Hasani OWU

I think this journey called college is all over

2009-11-09T17:33:00.004-05:00

As I sit at home during this Winter Break, I realized something: I am now a college graduate. Even though, I started this post in November as something else, I decided to change it totally (since I have not started it and it was only a draft). Disregard the posted date as I truly posted this on the 28th of December will no threat of papers or exams in sight. Granted that I am waiting for my last grade to post on the Student Access area, I think I did it. I survived the so-called senioritis and passed all of my courses. This is why I was not able to post for over two months. My grades (so far) are just okay compared to what I have been earning but I think my undergraduate career is over. Strange to believe that three and a half years have passed and all of my course work for three majors is completed.

This is a bittersweet time for me since I am stuck between a hard place and a rock. I know that graduating in the fall instead in the spring has its advantages such as looking for a career ahead of your peers. However, the winter season can be brutal so I hope finding a career in Cleveland won't be too difficult (one can wish). Preparing for Finals was nerve-racking but preparing for a career is not an easy task either. Not having a car is not making things easier for me either although this is my fault (revelation: need to get license ASASP- As Soon As Snow Passes).

I want to earn a position in City Planning somewhere. I just finished my internship for the Planning and Zoning Commission of Delaware, Ohio at City Hall. I have experience in other areas such as Information Technology but I prefer City Planning since I have my majors primarily focusing on Planning and Urban Studies. I feel passionate about helping better the city or regional landscape. I feel comfortable in this line of work and I hope to put use my degree.

This time of year was always the transition point; this time around, instead of the transition being from fall to spring semester of college, it is the end of college live to the beginning of finding employment and independence. Hoepfully, I can move out of my parent's home to explore my own independence into my own apartment. Obviously, this will not happen until I find a steady career and create a means of income for myself. I knew that the real world would not be easy (read my comments on summer and difficulty looking for employment) so I need to myself to broaden my horizons. I do not want to separate from family but if this is needed to begin my career, so be it. The key for me is to not be content. I need to step out and begin my own transition to the beginning of the rest of my life- no matter how hard that will be. I control my own destiny.

I will use my contacts and explore opportunities more in the upcoming weeks. I am taking it slowly since it is still the holiday season and the winter season is conflicting with my mobility a bit. Eventually, I will have to attend graduate school but I want to be at ease with my financial status since I will be paying for that all by myself. I know that the professional world will not wait for me to earn my MA however so I need to move quickly. College was fun but now it is over (except for that return in May to pick up my physical degree and March with the rest of my class). I know it is crunch time and I am determined to create opportunities for myself and to start paying back all of my loans. I am ready to move on and to continue learning in the process.

In all likelihood, this will be my last post unless the Admissions asks me to continue or to post when I return in May for my degree. Writing this blog on behalf of Ohio Wesleyan University was a lot of fun. I learned a lot about myself, the University, and the world in general. It has been my pleasure to write to you about who I am and who I have become in the past three and a half years. It was my hope that people in the Ohio Wesleyan community learned a little more about me, more so than the guy who has three majors or the guy who is everywhere on campus. It was also my hope that people in the Ohio Wesleyan community who read my blog got to see my ups and my downs, my positives moments as a student and my negatives as well. To those who followed my journey as a Battling Bishops and to those who will follow my blog in the future, I thank you for your time and your comments. I appreciate you taking time out of your day to read my blog.

I shall leave you with this quote: "We are all a part of something bigger than ourselves and that we should nurture our talents to cultivate this something to develop a better tomorrow for all."

OWU forever,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Senior Event at Leeds Farm

2009-10-24T21:19:00.005-05:00

Okay. Again, it was been far too long but once again, I was swamped with assignments for the past couple of weeks. I am back for now. A couple of weeks ago, I went with the other seniors (about 40 of us or so) to Leeds Farm on Route 37 about 15 minutes away from the school. I needed a break and this was perfect for me.

Most of the time while I was at the farm, I wondered aimlessly with a couple of my friends. The first thing I did was the corn maze; however, it was not really a corn maze because most of the maze was torn down so it looked barren. The supposed of the maze was to dip each finger into some kind of gel throughout the maze. Once you found all five of them, you could solve the maze and see that kind of farmer you are. One problem: the gel was dried up and I could barely see the gel. Basically, I walked through a dead maze for about 30 minutes with little to show for it.

Next up was the zip line. This was the most exciting activity of the day for me. I actually had to wait in line (I guess most people would agree with the previous statement). The exhilaration of being in the air was enough for me although it was too short. I did not get to go on the zip line as it was raining very hard at that point and the walkway was very slippery. Bummer.

I waited around for the rain to stop then I went on a hayride on a locomotive. The experience was peaceful and the staff tried to make it as comfortable and interesting as possible. There was many animals during the ride even though none of them were real. Still, they were cool to look at. I liked the peacefulness of the ride into the woods and the sun started to come out.

The rain came back at the end of the ride so I had to seek shelter immediately. The shelter was the barn where I saw many pigs, cows, and hens. I have not been to a farm in a long time so I enjoyed it. I realized that I could get food in the barn upstairs so to avoid the rain for a longer period of time, I went upstairs. I realized earlier in the day that most of the group disappeared and I had no idea where anyone went. Lo and behold, most of the other seniors were upstairs in the food area, eating. My second highlight (if I had to say another one besides the zip line) was the food. The food was inexpensive and just what my body craved after being on the farm for about 2 hours. I had chili cheese fries and a hot dog and for my dessert, I had granny apples with caramel poured on top. So good!!

The last thing I did was to buy a pumpkin. It was a pumpkin farm and the senior class advisory council had a hook up by taking 2 dollars off with the purchase of a pumpkin. The pumpkin were of all different sizes and colors. The pumpkin I purchased was $2- it was a medium size bluish-gray pumpkin that I still have sitting on top of my refrigerator.

Overall, it was an all right experience for a senior class college trip. Very simplistic and cheap but fun. The next blog will be about the senior class trip to Dave and Buster's!! Stick around!!

With much OWU Love,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

My insane and hectic life

2009-10-17T14:53:00.003-05:00

There is no other way to put it. I have a full course load (5.5 credits) and I work around 30 hours a week at City Hall in Delaware, OH and the Student Involvement Office. Blogging is extremely hard this semester and although I have done lots of things and have taken pictures as proof, I have not been thinking about blogging, unfortunately. My focus is primarily on my Historical Research Seminar paper which is due in 10 days- I just started the paper today- and all of the obligations that a senior has to fulfill- grad school applications, getting money for the GRE, and other smaller priorities that only senior college students have to deal with. I know that it was been awhile since I lasted blogged but it has been extraordinarily difficult. In a way, I really want this semester to be completed and out of the way, but I know that I will miss being in an environment like this.

Since the last time I blogged to you all, I went to the Walk to Defeat ALS 4 miler down at Ohio State with my fraternity brothers, helped set up and did registration, helped clean up the campus by completing service through the Greek Clean-Up Day right after and last week, I was at Mingo Park helping clean up the river bank. See my pictures above. I found all kinds of cool things in that river such as an electronic dart board. I have been quite busy on the service side; mainly as a way to mitigate all of the stress and balancing crucial time management of everything I want to do for senior year. I have to multitask all of the time in order for everything to get done. Story of my life.

Right now, I am recovering from this cold weather. I just came from the Women and Men's Soccer Games where we won both. I am glad that I endured the weather to see the game and to take a break from my academics. I also have an exam on Wednesday so I am also bracing myself for that as well. I had an exam in my Astronomy class right before the Mid-Semester Break (which by the way, did not seem like a break at all because I was working a lot). I must find my way to the library to pick up more books and documents for research. My life is pretty monotonous right about now.

Within the next couple of weeks, I will be facing arguably the most stressful and arduous time during my time at Ohio Wesleyan. I will be turning in tons of papers for classes that will determine if I can graduate a semester early. I need to seriously focus on the goal so I can begin the rest of my life. Wish me luck... it is going to be ugly but I shall pull through. Believe that!!! I do not have anything else to say... I'm cold and I have to go to focus on writing.

Focused to the end,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Community Service and Concessions Galore

2009-09-13T10:22:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday, I was involved in a long, tiring, but very rewarding day of service to the Delaware community. My day started at 8 am when some of my fraternity brothers and I headed down to the Scioto River for a little clean up. The day started off slowly as we parked and were transferred to another, more remote location. When we got our canoes though, the day instantly picked up. My friend Chad and I picked up a ton of stuff- mainly from a dilapidated shed and a huge tire. The journey was not as long this time but it was almost as intense. The amount of garbage the groups collected was massive, I kid you not.

After spending the morning out on the river and a hefty lunch, I showered, worked out, and headed over to the Community Unity festival at Woodward Elementary. At first, I was assigned to sell T-shirts. I had to become a bit authoritative in order to make some sells but I think that people liked the design of the T-shirts enough to buy one. I would have except that I did not have any money. Once the other Student Union on Black Awareness members showed up after their workshops, I waited for Circle K to arrive so I could participate in their games with the children. Among some of the games were hula hoops and jump rope. Above, there is a picture of our President, Kristen Lear, showing off her skills. I am a horrible hula hooper so I left the responsibility of doing that to them. Getting kids to come to us was quite easy and I was happy that Circle K would set up these activities for some fun! Towards the end of the Festival, I helped out the Common Ground Free Store for a little bit and caught some of the local step team and band. Boy, were they good! Overall, I had a very good time interacting and helping at the Community Unity Festival.

After the Festival, I headed over to the OWU Men's Soccer Game to help out with Kiwanis Concessions. As a Circle K member, I have a strong obligation to help out members of the Kiwanis Family (Key Club, Kiwanis, Aktion Club, Builder's). I love the intensity of being at the counter during a hyped men's soccer game and interacting with the customers. The hot topic: the highly anticipated OSU vs. USC football game. I got to watch the soccer game and the football at the same time while I was working. I was happy to be at the game and to see the football game- usually, I would have to choose but not this time. This was the second time I did concessions for Circle K; the concessions goes towards my Dues that I am required to pay to be a member.

Well, even though I am busy practically all of the time, I still wrote this blog. I know that it is a week later than I wanted to post but I still had to make it a priority. I love working with all of my groups because without them, none of these projects would have been done. Thank you for reading and I hope to update you with more service opportunities I did this semester.

Still doing work,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Greek Barbecue- our 1st true hangout session of the semester.

2009-09-08T17:16:00.005-05:00

This Sunday was a calm one for me. It was back to business as usual on Sunday after the dual Soccer games at OWU. I had the regular routine going... I woke up and went to church. After I arrived to church, I knew that this was not a regular Sunday. The church I knew that was River Valley Vineyard had become an entirely new church... name and all. Instead of River Valley Vineyard, it was now Delaware City Vineyard. The size had increased twofold and I was starting to feel out of place. I know that I will have to adjust if I want to stay there but only time will tell at this point.
After the church service, I walked back by cutting through the Delaware neighborhood.

I saw that Delt, one of the other fraternities on campus, was having a barbecue. I realized that Sunday was the day of the Greek Barbecue. This was planned by our Council of Fraternity Presidents and Pan-Hel. Any type of barbecue on a Sunday is a plus. Usually, I do not eat until dinner on Sundays, mainly because I do not have money or food points. I have to scrounge for food in my stash I got from back home.

I decided to go because I was hungry and that I was able to socialize instead of thinking only of work. The food was good and the conversations were decent. There are several pictures at the top of this blog. Check them out for yourselves.

I went to the women's soccer game afterwards. To me, this was the perfect Sunday; fun and relaxation. I eventually got busy with my schoolwork but mainly it was just readings for classes. Overall, the Greek Barbecue was a good time and I hope that we can have another one soon before the weather starts being too cool.

Be Safe,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

My Return Back to Ohio Wesleyan... for possibly the last time as an Undergrad

2009-08-19T18:33:00.005-05:00

The summer is over and and I am writing not in the familiar confines of my home on my sister's computer (since my computer does not have Internet) but at Ohio Wesleyan. Oh man, my senior year. Many changes, many adjustments, new friends from the Class of 2013 (hopefully). You know you are back at school when you are looking through Consort and OhioLink to find Call numbers for books when you do not want to pay for them in the bookstore. Well, at least I am saving over $100 and can use that money for other important things such as my senior dues which are by the way, $110 (and yes, OWU people who read my blog, I will try to make it to the Welcome Back Toast at the Pritchard House). I am about to become either a social party animal counting down the days until I finish or a recluse, locked inside City Hall, an astronomy lab, Beeghly, or my room until December, at least. I hope it is the former.

My first day of classes was yesterday beginning at 8 am. This is something that I am somewhat used to with the exception that instead of being in a class, I am manning the Student Involvement desk. I am now working the Student Involvement desk in the afternoon from 4 pm - 6 pm, reminiscent to my sophomore year. My first class was a Religion class- Gandhi: Religion and Social Change. I think this class would be a good one; I just need to focus and get some coffee. I get a break at 9 am and return to class at 10 am with Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Some of my friends and fraternity brothers took the class last semester so I think I will get some of the books through the mail so I won't have to use more of my money. My professor is also my academic advisor and I had two of his classes already. I will definitely enjoy this class. At 11 am, I head downstairs for a dose of The Astronomical Universe. There are so many seniors in this class trying to find the least demanding science class. Honestly for me, it was between Astronomy or Geology and I already had a bit of geology knowledge in my Geography classes. I chose Astronomy purely for my interest. I foresee a lot of study groups at other fraternity houses. Even though I did not have my lab this week, I anticipate the challenge of an astronomy lab next week.

I have my Historical Research Seminar or Senior Sem as fellow History majors like to call it today and I am very optimistic about all of the wonderful sources that are out there. Microfiche seems to be everywhere and I will probably hit up some of the folio oversize books soon as well. Better yet, the Senior Sem class is once a week and there is only 6 other people taking it with me. This will be a most interesting academic year. I may have to add another course in order to fulfill my junior/senior residency requirement but I know that I can handle it. I have done 5.5 credits before and the result was very good. I have Choral Arts later today after work and then Smores at the Interfaith House, and finally an executive Circle K meeting.

Bishop Week is this week but I do not have much of an interest in it especially since I have tons of things to do already. What I am most looking forward is the Welcome Back Dinner and Toast with our President, Rock Jones, at his house on Sunday. I cannot wait for the celebration and to be reacquainted with all of my fellow seniors. Class of 2010, BABY!!! Whoo!!! Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures but I hope to change that very soon.

Living the dream,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Circle K International Convention

2009-08-13T21:46:00.005-05:00

Shortly after the end of Circle K's Large Scale Service Project, we quickly transitioned into the more formal part of the week, the International Convention. Just like the Large Scale Service Project, I did not know what to expect. I just took everything one day at a time. Even though this was the more formal part of the week, there was no part of it that was unbelievably stressful to me. This time around, I was able to just stay in the Sheraton and sit in chairs during meetings and sessions instead of enduring the humidity of the South. I liked the transition.

There are a lot of pictures that seem to reflect only the fun and relaxed side of things. I preferred not to take pictures of majority of the ceremonies and meetings. Rather, I wanted to draw a visual picture of the happenings of the International Convention. The four day conference was intense and to the point.

