This Week in WCSA

This week was very busy for the members of the Wesleyan Council for Student Affairs. We had a short full body meeting in Ham-Wil discussing the upcoming student trustee dinner and the residential life town hall meeting about Delaware Police. This brief meeting briefly touched base on these issues and created much anticipation amongst the students. This was our first meeting and everyone had an idea of what they were going to say at the dinner this past Friday.

To the right, you will see a list of what members of WCSA want to see for this semester. One of the ideas of WCSA that we discussed in the fall was to increase our ability and our ideas to the community more. We are elected by the people so they have a right to know from their representatives what the deal is with certain situations especially those situations that could potentially affect the entire student body. A safer OWU is critical to the retention rate and overall satifaction of the school. A more cohesive community guarantees a stronger bond towards the goal of graduating from OWU. Celebrating diversity is something I take pride in and probably would not be here if it was not for the possibility of strengthening my mind about diverse environments. Sometimes, diversity is not appreciated so WCSA can be the mediator between these diverse groups and the general population. The last point- increased participation by the campus and more support from the faculty is key to establishing a genuine relationship to the harmony of this campus. There has been instances where faculty and students may not get along and not being able to remedy the situation by walking away, talking to other teachers in that field, or dropping the class, the student may feel slighted when he or she receives a final grade. If this occurs, then WCSA should be able to step in and help in any way possible. Also, if teachers tell students about an event (whether that is social or otherwise), then the student will be able to support the class more because they understand the scope of the class that much more.

The meeting is outlined here at a board in the main office in Ham-Wil. The budget requests was few; however, there was a huge request coming from the SpringFest act that will be performing here in the Spring. I will talk more about the Town Hall Meeting in the next paragraph. The same with the student trustee dinner. Finally to end the brief meeting, we discuss when and where next meeting will be held with the addition of new committee times (because of the switch in people's classes conflicting with the old time as well as the switch with new members in some areas).

On Wednesday, I was a busy man. I think that was an understatement. Supposedly, I had to attend to four things at the noon time right after class. I was only able to do two (I am not Superman). I had to go to a community service roundtable for more information about new projects for the Spring semester. I am still Philanthropy chair for my fraternity so I had to be there. I also had to attend the mandatory Residential Life Town Hall Meeting which focused on "Should Delaware Police have swipe cards to access the OWU dorms?" This session was controversial. Some residents think that this decision will infringe upon a person's privacy. The buzz is still heard in the air on campus today. I will leave the debate open on this blog. What do you think?

Finally, the Student Trustee dinner. On a level of importance, I would say that this is WCSA's biggest event. The President's Ball was big but there was no measure of seriousness that pertains to the event. For the dinner, everything was formal and of course, I was about business. There were many questions that I got answered and other questions that were still debated after the conclusion of the dinner. Before the dinner started, there was a chance to hang around to meet the new President, Rock Jones. I talked to a lot of trustees at the reception that shared their input about life in general, the campus life, majors, careers after OWU, teachers, Greek Life, and much more. I meet trustees, young and old, and we mingled. I saw our old friend, the former WCSA President, Marie Rymut, back in top form. At the reception, whoever I saw, I grabbed and talked to.

