- I have no report except the hustle and bustle of classes wearing on me.

Friday: Bonfire/Homecoming Soccer Game vs. Wittenberg
This was my favorite part of Homecoming last year and this year. This is the best possible way to meet up with friends, bond with some people with you may not have touched bases with in a while, or to relax watching the bonfire outside and the big screen television inside. Obviously, there were a lot of people showing up. The soccer was a big help to our cause. People would either see the fire on their way to the fire and see what it is about or people would be returning from the soccer game and look for their friends in that area. There was dee jays from Alpha Sigma Phi, Chris Drover and Jerome Bucceri, driving the mood of the bonfire as well as hot dogs and hamburgers for people to eat while enjoying the music and the bonfire. My main job at the Bonfire was to help set up and tear down and to distribute the Homecoming t-shirts. There were so many people requesting t-shirts. I did that for about 90 minutes before I left for the soccer game. I had to go support the Men's Soccer team because there is only one Homecoming soccer game for men. The soccer game was exhilarating and I knew that the men's soccer team were going to win hands down. There were too many fans on our side for us to lose- plus the men's soccer team is just that good. GO BISHOPS!!! After the soccer game, I went to some parties and went to bed a satisfied customer.

Saturday: Pumpkin Run/Black Family Weekend/Homecoming Football Game/Costume Party

Okay. I was probably missing about a third of the events as Saturday is always packed with events. Somehow, I managed to get about two hours of studying in as well. I guess you can say I am a multi-tasker in a way. At 8 in the morning, I jogged over to Selby Stadium to prepare for the Pumpkin Run. Unfortunately for me, I have conditioned myself to adequately prepare for the 5K. I like running and jogging on a new path so I was confident and ready to take it on. I did okay- under 30 minutes- not bad for a guy who has not conditioned in a while. I saw teachers, students, and members of my church running in it so I was happy to see good crowd participation from all aspects of life and occupations.
After getting some fruit, I headed back to my house to shower and change for the Black Family Weekend brunch. The guest speaker was Dr. Naima Johnston, '93. She was also the speaker for the Leadership Conference for Minority Student Orientation for GLCA schools back in August. I saw many families and alumni back for the festivities. Gospelyres sung and Dr. Johnston gave us inspiring words of wisdom to take back to the OWU community. The brunch wasn't bad either.
The program ended around 1 p.m. I headed directly over to see the first set of volleyball, who played Allegheny. I saw the OWU Volleyball team crush their rivals and I had to leave because I wanted to see the announcement of the Homecoming court and if the OWU football were winning against Allegheny. I was delicated to see they were. I voted for people for the Homecoming Court- some of the choices for the court that I selected got the nomination and others didn't. Still, I was happy to see that the stadium was filled to capacity and that people were having a good time. By the way, all of our teams won their matches. Everyone was so stoked after the Football game. If only I had time to breathe last Saturday!
I saw the Lacrosse team in action- more or less in practice with the alumni at 4 p.m. Then I attended the Music department's faculty gala at 5 p.m. in which I got to see my professor, Mr. Hiester in performance mode. I was thrilled to see him perform and even more so my friends that were in attendance. I had to leave near the end of the program around 6 p.m. and I just got the tip of the Minifest Program hosted by Rafiki Wa Afrika. I saw the performance last year so I had an idea of what would be happening. Well, at least I got to eat some of the delicacies.
I went to another lecture at 7:30 p.m. hosted by the Office of Minority Student Affairs. The host: Bakari Kitwana- former editor of the Source magazine. Mr. Kitwana is a hip-hop analyst who studies the role of hip-hop on society. The lecture was about two and a half hours long but the subject was pretty interesting. One of the alumni received a book from Mr. Kitwana but decided against having it. Being at the right place and the right time, I accepted Mr. Kitwana's book: The Hip-Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African-American Culture. Once again, I was ecstatic about the day and I knew that I needed to do more work before I could enjoy the day further.
I did some readings for class on Monday and I put on my costume for the party that was hosted by my fraternity. The house was packed with people and their personas- I had a very good time as I was able to chill out and relax before preparing for church on Sunday.
This concludes my report for Homecoming 2007. I think the events were awesome and I can't wait until this time next year. Seeing the alumni back for a day made my day and the festivities created a lot of attention and buzz amongst everyone. I am so proud of all of the members of the Student Homecoming Organization because you know what... we kicked butt this year. Now that Homecoming is over and exams are soon approaching, I got to get moving on studying and mentally prepared for this next phase in my academic life.