On Wednesday, there was a short introduction with the Opening Session. Many of the attendees for International Convention flew or drove in during the Scavenger Hunt around Downtown Birmingham so they were well rested. The other attendees like myself were still recuperating from sunburn and ant bites, not to mention exhaustion from working in the humidity for three days so we had to transition our minds quickly. Nevertheless, the International Convention kicked off smoothly. I was reunited with my Ohio District and we had to come up with a cheer for the evening. The Opening Session was lighthearted with all of the districts introduced by their governors. Some districts had goofy outfits on while others had crazy cheers. This was a good way to kick things off.

Thursday- workshops were in store and the shop was up and running. Most of Thursday's events were business casual so I did not have to wear a suit and a tie. I was still running about attending all of the workshops and meetings I could to gain more knowledge about different aspects of Circle K on the club, district, and international levels. There was more time for my district to fellowship especially after a full day of meetings. I think Thursday was the day that we went into the Five Points neighborhood to have dinner. That was an experience in itself because I got to meet the Kansas district while eating up lots of chips and salsa. The restaurant was called Fuego Cantina, a Mexican restaurant that was surprisingly cheap (yes, almost as cheap as Chipotle, believe it or not). We took the DART (a bus transit) from the Sheraton to get there. The area has a lot of diverse restaurant so if I am in Birmingham again, I will definitely hit them all up.

Friday- It is caucusing and House of Delegates time. I did House of Delegates at DCON but there is nothing like a ICON House of Delegates. The bottled up excitement was there and I did not know what to expect. There were some amendments we had to go through and nominations for the International President office was shown. In the caucusing sessions, I got an opportunity to ask questions directly to the candidates. I was so happy that I was able to be a direct participant. Afterwards in the evening after our Tailgate dance, my district met to discuss the day's events and what could happen on Saturday.

Saturday- The tension was in the air when the House of Delegates recommenced. A new International President was announced and I am happy to say that he is from our mighty Ohio district. His name is Jason Stewart. The place erupted and I was and still am so proud and happy for Jason. He definitely deserves it and I am sure that he will lead Circle K International to new heights!! Most of the amendments were decided upon on Friday but the delegates opened the floor for decision for the remaining amendments. The Ohio District had an amendment on the floor and it was passed without question. We had a break for several hours and started back with the Closing Ceremony. This ceremony was filled with awards, laughter, tears, and memories from the amazing time we had at International Convention. There were some surprises and we got to see the retirement of the 2008-2009 International Board and the installment of the 2009-2010 International Board.

Well, this ended the amazing weekend. Even though I have left some things out due to me hurrying a bit because I have to pack for school tomorrow (I go back on the 20th of August and I am reposting updated info even though I started this post on the 13th, BTW), this is basically my weekend in the Magic City, Birmingham, AL. Circle K IS simply the best, especially when it comes down to its tenets of service, leadership, and fellowship. If you want to challenge me about Circle K's awesomeness, simply join the club especially when there is a district event and find out for yourself. I have pictures below; check them out.

Continuing to be amazed by Circle K International,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Circle K International Large Scale Service Project

2009-08-07T01:12:00.006-05:00

Hello, everyone. I am in hot but beautiful Birmingham, Alabama right now. I am in Birmingham with Circle K for the 9th annual Large Scale Service Project and the International Convention. From last Saturday to Wednesday, I was working on various service projects. On Sunday, I was on the work site in the neighborhood of Wylam, about 15 minutes away from downtown Birmingham. While in Wylam, I was working with Habitat for Humanity. One of the main projects I was working on for Habitat was measuring and digging holes for new mailboxes in the neighborhood to be installed. Most of these locations were next to newly developed houses. This project was grueling enough without side projects which I did such as carrying cement to point A to point B and creating, sawing, and measuring the roof pattern.

To make matters more challenging, the humidity was relentless and the weather constantly shifted from 90 degree heat to downpours of rain. The longer I was out working on the Habitat work site, the more likely I was vulnerable to all kinds of illness. Considering that this was the first of three big service projects for the duration of the time in Birmingham, I foolishly thought that this project might be the easiest. I was so wrong. I was very sore and my clothes reeked of sweet and the outside environment of a work site. Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun on the Habitat work site... and this was on a Sunday!

On Monday morning, I was put on another project closer than the Wylam Habitat for Humanity location: The Jones Valley Urban Farm (JVUF). The main objective of this farm for us was to rid of all of the diseased or potentially diseased. I thought that working with Habitat while being on a rainy plot of land was going to be wet and dirty labor. I was wrong. I was working in 90+ degree weather with the sun beaming down on me, no wind and a high humidity to boot. The working conditions were not pleasant but the service opportunity had to be completed. Some of the plants were in cages so we had to untangle the plant from the cage and then discard the plant in a pile which was picked up by a person who was in charge of removing all of the debris in a wheelbarrow. From nine in the morning until about three in the afternoon, we worked until all of the tomato plants were in the garbage bin and the area was clean. This was indeed some backbreaking labor.

Tuesday morning... we are headed to the Birmingham Zoo. Once again, we were split into various roles. I picked the harder of the tasks where I had to enter into monkey cages and clean up the mulch inside and put down new mulch. This time, I was in a cooler climate however, I had to wear a surgical mask that looked like a duck bill around my nose and mouth to protect me from the odious aroma and the mulch. It was hard to breathe and was glad when I took the mask. Water filled into the mask from all of the sweat I perspired. I helped clean two cages, home to two kinds of moneys. After cleaning and putting down new mulch, we made "enrichment snacks" for the monkeys in which we hid those "enrichment snacks" throughout the cage. These "enrichment snacks" was lettuce and noodles rolled into a paper towel roll. Afterwards, we were able to tour the zoo as visitors, a reward for all of our hard work through the days.

Wednesday- last day of the Large Scale Service Project. There were a lot of lighthearted and adventurous moments when we took a break from the service and Wednesday was the highlight of it all. Beginning on Saturday when we arrived, we learned our teams, created a team name (White Lightning Rebels of the Lost City of Atlantis, or White Lightning, for short), created a team banner, created a team shout, and made fellowship throughout our Birmingham. We went to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and heard an overview about the different species of plants that exist in the South. We went to the Vulcan right after where we saw all of Birmingham from above. Wednesday was the climactic ending to the Large Scale Service Project. Ironically, there was no real service but a whole bunch of college age students hanging out in Linn Park downtown doing a scavenger hunt of the city. During the scavenger hunt, we ended up at Arts Museum looking for 18th century clocks and visiting the historic Birmingham Public Library. All in all, I was thoroughly satisfied with the 9th annual Circle K International Large Scale Service Project. I cannot wait for the Ohio District's District Service Project which will be held at my school. So stoked!!!!!

In the meantime, take a look at all of the pictures I took at the Large Scale Service Project.

In Service to all Mankind,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Should I stay or should I go?

2009-07-17T17:42:00.002-05:00

After three years of attending college, I know I will face the difficult decision: whether I stay in Ohio or leave to go to another state. I don't mind attending an institution and/or pursuing a job in another state but I want to stay in Ohio because my family is here. Everything I known and grew up with is in Ohio. That is the main reason I stayed in Ohio for my undergraduate studies. I may not have a choice in the matter. I do not want to limit myself in my job search though so I might have to relocate to get the best opportunity available.

Going back to school next school is crucial and every step I have will hopefully determine where I go in the near future. There are all kinds of factors that play into the job search in the near future, some of which have yet to be determined. I know that I have my professors to relay on as well as my Career Services Director at OWU. These people will be huge and can bring in a variety of people to help my future. I have a lot of options but right now, I need to gather my thoughts, continuing tweaking my resume and just take things slowly.

Leaving my family worries me a bit but this may be inevitable. I would like to think that I am marketable skills and that my experience in several fields and as a near future graduate of OWU will give me somewhat of an advantage. I am still learning and will closely monitor the job market. Maybe I will end up in Columbus where a lot of my friends are. Maybe I will end up in a foreign country like how other friends are right now. As the days pass by, I cannot help but think of my future.

No pictures this time around. I am gearing the camera and myself up for my big adventure down South to Alabama in less than two weeks. I am visiting family in Birmingham and Mobile for the beginning and the ending parts of the trip. In the middle portions of the trip, I will be attending Circle K's Large Scale Service Project and International Convention. Until then, I am taking it slow and laying low. I just had to write down something this week and my anxiety for an entry level position in the near future was urgently on my mind.

Realizing I can't change the inevitable (work) as I finish my college days,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Independence Day 2009

2009-07-10T15:43:00.010-05:00

Independence Day 2009 was one of the best I have had in a while. While I did not shoot off any fireworks, I got to spend the day on a boat on Lake Erie and Cuyahoga River and view the fireworks from right above my head instead of in a car and far away. Usually, I am at home with my family bringing barbecue in and going out to Edgewater Park to enjoy the fireworks from afar. This year, I wanted to do something a little different. I wanted to stay in Cleveland but instead of going to the same spot for the fireworks, I wanted to change the location and the experience. This year, I went with just my sister instead of my parents and my sister.

The plan: we "got away" from the house and stayed in a nearby hotel at a cheap rate for the night. I did not know how wild the night would get so to be safe, we stayed in a hotel. We had a light lunch (I had mussels and my sister had spicy garlic wings). We relaxed a bit in the hotel after eating before we headed to the pier at Voinovich Park to get our tickets for the elongated cruise. The day was nice and there was a nice breeze coming from the lake.

Around 6:00 pm, dinner was served. The dinner was a traditional one: ribs, chicken, cole slaw, beans, and cake. We sat at the table with two other couples to accommodate all incoming passengers. The name of the boat was the Goodtime III, the newest addition to the Goodtime family. The boat was at capacity around 800 passengers. At dinner, the boat was about halfway at capacity but the main deck was the area where everyone was seated for dinner so at felt more crowded at dinner. The boat started to cruise around 6:30 pm and made its way around once to the west and back and then to the east and back.

We left our dinner seat and headed up to our designated deck- the 3rd floor. There, people started to slowly move toward their decks and enjoyed the open air. I saw the daylight turn into dusk and around 8:30 pm, we approach the dock again to pick up the other passengers on the boat who bypassed dinner. This time, the boat was at capacity and it was rather hard to move from one area to the other. The third and fourth decks were at capacity and the lower two decks were packed. The true celebration started even before the fireworks as people were dancing in the aisles and having a good time.

The boat continued to make its cruise through downtown Cleveland and beyond as the darkness overtook the sky. There were many smaller cruises that blocked off certain parts of the lake; as a result, the Goodtime III looped around several times and parked itself in a neutral area where the fireworks could be seen clearly. The fireworks started around 10:00 pm and ended at 10:30 pm. I took pictures of the fireworks but the resolution was not great so I switched to my videocamera and that worked very well. The boat returned to its dock at 11:30 pm and we headed back to the hotel for the night. In the hotel, there was quite the crowd since there were many family reunions happening. There were no stairs (I found the stairs early morning next day) so we had to wait for a while to board the elevator. We left around noon that Sunday and arrived back home in the early afternoon.

Wishing Everyone a Belated Happy Independence Day,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Cleveland Wine Festival

2009-07-01T17:08:00.008-05:00

Last Saturday, I attended the annual Cleveland Wine Festival. I knew that the day was going to be featuring all different kinds of wines from various wineries all over the Northeast Ohio region. The layout was similar to the one at the Rib Burn-Off a month ago but the location was different. Instead of the venue where the Rib Burn-Off was at the Tower City Amphitheather downtown, the Wine Festival was in Voinovich Park by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Great Lakes Science Center. The festivities started around 1:00 pm and I stayed here until 6:00 pm.

I walked around the venue for a little bit to get a feel for the place. I immediately spotted a winery that I was familiar with, Ferrante. I stopped and sampled a glass of Merlot. The Merlot had a warm but rich flavor to it. I like red and wine wines but I favor red a bit more. I do not know exactly why- maybe it is the dryness and the warmth of the red wines that hits my tongue and exudes its flavor. Many of the white wines were also very flavorful but were sweet as well. Each of the servings of wine whether it was white or red, were one ounce each. At the door, my $30 paid for entrance, the wine glass, and 10 tickets.

There was something that caught me offguard. I thought that this was exclusively a wine tasting festival. I was wrong! There was also a small beer section as well. The free ticket came with my 10 purchased wine tickets. I used up most of my wine tickets before I spotted the secluded area. Before I headed to the beer section of the festival, I purchased food for myself and my sister, who accompanied me on the trip. I had a fish taco (halibut, to be more precise) and my sister had a gyro. Good food!

We sat for a while and enjoyed some musical entertainment and wine demonstrations. The wine demonstrations were informative and you even had the opportunity to participate in the act. I did not participate but it was fun to watch while I was eating my food. After resting in the sunshine for a bit longer, we walked to the back of the venue to find ourselves in the beer section. I did not know what to expect. The three types of beer was brands I never heard of. I tried two of them: Hoegaarden and Stella Artois. I believe one is Swedish and the other is French. The other surprising thing about the beer selection (well, two) was that the beer was not a sample (you cannot really sample beer like you can wine) and that the beer was in nice, shiny glasses. These glasses did not look cheap and the serving was probably around the size of a regular beer can (12 oz or so). Nevertheless, the beer was good- it was just unexpected.

The day continued and actually dragged on longer than expected for two reasons. The first one was expected: I purchased another 10 wine tickets. Once again, I rested after drinking the beer to savor the flavor and to look at the beer demonstration across from the vendors. I walked around for a little bit and decided to get the 10 additional tickets. I went through six of the additional tickets before my sister purchased another meal. It was when I was sitting down the second reason for staying than expected happened. This time, the event was unexpected. As I was sitting down waiting for my sister to come back with more food, a guy walks up to me and gives me an additional 12 tickets. Oh boy!! I had mixed emotions at that point because I was ready to finish off the remaining four tickets I already had. What I did was handed my sister half of the tickets and waited again for a little while before going to other vendors. At this time, it was around 5:30 pm and I was starting to feel exasperated and hot from being out in the sun all afternoon. I had to use common sense if I wanted to get home in one peace. I used a couple of the tickets and discarded the rest. I was happy with how the day went: no complications and a few fortuitous events. We took the train and the RTA back home as the train station was nearby (4-5 short blocks) to take in everything that happened. This event happens once every year so I really was happy when became of age to attend and to enjoy the fine winery (and beer)!

Enjoying a brief break from the monotonous scenery of my home,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Drawing a Blank- Middle of Summer Break

2009-06-19T16:48:00.004-05:00

Right now, I am trying to remain calm and work towards my future. I do not know what that exactly is but I am gathering my thoughts and looking into different opportunities. The job hunt is not going so well and I am always at risk to becoming a couch potato... not how I envisioned my summer break. At least I am gearing myself up for the GREs soon.
As the days become longer and more humid, I am lounging around the house and leaving only when there are bills to pay off or a special occasion such as Father's Day where my family took my Dad to Friday's. This week, I went out to pay a phone bill (partially) and to get a hair cut. After not shaving or cutting my hair for four months (the entire spring semester), I have shaved multiple times and had my hair cut thrice in the last three months. I like the little to no hair look better and so does most of my peers.
It is not hard to believe that summer is finally here and that summer break is already halfway over. Right now, I am trying to negotiate a way to get settled in to my internship in the fall- whether to return a couple days early and what exactly I am doing. I am reading the comprehensive plan quite thoroughly and my excitement grows with every chapter I read. Now would be a good time to contact my GIS professor to send me metadata for ArcGIS. I better get on the ball before the fall semester begins so I can test some scenarios at home.
I really do not have too much to say for this post. This is just a brief update in the middle of a muggy, humid summer. I will however be going out this Saturday and next Saturday during Independence Day. I cannot wait. Hopefully, I will also be able to go visit my relatives in Birmingham later this summer. Only time will tell.