At the dinner, I was assigned to a table. Unknowingly, the table I was assigned to had FIJI alumni there. With Phi Delt and FIJI being rivals and all, I started to see what I would get out of the conservation. Our conversation was pleasant and I answered any and all questions respectably. I like when people pick my brain about Greek life and I get that feeling from the alumni that are Greek as well. No worries there. I pushed play on the camera that our Vice President, Joey Yost, set up earlier and the speeches began. First, our treasurer, Ben Owen, spoke about diversity and know it impacted him in the four years he was there at OWU. I felt that it was an impassioned speech and that it was genuine. Considering all of the organizations and committees that support the rights of diverse groups on campus, I know that he was genuine. Next on the program was Joey Yost, who had the longest and the best speech of the night. His piece was entitled "This is Where We Call Home." He talked about how students come to OWU in their years here as well as recalling how fast time flies, relating to his own experiences as a senior on his way out. As a politics and government major, I knew that Joey was a good speaker but I always felt that he was the behind-the-scenes guy, helping WCSA President, Tricia DiFranco, and giving his opinion on certain issues. On Friday, I saw the other side of Joey and to be frank, I liked the fact that he was sincere about why he and others call OWU home, now and forever. To cap things off for the speakers, the current President of WCSA, Tricia DiFranco, spoke more along general terms. I know that I did not take a picture of her but I cannot get it all everytime. Tricia basically informed the crowd that there was a lot of progress done by WCSA and that with the trustees' help, more progress will be bestowed among the OWU campus. Her speech was short and sweet (I know that people had things to do so it was probably better for everyone). At the end of the dinner, Tricia invited the OWtsiders to perform for the trustees. They sung California Dreamin' and OWU Alma Mater. I felt that the performances fit the theme of the student/trustee dinner almost perfectly.

Before we all headed our separate ways, members of WCSA took a couple of group photos. I am in it- I have on a red suit. I wonder how I compare in this photo to last year's photo. The suit or the hat? Anyway, I talked to a couple of people as I began to walk out of the Benes Rooms. One of those people happened to be the new President, Rock Jones. I did not get into deep, specific questions this time. I just shot the breeze with him to get a feel of how he liked the dinner and life at OWU. Overall, I felt that I accomplished what I needed to do there. I got my questions answered (most of them) and learned a lot more than when I came in earlier in the afternoon. The food was good, the speeches were great, the conversation with the trustees was diverse and dynamic, and the camera I was running played perfectly. Everything went smoothly- as expected.

Embracing the Alma Mater,

Hasani Wheat

Class of '10

Second Sole

I decided to do my blog today on Second Sole, which is a sports store in Delaware that I have grown fond of in my time here at OWU. I have stopped in the store on plenty of occasions and the store has me convinced that the items that are sold are of the best quality. Sure, most of the products are not the brand names that a lot of athletes and people in general are looking for such as Nike, Adidas, or Reebok, however, the brands of products Second Sole does sell is effective. When I was a freshmen, I remember looking for a store that was in town that specialized in gear that would be effective whenever I would run in a 5K race in the cold or in the heat. I was curious and I saw that the sponsor of the Homeracing 5K race was Second Sole and that Second Sole was in town. I went there and have given my business to them whenever I need to update my athletic gear.
To the right, this is one of the brands that Second Sole specializes in, Mizuno. I like the Mizuno brand, especially with the shoe products. My first pair of running shoes when I arrived in Delaware were Mizunos. When the advertisement says, "Serious performance," it means serious performance. These kind of shoes work for many weather conditions and running through obstructions. For me, these shoes would be perfect for a European style 5K such as the Run-a-Muck competition Second Sole sponsors every year. The shoes are durable and are made to handle tough conditions such as ice, mud, and other conditions that are made to tear up and destroy regular running shoes. There are several such brands that do not stand out and are somewhat underrated in terms as its name brand. However, if people give the merchandise a change, they will be very surprised at the results with comfort and the durability. I have shirts, shoes, and pants that I have felt really comfortable with.
This is a picture of one of the advertised events that is shown throughout the Second Sole store. This advertisement states that there was a 10K in Columbus and the event celebrated its 25th anniversary. There are many events that I can either find out through the Second Sole newsletter, picking up one of the papers for a particular upcoming race in Delaware or Columbus. I can also inquire with one of the store owners for more detailed information. I also most of the cross-country and track teams, both male and female. I like that there is so much information in my hands and that I can promote awareness to people on campus.
This is a window shot of the store. I chose to take the picture outside because the store has a lot of variety and I wanted a picture that was as selective as possible. This window shot shows a lot of variety for the store from hats, stores, tops, bottoms, and much more. There is a lot of advertisement (at least for me). I know quality when I see it and Second Sole definitely has quality in its merchandise. I do not have money to purchase any merchandise as of right now but I still have the ability to window shop to get a feel of what I want when I buy merchandise the next time I go to Second Sole. You may not be convinced at the merchandise I show in this window shot but if you are, then imagine the variety in the store.
One last note. I got to know the owners of Second Sole quite well, especially Jerry Nevius. I get discounts on merchandise and all of the information that I want to know about tools for running and upcoming events. I am so glad I have a good relationship with the owners. I really got hooked when one of my fraternity brothers referred me to Second Sole since he was a runner for the track team. I feel so happy every time I walk out of there holding a new edition of Mizunos or thermal wear. This way, I know that I will be ready whether there is a challenge run for the day or even when I am training myself in the Wellness Center or Edwards Gym. I cannot wait to go back into Second Sole and buy athletic necessities for myself.