Hustling,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Too much.... just too much.

I am delayed big time on my blog. There was been absolutely no time to update you with my good news. Well, I will just have to make time. Let me backtrack to about two weeks ago where there is a lot of events I did.
After recovering from Mid-Semester Break and grades, I decided to have a little fun. Practically, the week was dedicated to getting away and really enjoying what life in general has to offer. I went to a Corn Maze in Plain City, Ohio with one of my newer organizations, CLEAR. I have never been to a corn field before. I had seen quite a bit of movies that depicted the corn field as the area of danger and the point of no return. There were about 20 of us braving cold weather and the company of being alone in the field. I have passed Plain City before but I knew that the name of the city was the exact nature of the city- a small town with a small population based on rural economy. Upon arriving in Plain City, I was expecting an eerie feeling to creep inside my body. CLEAR members stepped out into the cold, frightful weather and purchased the tickets to enter the festivities. I kept hearing something like a chainsaw in the distance; I was wondering if there are actually a chain-wielding maniac on the run. Personally, I knew that was not the case- I guess I need to stop thinking about Resident Evil 4. Anyway, me and a group of people tested the Corn Maze first. The first part of the course seemed to get people turned around in circles. I think that area took us 15 minutes to figure out the way to get to the next station. Once that area was passed, I flew through the next 5 stations without much action. On station 5, we found a bridge that helped trace me back to the beginning and to the end. I had a glow stick with me so I would not be completely in the dark. Around station 6, my team was split in half. The path branched off into a loop or a somewhat obscure area in which the path disappeared into a mesh of foliage. Me and two other people went through the foliage and quickly navigated through the labyrinth. I knew that I was getting closer to the end because there was a lot more activities. People tried to scare me with their being hidden in the foliage or making themselves camouflaged into the ground. There were three areas that got my adrenaline pumping, though. The first area was when the psychedelic area I was entering became increasingly small until I had to crawl my way out. That is a surprise. Next is the haunted bus, where you can't see 6 inches in front of you and a ghoul pops out of nowhere as a final greeter. I was about to go into self-defense mode. Finally, there was another psychedelic room near the finish near a guy who is lying on the ground in spots matching the floor springs up and catches your attention. Personally, I was glad to get out. The Corn Maze was not that scary but travelling in there makes you conscious of time, especially since we needed to leave the Corn Maze facility by 9:00 p.m. (which did not happen, but I will tell you later).
I enjoyed the rest of the day in the area by watching people attempt to climb a greasy pole (good luck with that in the cold night), feeding goats, and playing old games with just a little competition such as racing and pumping water in a tube to see whose duck will reach the end first. Once again, my camera in absentia but someone took a couple of pictures of me. As I waited for the people who got lost in the corn field to emerge from the darkness, I grabbed some kettle corn and apple cider, along with a picture souvenir. The picture souvenir turns out to be the overview for the corn field- of Rascal Flatts. Now I know why I got turned around so many times. I left Plain City happy and ready to face the weekend.
Saturday morning. Rise and shine: I helped with a Habitat Build Day nearby the OWU campus. That is right: the project started at 8 in the morning. Now for people who are not accustomed to waking up in the morning this may have been a problem. Since I am a morning person usually, I accepted the conditions and put on a jacket to walk over to the site. The task that had to be done during the 4 hour build day was sandblasting (which I did not get a chance to do), digging holes for future construction areas (e.g. steps and sewage disposal), and lining up the amount of gravel so construction could easily smooth cement over the area. This was fun! There were 4 Habitaters but we worked together to get the job completed. Git'er Done!! Reeling from the energy I developed at the Build site, I saw some OWU Volleyball action against Denison. I think this was my first one of the year as I did not have time to stop by at a earlier date.
Sunday: Today was the big day for CLEAR. It was time for our annual FearFest day at Kings Island. I was one of 5 members represented there for CLEAR and of course, we had a good time. I remembered last year's trip and I used that as my inspiration for this year's. We rented a tour bus to accommodate the participants. We used the T.V. on the bus- I took my books and used the time of travel for some valuable study time. Once at Kings Island, we easily retrieved the tickets and let the good times roll. Most of the wait times for rides were either non-existent or a minute amount of time in line. I believe the longest time I had to wait to get on a ride at Kings Island was about 30 minutes. That was awesome; I was not expecting that at all. I had shrimp and fish for my food there, by the way. The CLEAR guys stuck together for the entire 8 hours we were there. We all bonded. Some of the rides we got to ride because of the emptiness of the lines. We were stoked. I got a picture of one of our many expression on the ride. My picture is taken from the newest ride at Kings Island, the Firehawk. You are made to lay down and fly like a eagle once you are in the air. Awesome ride, worth the 30 minute wait. We all left the park at closing time- around 8:00 p.m.
The weekend went off with out a hitch or a serious problem. I am happy and am blessed to enjoy the many events in my life away from OWU. I am overjoyed to be close to catching up to where I should be in posts. Good news for my readers: I am not finished for this event. Expect me to post something about Homecoming 2007 within the next 2-3 days. This serves as my mental note that I publicly said that here. I feel that I am on a roll. Now, I have to get back at a specialization of mine called studying.