Sticking it out,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Summer Reading

2009-06-02T15:11:00.006-05:00

Summer is going well for me for those who are wondering. I am enjoying a slower paced lifestyle and I am trying to figure out the rest of my life (or at least the next year or two). I am doing a bit of reading to keep my brain active while at home. Below I have four books that I am currently engaged in. These books range from academic books, to books that have future career and school plans, to a guide of Reading and Writing in the Lakota language. I also have a book that details the economic development plan of Delaware, OH to prepare me for my work experience in the fall semester. They are all interesting reads; some books are more available than others.

Reading and Writing in the Lakota Language is an book that details the basics of the Lakota language. I got the book while I was on my mission trip to the Rosebud Reservation. Specifically, I purchased the book at Sinte Gleska University. I did not want to leave the reservation empty handed besides the pictures I took but I also wanted to continue to learn about the Lakota nation after I left. Many more questions were left to me to learn and to find out particularly about the language. I was fascinated by the language so I picked up the book and a coffee mug (that was about all I could afford). I have not gone deep into the book as of yet but I look forward to thoroughly reviewing the book before I head back in the fall.

Petersons- Graduate Programs in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. This is my area. The book is huge but I brought it back from the library anyway. I wanted to do an in-depth look at potential grad schools all over the country just like I did for my undergraduate education. Currently, I am looking into graduate programs in either Geography, Geographic Information Systems, or Urban/City/Community/Regional Planning. I do not know which program yet but I want to stay close to my parents (so I am thinking either Mid-West or the East coast). The graduate school process is long but like the undergraduate process, I know this is worth it. I am looking into getting recommendations from my professors and from my work experience at the City of Delaware. I am looking forward to seeing what will happen in the fall.

The GRE's. Wow, the time in college is almost over and I am starting to contemplate whether I want to go into grad school immediately or to wait for a year or two to get that extra experience. I want to go to grad school now while the information in my classes is still fresh but I am most likely going to be broke when I enter. Best case scenario: I land a job near a grad school and do the two together. It may be difficult but life is not meant to be a cakewalk. The GREs are SATs for college students and all of the tactics I am memorizing now are invigorating to me to prepare well in advance. I have figured out some approximate dates to take the GRE in Cleveland at Case. I believe that this is my best bet since I will have limited once I arrive back on campus. If I take the GRE at Case before school in August, I think I will be more focused on the exam. My worry will only be on the exam and not all of the other senior obligations. I am heavily involving myself into the 3,500 potential GRE words that could be used. My exercise- to take 10 words and to put them in a sentence and an additional 15 words and to use those as synonyms and/or synonyms. I already feel my brain expanding with the usage of words into my vocabulary. The math section is more daunting so I am procrastinating a bit but I will have to start looking into this soon. I will probably comment more on the GRE book once I start making more progress.

Comprehensive Plan 2003-2008 of the City of Delaware- I was introduced to this during my interview at the Department of Planning and Community Development for the City of Delaware, OH. There is a lot of interesting information and I know that it will take a long time to process of the information. I am glad to have this resource on me now. I also have ArcGIS which I hope to use a lot in the fall. I did many case scenarios in class so I hope class lessons come in handy. I am happy that I am in this position going back in the fall.

Structure and timing is everything. I know that this is pivotal for my success in my future. I am happy and I know that I can conquer anything at this point of my academic career. Difficult decisions have to be made and transitions will begin starting now. Let's see where I will be taken. Stay tuned.

Planning my future and hoping you are as well,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Rib Burn-Off in Cleveland

2009-05-23T10:47:00.008-05:00

My first blog with pictures since I returned home for the summer. I still have my trusty camera. No dropping it in the toilet like I did before I returned home my freshman year. I decided to go downtown for the first time in awhile and enjoy the day... at the Rib Burn-Off. This was the first time for me at the Rib Burn-Off and the first time in about three years (since the fall of my senior year of high school) since I went to a food event in Tower City Amphitheater in downtown Cleveland and I had a grand time. I am happy to be back in the "Land"- for now. Once again, I cannot see the pictures through the HTML code so I will just tell my version of the story and the pictures will match up to my story.
My sister and I went downtown looking for a good time. The Rib Burn-Off is always the weekend of Memorial Day. We decided to go on a Friday since the entrance was free. Now, I am a big barbecue eater so I was definitely looking for those perfect slabs of ribs. One slight problem- I did not have a ton of money with me. The deal was $20 for 16 tickets. This means that if I only had $20 with me, I would be able to purchase a full slab of ribs as the full slab is 20 tickets or $25. To say the least, the food (even the side food) was expensive. This is probably the main reason I did not go- because I wanted to save my money. My sister bailed me out and I was able to eat a lot of ribs because of that.
Aesthetically, it was colorful with various advertisements of the vendors' successes in the past. You walk in the venue and you are bombarded by deals by radio stations and other local vendors that are not food vendors. Usually, I keep walking unless the deal is really appealing for me, which is never. A cruise is not in my near future so I don't ever bother. Once you are in the vicinity of good smelling food, you see concession stands of side foods such as funnel cakes and fries. Unfortunately, I did not have enough money to splurge with side foods so I kept walking.
To the ribs: I believe there were ten or so rib vendors from different parts of the Mid-West. I tried ribs from six of them. All of the ribs had different flavors to them. Some were more smoked than others. Some were dry while others were slippery to begin with.
The sauces were the best thing about the Rib Burn-Off. The sauces practically make the event worthwhile. The sauces ranged from very sweet- Applelicious to downright deadly for your health- Johnson's Thermo-Nuclear Sauce from Virginia. I just had to try the 600,000 Scoville level sauce (this is 2X hotter than the Habanero sauce, by the way). The effects were immediately felt and stayed that way long after the Rib Burn-Off. I only had three ribs and I had to stop and catch my breath after the second one! The sauce had actual seeds in it (no other sauce had seeds in it). The sauce affected my entire digestive as you can feel the heat going down. My sinuses were brutalized the rest of the day. I want to challenge myself and I guess I felt the need for displeasure and pain.
Other than that, I wondered around Williard Park overseeing the Browns Stadium for a little while to recuperate. I have a picture or two down below so check it out. For those of you who know to know where the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it is right in the vicinity to the right of the Browns Stadium (from the perspective of the picture). I had a wonderful time at the Rib Burn-Off and I hope to attend next year's if I am in the vicinity. I will post pictures from the next event downtown in late June- the Wine festival (as I am finally of age to enter now).

Enjoying my final official summer break of undergrad,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Three Down, One Year Left...

2009-05-13T16:49:00.005-05:00

I am back in Cleveland, looking back at everything that has happened within the past academic year. Wow. I accomplished a lot and I will actually miss this year. Overall, it was good. I achieved my first Dean's List and did things that were out of my comfort zone. I made many acquaintances and close friends and I did not manage to anger or frustrate too many people (even though I am human and I have made my share of slip-ups as well). I have surpassed many of my expectations and challenged myself along the way. I am hoping that this year of achievements will continue into the summer into my job search (particularly something related in my field) and into what I hope will be my final semester (if not, I can suffice with a full academic year). Senior year, here I come.
However, I am not exactly sure how I feel about this. As I saw many of my friends cross that stage, I feel nervous- for them and myself. I do not have much time left as an undergraduate and I have to make many important decisions for myself that could be life-altering for the people around me. Should I try to attend grad school? Should I look for a job near my home and tend to my family? Should I move to another city or country if there is an open job offering that I could comfortably start the beginning of the rest of my life? I don't know these things yet? I will have to start searching... and very soon.
I know that this upcoming semester will be busy and expensive. Dues, dues, and more dues. Tuition and books. Senior meetings. On top of all of the regular stuff I do. Work and an internship at City Hall. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Currently, I am thinking about grad schools for GIS and Urban Planning. The application process will probably be just like that of high school- maybe more extensive. I also would like to relocate soon after I graduate into my own apartment. Of course, I need a job to pay for it but that is what networking is all about. A lot of planning, searching, and saving is in store for me in the near future.
I am going through the motions right now. While I may be enjoying the time off, I know that this is not the time for procrastination especially while planning off the next steps after OWU. I am worrying about little things which eventually equals the big picture as to where I want to go. This is the first time at OWU where I feel uncertain about the decision I will make for my future. Whatever that decision is, it will not be an easy one. Pray for me on that.
Well, I am sure that I will have updates in the near future- many before I matriculate back to school for the fall semester. I will keep you updated for sure (my class load is not as heavy and my internet connection was restored in April at my home- no going back to the library five times a day just to check my email). All of these emotions are inside of me right now and I am just waiting to see what happens. Enough of my talk for now.

Nervously but moving forward nevertheless,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Bowl for Kids Sake 2009

2009-04-07T23:25:00.005-05:00

Bowl for Kids Sake 2009 was a lot of fun and a huge stress relief. This year, I went with Circle K and I knew that this was going to be a good time. We all met in the Smith lobby and hopped into the car for our destination to the bowling alley down the street. This would probably be the last social event before graduation with this year's graduation.
I bowled for both of the games. Some of the members wanted to play Quelf instead of bowl but they still gave those members that were bowling support. We had the last two lanes so despite being tucked into the right side of the bowling alley, we were the only team to have acquired two lanes. None of us were superb bowlers so competition was friendly.
I was rusty in my performance. Honestly, I have not bowled in since the last Bowl for Kids Sake so I was not disappointed in my scores. I do not think I even broke 100(I probably had a couple of opportunities but I bowled in some pretty awkward positions such as backwards bowling and no look bowling). At the end of the day, the score did not matter; all I really cared about was that the money we raised was going to a really good cause- Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Circle K had a blast while participating. This event continued to strengthen our transitionary period.
I really do not have much else to say except I wish the seniors luck on their future endeavors. Enjoy the photos below and have a good day!

Cheers,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Field Excursion to Cincinnati

2009-04-07T12:20:00.004-05:00

Travelling to Cincinnati was a blast. I spent most of the day there and I loved it. The time was most convenient since it was on a Friday and my only class was cancelled because my professor organized this trip for his intro level class (BTW, the professor, Dr. Walker, is the same one who led the two Columbus field trips I wrote about last year). The only real drawback was that I had to leave the school around 7:30 am so my wake up was around 6:30 am. At least, I got to sleep on the ride on a nice bus.

The itinerary: I awoke to the National Underground Railroad museum around 9:30 am. The intro class for Geography (Cultural Geography) and myself toured the museum and I was humbled by many of the exhibits. I knew about many of these exhibits but to look at the shackles and to stand in the wooden cells that held my ancestors was surreal and an experience that I would never forget. I wanted to stay here for the entire day but I knew that this was not possible. I hope to visit the museum sometime soon because there are so many exhibits I did not get a chance to see.

Around the noon day started the actual excursion of the trip. For the next four hours, I saw many historic parts of Cincinnati including their version of Cleveland's West Side Market (the name slips off my mind but I think I have a picture of the place). The area the market was located in was right in the middle of the neighborhood near the downtown similar to the location of the West Side Market. I was broke (which is a bad thing for a field excursion) but fortunately, one of the students brought me fish and chips which was unexpected.

After thanking him and replenishing my energy, the class toured (by foot) the downtown area. Another surreal experience for me was entering one of the Catholic churches in the downtown area. I was not expecting this as I thought would not be open. The church was open and there is tons of proof that I went below. I have been into Catholic churches but none were as decorative and elaborate was this specific church. The church was pretty big and had several sections meant for different purposes. I think the class spent at least an half hour in the church before roaming around the downtown some more.

The journey through downtown Cincinnati was long and often awe-inspiring. The class did some heavy footwork (up many stairs and inclined roads) to the outskirts of Cincinnati, particularly the neighborhood of Over-The-Rhine. I received a guide and history about Cincinnati and Over-The-Rhine, which I eventually used in my term paper for my Contemporary American Landscapes class about Case Studies in Gentrification and its Effects Upon Individual Cities in Ohio. We went to another Catholic church (not as elaborate as the one downtown) which overlooked the downtown and other parts of Cincinnati. This church was called Immaculata Conception and this, along with a stop in the ice cream store, concluded our field excursion in Cincinnati. Nice experience and a day away from the school. I love field excursions and further research.

Enjoy the abundant pictures from the trip. I know I did.

To experience life firsthand, experience Geography,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Why, Why, Oh Why- All This Work!!!

2009-03-31T22:32:00.005-05:00

This year, I have so much research to do for my Geography courses. This is my self-assessment of the classes through today and what is to come. Basically, this is going to be a lot of self-discipline to complete a lot of the assignments on my part. Papers, projects, research, field research, tests, exams, and even a potential internship in the fall. This has all of the components of a successful semester if I focus all of my energy in Beeghly library and push myself to complete all of the assignments. My breakdown is as follows:

Geography Information Systems/Science- Just finished my mid-term which took forever to complete. I have to start gathering collections of weird information that pertains to the university: locally, regionally, and globally. Right now, I have information that pertains to alumni and where they are attending grad schools and/or where they are working. I have to also interview one of our very own Public Safety officers, John Ciochetty about locations on campus that may be haunted. This would be very interesting. This class would be very marketable especially since I need to find a job for my Urban Studies work experience in the fall. This project should not be too hard and I have three other group members who are working hard on their own portions of the project. By the way, my project is a DisOrientation Map for OWU and we hope to get it done and out to the OWU community by the end of the semester and present to the administration soon.

Energy Resources- I am anticipating a struggle in this class although I am doing quite well right now in the class. I conquered the beast of a mid-term. Currently, I am still compiling sources for my behemoth paper due in three weeks. I have to redo my outline now that I have more sources. The preliminary part is almost as much of a pain as the actual writing and editing. Other than the paper, I have an exam which I will studying hardcore for and the final. All exams are twenty percent of my final grade even the final. Obviously, what I am worried about is the paper which is forty percent. I will be seeking a person out to edit the heck out of my paper so this is my classified portion of this blog.

Weather, Climate, and Climate Change- Let's see. A 15 page paper and two exams about the weather. Right now, the class is focusing on temperature and precipitation. The processes are longer than I thought. If I ever want to become a meteorologist, I will definitely have the skills and the knowledge to pursue this as a career. My paper will be about deserts and it specifically focuses on the tropical region right below and above the equatorial region. This is where some of the world's hottest and driest deserts are focused. My research will talk about weather formations in the region and why the climate seems to stay the same compared to other deserts in the world. This is my research in a short nutshell. Easier said than done. I am just hoping that the final in the class will not be like my mid-term for Energy Resources (long, mostly essays)

Economic Geography- Honestly, I have been stalling in this class. Most of the grade is from this documentary which is about Light Manufacturing on the West Side of Delaware, Ohio. No one has been authoritative about the project so in order to get the remaining information, I might have to become that hardcore guy. Walking to the West Side (about a 30-40 minute walk from my house), demanding to speak to the Public Relations person and getting the job done. Sometimes, when it gets down to the knitty-gritty, you have to dig deep into the project. I have two small tests for the class but I had Dr. Walker before so I already know what to expect from the tests. I just had to dedicate 1 or 2 entire days in the area, get the camcorder, get the interview, record the interview, maybe get some information off the record, and put in on the MAC to edit for the documentary, which is on Finals week. I got this and I will get my group involved. No more passiveness.