Loving local organizations,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Looking at an academic Bible

Yes. I said it. I am currently viewing an academic Bible- an OWU catalog, that is. I had to realize that the catalog is probably the best thing a student at OWU can possess. I am looking at the information inside and see all of this information. At first, it is overwhelming especially if it your first time viewing the catalog. Once you know what the contents are and how you can use the information to your advantage, then viewing the catalog is not a problem. Someone who graduated last year told me that "the OWU Catalog is like your academic Bible" because of the information to allow you to view all of the requirements you have to fulfill in many different areas. By learning this, you gain knowledge and ultimately, the wisdom to succeed at Ohio Wesleyan. I am so glad that I have the catalog at my disposal.
Upon arriving at OWU, I knew that the course load I would have to take would be rigorous. However, I did not know the standards of each major and the requirements it takes to finish with that major. I just knew what the brochure told me about the requirements. I did not know that some of the majors were as time-consuming as they are. For instance, when I first looked at Computer Science before taking my first class, I was happy at the detail of the courses they offered. Little did I know, you had to be persistent about the courses you take. For a Computer Science, it is either you take everything in a certain period of time (e.g. CS 110, Fall Freshmen year, CS 210, Spring Freshmen year, CS 255, Fall Sophomore year, etc.) or be a semester or worse, a year behind schedule of graduating. For other courses, like History, there are no prerequisites for most courses and the time schedule to take the courses is a lot more flexible. Learning that startled me because this was the first time I had seen a difference in two majors. It turns out that the Science and Math courses are top-notch in its difficulty and are not as flexible as I thought it would be. I realized this after I completed Calculus I and did not see a flexible schedule in Math until I looked in the Catalog and saw that you had to complete Calculus II in order to branch out in Multivariable Calculus and Discrete Math. Seeing that gave me an intense feeling in my stomach. I did not panic. I just studied the catalog to find out more opportunities.
The benefit to me as a Junior status student is tremendous. As a triple major in History, Geography, and Urban Studies, I saw how all of these studies combined itself into something I could see myself doing in a couple of years. Many people talk about how History will not help you earn a creditable job after you graduate. I decided to pair up History with Geography after the success of my Physical Geography class in the Spring last semester. Even though I would not be taking any more Computer Science classes while I am at OWU, I learned that Geography had an interesting Geographic Information Systems program in which captured my heart rather quickly. I could use my Geography skills with the extensive writing that I learned for my research projects for History classes. None of the classes were compatible since they are two separate majors. However, one day I was looking at the catalog and I saw another course that would benefit me in the long run. Urban Studies combined the Geography and History classes that I transferred in to OWU and took while I was here and gave those courses a practical use for a career after my time at OWU. Now I will be taking courses I only dreamed of such as courses in Chemistry and Philsophy. All of this can (and probably will be fulfilled) very soon; most of these courses also goes towards my distribution requirements. An example of this would be Environmental Ethics covers my last Humanities requirement and my Environmental Chemistry covers my last Natural Science requirement. See how everything works together and in favor of a triple major and possible a minor in something? No wonder there are so many double majors at OWU.
I would like to go through some of the benefits and information with you. The Academic Procedures section is beneficial to every students that attends or is thinking about attending OWU. This section provides information about school traditions such as Homecoming, gives incoming students details about how to become exempt from introductory classes (given scores on AP, SAT, or ACT tests), what to do for registration and the limits of being a part or a full time student, the grading system (which freaked the juniors and seniors of last year out and can really make or break an individual), what does certain grades and letters tell you (there is more to it than A,B,C,D,F,S,and U), what to do if you are on Academic Probation, the classification of students (Yeah, 19 credits for me!), how to achieve Honors or something like Cum Laude, requirements for your degree including how to earn your Writing Across the Curriculum (R) credit, your Cultural Diversity (V) credit, and your Quantitative Reasoning (Q) credit, the requirements toward your major and graduation, your distribution requirements in Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Humanities, and Arts, how to plan for a bachelor's/professional degree, information about off-campus trips during the school year and the summer (which I am thinking about), and apprenticeships/internships. This is a lot, I know but no one said college would be easy and the requirements toward classes, majors, graduation are just one small thing in a microcosm of aspects in college.
The next section is all of the majors and their classes. I was sure to acquire the 2007-2008 to see if there were any major changes in the schedule for me. There were a few but I was not sure because of the classes are under investigation (particularly in Geography). That is why after consulting the catalog, I went to see my academic advisor and the Urban Studies advisor to see what may or may not change. I probably would not have detected the possible changes if there was no catalog to refer to. As of right now, my requirements for the three majors are on track and for History, regarding I do well in my classes for this semester, I will be way ahead of the pack.
Near the back of the book, there is information about the cost to attend OWU, how to obtain financial aid, and other miscellaneous fees which will hit you once you have matriculated into OWU. One resource that may be overlooked by parents and students is at the back of the catalog where the listing of teachers is located. (Faculty of Instruction, it states at the top of the page). If you look closely, you will see a notation something like (L-1). This denotes which faculty members will be gone for a certain amount of time. (L-1) indicates that that faculty member will be on leave for the first semester. This is important because if the student knows that the class they have been planning to take will not be available for that year, that students will be able to plan an alternate approach to his or her degree without a problem. I did not realize this until the middle of spring semester of last year. Now that this wisdom has sunk in, I can plan accordingly and be happy with my professor and the course beforehand (hopefully).
Again, I know that this is a lot of information but I think you will be happy in the long run that I told you this. Hopefully, this message will find its way to many people and people can learn this information. Think of it as a first assignment to prepare for the rigors of college academically and even emotionally. This will save you a lot of time and money. This catalog serves as a what-to-do in case of this incident happening scenario, the best and the worst case, that is. Use this catalog by acquiring knowledge along the way through the college experience. Trust me, this will be the best move you have done in your four years here.




