Backtracking to August 17- The Day of My Conference

Okay. I admit the last week has been pretty hectic for me but I am almost done and to be honest, I am glad to be facing the books next week. I have already started to work on my stats book to get a feel for it. I am happy for the most part about how Orientation has went down. My Adventure Activities has been successfully engaged by the freshman and the other activities such as the Casino Night and the Scavenger Hunt had a very good attendance rate (believe it or not.) For today, I want to backtrack to how I got started on the road to Minority Pre-Orientation and Orientation. These are the origins to where I am right now.

I went to a leadership conference at Capital University last Friday. I was one of five people from OWU to attend the conference. The schools that were in attendance were Denison, Capital, Otterbein, and us- all members of the Great Lakes Conference Association for private colleges. I met a lot of interesting and engaging people while I was there. The conference focused on how to be an effective leader with your orientation group. Sessions included how to be a mentor to someone who is a transfer or is a freshman. The sessions were pretty interactive where you get to introduce yourself to a person from the other schools. Of course, intermingling was encouraged and me being the social butterfly that I am, went to many different groups to introduce myself. I liked that I was able to move around and be myself rather than being confined into a little corner with the rest of my friends from OWU.

I thought I had built or re-established some rapport with some of the people there. I felt like I was confortable enough to be able to exchange ideas as to how to make our schools improve, as a unit and collectively. I was so happy to attend this conference. Hopefully, this will improve our public relations and maybe, we can get together soon again.

When we left the conference mid-day, the group from OWU and the other schools went to unwind their bodies and minds at Magic Mountain. I was at peace with myself, learning how to play Laser Tag (I was very tired and sweaty after the rounds, I had to calm myself before I commenced other activities), having a pizza buffet, and enjoying the company of others. I heard a lot of things about Magic Mountain and I didn't want to be the one who didn't soak up the excitement and fun of being there in this moment of my life. Once again, we were encouraged not to hang around familiar crowds but to mingle which I did. Watching the joy in everyone's faces was priceless for me.

We left Magic Mountain feeling good about our mission for the Minority Pre-Orientation Program. We had to go to Michael's to buy some supplies for the dorms. We also had to go to Giant Eagle to get food for the morning, where we would meet in the House of Black Culture and start planning who is doing what and how we are going to do it. This would require extensive work and long hours to accomplish this so getting the material and the food needed to survive this was especially critical. Nonetheless, we had fun travelling back to OWU. I just needed to laugh and be myself.

This is the short version of what happened when I started arrived at OWU. This is all of the hard work and help I have put into building these projects. I want to have a big thank you to our new interim director of Minority Students Affairs, Ms. Terree Stevenson for guiding us on this journey to help the upperclassmen prepare for Pre-Orientation. She only was introduced to the job two weeks before the conference but being an alumna of OWU, she picked up everything really quick and helped us out in tremendous ways. From me to you, thank you!

Well, I have to go- I have to help out with the all-campus church event. My church should be there so I need to do some recruiting for that. I also have an Orientation meeting at 1 p.m. and fraternities house tours at 3 p.m. This is another busy for me but when is it not? Enjoy the long, overdue pictures from the trip at the top of the page.

Ready to hit them books,

Hasani Wheat

Class of '10

Welcome to Part I of my Pre-Orientation and Orientation Training and Programs

Wow. Back to OWU already. Seems like summer flew by so quickly. Well, I am back on the grind (somewhat). Currently I am a Minority Pre-Orientation Leader, a regular Orientation leader, and the Senior Orientation Leader of Adventure Activities such as Ultimate Frisbee, Running, Hiking, and other such events. I am so happy that I get the chance to be on campus early so I could organize my room (which, by the way is a single- all mine), get to know all of the freshman before most of the other upperclassmen, and be in peace before that wonderful place called college and all of the work it accompanies. Anyway, I took a good amount of pictures. I tried to get several events as they were unfolding. The events happened in a matter of 36 hours. I decided to make it a colorful 36 hours with these pictures. I will give a brief description of the events. Enjoy!!