Contemporary American Landscapes- Assignments remaining: Revision of second paper, third paper due April 17th, and term paper about gentrification and its causes and effects in different American landscapes. This may seem simple but with all of the other writings, I cannot afford to procrastinate. All of these classes are for my Geography major to finish it out this semester. I do not want to stay another spring in Geography unless I absolutely have to. I am also trying to finish my Urban Studies major (sans the Work Experience). Therefore, I need to man up and do this for myself. I am doing research for this project and will be consulting Dr. Fusch every week so he can help guide me in the writing of this term paper. I'm focused, man!!!

Result = plenty of time to spend in Beeghly, the Science Library, and the GIS Lab with a plenty dose of field excursion in Delaware and in Columbus. Awesome.

Well, there you have it, folks. My remaining schedule for the academic year. If you want to major in Geography when you come here next fall or for people who are already here and cannot decide on a major, know this: Geography is NOT a joke!!! You will write extensively. You will do a lot of your own field work and research. You will engage in the liberal arts tradition in the fullest as a Geography major. I guarantee that this is well worth all of the writing and the research I am doing and that this opportunity to be a Geography major will help me in the future.

Wheat, out,
Hasani Wheat
Class of 2010

Black Men of the Future in Chicago

2009-03-30T17:24:00.009-05:00

Last Saturday, Black Men of the Future went to their annual retreat; this year it was Chicago. This experience was designed to strengthen our bond and especially for the newer members so that they will be ready when we transition at the end of the year. I will run down the schedule for you.

Friday- We meet at the House of Black Culture between 3 and 3:30 pm to load up the Hertz van. We chatted about what was our expectations, hopped in the van, and took off to our destination. The six hour drive was tiring for me. I read my Metroburbia book for my paper for a little while then I cuddled up in the back of the van and passed out. I awoke to the scenery of Indiana and listened to random conversations in the van. By the time BMF got to the Avenue Hotel around 10:30 pm, we were exhausted. We scheduled a workshop at 11:00-midnight. The workshop was a good ol' icebreaker which introduced ourselves and our expectations for the days to come. This workshop was relatively quick in comparison to the other 3 that we had (around 45 minutes). I was happy with the workshop because it segued into the morning workshop. Since the night was young, a group of us went into town. Most of us never been to Chicago so seeing the downtown, especially at night was important to us. We wanted to fully experience Chicago so staying in the hotel was not much of an option. Plus, we only had until Sunday to do whatever we needed to do. We were messing around (hence, the photos outside of the McDonald's with some of us posing with statues).

Saturday- This was the longest day ever!! My Saturday started around 6 am. I woke up, dressed, and went down to the fitness center. I did the elliptical and some chest presses for a little while and went back to my room. I showered and dressed again to prepare for the 2nd workshop. This workshop dealt with our inner selves and why we joined BMF. This workshop was meant for us to look into ourselves and to draw from other members about their experiences as members. I liked this workshop- it was serious yet it was not too serious. Sometimes, the workshops I have attended are too serious and feel like I am sitting in class. This workshop was just right. After the one and a half hour workshop was over, we headed out and enjoyed the Bulls/Pacers game at the United Center. All of the guys enjoyed this outing and we bonded well because we got out of the hotel for some guy time together. We really wanted to head over to the South Side and spend some time at the DuSable Museum of African American History. The museum had some interesting artifacts and factoids in it such as the Harold Washington exhibit, music from many different African countries, information about African kings and queens, and the huge exhibit about Black farmers, then and now. These are topics in Black History that are not as talked about and it was good to see a museum put this topics in the spotlight. I want to go back there soon. Maybe at a family excursion when I get the time and the money to head to Chicago... soon. We headed back to the hotel; however, we did hit massive traffic in downtown. In addition, we wanted to go to Chipotle's for dinner but there was no parking available. We settled to just go to the hotel and have our next workshop. This 3rd workshop was our longest- three hours long. The workshop discussed the three snake bites that could (and have) hurt our organization. This led into a discussion about prioritizing our goals for yourselves and for BMF. As the minutes went by, the conversation about how to improve BMF became more intense because it was then we all realized how important BMF is to us and how it should be to the entire OWU campus. BMF is ours and no one will take it away from us. It is up to us to promote the mission statement to the campus and to make sure that we are looking at our past and improving our future. BMF ended the night as T.G.I. Fridays a couple blocks away from the hotel as a joint venture with Sisters United, our sister organization.

Sunday- tired as all what, we had to get up around 7 am to prepare for the 4th and final workshop. The workshop started at 8 am and this was more or less a wrap-up of everything that was discussed in the three previous workshops. I loved the energy of our speaker, Robert Louis-Charles, throughout the entire workshop series. He revitalized us when we were tired and motivated us when we were arguing with one another. I have mad respect for the man and I am ever so glad to have him as BMF's workshop speaker for this retreat. Around 9 am, we packed up, got the receipt for the van, and loaded back up, and left Chicago en route to OWU.

I am so glad that I took this retreat. The retreat refocused me on my school work which I have worked very hard on since arriving on Sunday. I am so pumped to participate in the activities on campus for BMF and other similar groups in the coming events (SU, VIVA, Rafiki Wa, and the head of it all, SUBA). BMF will be a well-oiled machine for upcoming events such as Step Show, Hip-Hop Week, and the Global Outreach Show. The bond between the guys is off the charts right now and this should lead into a good transition in a couple weeks when we do our elections. All I have to say is: Fellas, we gotta ride or die... B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-M-F!!!!!!!

Riding high,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Lakota Nation Spring Break Mission Trip

2009-03-21T10:44:00.016-05:00

Sorry I have been absent but I was busy with mid-terms and I was in South Dakota last week for my Spring Break (always a good feeling leaving school to travel). Since I have been back, I am playing catch up. I had a revision to turn in and a couple of budgets I had to work on for spring funding. Overall, last week was a rough week. I survived but I really wish that I was still in South Dakota helping out the Lakota Nation.

While I was in Mission and Rosebud, South Dakota, I had the opportunity to work and experience the culture. The Lakota Team took two days to and from the reservation to get there. On the first night out, we stayed at this camp in Wisconsin. Honestly, the camp was nicer than I thought because the camp was really housing. Despite the cold and icy conditions in Wisconsin, we had a good time in our short stay to and from the reservation. While in the camp, the group had some philosophical discussions about what we saw and what we expected. I also learned a little more about my mission team- their fears and their affectations. This was critical to the actual experience because this was what made people tick. What was their capabilities and limits on the trip and other similar questions made to mind.

What I did on the trip: I mainly worked with the relief center in construction and building. For the first two days, I worked inside of a cold, small warehouse where I sorted tools for the builders and helped put up different things. For example, I helped construct a ping-pong table. I helped construct stairs for the relief center so that we would not have to use unstable ladders for the area. On that Thursday of Spring Break, I was able to go to the actual work site and help put up siding on the house. I did a couple other odd jobs around the relief center. I was usually tired after a day of work and the cold, wintry conditions especially on that Monday did not help my cause. We worked during the day so we could rest for events later.

These events were the cultural events of Lakota members. We had speakers on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday who spoke about different topics that affect or influence the Lakota people. On Monday, there was a general talk that focused on spiritually and being an authentic Lakota member (dealing with the culture). On Tuesday, there was a talk about the toys of the Lakota and their uses. This is an interesting conversation and my team and the team from Michigan State University got to use these toys. Many were practical and I was appreciative to actually use them. On our day off on Wednesday, one of the professors from the Sinte Gleska University, talked to us about the school and the linguistics of the Lakota language. I brought his book about linguistics while I was at the Sinte Gleska bookstore. It is easy to read and it is very interesting. Overall, I loved the talks because they were informative and were told from the perspective of actual Lakota members.

To cap the Mission trip off, we were invited to the Sweat Lodge ceremony, which is one of the sacred ceremonies of the Lakota. I was so happy and blessed to have been to this ceremony. It is not everyday that you get to participate in a Sweat Lodge ceremony so I jumped at the opportunity. We went to this house near the worksite I was at earlier during that day where we meet the medicine man. We educated us about the purpose of the Sweat Lodge. Then, we headed out and prepared ourselves. Basically, it is like a sauna but it is a lot hotter, a lot more claustrophobic, and completely dark so you can focus your energy on the time you are in. I LOVED the experience. Yes, it was cold outside but once you have stepped out on the Sweat Lodge, the cold was not noticeable and I really felt cleansed in all aspects. The peace and tranquility afterwards was awesome and I was in bliss.

I have SO much more to say yet I have little to no time to say it. All of my interactions and conversations during the trip- I wished can be noted. To all of the people I worked with- THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! To the rest of the Lakota team, KEEP STRONG AND NEVER LET THIS EXPERIENCE DIE!!!!!!! I hope to attend the ceremony on the 1st of April and relive the moments of this trip. The Lakota Nation will have a place in my heart, forever.

I wish that I could see the pictures on here before they post because I wanted to make comments so I guess you the reader can comments on the pictures.

Mitakuye Oyasin (We are all related),
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Living the life at a District Convention

2009-02-24T15:34:00.009-05:00

I was out of the OWU environment and I enjoyed another stay in a hotel. This time, I was in the Marriott in Dublin right by the Tuttle Crossing shopping center. I had never been to Tuttle Crossing so seeing the area was a new experience for me. I arrived at the hotel around 5 pm last Friday and I stayed at the Marriott until Sunday afternoon.
The occasion you ask?? Well, I was at the Marriott in Dublin for the Ohio District Circle K District Convention. This year, Ohio Wesleyan had the distinct honor to host the District Convention. This meant that I was heavily involved in the program. I helped set up the beginning of the welcome program and I was elected a delegate for the most important House of Delegates, which decides what changes need to be addressed and voted through to take effect. I spent a good amount of the weekend looking at the changes in the District's structure for its events.
The rooms were comfortable but I did not get to see much of it because I was in the sessions for most of the day. I did not get much sleep while I was there; I was doing a service project one night and working on homework the other night. I woke up around 7 am each day to work out and to get breakfast on Saturday before the general session. I did not go to any of the workshops because I was catching up on work and looking at the items we were to discuss at the House of Delegates.
One of the favorite things I liked about Circle K District Convention besides the open interaction with people in other Ohio Circle K group was the Banquet Saturday night. There is such a sense of camaraderie between everyone and the food was excellent. The Banquet also had an awards ceremony to it- I loved seeing people earn their awards as I know that they worked hard to earn these awards. The keynote speaker, our own Megan Evans, was funny and inspirational at the podium, making for a most interesting speech. Afterwards, I headed up to the District Board's suite and chatted with the board and our International Sub-Region E representative, Christa Fry. I got to chug some hugs and below in one of the pictures is the start of a devastating trend of chugging sugary deliciousness. I finished off the night putting down 12 eight ounce hugs. By the end of my devastation, I was full and ready for bed (it was around 2 am when I finished).
I would like to thank Kristen Lear, our District Convention Chair, for enduring eighteen months of planning and getting everything ready for us in the Ohio District and for never wavering from your passion. You have done us all proud and I am happy to be your fellow OWU Circle K'er. You did your thing last week out there and made it look so easy. I cannot wait to work with you again.
Okay. The rest is explained through the pictures of the bottom of this page. Enjoy.

From me to you, with ODCKI (Ohio District Circle K International) love,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Leaving Ohio Wesleyan for a weekend in Pittsburgh- aka Jubilee 2009

2009-02-17T00:01:00.023-05:00

Hello anyone. I am back on campus after traveling to Pittsburgh for Jubilee 2009. I am tired and excited from the trip. I did not catch much shut-eye, partly because I thought the gym in the Doubletree would be open much earlier than 8:00 am and partly because my roommate was snoring very loudly. While I was in Pittsburgh, I woke up at 5:30 am on Saturday and 5:15 am on Sunday. There were times during the plenary sessions on those days where I wanted to fall asleep (not intentionally, of course). Nevertheless, I pulled through and stayed awake for the entire conference. Most of this energy that kept me up was pure adrenaline, the kind that I normally use when I have to stay up or pull an all-nighter at school. I am really I got to attend the conference and to go to all of the breakout and plenary sessions as well as a couple of Jubilee Africana and Latino sessions.

I did not really do any work while on the trip. Doing work was impossible in the day because I was at sessions all day and most of the night. I completed the Disorientation Map blog that was required for my Geographic Information Systems class and continued to read up on my Untapped book that is about the oil in different countries in Africa such as Nigeria and Sao Tome. Other than that, I really did not do much classwork.

I went to all of the plenary sessions. The speakers were really good though I must admit that the Saturday evening plenary session was a little long for me (around 3 hours of being in the same area with little sleep can be quite tough). Nevertheless, hearing speakers such as Gabe Lyons (author of UnChristian), Bill Strickland, and Andy Crouch (Author of Culture-Making) made me want to understand situations in which I can encounter at school. For instance, understanding a person who is totally different spiritually from me. Sometimes, Christians tend to judge people because they are not like them. Christians at times tend to be hypocritical and use their religion as a method to cover their nature. Christians are like any other people on the planet. Christians and people who are not need to communicate with each other so we all can better understand the other's perspective. I would be open to that kind of communication if granted to me especially on campus. This information at the plenary sessions was practical and easy to remember.

The breakout sessions were alright. The first two were not what I was expecting so I did not take as much out of them as I would have liked. This was the early morning session so I was still recovering from my almost sleepless night. My first breakout session was about faith in the film making industry. Honestly, I really did not get much out of this session. I felt that the speakers emphasized the film making industry and how to get in more so than faith in the film making industry. I was somewhat bummed because I had a decision between the Becoming King session and this session and I chose this one because of my Film class last Spring. I took it for what it was and listening for the entire time.

The second session was also not what I expected but this time, I was a little more involved. The topic was The New Era of Responsibility and Isaiah 60. There were technical difficulties at the beginning. The session was interactive and I was talking to people about the topic for the majority of the program.

The third session I attended was about Technology and Faith. I am a technology person, my major incorporates technology in it, and where I have been interning for the past two years incorporates technology as well so I wanted to know how can technology and faith be incorporated into each other. The speaker was Jack Swearengen, Emeritus Professor of Engineering at Washington State University. As a Geography major, I feel that it is possible to incorporate technology and faith into each other; I have to look at the whole spectrum of the technology I am using and not only use common knowledge that I have acquired over the years so to use faith as a crutch for whenever things do not go as planned. The session was intimate, interactive, and beneficial to my major and possible career. I am glad to have went to this session.

The final session was about family. The speakers were Carlos Sepulveda, President and CEO of Interstate Battery System International, Inc. and Daniel Sepulveda, Punter for the Pittsburgh Steelers- father and son. I liked this session because the session was personal and it did not hold back any strings. The experience of a family in a person's faith is important. It is important to me and it was important to the speakers. I learned a lot about my own experiences of faith with my family.

I believe that it is important to maintain my faith on and off campus. It was important to me to attend Jubilee because I felt lost in my journey with my faith. Right now, I feel strong in my faith and that I want to learn more about how to utilize my faith in all aspects of my life; the good, the bad, and the ugly. Well, this is my little commentary about leaving OWU for a weekend to attend Jubilee this year.