Cataloging,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

I wonder how many people read the OWU magazine.

I decided to write about the OWU magazine for this entry because the magazine arrived at my house and I thought I would like to share my thoughts on it. The theme of the magazine for the Winter edition is "The Faces of Leadership." Throughout the entire magazine, there are examples of leadership from students, faculty, and alumni alike. They are the innovators and the people who I see often on campus and have input in how OWU is being run or how they motivate other people in their skills whether that is verbally or physically. I think everyone who comes to OWU came to the campus because of one main thing: the opportunity to develop one's self into something bigger and better. Eventually, these people who graduate from OWU realize that it is important to give back to the college campus that have granted them so much in experience and development in all assets of their lives. I knew that alumni were the foundation for a lot of things to happen on the OWU campus but this Winter edition (as well as the Fall edition which showcase the generosity of giving by OWU alumni) shows current students, prospective students, parents, faculty, and the administration that the work and the commitment of creating a better life at OWU.
On the cover page, you see pictured Evan Corns and Patricia Belt Conrades. Most may recognize Patsy Conrades as one of the donors (along with her husband) to the Science Center. Many of you may have heard the name Evan Corns because of the contribution he gave to OWU in October. I do not personally know the two but their names are synonymous with helping OWU thrive. I read the article in the magazine and I was enlightened about the direction that is taken towards the comprehensive campaign by the two. I will not get into my innermost feelings about the campaign as I know students are concerned since they are the ones that will be here at OWU when the first moves are made from the campaign. I know have a couple of questions- just out of curiosity for myself.