Performing service and doing fun things with alcohol respect,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

I feel like I am in a quandary right now

I don't know. There are some days where I think that I can handle anything. I want to go into my classes and answer every question even if it is wrong so I will be able to learn the right answer. I want to go into my organizations and get everyone pumped up about upcoming events. I want to be a force in the community, no matter where it is.
Today is NOT one of those days. The strain of beginning school after Mid-Semester Break and my mid-term reports is starting to wear on me. At times, I feel like I have to be a machine to keep up with the rigorous level of my courses. All of the reading, all of the problem-solving. I know that is all required but sometimes, I get the feeling that some of the courses that I am taking are only going to be used in rare situations. I am not complaining, I am just venting my thoughts. Whenever I do get finished with my work, more work get piled on to me. Well, I guess if I am having a problem with the workload now, then I might be digging my own course if I decide to attend graduate school for higher learning. I realize that grinding through the work and learning the concepts will help me in the long run. All I am saying is that the class scene (unless it is a specialized class like a seminar class) becomes boring to me now that I have experienced the corporate world.
Truthfully, I miss working eight to five, learning about the exquisite ways of Parker-Hannifin. I like having control of the situation and learning how to implement concepts of my class into my work. I miss the interaction between management and myself, the conversations I had with my co-workers, and all of the other experiences I had while I was there in the summer. Don't get me work, I like college life; however, I think that the corporate world may be a better fit for me. The corporate world requires me to be active in my work; moving from area to area was a daily thing for me. The physical and the engineering portions of the problem worked hand in hand together. I felt comfortable taking risks and being unapologetic in making them. Now, I am back at OWU and I feel different in my sophomore than I did in my freshman year. I have experience under my belt, which I think is the most important thing a person can have on their resume.
With the stress of being a full-time student in full effect, I know that academics come first. You may not see me a lot but that does not mean that I am not working and trying to understand the concepts. I know that it is important but I need the social in my life as well. Without the social part of OWU, I would probably not be at OWU right now, typing this blog to you. I need a balance in my life. Working on my majors takes time, but I rather be cheering on the Men's or the Women's Soccer Team, planning Homecoming events, or being a voice on WSCA at a drop of a hat. If you would have asked the high-school version of myself, I probably would have told you otherwise (yes, I was that kind of kid when I was younger). I still am that way- to an extent. Right now, I am going to enjoy life- even if that means I will have to compromise some study time to do so. This may seem selfish in a way but if I don't enjoy life now, I may not get the opportunity to do it later. Try to understand my point of view of how things should be for an individual in college.
I am still in a quandary. On this very rainy Thursday, my day is not the usual Thursday. This is the schedule for today:

8-10 a.m. (right now) - Working at Student Involvement
12 p.m.- President's Council for Racial and Cultural Diversity meeting
1-3 p.m.- Making of Britain (fortunately, my prospectus is delayed to next Tuesday)
3-4 p.m.- Selling Demetri Martin tickets
6-12 p.m.- Pizza Delivery for Black Men of the Future (can you say massive Study Session?)

Luckily, my 10-11:30 a.m. Environmental Alteration class got canceled (although I am bummed that I will not get my paper or my test back until next Tuesday; I actually want to see the final results on both of them). Still, this is my TYPICAL kind of day. Classes, lots of study time while doing organizational stuff, and meetings. Honestly, this week is easy; next week is going to be brutal with tons of reading, work to turn in, and to top it all off, the week of Homecoming is here. This is what I was anticipating. The question now is what will happen to me in the next week and a half. I am tired of the same routine, I think everyone is at this point. Bring on the new classes and activities!




Stay tuned,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

It is 8 in the morning and I have just recovered from mid-terms...mostly.