Fighting the good fight until the end,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Dinner At Chaplain Power's House

2009-02-09T11:05:00.007-05:00

Okay. This is weird. The pictures are correctly displayed on the blog however in typing my blog, I do not see the pictures. I only see the HTML code that makes the pictures appear on the blog. That is really interesting. I wonder if that has happened to other bloggers lately?? I usually use the pictures as a guide but this time, I will have to do without.

On to the regularly scheduled blog for the week... I was at my chaplain's house on Friday. I was blessed, honored, and humbled all simultaneously to be invited into Chaplain Jon Powers' home last Friday. I knew that he lived close but I did not know that it was in walking distance of my house near Park Street. I had a busy day already because of the Multicultural Student Weekend; I hosted a prospective like I usually do during this annual event. I realized that I needed to head over after working out. I arrived around 5 pm and I was happily greeted by Mark Miller (see right). Oh... you ask what is the occasion?? Well, I am going on a Spring Break Mission Team to Rosebud Reservation in Lakota Nation, which is located in South Dakota. Why am I at Chaplain Power's house? He is one of my faculty advisors for the team and he invited the team over for dinner. Awesome, right?!?!?!

The meeting with at Chaplain was actually a pretty cool session. There was eight of us including the Chaplain (yes, the team is pretty depleted on Friday, but I had a good time). We chatted casually about the day and our hectic schedules outside of mission meetings. Then, we had dinner, which was spaghetti and salad. The food was delicious. I contemplated doing the next dish when we come back on Fridays at 5. Why not- it is a learning experience. We chatted some more. We talked about the different types of professors on campus and how they have impacted us. I like hearing the perspective of my peers about a professor I had because I know 9 times out of 10, the response will be extremely positive.

On to the meeting portion of the dinner at Chaplain's house. The meeting was short and simple. We designated leadership positions for the team. My main responsibility as a leader on this trip is to document digitally the things we do (obviously, I have to get permission to take pictures because we are in foreign land and I do not think the people will be comfortable with me snapping pictures every twenty minutes). Basically, I am the videographer and the camera guy since I manage this blog and another one on Wordpress. Medical forms went out and I recently filled out all of my info as a precaution. I do not want to imagine being injured on the work site even though I know this does happen. I will try my best not to let it happen to me.

I enjoyed my first experience being in Chaplain Power's home. I felt at ease and at home. I like the laid back setting where we still were able to get work done. I cannot done that Spring Break is less than a month away and that I will be on a reservation. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I will be on a reservation but now that I am, I am going to humble myself and enjoy the experience for every precious moment. This was a great way to talk about the trip in general and to utilize time that was given to me when one of my professors canceled class today. I have a meeting soon so I have to prepare for that now.

Learning the importance of the Lakota Nation through education and immersion,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

A day of an "untypical" OWU student (Not written by me)

2009-02-07T11:18:00.003-05:00

Readers,

I wanted to give me a perspective of life on the Ohio Wesleyan campus through the eyes of a person that was not myself. This way, you can understand the rigors (or lack thereof) of the college life from a person younger than myself. Okay, here is a schedule of one of my friends. I asked him if this was okay with him so I am not putting anything I have not cleared or authorized with my friend. None of the writing is my own. Here it goes...

by Vincent Tung Tran
Monday, Feb 2nd 2009

Waking up at around 9am, turned off the alarm, sleep in for awhile.
9:15am - there it rang again - the annoying alarm.
9:16am - rushed into the bathroom to take a shower.
9:45am - put on my clothes, grabbed my bag, didn't even make up my bed, clothes scattered all over the floor
9:55am - rushed out of Stuy and headed toward my STAT 230, which started at 10am.
10:12am - finally got there after talking to a Singaporean chick on the way to class.
10:33am - i checked the time, the class was boring.
10:34am - started to talk to a fellow sitting nearby, told him about the party on Saturday and how i passed out that day.
10:48am - checked the time again, phew, almost done....
10:59am - the professor just took away 9 minutes of freedom in my life
11:01am - got out of class, walked with some friends backed to Ham-wil. Didn't - met Abhi and Tyler as I was walking near Sturges ... almost slipped
11:19am - checked my mailbox and received a fine of $70 from the University
11:25am
11:35am - went back to Stuy to get my book to study for Chinese test
11:43am - got home and had some snack and drink
12:00pm - got a phone from Abhi - omfg! late for lunch! Rushed out again
12:05pm - at Phi Delt, all other pledges were waiting for me and.... a bit annoyed i guess...
12:06pm - lunch! !!!
12:15pm - up to the study room and revised for Chinese test with Eric.
12:43pm - Eric and I went to class.
1:00pm - In class, prepared to take the test
1:01pm - revised by the teacher and then the test.[it was an exciting class so i didn't really look at the time in between]---------------------------
2:01pm got out of class - went to University Hall 107 to ask for my off-campus application.[spent quite a lot of time there and finally they found mine>
3:05pm - got home, took a shower and then went to Phi Delt.
5:45pm - was waiting for my dinner and found out that i had to be on the staircase
6:01pm - yey! Dinner and then clean up
6:48pm - back in JP's room - played some games and then we went to library with Spencer.
7:09pm - study time
11:49pm - went home and then sleep

Well, this is definitely not my type of schedule on any day of the week but I think this effectively shows the kind of life a student can have at OWU.

Trying different things,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

My first Kiwanis Meeting

2009-01-31T17:03:00.004-05:00

Believe it or not, I have never been to a Kiwanis meeting before. Prior to my freshman year at OWU, I did not even though Kiwanis or any other members of the K-family existed besides Key Club (which was not offered at my high school). I am now finding out how much I am constantly missing on a regular basis. The format of the meetings are similar to that of Circle K with the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. However, instead of stating the pledge, there is a prayer. I was somewhat taken off guard by that but I listened and took a mental note of that.

I was not expecting a lot of people to show up because of the winter storm the day before. At Circle K meetings, everyone is already in the area of the school so it is not too much of a hassle. Ironically, the place where the noontime Kiwanis club meets on Thursday's used to be the place where I attended church. River Valley Vineyard used to be in that same building until they moved to South Sandusky Street about a couple months ago. This building brought back precious memories and now I was back in it for a different purpose. This time, I was on the other side where the Delaware Elks group used to meet.

The drawings on the wall was interesting to me. All of the drawing had intertwined justice with food. I am a guy that wants justice. I am also a guy who loves food. The idea to have those two things intertwined into a theme for a restaurant is something that has never crossed my mind but I think this is an interesting idea. This also ties into local history because Byxbe is the last name of the founder of Delaware, Ohio. I am learning a lot about Byxbe and the development of Delaware in class right now so it has become a topic of interest currently.

The Kiwanis meeting. I had a Turkey Reuben before that was paid for by Kiwanians. I met the President and talk to her before I started to eat. Since there was only 7 members in attendance, the meeting was very short and sweet. I had sheets given to me by the District Convention Chair. The first sheet had information about program ads in case the Kiwanians wanted to buy and place them in their areas of work and leisure. The second sheet was the guest registration form. Circle K members want Kiwanians there at District Convention since this is a huge opportunity for Ohio Wesleyan to shine. The purpose of the guest registration form was to invite Kiwanians to the Convention in Dublin- if they wanted to stop by on the events, this is free for them. The food is not that expensive either if they wanted to stay for the banquet on Saturday. My presentation was probably 5 minutes and I was so happy to represent our club at the Kiwanis meeting. Despite the cold, dreary conditions outside, I had a good time attending the meeting and I look forward to seeing fellow Circle K members, Key Club members, and Kiwanians at this huge, historic event for Ohio Wesleyan.

Cheers,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Field research during a snow day

2009-01-29T00:55:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I went out into the cold and unforgiving weather to take pictures and to do field research for one of my Geography classes. I had myself geared with all of my heaviest clothes. Surprisingly, I did not think it was that cold outside. There was a lot of snow on the ground and I had to hike my way to the location but other than that, I was fine with the weather. Students at Ohio Wesleyan were wondering why wasn't school closed. I did not mind because both of my professors decided to cancel class. The snow stopped falling by the time I decided to leave the comfort of my warm house. This was around 2:30 pm.

My area of research was Lake St. I believe I had the furthest location to the East of Sandusky St. I am very familar with the area because I work at the Common Ground on East Central, which is past Lake St. and past the Railroad tracks. I walked over to Lake St. and carefully surveyed the surrounding area. First, from East William St. to East Winter St. Then, from East Winter St. to East Central St. Finally, from East Central St. to Flax St. I had to verify the information from the 2007 data of Delaware Township by doing the field research with the latest information. There was a lot of changes with the addresses I saw. I mapped the new addresses with the 2007 data of Delaware Township and made sure that the data was correct before I headed back into town.

I had that Geography class earlier today. I had to create and print off Lake St. maps from 1950, 1959, 1969, 1980, 1990, 1999, and 2007 with the additions or subtractions I saw during my field research. I had info from those dates to do the project. The results were interesting. I discussed the changes of Lake St. at length in class but the main thing I realized was that Lake St. used to be like Sandusky St.- filled with industry and residential homes. With Sandusky St. being the main street for Delaware township, Lake St. became a shell of its former shelf. This is evidenced with the vacant and abandoned buildings. There are some signs of life but not like how the data showed for the 1950, 1959, and 1969. The evolution of a street. Very interesting phenomena.

I have more pictures of my adventure to Lake St. in Delaware, Ohio. I wanted to bring a personal perspective of the area and pictures are worth a million words. The snow makes the area even more mystical and mysterious, yet beautiful and even educational. I had fun doing the research on a snow day; it make me all the more appreciative of Delaware, Ohio and its rich history. Enjoy the pictures- I am going to relax before the day's end and write my weather log. Oh, the joys of snow.

Long live the snow day and field research in Delaware, Ohio,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

P.S.- More pictures are at the bottom. Some are taken on Lake St. and some are taken from my balcony.

Working in the Student Involvement Office

2009-01-26T11:10:00.002-05:00

I realized that I have not posted since the 31st of December. The reason: no camera, no pictures. I was also trying to make a smooth transition into the semester, which has not been all that smooth thus far. Nevertheless, I have made it to week three and I am doing okay in my classes. I am trying to get money to go to conferences such as Jubilee, the mission trip to Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota during Spring Break, and to the Annual Association of American Geographers conference in Las Vegas. This is an everyday grind for me because I really want to attend all of these conferences.

Anyway, I work in the Student Involvement for 8 hours a week trying to earn some money for these conferences. Yes, I have to be up and at work at 8:30 pm for four days a week but the activity in the campus center is at a minimum so it is not a big deal. I have to do data processing work, along with running errands to several offices including Human Resources, Purchasing, Accounting, and the Cashier Office. In the Student Involvement Office, I usually put out the reserved signs for student organizations who table during lunch. The work is not hard plus I get ample amount of time to study and to read for classes. This is a lot better than sleeping for 10-12 hours a day and trying to focus at home.

I hosted a prospective campus so the Campus Center was pretty filled with prospectives and their parents today. The sounds of the piano was not heard until around 10:00 am today. Usually, someone is playing something nice when I arrive at 8:30 am. At noon, I am going to eat with the prospectives, their parents, and fellow students in the Benes Room. This is a special treat for whenever there is a big group of prospectives. I do not have to walk back to my fraternity house for food; I can stay in the campus center area, eat, and walk to class with an ample amount of time remaining to relax before class. The weather is cold so this is a break for me- meeting prospective students that hopefully share my interest.

I am finally glad that I got a camera so I can show you pictures once again. I took various shots. The first one is the board I use to display important messages such as the upcoming OWU Summit for student leaders. The second shot displays the continential breakfast that was available during the registration for prospectives and their parents. The third shot is an intimate showing of the desk I am behind for the morning and how it overlooks the banners in the atrium area. The banners showcase student groups. The final shot is about OrgSync which will be somewhat like a Facebook but for organizations. Organizations can use this to keep up with everything they need to be successful and function to be best of their abilities. I believe OrgSync will be important for student leaders and their organizations.

Well, it is close to lunch and I have to organize myself for classes later in the day. Glad to be back on the writing and I hope that everyone is enjoying the weather. Just kidding.

Back on the blogging scene for OWU,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Last post of 2008

2008-12-31T16:15:00.002-05:00

Wow. The end of another year. This is the end of a lot of things and 2009 will help bring in a lot of new challenges for me. Without further ado, I will tell you what I need to focus on in 2009.

Focusing on academics-
I had a really good semester for the Fall. I will do anything and everything in my power to sustain the good grades because I know that opportunities await me and having a good GPA is one of the factors that could hold me back if I do not achieve them. All of my courses in the Spring are Geography courses and since I have been doing well in these courses thus far, I will use the materials I have learned to help me in these courses in the Spring. I feel that my writing skills have improved over the last twelve months through all of the writing I have done in these courses and I feel that the comments from the professors have really inspired me to change it up. I followed their advice and it has truly helped me. The sites I am using are better, the examples I am using is more clear to the reader I feel, and I have more confidence in myself. Field trips and other related experiences in the classroom and out of the classroom have prepared me to write and think critically and in a cohesive matter. I think that I am more ready than ever to go back to the classroom. I realize that after these five Geography courses in the Spring, I will be done with the major. Having a good GPA and learning the applications and theories in these courses will help me with whatever I decide to do as a career in the future. I cannot let myself down.

Prepare for the future- I believe that it is pivotal for me to make connections right now. I do not know what I will be doing in the future but I have a dream and an idea. Now, I need to make sure that I take the necessary to solidify those dreams and manifest these dreams into reality. This semester is pivotal to making those connections and seeing what I do to further myself. I do not want to be one of those people who are not able to find work after I graduate. I also do not want to be living with my parents all of my life so now is the time to make myself marketable. There are opportunities in the classroom and outside the classroom in the spring that I want to pursue. GRE's, conferences in my majors, internships, field excursions, applying for grad schools in the near future. It is all up to me...

Time for myself- My final goal. I think that I did a pretty good job of that last semester. The one thing that I worry about is that I don't want to end up slighting one of the groups that I am a part of. Juggling executive responsibilities for BMF and Circle K and being an active member of my fraternity while dealing with coursework is not easy at all. I would be lying if I said yes. I enjoy it but I do not want to put one over the other. The spring semester is a lot more responsibility on me. There are conferences for Circle K including one the OWU branch is hosting (District Convention) that I need to be at in February. BMF is planning Hip Hop Week and doing our retreat in March and I need to get the logistics prepared. My fraternity is busy with the pledging process all semester. Somehow, I need to devote my time to these things without putting one over the others and without leaving the members of my organizations high and dry when there is a big event in which I am needed for. I am not doing Choral Art or Opera this semester so I will have more time. However, I plan to do to Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota for Spring Break so that is another thing that may or may not conflict. In the midst of all this events, I also need to have some time to myself so I do not drive myself insane while planning all of these important events. I cannot afford to lose myself in the process of planning these events for time for myself is pivotal for me. I need to plan accordingly so conflicts will not constantly happen to me in 2009.

I think this covers my New Year's Resolution goal that I have set for myself for next semester. Seems somewhat simple. I know that I have enough focus and determination to make all of these resolutions happen and stay this way. I will implement these goals and try to make everything slowly even though I will be jumping into the unknown rather quickly as school starts back in about ten days. In 2009, I predict that I will become a stronger and more balanced individual. I am ready to face 2009 and all it has to offer for me.