• For me, it is obvious that the pair care for OWU and its future with their past endeavors. I think a growing question particularly with students in their junior and sophomore is is that "Will we be able to see the products and the results of where the money is going?" When I leave OWU in 2010, I want to be able to see something rather than an empty promise. I think this is reasonable for me to say.
  
• I know that fundraising and mini campaigns are on the horizon. As a representative of the people at OWU by way of an at-large member on WCSA and initiative such as the President's Council on Racial and Cultural Diversity, I want to know ideas in which I can tell my constituents without leaving them empty-handed or wanting more than I can tell them at the moment. There are people that want to see change now, even though I know that most changes are not instantaneous.

Everything that was mentioned in the magazine seemed promising and actions in the past have become made into a reality in the past even though students may not always see it firsthand. I know that with the people at the realm of the campaign that OWU should be able to benefit more. Hopefully, the OWU magazine was read by many people and they will form their own thoughts about the campaign.

I read the article about Jesse Jean. Before I read the article, I thought about my run-in with Jesse. Many people know Jesse as the star basketball player who is a leader on the court. Off the court, Jesse is a really cool guy. However, I did not know his background until now. When I read the article, the article opened up another side of him- one that is aware of the world around him because of his experiences. Honestly, I had no idea and unless a person opens up about their past, I do not ask them about it since we are living in the present and not focusing on the past. I do not think it is my place to do that. Learning about this other side of Jesse was eye-opening because most of the time, I only think about the side a person portrays at OWU, not what led to pursue OWU. Seeing why Jesse is so passionate about Sociology-Anthropology, I think why he is the way he is on the basketball court and in academia. I am happy that is here at OWU pursuing his dreams and growing along the way.
On a more general, it is always interesting to see OWU students featured in the magazine. This shows that the magazine is not just geared toward alumni or parents, but for anyone. If I was a parent looking at the magazine on a visit to OWU, I would look for the featured student because this would give the sense that the school cares for its students and that the featured student might even be relatable to the prospective student in their experience before OWU, major, or other attributes. Unknowingly perhaps, the magazines can serve as a recruitment tool for students looking for a school like Ohio Wesleyan over a bigger school like Ohio State.
Homecoming 2007 was featured for the Winter Edition. I think that if the OWU magazine would have known all of the events for Homecoming, then the events may take up another magazine. That is how extensive the events were for this year. I am impressed in the fact that the featured Homecoming was not catered to Alumni but to everyone. I know that it was not possible for the cameraman to be everywhere and if he/she was, it would not be possible to take all of the pictures and fit them into this magazine. They did mention practically all of the events that happened so I think that is important not to make any group that participated in Homecoming unimportant. I already told you about my experiences with Homecoming so I will go on.
I did not realize this but a lot of the coaching staff here at OWU are alumni themselves. This is testimony to a strong and supportive alumni base. Telling by the success of Alumni Weekend, I knew that Homecoming would be the same. Having the coaches as alumni is something I can only see as advantageous to students. The passion is here and the experience is there. This passion and experience can and will led to wins and eventually championships. These coaches have been here and done that; they are willing and able to share their experiences almost as a sacrifice to make sure that the players will not make the same mistakes. I do not play any sports but if I had a coach that was an alumni of OWU, I would not be as nervous if I was with a coach who did not attend OWU. I would think that the connection is not as tight as it would be with a coach who graduated and played that sport.
I like reading the OWU magazine. There are so many people featured in the magazine whose stories may or may not be known to the OWU general population. You may read about an alumni who has gotten married recently that you did not know about. You may also read about get-togethers in the past or in the near future that parents or students may want to attend. The amount of information in the magazine is a lot to digest but good to read about. I hope that students take the time to read it during the Break and students thinking about joining the OWU community and their parents will be able to get their hands on a copy especially if you are visiting the school. Reading the magazine just may change your opinion and even your life.