Well, I know it has been around two weeks since I last posted so I have so much to tell you. I don't have no camera and I have been so busy that I have not bothered anyone to use theirs for the moment. For now, I guess that text will have to work. Just imagine everything I have done and magnify everything times ten. Yes, that has been my two weeks worth of adventure since my last post on the 25th of September.
To start off, I celebrated my 20th birthday last week. The day was October 1 and unfortunately, my birthday fell on a Monday, when the intensity of mid-terms picked up. Personally, I knew that I could not go out to celebrate like how I wanted to. I had to be low-key so I could focus on several upcoming exams. I still celebrated on Wednesday since I was determined to make the most out of my birthday. I prefer to have my birthdays on the down low, having people find out instead of just outright telling them. This way, no one would try to do something that I would regret on a school day like drink before a long day of exams. I have seen this happen where a person would celebrate their birthday when they knew they had exams the next day and show up to class with a hangover. Imagine the consequences.
Coincidentally, my birthday fell on Greek Week. Just a little explanation: Greek Week is when all of the Greeks on campus come together for a week of entertainment, fun, and competition. Greek Week was all of last week. I represented Phi Delta Theta in two of the six events: the Water Balloon Toss and Corn Hole. I am not the most athletic or skilled person in any person; mainly I did the events to mingle with people that went Greek and somehow I lost contact with and to participate for my fraternity. I am all about unity for all Greeks, no matter what race, nationality, or religion a person in a sorority or a fraternity is. Greek Week was fun for me. The events were Chalk the Walk on Monday, Water Balloon Toss and Olive Race on Tuesday, Jello Eating Contest, a cookout and Corn Hole on Wednesday, Dance Off and a Chariot Race on Thursday, and Penny Wars throughout the week. Final results were read last Friday with the eventual winners being Chi Phi and Kappa Alpha Theta. I wasn't bummed about the result; I just wish there was more participation in the Greek community.
Moving on to my world in academia, I have completed four out of five exams. I have received two of the four exams back with my exam for Making of Britain to be returned to me today. I passed the two tests that was given back to me and hopefully I have passed the Making of Britain test despite not planning out how to write two three to four page essays and thirty-five matching choices in less than a hour. I will not dropped the class in the worst-case scenario that I did poorly on the exam; I will just do better the second time around and working intensively on my paper in that class. No excuses, just do the work in that class is what I have to keep telling myself. Now that I have mostly recovered from mid-terms, I have a renewed sense of initiative to continue my studies in these classes and pass the highest grade I think I can achieve. I have to remember that I have a scholarship to keep and a promise to obtain my grades for the corporate world. Environmental Alteration test is on Thursday so I am preparing for that after turning in a sizable twelve page paper. I have to get pumped for this last exam.
Onto another news, I got away from OWU on Friday to visit home...somewhat. I left Friday evening to go do some valuable service with fellow Circle K members. We did what was called a District Service Project- people were split up into five teams and we headed into different areas of Cleveland and its suburbs to focus on a particular structures such as churches and houses of the elderly. I was split up to do service with Circle K's International President, Amanda Badali along with the OWU chapter's President, Sara Nienaber. I like working with them- they are fun but dedicated people to work beside. The team that I worked with consisted on twenty-five people from various parts of Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania. New friendships were made, a person house was rescued and I was happy to help out. The Project was awesome and I hope to do more of this Projects in the future.
I arrived on Saturday, worked on my Exam/Paper for Cultural Geography, and then prepared to help out my organization, Black Men of the Future with our first party. We decided to have a party to promote our organization and to loosen up all of those tense muscles from the exams of last week. The party didn't start to get hot until the midnight, which is usually when parties at OWU really start. The music selection was good even though the sound system felt like it was going in the middle of the party. I saw a lot of unfamiliar faces at the party; someone told me that they were Greeks from Ohio State. Odd that they would be in a small town like Delaware when they always have a live scene in Columbus. Nevertheless, it was good seeing new faces and what they had to offer on the dance floor. I decided to excuse myself from my own organization's party because I had commitments on Sunday; I left around two o'clock a.m. to insure that I would get a good night's sleep.
On Sunday, I did another CropWalk. Last year, I did the CropWalk by myself and I enjoyed running the 10K course through Delaware. This year, as Community Service Chair for Phi Delta Theta, I was not alone in my pursuit to help the disadvantaged. I remember the theme "We walk because they walk" and I think that sometimes people do not appreciate the ability to use their two legs. The CropWalk is the perfect example of demonstrating how we as humans need to help the people who have to walk to get where they are going on a daily basis. I appreciate the CropWalk immensely and for that, I speed walk and jog most of the course.
The last two weeks have been a whirlwind for me- keeping on top of studies, balancing that with fraternity life, balancing those out with obligations for organizations, and trying to just be me all at the same time. Right now, this is working for me and I like this. I feel like I am in control of my life and I am just getting started. I am sitting at the Student Involvement Desk to earn some extra money writing this to you. I have to get this off my chest so writing this is the best way to do so. You, the reader can interpret my words however you like but right now, I am in a good place in my life and I want you to know. Well, I have to go now- I have my Environmental Alteration in ten minutes and I need the time to hike over to the Science Center.