Diving into 2009 with a purpose,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Late Christmas gift that was earned

2008-12-30T15:13:00.003-05:00

I am so thrilled to tell you that I have achieved something that I did not think I would achieve. In the fall semester, I have been documenting the fact that this was my hardest semester yet. This semester was definitely the most writing extensive which I do not mind but I really had to focus on the goals that the writings had required of me. At times in the fall semester, I did not know that I was going to succeed. Here I am in my Winter Break and a late Christmas gift has been bestowed upon me. Like a child waiting for Christmas to arrive so he or she can tear their presents open, I waited on my Fall semester 2008 grades to become available to me this very day. I awoke around eight this morning and the first thing on my mind was the grade report. I turned the computer, went to the site and looked around. I was in shock at first. Then the shock subsided and the feelings of joy, happiness, relief, and satisfaction entered my body. The reason: my first ever Dean's List. I never thought that I would reach it at least in my undergraduate career.

Let me sum up my feelings about each of the classes. These comments are entirely and should not be taken out of context. These comments are to serve as a hint for prospective and current students who choose to take these classes in the Fall of 09 or beyond.

Choral Art Society

My 5th consecutive time I have taken the class. I am sad to part with the program in the Spring but after this semester's double drumming of Choral Art and Opera, I think I have earned the break from Choral Art. The song selection this semester had a lot of variety although I wish we should travel more to the community. Hopefully, something like this will happen in the near future. The membership has grown since last year and that is a plus and I think the membership will continue to grow in the near future. All of the members seemed dedicated to providing their vocal talents and I am glad that I was a part of the program in the fall.

Opera

My appreciation for Operatic Theater has grown tremendously. I learned a lot in the three months we had together. In a way, I cannot believe how well we did the scenes program in such a short amount of time. In another way, we worked incredibly hard to make sure that everything went well so I am not that surprised that we pulled it off. I learned a lot about myself vocally and theatrically. Opera was 100x more challenging that anything I did through Choral Arts Society not just because of the shortness in time but the amount of time I had to put in Opera especially in its final three weeks before the shows. Not only did I have to sing (and sing well) but I had to do some basic ballet steps, act, and learn stage directions. I remember sitting in the Green Room and wondering why am I doing this. The reason: to push myself and to experience something that I never have done before. Overall, I love the Opera program that Ohio Wesleyan has and we really have some shining stars that could have a long and successful career in that field if they wanted. I am truly glad that I did Opera this semester.

Civil Rights and Liberties (Politics and Government)

This is easily my hardest class of the semester. The only reason I took the class was that I needed to fulfill a requirement for my Urban Studies major. In addition, none of the other classes I wanted to take for the major was offered in the fall so I decided to man up and take the class. Another factor weighing against me was that I have never taken a Politics and Government at Ohio Wesleyan. I took one at Kenyon when I was a JUNIOR in HIGH SCHOOL (yes, I never officially went to Kenyon, I just took the course through a Kenyon certified teacher). When I saw my first exam score, it was average but I knew that my peers were doing better because many of them were Politics and Government majors. Nevertheless, I had to really motivate and push myself in order to get a better grade especially in the next couple of weeks where half of my total grade would be determined from a term paper, case briefs (think Roe v. Wade or Frontiero v. Richardson), and the last of three exams. I think that the open book and open notes last exam helped me in the end. I learned a lot about dissents and concurrences as well as different kinds of scrutiny to determine case that involve race, gender, and age. I also learned more than I wanted to about my term paper topic: Exceptions to the Miranda Rule. Looking at all of those government sources and becoming the library's slave for day's on end. Even though the grade matters, I think I learned more than what the grade on the paper (by the way, it is a C+) says. I am glad I took the course even though I would not like to repeat it through something like Constitutional Law. I will leave that up to the Politics and Government majors and minors.

Cartography and Visualization (GIS)

Behind Civil Rights and Liberties, this was the second most difficult just for the mere fact of its extreme tediousness. I will like to think of myself as detail-oriented but man...this class took a tremendous amount of time. I learned a lot of HTML and a little bit of CSS in the class. I had to learn a great deal in about fifteen weeks- different computer languages, different downloadable programs to build my website, programs to create my maps for Oklahoma, programs to create my animation of those maps, programs to make my website transparent, and all other types of other kinks to make my project of creating a functional website with all of the elements of a working animation of population change in Oklahoma through over one hundred years. There were some small things that really irked me throughout the project like the neatline we had to create to put the map in. To me, it is a good skill to have and note but in some cases, it was rather superfluous. No offense but if I had to do it again, I would skip the process of creating a neatline altogether. I like the bare background better. Anyway, despite the tedious process, I am a first-timer in creating websites and animations so this gave me practical experience (and something to add as a great resume builder). I know that I can utilize these newly acquired skills in the near future because a lot of the things we learned is really practical and with time, you can master these skills.

Environmental Geography

I love this class. This class is so cool and beneficial for sustainability. I created a Google Earth depiction of some of the places on campus where there was green space available to the general public. I never how much green space there was on campus until I started this project. Hoepfully, I can continue this project as it is very practical for recreation and research , whatever floats your boat. I hope to help my successor in the class understand the project and make its development and availability to people on-line a success. On the seminar side of things, this is the one class where even though I am not an expert I will put my two cents in. I like to talk about the environment because the environment effects me. The small amount of people in the class helped spark lively conversations. Sometimes, it was me and the professor and sometimes it was me and a couple other students. I am bound to link some of the material I learned in this class with Cartography in my next class in the spring, Geographic Information Systems. I believe that this class is a must-take, although it is hard to get into if you are a sophomore or a freshman.

The World's Cities/Urban Geography

To tell you the truth, I was not at all confident about how well I would perform in this class or how much I would take from it. Now that the semester is over with, I am so happy I took the class and that it is a part of my major. I understood cities already but I incorporated what I knew already into the theories and the different formulae of how cities across the country was built. I learned a lot in the class because not only did the professor provide a lot of information, he was able to bring a lot of other people to talk about the perspective of how cities were built. The perspective came from professors and students alike. Even though the class can be often frenetic, I did not have trouble keeping up in the class. I started slow in the class but I started to understand the subject matter in each class and really started to put the information in the lectures together with the immense amount of Eres material on-line that was the required reading. Even though I had to print off article after article after article week after week and I went through TWO 400-sheet ($20 each) limits on my account, I was glad I had them in the final weeks. I had the heaviest work load in the final two or three weeks in this class. I had a term paper about Delaware's morphology as a rapidly growing city, a presentation about the culture of Chicago, and my final exam that dealt highly with Latin American Cities and architectural design. I was happy with the result in the class and I know that I can use these projects as a jumping start to another projects in the near future. This near future is as soon as January 12 when I begin my Seminar/Capstone (as I like to call it) class in Geography, Contemporary American Landscape. I enjoyed the field trips and I want them to stay on the syllabus for a requirement for the class. The field research in Columbus and Delaware was really cool and I familiarized myself with those areas quite well from the trips. If you like an eclectic type of class that is not all one type of instruction, the World's Cities is a class you might want to take for an upper level class.

Race and Ethnicity (Sociology/Anthropology)

I love this class. I kind of wish that the professor was not leaving after the spring semester but it is what it is. I enjoyed my time with him and the format of the class. For some, it is boring and sonewhat useless. For me, it was an experience. I did not mind all of the writing (about 60 single space pages). Learning and immersing myself into the countries and all of their ethnic battles was something that I will not easily forget. The term paper in this class: Native Americans- Victims or Beneficiaries was something that I wanted to do for a very long time. When I got the opportunity, I researched and eagerly jumped into the causes and effects and some potential solutions. I was so excited about the paper that I almost finished it at home during the Thanksgiving break. This was a class that I was actually excited to attend almost every week. Like the Civil Rights and Liberties class, I only picked it because it was required for my Urban Studies major and it was one of the only available classes for the Urban Studies major in the fall semester. Nevertheless, I was glad to take the class and I would like to take a similar class in the near future.

Well, that ends my euphoric rant about my fall semester 2008 experience. I had to get it out and I thought that this was the best way to do that. This was definitely the late Christmas gift that arrived for me out of nowhere...and I definitely earned it this time around. I am happy and I am blessed this holiday year.

Getting ready for the spring semester and its opportunities for growth,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

First Week of Break

2008-12-27T11:36:00.002-05:00

I am so ecstatic that I am home right now. Everything seems to be going very smoothly thus far. I forgot my camera but I do not think I will be taking pictures that holiday season. I do not have anywhere that is worthy of taking pictures this year. If you can remember last year, I went on a cruise. This year, I am facing the blues and realizing that I am a broke college student. I suppose that this was meant to be. Surely, I have received money but I need that money for more important things for after the New Year such as books and dues. Luckily, I do not have to pay tuition expenses this year. That is a first...usually I do have to pay some money. This time, the bill from the Accounting Office came and stated that I did not owe anything. I hope that this statement is correct because that is one less thing I have to worry about over the Break. I am blessed to have survived last semester and will soon be ready to tackle another.

For now, I am resting at home trying to catch up on my blogs. As you have noticed, I have not posted one since around Thanksgiving because of the hustle and bustle of completing my courses satisfactorily (or better). Now, I am sitting here and realizing that priority goes to schoolwork but I know that I cannot abandon this opportunity to talk to people through my blog. My mind is scattered so I am trying to think of things without giving away any clues to changes next semester. Writing on break this time around is harder than I expected.

The break thus far has been pretty uneventful. I think the first time I got out of the house was yesterday. Christmas just passed and I desperately needed to get out of the house. My dad gave me money to get minutes on my phone. I was getting a good amount of messages on my phone and since I was out of minutes before yesterday, I kept getting messages that said I had insufficient funds. Since I am not likely to use my cell over break, I think I will be just fine and that the minutes will last me until at least February. I also went to use the money that my dad gave me as a gift to purchase a new down coat. I stumbled on this coat that is branded Makaveli. The coat was different than the others I had at my house and I was confident when I put on the coat that it would keep me warm for the really cold temperatures. I like the coat and I am glad I got the coat when I did tight after Christmas. Other than that, yesterday was a relaxing day.

On the other days, I was either sleeping through, playing the games on the newly acquired Xbox 360 that my brother purchased over Thanksgiving Break, reading books, being on the Internet, or watching football and basketball games to pass the time. Very laid back at my house. Today, I will probably try to start up this snowblower that my dad purchased- it is a good day to do it because the temperature is about 60 degrees. This is good for only one day because temperatures will drop to around 35-40 degrees tomorrow. This is typical Cleveland weather for you.

Well, I do not have much else to say. Next time I blog, I will either recap the Fall Schedule or review what I consider my New Year's Resolutions. I will decide in the following days. Until then, Happy Holidays!

Taking life in slowly,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

GEOG 370- Downtown Columbus Excursion

2008-11-26T10:07:00.019-05:00

Okay. It has really been almost a month since I posted the pictures so I figured that I needed a clear explanation for not completing the blog when I started it. Well, for the last month or so, I have been in a continuous and often vicious cycle of school work. I really have not been able to break this cycle. I had reports, presentations, papers, works cited, and finals all to do within the Thanksgiving Break and the final three weeks. I do not believe that I ever had that much amount of work to complete before the Winter Break. Then again, I am now into my third year at Ohio Wesleyan University and as I learned from this personal experience, the third year is usually harder than the first two. I have not completed my fourth year but I heard that the third year is usually harder than the fourth if you plan out your courses correctly. I am thankful that I have made it through another semester at Ohio Wesleyan. I hope that my grades are okay.

Anyway, that is the reason why I have not completed this blog the same day when I posted the pictures. The topic of his blog is part of the reason; I had to do a term paper on the evolving morphology of Delaware and incorporated the effects of Downtown Columbus into this term paper. I believe the result was an interesting read especially when some of the research materials I used to develop the paper. This excursion was the second field trip that was required for the class; this time, the field research was conducted in the heart of Downtown Columbus- the exact time area where I was when I boarded the Greyhound for his trip to Minnesota. This time; the field research was not as long- only four hours instead of seven- and not as boring. This is not an AAG conference where for eight hours you hear from all kinds of speakers about all kinds of geographical subjects. This is research in the purest sense. Being in the field all day is not fun and not having a break within really makes the experience of conducting geographical research in a particular area tedious. I like researching cause and effect information in the geographical field but I need a break at some point to really understand that I am conducting.

In the field of Downtown Columbus, I learned a lot about its history and how it become a central business district more than anything. There are some restaurants but they are more like bistro instead of full-fledged romantic and exotic restaurants. Downtown Columbus especially in the Arena District is all business. There are upscale hotels in the area but like the restaurants, they cater to the businesses and people who are driving or flying in for their meetings. Their entertainment area is not that big and if I had a preference as to which downtown I would rather live in between Cleveland or Columbus, I would choose Cleveland because it is more diverse. Neither of these places are the safest but I would want to live in an downtown area where there is more than just businesses. Good thing that German Village is nearby the Arena District of Columbus.

I wrote my term paper for the class using my observations from the two class field trips as well as published information from journals and books. I found a lot of information about the development of Ohio and in particular, the Columbus metropolitan and how it connect small counties and towns such as Delaware. I think I worked on the project for about two weeks or so; I tried to make the project as relatable as possible and that the reader would not have to think too much about it. I will see in the near future if the research and the observation I compiled were good enough for a good grade in the project and in the class. I am crossing my fingers as well as looking for constructive criticism to improve on the project in future projects (I have a class next semester that might as well serves as the successor to this class about the World's Cities and Urban Geography).

I think the pictures of Downtown Columbus can explain the field research and interesting details of the trip a lot better than I can so I will leave you the pictures at the bottom of the page.

Viewing changing morphologies of cities like Delaware,
Hasani Wheat
Class of 2010

Mid-Semester Break- Saturday and Sunday

2008-11-19T13:18:00.005-05:00

Well, I know that some of you may be getting a little bored with the Mid-Semester Break blogs but to tell you the truth, I could not condense it to a single blog. That would have taken forever. Alas, my trip is coming to an end so I will condense the Saturday and Sunday portions especially since I do not feel that Sunday's ride home was not all that necessary to talk about (being bored or sleep for almost twenty-four hours).

On Saturday, I got the bill for my stay at the Hilton. It was for a good chunk of money. I exercised and got into the whirlpool for the last time to waste some time before my shuttle. I had to pack all of my belongings and carry it inside the Mall of America. I was going to send the day there and take a taxi back to the Greyhound in downtown Minneapolis. I was unfortunate enough to find a storage locker big enough to put my luggage (that was a relief!!) I went to Hooters for lunch. I never had been to a Hooters since there is not one close to me in Cleveland. I had no idea what the experience was going to be like. I was escorted to a table by a waitress dressed in short shorts and a bikini shirt top. That was an interesting feeling. It was done very professionally and I liked the atmosphere. Laid back and very casual. Something that did shock me was that Hooters sold seafood. The food I purchased? Oysters. I thought that the oysters were going to be fried and out of their shells. I was wrong. The oysters (and I have pictures of them) were in a pail (which was strange enough), in their hard shells and seasoned. The look on my face probably was one of puzzlement. Opening the shells took me a while; some of the shells were very difficult to open. I thought crab was difficult to get open; oysters was very hard even though they were delicious. I paid money for them so I figured that I better at least attempt to open all of them. I had a Long Island and a Mojito there too to waste more time so I was happy with my meal even though I was still hungry.