Writing for knowledge and awareness,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

The FAFSA

It is that time of year again. This is almost the same as filing for your taxes. I think filling out the FAFSA is like a prelude to what is going to come when you file out your taxes. The process does not have to take long but you know that you have to accurately fill in all of the information correctly. I am not looking forward to filling it out. This is the third time I have had to fill it out in my scholastic career and it does not get any less boring and tedious.
I don't think I realized how much information I had to input to receive financial aid until I heard stories about the FAFSA from upperclass high schools students my sophomore year. I was thinking in my head- "Can this application as bad as people say it is?" I found out the hard way that it was. I remember when I first had to fill out all of the information. My parents and I had to compile all of this information that they never would have took out otherwise. Since my parents were not computer savvy, I had to input all of the information. Some of the information seemed to be talking to me in a foreign language- I had to consult with Cleveland Scholarship Program representatives to help me so I would not mess up my first time. It was a crazy progress with the deadline and everything.
When I finally submitted the FAFSA, I thought that the SAR was going to be much higher. I was happy because this meant that I was going to be considered for scholarships and loans instead of having to pay out of pocket (which was not going to happen in big amounts of money). I did not work at the time and I was depending solely on my parents. I was fortunate to get the scholarships I did- I had about four at the time granted to me. I knew that the information I had put was legitimate and I did not have to worry about it for the next year.
Now I got one of those flyers in the mail from Ohio Wesleyan, telling me that I have to do the FAFSA before March 1. That was kind of a bummer considering I got in on New Year's Eve. My financial aid situation is something I have to constantly worry about (like most students who attend or will attend Ohio Wesleyan). $40,000 a year is NO JOKE. Filing the FAFSA correctly and on time is key if you want to get all of the money you can muster out of the government and state resources. I do not want to lose the scholarships I have earned nor do I want to lose the grants or the loans for next year. People who are viewing this blog, do you know what I am going to do after I finish writing today? I am going to visit the FAFSA site and start working of the portions that I can today. Then, I am going to wait until the paperwork comes back from my employer and have that sent to me so I can have an accurate account of what I am putting down on-line so I can get my results back with accuracy in my SAR.
I highly stress that if you are a parent or a student looking to attend college, especially a school like Ohio Wesleyan, that you go the FAFSA early just so you have the information and the language of the FAFSA down. Do not submit it but save the information for a later date. This is what I had to do upon learning the process. Then, try to retrieve the required information for the FAFSA to get the most accurate information so both the parent and the student know that they are not getting screwed out of their SAR. You can always go back and adjust the information if there are any changes but the sooner you get the information in, the better chances you will be able to see that financial aid and the quicker you can make a decision as to where you want to go to college. The FAFSA is boring and tedious but it is very important for acquiring financial aid. I have become a veteran of this so I thought that this is the time to tell you about the FAFSA and its process.