The first two pictures consist of The Strand movie theater in downtown Delaware. One of the pictures is of a blank screen. A blank screen is left up to interpretation and my thoughts went wild trying to figure out what type of movie I would be watching. I eventually saw Superbad, which I thought was definitely a teen movie, a true teen movie. I didn't think the movie was bad but a real sense of teens living their lives, a period of exploration, if you will. The other picture is of the interior of The Strand. The Strand seems to attract all types of customers and the interior seems to tell a story of a renovated prizewinner of a small town (which it is). The Strand gives off this sense of majesty and struggle in the same breath. Come to The Strand to get a better understanding!!! I guarantee you it is a good time!!! Time: Monday night before a meeting to discuss one of my events for Saturday- Habitat for Humanity building project. I needed the movie as it was a long day.






I guess that the long day of Monday did not stop me so I propelled myself into Tuesday with a renewed sense of spirit. I changed hats and helped out with Minority Pre-Orientation, the program that gives awareness and critical information to incoming freshman of color. This would lead into an unpredictable and long day as I didn't finish until about 11:30 at night. I started at 7:45 with breakfast. I might as well run down the schedule:

Beginning at 10:00- Welcome from the Administrators
Introduction of the Pre-Orientation Leaders
Icebreakers (ask if you want to know)
A History of Students of color in OWU
The Importance of Maintaining a Positive Attitude
Study Skills
Live, Lead, and Learn
The OWU Experience- Everything from the Clubs to the Classrooms

I lead the Live, Lead, and Learn session, facilitating a question and answer session with Debra Lamp, who is also the Director of Student Involvement and Orientation. The questions from the audience was interesting for incoming freshmen. They just don't know though. They will get their answers and a lot, lot more. GUARANTEED!!!

I have a couple of pictures here: the first two pictures is from the presentation of Maygen Hall and Nick Oteng, President of the Student Union on Black Awareness (SUBA) and President of Rafiki Wa Afrika, respectfully. Their presentation showed the history of students of color on the campus of OWU. For me, I was reintroduced to some history on OWU that I must have forget. I know that sounds horrible coming from me (a student of color and a History major) but I was extremely happy when the topic of the first Black OWU graduate, Olive E. Day, was discussed wholeheartedly. I don't like forgetting my history especially in an area that I should be particularly connected with. What did I do: relearned it and gained knowledge to tell to people that come in after me. To me, this makes perfectly logical sense. The second photo is telling information about the House of Black Culture. Yes, the House of Black Culture is a safe haven for a lot of people on campus. It also serves as an educational tool to those who want or don't want information about issues in the Black community. I love being in the House of Black Culture even though I don't live there. The house is a comfort zone for me. I can focus on my goals without distraction being in there.

The other set of pictures consist of Patrice Murphy and Kenny Williams. They were discussing maintaining a positive attitude in everything: grades, progress, workload, social settings, the whole nine yards. I liked the presentation; it was clear what the purpose of the PowerPoint was and very easy to make your own jugment with. I was also happy with the interactive session I had with my group. We discussed all types of situation where you had to maintain that positive attitude. That's right- in the face of adversity. If you want more information about the session of maintaining a positive attitude, see the quote on the second picture. Then, once again, you can make your own interpretation of what I am telling you. I won't get winded discussing the nooks and crannies so I will intentionally cut myself short.

The last set of pictures shows where the freshmen and the upperclassmen (along with the Director of Minority Student Affairs, Ms. Terree Stevenson and a couple of other people that I either knew or became acquainted with that are not freshmen or upperclass students) had dinner. We went to the Brownstone on Main Street in Columbus (about a 30-35 minute drive from OWU). Last year was a memorable experience. People really got to know the real Hasani Wheat (not that I became unruly or rowdy). What I mean is that everyone got to see my inner most antics. This year was no different except that instead of pie eating, it was picture taking. I took a ton of pictures but I am only going to show a couple. I will explain each in detail.