The rest of the day was a breeze. I walked aimlessly about the mall for a good five hours afterward randomly going into different store hoping for another purchase. As the night came, I got my luggage and exited the building known as the Mall of America (or the most fun place on Earth for three days of my life). I have so many pictures and memories of the Mall of America. Maybe, just maybe I will do a presentation on its awesomeness at a DOGG (Department of Geography and Geology) Lunch. Or maybe I will keep this treasure to myself. I don't know yet. Either way, I would love to go back to the Mall of America in a couple of years to change if there are any changes. I am so blessed to get the opportunity to leave Ohio by myself to go to the Mall of America.

I will leave you with this: if you want excitement, go to the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. If you want an adventure, go to the Mall of America. If you need to get away, go to the Mall of America. If you want to try a Casino and Hotel environment with a carefree attitude of what happens next, go to the Mall of America. This is an awesome experience- trust me on that!

Wanting to go back to the Mall of America,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Midsemester Break- Friday

2008-11-14T16:21:00.005-05:00

I forgot to mention this on the Thursday post but I went to the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company for dinner. The name was catchy so I made it my first choice for my dinner at the Mall of America. I had a shrimp combination of coconut shrimp, plain shrimp, popcorn shrimp, and tempura shrimp. I think I had a Sex On the Beach for my drink and I got this really cool souvenir cup to show my parents of my trip.

On Friday, I left the Hilton earlier because I wanted to go to the casino Mystic Lake and I had to catch a shuttle to get there. The shuttle departed from the Mall of America so I need two shuttles to get to there I need to go. I had never been in a casino so I was excited, happy, and nervous all at the same time. The shuttle was about a twenty minute ride there so I got in a nap. Upon arrival, I knew that the casino was owned by Native Americans because of the signage. This trip has encouraged me to write a paper in part about the Native Americans and their recent success on gaming (Bingo, casinos) among other topics I have selected in my Race And Ethnicity (Sociology/Anthropology) class. Is this a way to support their tribes financially? Is Indian gaming a good way to acquire integration into the mainstream and suburban areas? I do not know the answer but I will research it and try to make a case out of it.

I entered Mystic Lake and the place was huge, filled with all types of slot machines, blackjack stations, and bingo areas. I should have taken pictures but I did not get a chance to get out what the policy was for picture taking in a casino (but you visualize especially if you have been to a casino). Looking at the front of the place upon arrival, I did not think it was going to be as big as it was. Then, I see a Valet Parking sign and I thought to myself, "Wow." The spacial area of Mystic Lake, just by looking at the parking lot and how it extended itself all over, was enormous. Just like the Mall of America, it took me an hour or two to orient myself with the casino. There were not that many signs (at least not at first sight in plain view) so I kept getting turned around. Eventually, I found the area where I needed to get my casino card and my points along with machines that you can turn in your receipt from playing slots and get your actual money. Once I figured the casino out enough to locate some areas that looked of interest to me, I started to experience the casino in its entirety (or at least I think I did, the casino was just so huge). I played on a couple of slots and stayed on there for a while, winning some valuable money in the process. I left with a gain so that was a plus that I did not expect. After playing the slots, I ventured out into the hotel area (yeah, Mystic Lake doubled as a casino and a hotel).

From there, I saw a lot of reserved areas in the building for meetings and a huge bingo hall. Across from the bingo hall, I saw places where I could get food. I was starving so I went and ordered a burger and waffle fries. I am realizing that I am falling in love with Mystic Lake and gambling does not seem so bad as long as I control my urges. I think I stayed at Mystic Lake from the noon time until the departure of my shuttle at 5 pm. I immediately wanted to go back in and stayed for another five or six hours but I knew that I had to get back.

I was eyeing the theatres but most of the movies I wanted to see had already started. I ventured around and eventually stopped at the putt-putt area. I needed to kill time before crashing for the night back at the Hilton so I played 18 holes of putt-putt. I am still relatively new with putt-putt (I only tried it twice before) so I struggled with the first couple of holes. I found my groove around hole 5 and it carried me until hole 14. Some of the holes were difficult and have to do it with two or three shots to make par made it even more difficult. I made most of the shots within par or one off. My final 18 hole score was okay and it did kill a ton of time.
I had one last drink (Hynotiq) at the Corona restaurant before boarding the shuttle back to the Hilton. Back at my hotel room, I realized that I had not eaten dinner. I went to the local Sports Bar and had some ribs to finish me off for the day. I was starting to get sad because Saturday was my last day in the area but I went asleep satisfied with how the trip was going.

Stayed tuned for the final Saturday and Sunday (combined) portion of my adventure during Mid-Semester Break.

Exploring new things within reach,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Mid-Semester Break- Thursday

2008-11-07T11:40:00.005-05:00

I know that Thanksgiving is approaching soon but I have been sidetracked by everything else especially Opera, which (shameless plug) will be today, November 7, 2008 at 8 pm at Jemison Hall in Sanborn and also tomorrow, Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 8 pm and Sunday, November 9, 2008. I am probably going to be bogged down once again because of exams and papers as well as executive stuff. There is a lot of do this semester and I cannot believe I am done with the first third of my senior year. I am so pumped about everything I have been doing in the last couple of months.

Thursday of Mid-Semester Break was exciting. I am going to skip most of what happened Wednesday after I got on the Greyhound unless you like hearing me talk about the long, 18 hour ride to Minnesota (you don't- well, good!). I will say this about the trip though, all of the elements of conflict and frustration was actually not present for most of the trip, the layovers were not so bad, and I got most of my reading done on the bus. The infrastructure of the Greyhound bus stations in different cities was very interesting. Some looked very good while others were not as good. I especially loved the terminal in Milwaukee and its lighting at night. The bus terminal in Milwaukee looked like something from Star Wars- ironically, I felt like I was in Star Wars at 3:30 am in the morning, getting a vending machine turkey breast sandwich and some Gatorade and chips to satiate my bus-lagged, sleep-deprivated, light-jolted body.

I arrived at the Hilton around 6:30 am. I got off the Greyhound, headed towards the nearest Taxi parked outside the Terminal, and used $40 to get from downtown Minneapolis to suburban Bloomington. I was still somewhat dazed by the time I got to the hotel but the anxiety left me when I entered the Hilton. I was finally to my destination. I got a single, king bed room (one of my other anxieties since I did not know if there were going to be any rooms available). I immeidately wanted to change into some workout clothes and to kick myself into gear (being on a cramped Greyhound bus will make you want to stretch and work out.) The Hilton exercise room was comfortable. After a 30-minute jog, I wanted the feeling of a nice jet-streamed whirlpool on me. I changed into my swim gear and lounged about the pool area for about 30 minutes. In the whirlpool, the feeling of "This trip is going to be a blast!!" came to mind. The joys of travel.

I was so preoccupied that I did not realize the beauty of the room I purchased. I was ecstatic. I really cannot describe how the room is but the pictures I took are of a million words. This room is one of the comfortable rooms I ever had a chance to reside in. Take a look!

On to the good stuff! Well, I ate breakfast and did a little more reading for my classes while waiting for my shuttle to the Mall of Breakfast. Everything about the Hilton was beautiful and made for an awesome consumption space during my time in Bloomington. Around noon, I hopped on the shuttle for a 15-minute drive down to the Mall of America. I had no idea what to expect from the biggest mall in America. I did some research on it before I arrived but I knew that that research was going to be useless once I stepped in the mall. I had some nice conversation with the shuttle driver (thank goodness the drive was pleasant). I stepped foot on the Mall of America, entered the building and I was astonished by the number of people in the front part of the building... early in the day. Since I would have three days to explore, I would be able to explore every inch of the mall. Thursday would also be my biggest splurge in my shopping. If you did not know, I love shopping. It is like a fetish I cannot rid of. Let me try to summarize the purchases I bought. (Caution, this will be a runoff sentence!!) New black dress shoes- which I used for my Opera performances as well as the recent Heritage Day ceremony, new Puma's, three new and customized ties including a blue Donald Trump signature tie, a Street Fighter shirt, and some others in which I cannot think of off the back. For the first day, I stayed at the Mall of America for about eight hours and I actually managed to hit about 80% of the mall.

Since the mall is so big, I was confused. For the first day, I realized that there was four exits; North, South, East, West. I really had to orient myself to get to know the Mall of America in order to be happy with the trip because of its size. I never had seen anything like it for a mall. Outside an outside type of space but a mall? It was amazing. Beside a theater, there was a putt station and an amusement park mainly for children but exhibits for everyone. I was buying up a storm and exploring the many different stores (some competitive, some totally unique) in the Mall of America. The crowd only increased in numbers and there was definitely a tourist feel to the mall. I ate pretty well- there are a lot of restaurants inside the mall. Thursday was a night that I will never forget; it was fun and inspiring to say the least.

Stay tuned as I have more pictures and explanation for Friday and Saturday. The trip only gets better with time and experience.

Becoming one with the Mall of America on Mid-Semester Break,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

P.S. Some of these picture repeat- I don't know why but they do.

Mid-Semester Break- Wednesday

2008-10-26T21:41:00.010-05:00

Columbus, Ohio. Before this year, I never really visited Columbus unless it was for an event at Ohio State or for a project. This time, I am all alone and exploring the benefits of what Columbus has to offer. I was surprised by the landscape and the structures. Downtown Columbus looks like some parts of Downtown Cleveland. Downtown Columbus is sectioned off into several districts like Downtown Cleveland. All of these pictures are from the heart of Downtown Columbus in or around the Arena District.

The reason I was in Downtown Columbus on a Wednesday morning instead of slugging it out in school was that it was Mid-Semester Break and this was the first time (since I have been at Ohio Wesleyan) that Mid-Semester Break started on a weekday. I thought five days was enough time for me to explore a new environment NOT in Ohio. After thinking about the cost of the trip and where I wanted to go, I decided to leave for Minnesota. I tried to be discrete about it since Minnesota does not usually equate excitement for other people. I decided on Minnesota because one of my classes just finished its lecture about the Malling of America and what better way to do research and experience the mall atmosphere than to go to the Mall of America.

I went to the Greyhound Bus Terminal around 10:00 am even though my bus did not arrive until 1:00 pm. I checked at the register, purchased my tickets, and found a place to store my luggage. This gave me an opportunity to explore downtown Columbus during the morning as well as lunch time. At 10:00 am, the town seemed relatively quiet. People were not walking about and most of the restaurants were still closed. Since I was in the Arena District, I was wondering how much traffic it would be and where exactly I would get something to eat. Around 11:00 am, I started to see mass movements of people emerging from their office buildings. Many people needed a smoke break and many others were moving quickly to their next destination by foot, probably to a nearby restaurant. I was not familiar with the area so I decided to go to a vendor that sold an impressive amount of food. There was Philly Cheesesteak, Gyros, and other things (think: Mr. Hero's) along with desserts. I got a Philly Cheesesteak, some Doritos, and some kind of soda I was unfamiliar nor do I clearly remember. I looked at a location to settle down and I found a plaza in which a Starbuck's was near. I took my time eating and enjoying the scenery of people going about their business while I was idle. After I finished eating, I walked to the Scioto River bridge. Wednesday at noon was lovely and the sun was very bright. I had to avoid the bird crap on the sidewalk but another than that, I enjoyed my walk around the area.

There are a lot of area I covered in the Arena district. I walked past a lot of interesting architecture and sculpture including one of William McKinley. The messages are interesting; you can check them out for yourself at the end of the blog. I walked past the Ohio Theatre, which is a place I always hear about from the Music professors. Since I am doing Opera this semester, there were a couple of plays I was invited to at the Ohio Theatre but I had other engagements to take care of before I could enjoy a stage rehearsal. Nevertheless, the Ohio Theatre looked good from the outside and it is in a good location where it will draw a lot of people in the downtown area. I also walked through the Columbus Town Center during this stint. I was very surprised to see how empty the City Center. One would think that the City Center would draw a lot of people but there are only about 5 or 6 actual stores open. The City Center still looks relatively new. Walking through to get back to the Greyhound Terminal was a bit eerie. I hope that stores will re-open or relocation back to the City Center. I know that downtown Columbus is more for businesses rather than retail but hopefully people will utilize the space more. I would hate to see this space go to waste.

I walked back to the Greyhound terminal station at about 12:30 to retrieve my bag and to wait in the long line. My anticipation was growing because never have I traveled to a foreign state on my own on a Greyhound. One thing I did know- I had to leave Ohio for a short amount of time and quickly. This was my opportunity to be me and have the experience of a lifetime visiting Minnesota and reaping all of its benefits. I had the money and the means and I was determined to do it. Minnesota, here I come!!!!

From a Man on a Mission,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

P.S.- Additional pictures below.

The landscape and construction of a new potential retail area by the hotels.

The dearly departed Brownstone. Oh, how I confess my love for you!!

Sculpture outside of the Columbus City Center.

Two pictures of the landmark Ohio Theatre. I should have went inside to take pictures.

The message on the sculpture of William McKinley that I mentioned in the blog above.

That is what I am trying to do. Opera is definitely helping me be in shape, vocally and physically.

Genoa Park- the area where the Scioto River Bridge in Columbus meets. There is some construction going on but it is a nice area to walk around.

Interesting Scantron outside Starbucks.

The plaza in which I ate my lunch at earlier in the day.

Four slabs of stone on the ground of the YWCA in which I thought was expressive of women's rights.

Homecoming Weekend 2008

2008-10-13T22:32:00.011-05:00

Yeah!! The title says it all. Plus, I got my camera to start working again after letting it dry out and buying a new 4GB memory card and new batteries. I am one happy camper. Sorry this took so long but I got caught in the hustle and bustle of life at OWU. The mid-terms and the term papers and the long practices for Opera Staging, oh my! Alas, Homecoming was come and gone but I thought this Homecoming was the best one- even better than my freshman year because it was new and refreshing.

The quick rundown-

Friday-7:30 a.m.- I am helping out with parking in the Beeghly library lot with other student leaders. I am getting paid by OWU Admissions to do this and since I love this school and I am a generous, community-oriented person, I helped out by sticking it out in the freezing cold day until 10:00 a.m. I did not realize this until the night before but I also have a mid-term in my Civil Rights and Liberties class at 10:00 a.m.- the same day as the Inauguration. Oh, bummer. Well, at least I know that I passed the mid-term as I recently saw my mid-term report of a "P." Hooray for surviving round one. Now on to round two.

11:00 a.m.- After the exam, guess what I did? I went right back to work. I needed to take my mind off school work and focus on the special day. This is the one and only chance to see a live inauguration (at least as a student right now). This time, I was stationed in the back of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center. Most of the cars parked were Board of Trustees only- students had to park in Selby or Kroger. I know that many students are turned away from their regular parking slots.

Noon- I quickly changed my Rock 16 shirt for a Choral Art Polo for practice since I was one of many to sing in the Inauguration of Rock Jones. Practice went off without too much of a hassle. I enjoyed working with the brass section and the 70 person chorus.

1:00 p.m.- Back to work, this time located directly in back of Beeghly. Nearly any cars were inquiring about the parking because most of the guests, trustees, alumni, and other important people are already inside buildings for their meetings. More peaceful than the other two locations. I stayed there until 3:00 p.m. roughly.

3:00 p.m.- Call for Choral Art. Everyone looked nice in their polos. This was BIG exposure for us.