Living life,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

No camera, but I still am breathing

My camera died on me due to the extreme amount of water and moisture my boat for the Scioto River Sweep so for this writing, I will go without it until I can get one from one of my friends. I guess that is the price for being adventurous. I still did a ton of things from then to now so I will just have to explain in detail instead of relying on my pictures to do the talking for me. I hope you will be able to relate without the help of pictures.
This week is the first real challenge for me in terms of academics. The fifth week at OWU seems to be that way. I recently completed my Environmental Alteration paper, a thirteen pager. I still have to check for a never-ending amount of errors and adjustments so my paper does not meet the wrath of the red pen. Oh, how I despise the red pen (everyone does, even if you have a 4.0- you are still going to get red inked). The topic is about environmental sustainability and how to rescue the earth from its own destruction in the hands of human abuse. If this sounds like fun, then Geography should be your major. I also finish my paper for Power of Maps. This was a introduction to finding real and paper maps. I found out some interesting information about Cleveland in the 70's and 80's. Cleveland's past is revealed to me, awesome. My other classes were uneventful in terms of papers or assignments. I have a problem set that I have to turn in on Friday for my Applied Stats class. I better get help to make sure that I know the concepts so that I will not bomb the first exam. I know that I am fully capable of passing that class with a decent grade if I get the concepts down. Now I have to pound that logic in my head to make sure I do this. I know that this class will pick up exponentially come Thanksgiving break (mommy!!) I like the class and having to visualize the problem before I can do the problem. I have a mid-term (already!) for Applied Stats next week, a mid-term for my Power of Maps class on Friday, and a mid-term for my History class (Making of Britain) Thursday. My other class, Cultural Geography is next Friday and personally, I can't wait to start linking comparisons about globalization and neoliberalism to the questions that are given to me. Let me pump it out!!! To keep me sane, I do some Choral Arts to not become bogged down in my written work. Some gospel and classical will do me just fine.
I am involved in a lot of activities. The activities balances out my classes (I have six so I am in a good amount of activities to alleviate the stress that comes from these classes). I am a double (maybe triple) major so I have to take these classes eventually and the activities are not linked to these (I don't want to be thinking about Henry II at lunchtime). Some of the activities I do is Circle K (community service, getting some), Habitat for Humanity (yet another version of community service except with building homes), Campus Programming Board (Demetri Martin in the house!!! Attend the show, OWU students and staff), and the Student Homecoming Organization (leak coming!!! There will be a luau during the Wednesday of Homecoming Week!) These are additions to all of the responsiblities I had last year (remember: SUBA, BMF, WSCA). That is right, I'm back and I am here at OWU to stay, full of the spirit. People at OWU: expect to see me a lot this year. In town, in the streets, in the classroom, even in your room. I am on the residential life committee, believe it or not. RA's and RLC's, thank the WSCA President for that decision, so if you see me in Crider Lounge everyday, now you know why.
Well, today I am very busy. I have Choral Arts at 6:30 and I have to get some sufficient food in my body. Otherwise, I might pass out or fall sleep from lack of nutrition. I also have to continue to work on my Applied Stats homework, due Friday. I am going to the Brown Jug after Choral Arts for a little Wings Night sponsored by the Office of Minority Student Affairs. I have to get prepared.


Carefully testing the winds of college life,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Scioto River Sweep

I have kept myself busy since the end of Orientation almost three weeks. Yeah, it has been that long and I miss the hustle before the actual classes already. This is why I joined the Student Homecoming Organization- to keep the momentum built from my responsibilities at Orientation going during the school year. With five whole credit classes that are not particularly my specialty, I have to work extra hard to understand the material and to do well in the classes. I want to finish on time so I am usually bouncing in between classes, eating, organizations that I am in, and sleeping. I have little down time but when I do have the time, I do other eclectic things.