The window on the second floor of the Brownstone had a great scenic view. I loved peering out of the window and looking at the skyline surrounded by tall, illustrious building. I like buildings standing tall especially in the nighttime. A beautiful and splendid sight.
I decided to take an outside picture confirming that I went to be at the Brownstone. Just a couple of things about the Brownstone. The Brownstone is an African American restaurant that happens to be upscale and strict about its dress code (no jeans, no shorts) yet it is very comfortable. It is preferable that you bring a good amount of friends to make the experience better. To the right, you can see me and my good buddy, Corey Turner, posing for the camera, throwing up that famous BMF hand symbol. This nevers goes out of style, people. Believe that! I have other pictures but unfortunately, I decided to not use all of them. Seriously though, it was a great time. My food choice: Brownstone salad, Chicken Florentine, and some good ol' cheesecake. The cheesecake was so good, I bought a piece back to OWU.

The Brownstone experience ended approximately at 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday night on August 21. However, the night was not over; immediately afterwards, Nick drove myself and a couple of the new freshmen to Columbus International Airport to pick up another student (he's not new to OWU, so no, he is not a freshman). These 36 hours were filled with inside information and a lot of planning and executing on my behalf as well as my friends. I have gained new memories- these will be near and dear to me. I can't explain how greatful I am to be involved in these projects. I am so ecstatic right now. Well, I have to continue planning for the next part- regular Orientation and my project- due on Saturday. I am a little nervous but I am almost done so I am thrilled.




Living my Fresh Experience,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

An Urban Experience- Karl's Barber Shop

Well, it looks like we have got ourselves another legitimate post here. Yesterday, I decided to take my camera out and go to an area that I have acquainted myself very well with over the past year and a half. I decided to go to Karl's Barber Shop. This is a place where I have been attending since I was a senior in high school. I figured that since I was going back to OWU in a couple of days, why not get spruced up and fresh before I go. The other reason I decided to get a haircut before I went back down to OWU is that I can get the urban experience of people in my neighborhood at a reasonable price. This is what makes Karl's Barber Shop a pleasant place to be.
Let me share some background I have recently found out. Karl's Barber Shop is THE oldest Black business on Lee Rd. Founded 43 years ago by Karl Thomas, the barber shop has became the cornerstone for good haircuts and good times. Centered in the middle of the Lee-Harvard Shopping Plaza right by my alma mater, John F. Kennedy, it serves all customers, young and old. I was going to another barber in the area for my first three years at J.F.K. but I was bored with the same old environment and the lack of business so I started to migrate to other businesses in the neighborhood. I went to a couple of barbers that charged more than what I was expecting so I decided to try out Karl's Barber Shop. A couple of my friends were regulars at Karl's and I gave it a try. A couple months later, I started to become a regular at Karl's myself. Karl's Barber Shop is the quintessential place to get a decent hair cut and much more. Karl's Barber Shop is now run by Karl's sons, Jeff and Gary Thomas and it is thriving as much today as it was back when it first opened. Lately, Karl's has been receiving rave reviews in magazines such as Cuttin' Up in Cleveland, which is posted inside Karl's Barber Shop. I don't have the full editorial but just to give you a little tidbit of information, the editorial tells of the purpose of Karl's Barber Shop and comments from Jeff and Gary Thomas about a little bit of everything from advice to comments from their experience and commitment of cutting hair in the Lee-Harvard area.
This camera shot was taken by me from the chair of Jeff Thomas. I was waiting for Jeff to start on my hair so I took a quick snap. This is what I got: the standard pictures of the hairstyles that Karl's Barber Shop uses on its customers. Some are quite simple and others are more specialized- this is all up to the customer and Jeff or Gary will give you that style. Normally, I get a bald fade with a lineup. This time, I asked Jeff to do the same thing but make it a little shorter since I don't want my hair to be the same way in two weeks or less. This way, I will not have to spend a lot of money in Delaware. Obviously, there are mirrors in the back so you can triple-check your hair (this is after they give you a mirror to personally check while you are in the chair). Usually, there are tons of people wanting to get a hair cut so it takes a while sometimes to get to your hair. Sometimes, you might have to make reservations just to get a seat. Hey, Karl's Barber Shop has very good service- no complaints, ever.
The reason I say Karl's Barber Shop gives me an true representation of the urban experience is because that I can walk in the shop and listen to a real, educational experience about any topic whether it is in regards to the educational system in Cleveland, the institutional system of prisons and health care, real estate, sports, the list goes on and on. All kinds of people come around to just discuss issues with other people. I see many people I know- I just saw a guy who went to my old middle school and I have not seen him in four years! A month before, I was talking to this guy who went to CSU and was majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He overheard me talking about my job at Parker and coincidentially, he was trying to get his foot in the door at Parker. At Karl's, you never know what who you are going to meet and conversate with in the course of two or three hours. Everything is unexpected but a good unexpected. I feel that Lee-Harvard needs more businesses like Karl's Barber Shop not just because of the business but the feeling of what around other people to whom you can relate your business and issues to.
Karl's Barber Shop also has its own unique personalities. The barbers, Jeff and Gary, are unique kind of guys and they always bring their own flavor to a conversation. They know this area like the back of their hand. Jeff knows all about being an John F. Kennedy Eagle and listening to his stories about playing for J.F.K football is always very interesting. I always find myself in the middle of a good, heated debate from Jeff and some of the other customers about certain hot topics (gay marriage and the dress code issue in our schools, anyone?) By hearing both sides-young and old, I can usually make my own analysis of a situation. Seriously, where can you be a participant in a good ol' debate and not be criticized by your beliefs. Only at Karl's. Good haircuts, good advice, good people.
I wanted to bring to you, the reader, the urban side of things before I went back to small town Delaware on Thursday. I think it is important not to forget the little things in our lives that make us who we really are and to share with others why these things are important to us. I grew up living in an urban environment and I will never forget that- this will be embedded in my brain for the rest of my live. I am glad that I am an urbanite and that I can share Karl's Barber Shop with you. That institutions such as Karl's is not sensationalized like it is on the silver screen. These institutions are real and they are here to stay. I am embracing my culture and my environment. You should too.