My flair for clothes

I see myself as an person who is an individualist. I am a person who does not follow the crowd even though I associate myself with many organizations. I know that people that follow the crowd often become followers and do not use their own logic whenever a problem occurs. They share the same mindset with other people without having a will of their own. I find this a problem and that is why I thrive to be in control of myself and all of my decisions.
One of the decisions I have made is about clothing. In an urban area like Cleveland, there are a lot of people who see the influence of the Timberlands, the long white tee, and the expensive jeans that are worn very low for the men and the short skirts, stilettos, and purses of women. In high school, it seemed to me that everyone wanted to rock that style regardless of whether you were a senior or a freshmen. Freshmen would see the stars of the sports team wearing the style and emulate that on a regular basis. When I was in high school, I was never the fashion aficionado but I never followed the crowd and wore something that I could not find stylish or identify with. Do you know what I wore in high school? For my time in high school, I wore khakis five days a week. Khakis were my thing and I rocked them out like how most students rocked out Timberlands. I switched between brand name and non-brand name shirts and I felt comfortable with whatever I wore. There were a couple of people who did not follow the mold of your average dresser, mostly young women who were trying out new styles.
Now that I am in college, I have more of a flair for clothes. Part of the reason is that I wanted to cleanly break away from the image of a long white tee and Timberlands and other fashion styles that became popular in the urban area. The other part of the reason for this is that I did not have a job in high school; now, I am working whether it is for Parker or at Ohio Wesleyan. I have the money and the ability to allocate some time for personal hygiene and to style myself on my own. Like most grade school students, my parents brought most of my clothing whether I thought the clothes were stylish or not. If the clothes were cheap and were of the right season, then those were the clothes I wore. I have a sense of what to wear and what not to wear now. The atmosphere is totally different than in high school. People come from everywhere and their style is influenced by where they came from. It is rare that a group of people on campus are wearing similar clothes. Each person is different and this is symbolized in the clothes they wear.
Over the summer, I did a bit of shopping particularly right after I got done with the work week. I could stop in to all different kinds of stores. One of my favorite stores is Eddie Bauer in Beachwood. There was so many bargains for the clothes that I wanted whether it was pants, shirts, or even socks. I ordered clothing from here about four times during the summer break. I also went to a clothing parlor in Cleveland Heights to buy non-brand name clothes to save some money. I did buy some fancy stuff including a limited edition Ohio State Championship Leather Jacket and a Microfleece jacket with my Greek letters stitched into it. All of these clothing items I have combined into my daily repertoire and I feel very comfortable about the selection I have made in my purchased clothing. I am still developing my taste but now I know that I can mix whatever I see fit for me without any parental involvement or relying on what I wore in my past. I budget my money whenever I have to and order whatever I think will benefit me for now and maybe the future if I want. I always get complemented on my style of clothing nowadays- from my suits to my shoes. People are fascinated by my taste in clothing selection. I am glad for my individuality.




Realizing that clothes really do make the man,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Happy New Year... Welcome to my first Blog of 2008!

After a long couple of months of coverage without a camera, I finally manned up and bought my own camera so I can give you the latest coverage on events that has happened to me in my life. I know there will be many events happening in the coming weeks and I want to photograph everything that will occur especially since school is just around the corner. This is the perfect way to kick out 2008 so enjoy the pictures.

(Note: some of the pictures are out of place so I mention it at the bottom of the paragraph.)


I will briefly tell you what went down on the eve and what I was doing when the new year arrived. Before my sister and I could arrive at our hotel in Independence, Ohio, we had to do a couple of errands for ourselves and for the household. We went and picked up a week's worth of groceries. This is the first time I have been inside a grocery store in a while so I took advantage of it. I bought a couple of items that should help me last until the time I leave on the 13th of January. I also bought some items that I might take back with me to Ohio Wesleyan. You never know how Gatorade or a can or Beefaroni will help the soul in times of need. (Picture: the Sheraton in Independence, Ohio).

After we bought the groceries, we headed home and stock all of the food in appropriate places. I knew that my mom was making a hen for the family on New Year's Day so once I arrived back home, I would not have to touch my purchased food for another couple of days. We grabbed a couple changes in clothing and headed for Independence. Having a couple of hours to spare before check-in at the Sheraton, I went to Inkstop to see about purchasing a camera. I wanted an HP because I was already familiar with the brand; however, they sold out of those camera and I chose a Canon Powershot instead. The Canon camera cost more but I knew I would be very happy with the result. I bought a 2 GB memory card to have enough space for the events later that evening. (Picture: Ornament in Sheraton- antlers used as lighting decoration.)

My sister and I were hungry so we headed to Champps, knowing very well that we can waste a good amount of time just eating good food. If you don't know, Champps is a sports bar, so I was in need of striking up a good conversation about sports. I ordered some Mile High Nachos and admittedly, even I was not prepared to what they presented us. It was too much even for the two of us. My entree was champagne shrimp and chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans. I ate most of my entree except my green beans... I wanted to make room for dessert. My dessert was a Messy Sundae- the presentation was perfect for the description of the dessert, a glass covered in chocolate and nuts and inside was caramel and chocolate, mixed with whipped cream. I finished the dessert and was stuffed for a good while. I took the nachos with me but I did not eat the nachos in time- they were not good to eat by the next day. The food was good overall, I would definitely go back given another day and circumstance. (Pictures: 1st- actually taken from hotel serving area. 2nd- actually taken on the Nautica Queen. I did not take pictures of the Champps meal.)