Next Saturday, I went to the Scioto River to do a little down and dirty work. At 8:00 a.m., I showered and left my house for this huge service project in which I partook in. The commute to get to the Scioto River wasn't long- about ten minutes from campus- and I was excited to be stepping out of my natural element a bit. Before I went to the Scioto, I had to get a donut and a coffee, just to make sure that my nerves were not shot. Around 8:30 a.m., a couple of my fraternity brothers and I headed to the tent that had all of the people anxiously waiting for instructions. I saw the gear we were using such as gloves, bug spray, and tons of bags. I have never cleaned a river before but I knew beforehand that this was going to be an enervating experience.

Earlier in the week, I called the person in charge, Jenifer Day-Young, to reserve some canoes. I was kind of nervous because it has been a while since I canoed anywhere. Fortunately, I was told of the possibility that the Scioto may be very shallow. I accepted this fact and pursued to double check what I wanted to take with me in the canoe. I decided to take my camera even though I think my camera is now affected by the tumultuous trip down the river (I will have to see about that before this week's community service project at Blue Limestone). Anyway, I took only the most valuable items with me to capture some river exclusive images. This way, I would have memories of how environmentally sustainable the rivers of Ohio have become and what message I need to advocate around campus.

My fraternity brothers and I were driven to an even more remote part of town (practically to the middle of nowhere) and we were given a canoe, a life jacket (which I do not believe was necessary considering the depth of the river), and a couple of canoes. We were explained the length of the river and approximately how long it would take to canoe down the river. We were also told where were the critical points we needed to look out for such as bridges and two cones signifying the end of the journey on the river. We proceeded to enter the wrath of the Scioto River. Truthfully, the first part of the river was actually not bad; the river was not that shallow and most of the river was free from debris. When we passed the bridge in Radnor, an area obscure to me but was visibly seen on the map we received in the beginning of the day, that is when the shallow part of the river started to hit us. This section was also the part where we had collected the most debris. This middle section was very tedious but very rewarding as well in a sense. Some of the debris that we collected were tires, televisions, and a huge grill along with obvious items put into our bags (beer cans, beer bottles, rugs, etc.) Around the halfway point, we saw one of the people in charge in ridding the canoes of its debris and we happily handed over the debris to pursue the rest of our canoe ride down the Scioto. The sight of it was abstract but beautiful. Some of my pictures captures the exquisite nature of the Scioto- a close, in-your-face beauty only captured when you are in its path. I am pretty sure Geography majors (and my Geography professors) can agree with this statement.

The last part of the trip was excruciating and exhilarating simultaneously. I guess the fish in that area felt that we were intruding their territory so they proceeded to ram our canoe. One of the fish decided to jump in the canoe, landing in my crotch area. This was relatively uncomfortable for me since fish out of the water are known to flop around a lot. Calmly, I tossed the fish back into the water. That fish seemed to bring a bad omen to the rest of the trip. For a time, we seemed lost since we were the head team in the pack. The river was very walkable near the end so we got out and pushed for the majority of that time. We finally saw a woman with her dog nearing the end of our journey; for reinsurance for not being lost in the Scioto River, we asked where the Main street bridge was. 1200 feet was the reply and feeling tired and weary, we cruised to the bridge, which was there. I had a growing fear that the bridge would not be there and we would potentially be stuck in the Scioto River. I like the beauty of the Scioto but looking at anything for almost four hours can turn off that beauty since you are so weary. We finally found the two red cones on the left on the river and happily greeted the people waiting for us. We unloaded the boat and waiting to dry off a little bit. We left that obscure area around 12:30-12:45 (I don't remember exactly). Back at base camp, there was food awaiting us. Seeing the need to eat again, I grabbed as much food as I could and went back to OWU to shower.

This is my adventure for last week; I know that this was a good experience all around except for the shallow parts of the river. I felt that I was helping the community become environmentally sustainable and economically sound. I also got to do something I never imagined doing. Enjoy the pictures on top of the page, which are a combination of serious and silliness. The van ride to the obscure place was packed and yes, I was sitting on top of three guys the whole way through (4th picture). Images of the Scioto up close and pictures of me and my fraternity brothers. I actually should stop writing now because I have to prepare for four straight hours of hardcore classes and never-ending madness.

Being environmentally sustainable,

Hasani Wheat

Class of '10