Bringing you the real side of things,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Enjoying my last full week of work

Well, like the title says, I recently completed my last full week of work. On Tuesday, I had to present my fifteen weeks of work to a body of people at Parker-Hannifin. Needless to say, this was a defining moment in my tenure at Parker. The presentation that I have to give at Parker was a defining moment because this gave me access to all of Parker's employees in the Information Technology department. This included the CIO and several other key executives that could make me into the next big thing or could break me into being "one of the average people who are employed here." I certainly wasn't aiming for the latter in this presentation. I felt that I performed well enough on the job that it would show in my presentation. I had my basic information about myself (name, school, year, major), my interests at school (activities I am heavily involved in), a synopsis of my job title and a short description of what it entails (serves as a "how much did you really learn in your position during the summer"), what have I learned, my future goals, and my thank you section (for the people who really had a hand in molding me on the job). I also had a time requirement on my presentation since there were six other presenters to prove themselves that they are Parker material. Personally, I was in the zone so I didn't focus on how many people were in the auditorium- there were quite a few but I was so into my presentation I didn't focus on them until after the applause. I did a seven minute presentation which I had to practice in order to get down the time. The whole session was an hour in length with an acknowledgment by the CIO at the end. We finished without a hitch and went back to work until rush hour started around 5:00 pm.

The rest of the week was uneventful... until Friday came through. Friday was once of those true bonding times between interns and the regular employees. This is where I had brought my camera. Let me go through my picture in order of the time taken:


At lunch, me and two other interns in the IT area happen to run into each other. I was in the back when the help desk intern asked me if I wanted to go get something to eat. I had been working for almost five hours and of course, I told him, YES!!! As we were walking to the cafeteria upstairs, we ran into another intern, who is helping out the server support station. He asked if we were hungry and we said yes. He told us about this sushi place and we all decided to try it out. The place was only five minutes from the location of our job so it was convenient for everyone. The place is to the right of this text. Otani's is a Japanese sushi place where there are two options of cuisine: traditional and hibichi (grill). We were hungry but realized we had little time to enjoy ourselves since we all had to be back by 1:00 pm. We chose the traditional style since this way was a lot quicker. I decided to splurge since it was our last week together- I ordered eight huge sushi with shrimp and salmon toppings on it. The other two interns ordered smaller portions. We all talked about our experiences at Parker and the anticipation we feel going back to our respective schools. Wow, it doesn't feel like I will be going back to OWU in 5 days.