We arrived at the Sheraton around 2 pm. I was stoked to get my room. The Sheraton seemed empty until we got ready to leave around 5:30 pm. Everyone was nice, the service was good, and the room looked immaculate. Just check out the pictures. The fifth floor was made to chill out in their lounge and I was surprised by the amount of equipment they had in their exercise room and swimming area. I was so happy and ready to use everything in my sight.

We left the hotel to go towards Downtown Cleveland. Surprisingly, the trip only took about fifteen minutes. I should have known since the Sheraton is right off the highway and the path to downtown Cleveland is pretty straight. Independence is closer to downtown Cleveland than where I live in Cleveland by Maple Heights. We thought we needed to leave earlier to get a parking spot in the Flats but the parking was very empty and the place to where we needed to pick up the tickets did not open until around 8 pm. This meant that we left too early. All we should do is kill time once again. To kill that 2 hour difference, we went to another restaurant in the Flats area- Shooters. I did not know what to expect. I did not want to feed my appetite quite yet, I was saving that for the Nautica Queen. Instead, I order a Red Bull and a Calamari Starter. I took it easy for a while. I did not want to drink- there was champagne on the boat waiting for me for the celebration. The area itself was interesting. I took a couple of pictures to illustrate this. Odds are, I will not be back in the Flats anytime soon so I took advantage of that and shot away.

We killed about a hour in Shooters and got our tickets. We waited for a line to build and we jumped in that line to take our seats. Upon sitting, everything we did seemed like a process. We gave our coats to the coat check people near the entrance, we checked our reservations and were shown a table. The table was near a window so we could look out of it to check out the scenery of Lake Erie. We were not the only people at the table- there was three other couple sitting with us for the experience. I got to know their personalities well by the end of the ride. There were about 400 people in attendance. People were on two floors and there was an observation deck which, fortunately for us was open. The boat did not take off until about 10 pm when people was well settled in their seats. The package of the Nautica Queen contained this: hors d'oeuvres, food- a lot of meats were presented, champagne, and of course, live entertainment with a live DJ. In my head, I knew this was going to be an interested time. For extra, people ordered alcoholic beverages. I am not going to lie, I had a flirtini, not bad I must say. I tasted the pineapple juice more than anything. The night was not as cold as I thought (I thought it would be brutally cold with no chance of wearing just a sweater or a shirt outside). I went to the deck many times to chance pictures. Honestly, it was hard at first to get a good picture because of the night conditions and the speed of the boat. I switched my camera to night scene and night snapshot mode and everything became very good. In my opinion, most of the night shots of the city are the best shots I have of the day. By the second time I went back from the deck, the dance was filled with people having a good time. I did not go on the dance floor- it takes a lot to get me on the dance floor unless it is a specific event like a formal. When the clock struck midnight for the first time in 2008, there was a euphoric feeling on the boat and I felt that euphoric feeling as well. The feeling lasted until I left the boat around 1 am when it got back to the dock. The feeling was "I made it through another year."

There was a long line to get off the boat and out of the Flats but I did not mind. We got back to the Sheraton around 2 am and immediately went to bed. I awoke around 7 am and briefly thought of breakfast. I perished the thought and went to the exercise room for a quick drill on the elliptical. I showered shortly after and dressed. We relaxed before we opened the window and realized it is a white New Year's Day. We left the Sheraton around 11:45 am before the conditions got worse. (Picture: the calm before the storm- the day before at the Sheraton. Not available is the photo of the storm.)

Reflecting on the experience, it was one that will be hard to shake because this symbolized a great start to a new year. I hope that this will last for a while in all of the endeavors I do, whether it is school, work, or otherwise. I got to experience life at its best and I am looking forward towards the adventures of a new year. Kiss all of your past experiences goodbye because 2008 is here to stay! YYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!




Opportunities are arriving in 2008,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10


P.S. There are more pictures of my New Year's extravaganza below. I will let these extras speak for themselves. Enjoy!!