Three hours later, Charlie Kadowaki, the intern who worked the Help Desk, said his goodbyes to his team and I left with him to go to my favorite restaurant, The Melting Pot. My first choice, Benihana's, wasn't open until 5:30 pm and neither of us had time to wait. I reserved a spot for The Melting Pot around 5:00 pm. I decided to take a picture of Charlie in front of the building because it was a good day and I have not had a chance to take a picture of the Parker facility. Right now, it is under construction but it is for a great cause for Parker. I can't wait to see the final product of the Parker facility when I return last summer.

We arrived at The Melting Pot after being stuck in traffic (due to the flooding caused by a horrific storm and the usual early rush hour traffic). I wanted to flaunt The Melting Pot and why not now at the end of a work week! I introduced him to the way The Melting Pot does things and of course, the person taking the order was entertaining and engaging... the way I like things, you know. Something felt a bit odd- there are no ambience. That was fixed automatically as someone noticed this and changed the light fixture to suit the mood in the restaurant. There is another sample of the mood it created to the right. A little eerie and a bit nostalgic, the glasses of wine was kind of cool and psychedelic. I noticed this immediately and pointed this out to Charlie. He liked the mood and the environment of The Melting Pot. Mission partially accomplished.
There was nothing to do except to wait for the food. This time, I had help eating the absolutely awe-inspiring food. The list of food goes something like this:

Cheese Fondue: Cheddar cheese with Granny Smith Apples, Pimpernickel Bread, and vegetables.
Salad: Caesar- can't go wrong with a Caesar's salad.
Entree: Duck, lamb, pork, chicken, shrimp, and pot stickers- just right, not spicy at all. Served with squash, mushrooms, and potatoes. YESSSSS!!!!
Dessert: The best part of the meal. Marshmallows, pound cake, cheesecake, pineapples, bananas, and an extra helping of strawberries which I got because I love strawberries so much especially dipped in that white chocolate fondue. Ooooohhhhh!!!!! See the picture of the right of the screen. This picture does not give the dessert at The Melting Pot enough attention. If you crave desserts, please turn away now!

The second part of The Melting Pot, which is the food, satisfied Charlie and I so much, people. I can tell you that the experience was memorable and one Charlie Kadowaki will not likely forget in a while. Mission accomplished, baby!

After dinner, I parted ways temporarily with Charlie- I can still connect with him through Facebook. I walked through Legacy Village and left to go to Cleveland Heights to go home for the night. Before I did that though, I contemplated the day with reflection on top of a glass structure overlooking the downtown portion of Cleveland Heights. Many questions blazed through my mind. Was Parker worth it for the summer? Is Parker the only job and possibly career I will ever need? Is this experience a dream? Will my degree turn out to be useful once I settle down with Parker? Will I be able to recruit people deemed more skilled than I was at Parker? As I look into the horizon, I wonder those questions. Questions I do not currently have the answer for but yearn to seek them out? Only time will provide those answers to these all too important questions? However, I know one thing: Parker has forever made an impact in my heart and the experience I earned this summer is invaluable. I will not forget this summer and I will cherish the people who have given me the opportunity to prove myself and make myself, a city guy, known throughout the realms of corporate America. I will forever grateful for those people and for the skills I have learned there. I have become stronger and more knowledgable about the corporate environment and about my capabilities as an employee and as a man. I thank you all for your support.




Blessed by the Holy Spirit and the people He brought to guide me,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Enjoying the palace that is The CheeseCake Factory

Welcome back to other edition of Good Times and Eats by your food and restaurant connoisseur, Hasani!



I would just like to say that I love food and going to The Cheesecake Factory on a Friday afternoon after work was so rewarding. I was thinking to myself that if I stopped by some of the restaurants that I have acquainted myself with over the past couple of years, I would be a happy person before I made my journey back to OWU. I guess working over forty hours a week tends to do that to you. I treated myself to The Cheesecake Factory after surviving another outing at Parker.

To show you what The Cheesecake Factory actually looks like, I took some pictures to leave your mind in a state of amazement and shock. The first picture to the right captures the image as I walked through the front door. Stated simply on the building, The Cheesecake Factory has its intended purposes. The Cheesecake Factory is a great social place to hang out, meet up with friends, and just to relax from the reality of the day. The Cheesecake Factory works as a restaurant for those individuals that want to sit down and enjoy their time with their loved ones or their co-workers, as a bakery where you can call in an order to take back to work with you or to enjoy in the comfort of your own home, and as a bar, where you never know what is going to happen when you gather with friends to enjoy a couple of drinks and a good pro sports game. Yesterday, I did the restaurant option since I was by myself and wanted to enjoy the day by not being at work or at home. By the way, I think the design that you see there in the picture is based on the carrot cheesecake since the color is orange. I might be wrong but it is just an assumption.

I believe that you can gain a feel for the restaurant just by the ambience of the environment. A perfect place to capture the mood and the ambience of a restaurant is believe it or not is in the restroom area. The Cheesecake Factory has an immaculate restroom area. When I saw it when I visited it the first time three years ago, the restrooms caught my eye. The appearance of the restroom told me that I was going to spend a good amount of money in that restaurant. There was no unwanted spills or messes in the restroom, just a room with jazz music and an ambience that displays the quality of the entire restaurant. I just found this aspect of The Cheesecake Factory interesting.

As you tour farther into The Cheesecake Factory, you notice little things that seem to pop out at you. I happened to look up and the ceiling is painted in a very artistic manner. I could not get an exact picture of what the ceiling was trying to represent but the painting was very catchy. I could try to link it to what the theme of the restaurant was trying to tell me. The Cheesecake Factory is very much like a palace, just look at the picture to the right. I think that The Cheesecake Factory seems Egyptian or Indian in its appearance and theme, even though they do not have any specialized food that would say that it is Egyptian or Indian. You tell me if these images are Egyptian or Indian.














I am not exactly what the history of The Cheesecake Factory is but the images in the restaurant make me wonder what are its origins. Being in The Cheesecake Factory is almost like traveling to other country with its scenery scattered throughout the restaurant.

On to the food. I had a really good time at The Cheesecake Factory- a lot better than The Melting Pot, I must say. I wasn't good bad after the food, mainly because I didn't mix spicy with sweet and bitter food items. This time around, I managed to get an appetizer, entree, and dessert at the same time instead of taking appetizers and entrees at one place, stop to take a break, and then go to Ben and Jerry's to make up for it. For my meal at The Cheesecake Factory, this is a rundown. For my appetizer, I had four crispy taquitos (you know the rolled up taco that Taco Bell always advertises through its commercial of that guy enticing the two Kenyan runners during a marathon) with guacamole, sour cream, and salsa as my sides. My entree was a combination- steak diane and crusted herb salmon. This was a good meal served with some garlic mashed potatoes. With my authentic, pure orange juice, I was ready to chow down and make the most of this meal. The picture may be misleaded to some viewers; the amount of food on the plate is not as much as you may think it is (even though I was pretty full after finishing it). For dessert, I had to get it since I am in The CHEESECAKE factory. I contemplated and anguished over which cheesecake to get- over forty variations of extravagant cheesecake did not make my decision any easier. My server (who I had a pleasant conversation with throughout my time there) came over and helped me pick one. I settled for something new- Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake. Sounds like a mouthful, huh? Well, it is but a pleasing one. Topped with Butterfinger and Reese's crumbles on a smooth chocolate crust and a peanut butter filled cheesecake, the thought of it made my mouth water and my hunger for cheesecake crave for more once I finished it. I was totally full but was wanting more. What can I say; it is a fabulous eating experience and would do it again in a split millisecond!

I will leave you with some final thoughts. Sometimes, to get the best, you have to splurge. Although I didn't spend as much as I spent at The Melting Pot last week, the three course meal was considerably affordable for me, expensive for some other individuals. I encourage you to splurge on things that you really want but be reasonable when you do. Don't get yourself into bankruptcy or debt pursuing that little red corvette you see but don't be afraid to make an investment plan to eventually get it. This is just an example by the way. Right now, I am living life the way it should- not in crisis but in enjoyable fashion.




Sopping up life,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10