3:30 p.m.- On stage with the platform party surrounding Rock Jones. The Inauguration was about 2 hours long filled with sentimental speeches and interesting stories of success and how to reach it in due time. Choral Art sung in the middle of the program and near the end of the program. I was somewhat beaten into the ground by the end of Inauguration since I was already up for 8+ hours and most of it was endured in the sun.

5:30 p.m.- All campus party with EVERYONE!!!! This was crazy and I loved every minute of it. There was food from different countries and all of it was good. I was in ecstasy listening to the Owtsiders and Gospel Lyres perform. I hung out with my friends and I was living life to its fullest. I was beyond blessed to be a student at Ohio Wesleyan University. I hung out with people until 7:30 p.m. when I realized the surrounding darkness and left the Jaywalk area.

7:40 p.m.- People headed over to the men's soccer game, which we won by 1-0. I was stoked and so was the packed stadium of soccer fans. This was a huge sense of pride in our school. Everyone got a huge boost from the win.

9:30 p.m.- I headed over to the Hill for the festivities of the Bonfire, sponsored by the Student Homecoming Organization. The cover band was nice and there was a nice crowd. I was exhausted by 10:00 p.m. and since my house was nearby, I ran to the nearest door, entered my room, removed my shoes, and lied down.

Midnight- Miraculously, I awoke at midnight on Saturday and celebrated Homecoming with younger alumni at the one and only, the Backstretch. Seeing all of the people who graduated brought back memories of an easier time for me. I miss the experiences of freshmen year. I want that year back again to be perfectly honest.

Saturday- 11:00 p.m.

SUBA (Student Union on Black Awareness) hosted its annual brunch in Welch Hall. I was honored with an academic achievement reward. I also got to hear from prominent alumni such as Greg Moore and Aaron Granger. I was inspired by their drive to become something greater than their selves and to incorporate that drive into who they are. I like the brunch a lot. I can't wait until wait year for the next annual brunch. I thrive to very high aim for academics.
1:00 p.m.- I went to the Volleyball game first to support the ladies. I know a couple of them and since their game was on the day and same time as the anticipated Homecoming football, I decided to give them my support. I stayed until the time of Coronation for Homecoming King, Queen, Prince, and Princess. At the football game, I hung out with my friends as we cheered on our friends who made the court. I was thrilled when House of Black Culture members moderator Delmar Flourney and newest number David Burke won king and prince, respectively. That was a nice feeling. Oh, OWU won their first game. I wonder why it is at Homecoming that we always win?
3:30 p.m.- I went back to Phi Delta Theta to help host a reception for Phil Roos, class of '60. This reception was in conjunction with our House Tours that we give every Homecoming. House tours and the reception went without a hitch and this gave me an extended opportunity to acquaint myself with Phi Delta Theta alumni.
6:00 p.m.- I caught the tail end of Rafiki Wa Afrika's mini fest. I heard the dancing was good and the program overall was well planned. The food I tried was good too. In my spare minutes, I went to the Cave, talked with a couple of students and alumni about myself and life at Ohio Wesleyan in general. I really wanted to stay longer than I couldn't because of Opera. This event is in conjunction with the festivities that was planned for the Student Union on Black Awareness 40th Anniversary. I was unhappy that I would not attend a good portion of the events that was planned. But I still got to be on a panel that Thursday night and give my opinion about the importance of SUBA on campus and what it means to me.
7:00 p.m.- Opera!! Cendrillion!! We fixed up parts of our staging for our performance which will be held in Jemison Hall in Sanborn on November 7, 8, and 9 at 8:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m., respectively. I am starting to feel my character in this and in Riders to the Sea (anyone familiar with Bartley in Riders?) We had a three hour rehearsal so I was spent after the rehearsal was over.
11:00 p.m.- Backstretch. I needed to reconnoiter with more alumni and older current students after my rest. When the Backstretch is packed, there is no better place to be in Delaware, OH. You have my guarantee on that. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing.

Sunday-Culture Fest
Culture Fest 2008 was a blast. I had an excellent time looking at all of the talents. I love the diversity of this campus and Culture Fest reaffirmed one of the main reason why I am here at Ohio Wesleyan. From Rafiki Wa Afrika's performance, which is always a highlight of Culture Fest to many solo performances to the mini-party that Sangam throws at the very end where the food was served, Culture Fest capped all of the wonderful festivities for Homecoming 2008. If you went to Homecoming, I hope you had a splendid time. If you missed out, you need to head up to Ohio Wesleyan for these events. I cannot say anymore about how great Homecoming 2008 was in every aspect.

Enjoying the evolution of Ohio Wesleyan University through the presidency of Dr. Rock Jones,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Walk to Defeat ALS

2008-09-30T21:05:00.004-05:00

I am upset to say that I personally do not have any pictures for this wonderful event for ALS but I will go with what I have. Last Sunday, my fraternity, the Ohio Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta and I went to Columbus to volunteer our services for the ALS Association. I was excited and a bit nervous at the same time because I did not know what to expect. I have been in conversations with staff from the Central and Southern Chapter of the ALS Assocation since last November but the day had finally arrived. I had helped with loading the truck with the equipment that was supposed to go to the walk sites. There were three walk sites, one in Dayton, one in Columbus, which is the one I did, and one in Cincinnati this Sunday. I was happy to volunteer my services to the ALS Association- this is our philanthropy and what a better way to support it than to volunteer my time to the ALS Association.

I had a couple of jobs while I was there. Upon arrival at 8 am, I helped set up and unloaded the truck I helped pack a couple weeks before. Since there were a lot of guys from my fraternity to help out, the set up did not take as long. After receiving my official volunteer shirt, I was assigned one of my jobs, to assist with the drop-off point. The drop-off point consisted of an area where if there were any people who needed assistance in carrying equipment to their post or if any person needed help into their wheelchair or anything of a similar nature, I would be there to help. This task did not last long since people are already organized and prepared to walk for a distance (most people parked about a block away since that was the closest they could get to the area which by the way was Fred Beekman Park on the Ohio State Campus).

I was shifted to another position that needed a lot of help- registration. I saw my name for registration earlier in the day but the drop-off area was in need of assistance. As I took a seat at the registration table, I saw the various teams waiting to sign up or give their donations to the ALS Association. Many of the teams were walking in honor of a loved one who had passed from ALS also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Until I became Philanthropy Chair, I was ignorant about the fact that ALS is 100% fatal and that there is no cure. Hearing the stories before and during the walk of an individual's battle with ALS made me realize that helping with the Walk was one of the most beneficial things I would do for this year. Registration went well and I was happy that I could take part of the action with my fraternity brothers; we all worked together and enjoyed ourselves in the process of helping for a greater cause in ALS.

I actually participated in the Walk as well. The course was around Fred Beekman Park for a little over four miles meaning that the course looped around four times. The Walk itself was very comforting and everyone seemed to be enjoying the walk as well. After the Walk, there was bratwursts, sodas, and chips waiting for everyone. I had a couple and they were good. I needed the brats because as soon as I finished eating and walking, we had to tear down. The tear down took a lot longer and a lot more teamwork on everyone's part. Honestly, tear down was not bad either because I had the help of the guys whom I call my fraternity brothers. I was so pumped at the end of the Walk that I really did not want to leave but after the Budget rental truck was packed to capacity with all of the day's chairs, signs, tables, ladders, and other things for the Walk, we had to part. I was really glad at the end of the day that we volunteered our way in such a positive way to the ALS Association. I am grateful to have made the connection with the chapter and I hope that there will be many more in the future.

Grateful that the ALS Foundation is Phi Delta Theta's philanthropy,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Quick Update on Life

2008-09-16T20:25:00.004-05:00

Well, I wanted to post sooner but my life became a blur after the first week went by. I wanted to post my pictures from this year's Scioto River Sweep but after wading in knee to waist high water because of the low water levels, I think will be needing a rest for a while maybe forever. I will see in a couple of days after I find my memory card. I have no pictures to grace my activities so you must bear with me for a couple of days until I can get another camera or until my camera comes back to life.

Okay. So an update on life in general. Let me start with my classes.
Civil Rights and Liberties- For my Urban Studies requirement. Basically, it is a lower version of Constitution Law. This is my first Politics and Government course at Ohio Wesleyan so I am a little nervous about the curriculum. It is kind of like a History in where there is only a couple of huge tasks I have to complete but those tasks have to be good otherwise I am likely screwed. The course is laden with court cases and constitutional jargon but I feel that I am keeping up for now. Wait until the first exam and the case briefs. Oh joy. I have to turn in my topic statement for my legal brief of which I have yet to choose. Maybe tomorrow.

Race and Ethnicity- This is an interesting class thus far. My papers (3 page single spaced, BTW) have been getting good grades so far and I hope that the trend continues. My debate on White Superiority was okay. I did the best I could for the position I had. The reading is not hard at all and I think the exam coming up will be one that I will enjoy as long as I study hard enough for it.
World's Cities- Sounds like an easy class but it is an upper level. I just took my first test in the class- not feeling so hot about it especially seeing my fraternity brother turn his paper in around the 40-45 minute mark. I hope we both did well but I already know that I confused theories of urban geography and central place on a big essay question. I also looked at my answers with such confusion as to make me wonder- Did I study accurately for my test? On top of that, my 1 and a half inch binder is basically exploding because of the amount of reading I had to print off of ERes. About $35 is gone from my account- mainly because of this one class. Hidden college costs, prospective students lies here. Other than that, I hope to complete other important things in the class very soon.

Environmental Geography- Not confident in the style of the class. Based on a graduate seminar class where the students dictate the pace of the class, I have to walk from Sanborn (Opera) to the Science Center- about a twenty minute walk on a Wednesday night. Not just. The class is interesting but unless you like to read a book a week, I suggest you freshmen and other people who hate reading to avoid this class. I like reading and night classes so that is why I am taking this class. Oh, and it is a recommended class for both my Geography and Urban Studies majors. In addition to the regular readings and assignments, I have also been assigned to the Sagan National Colloquium series. Again. I have to lead a team of students into the depths of green space surrounding Delaware and through vigorous plotting on Google Earth after collecting the information. I was not expecting that.

Cartography and Visualization- The GIS course. I think that this is a course that everyone should take especially after the Power of Maps course in Geography. This class is time-consuming but I am learning information about HTML and ArcGIS so I am happy. The atmosphere is laid back and fitting for a student like myself.

Choral Arts Society- We have a full repertoire this semester. The concert scene was lackluster for me last year. The songs are more difficult than last fall and the amount of people have increased from last spring. However, there are still a lot of women and a few men meaning that I will be shouting just to get my notes heard. The tenor section is a bit stronger this year but there are a lot of new guys that are still adjusting to the craziness of what is Choral Arts. We have to sing at Rock Jones inauguration and at a couple of other events before the big concert in December. I need to be well-rested before tackling these events because I want to be at my best. I like the performance schedule for this year but I do not know if this will stay because Mr. Hiester is going on sabbatical in the spring. Darn.

Opera Theater- My new project. I do not have much of a role in it. I have no solos as of yet and my part in Cendrillion and the Medium by G.C. Menotti are fairly small. I will be helping with lights and other things on the side but as of now, this is the class that I have the least involvement in. That is probably a good thing with my class load for this semester.

My involvement with executive boards-
Philanthropy Chair- I think that this year I have been more busy with the chair position. I have been getting my fraternity together for a huge event called Walk to Defeat ALS. Hopefully, this will allow the guys in my fraternity to get a ton of service hours and an appreciation for service. I have the CropWalk to worry about as well but I am familar with that. I love service and I cherish it because it is the one thing I know I can guarantee to a person who may not be well-off as myself. Delaware has a lot of service opportunities and as a student and service chair, I want people to be aware and appreciative of the community they live in.

Vice President-Black Men of the Future- So Far, So Good. Our first educational program with Money Management was a success and we are in the midst of planning our second educational program dealing with how to manage organizations on campus which I am the master of. I initiated Bag Hunger through BMF to help the people of Delaware. During my turn in Welch, I got two full bags by doing the ground level and the 3rd floor alone. Just like old times. I will complete Welch probably on Thursday. I am happy with the leadership of BMF this year and hopes it continues especially during something like Homecoming and SUBA's 40th anniversary.

Treasurer-Circle K- Probably the most tedious job of the three because of the constant watching of funds and where they are going. I try to consult the executive board of Circle K with every decision I make because it is all of our money and they have a right to know where the money is going. My superior needs my paperwork soon so I am starting to feel the pressure. Everything has to be perfect otherwise there is some hefty repercussions for myself and my group. All of the other officers on Circle K are women so I better not mess up otherwise that phrase that is all too popular with a women's scorn will be upon me. I have a huge event away from campus in about 2 weeks and I need to get the vans reserved and the cash advance ready along with my budget ready for my superior. A lot of work for the Treasurer of Circle K but like everything else I am up for the challenge.

I rarely have time for myself; I know this is not particularly healthy but I think for now I can manage everything. I try to immerse myself as much as possible with other affairs in Delaware and in the Alliance schools. I have a dinner at Kenyon on Thursday with other representatives of Great Lakes College Association (Kenyon, Denison, Capital, Otterbein, ODU, and others). I love being in the know about a little bit of everything. Yes, my life is busy after I like it that way. Well, look at the time, I have to complete my house job before the wrath of the guys in my house envelopes me. Gotta go.

Maintaining,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Geography 370 downtown excursion

2008-09-05T21:20:00.006-05:00

My second week completed. Yes. That feels good and I feel that I am in control of the whole school situation. On Thursday, I went around Delaware with my Geography class. This was really interesting because some of the people in the class were not familiar with Delaware's rich history. We got to experience the town together up close and personal, courtesy of our professor, Dr. David Walker.
I love the landscape and the architecture of Delaware. I think that the landscape and the architecture is often overlooked, especially by the students. I wish that Ohio Wesleyan had something like a Delaware course kind of like how Cleveland State has a course for Ohio history and Cleveland history. That would be cool. Maybe I will convince Dr. Walker to add that kind of course so students are not ignorant of the facts and history of Delaware, Ohio.
Class was taught for about thirty minutes or so. Then, we left the classroom to pursue our short journey in the fields of Delaware. We took the new bike route behind the Science Center. I actually took that route last Saturday to go to the Common Ground, where I usually volunteer my time for a part of the week. The tour went like this: we took the bike route across the bridge which overlooks the freeway and the Delaware Run. After crossing, we viewed the older part of the city, which is East of downtown Delaware. We viewed the railroad and the Common Ground. We went into the downtown area where the library and the Strand is to talk about its history along with the architectural side of the buildings along with other important historical places along the way. We then went into the residential part of the city where Chi Phi is. I have not walked that way since the end of the academic year last year so it was interesting to see new changes and some old familiar places still moving along.
I was happy the tour of Delaware was done. Hopefully, when I leave Delaware, I can find a place like Delaware, a small, mostly peaceful town with a rich history, to start my adult life after college. I probably would not have taken a tour of Delaware any place else than a Geography class, especially a class with talks about the World's Cities. I have some field research I have to do for class in Delaware so I am looking forward to researching the information and finding the most obscure place I have never been to in Delaware and just tackling that section of history in Delaware.
That ends my talk about the tour of Delaware with my Geography class. I enjoyed and I hope other students on the tour did too. I also hope that other students that are still new to Delaware will be able to utilize Delaware's stores and resources to its maximum potential. I would love to come back ten years from now and be shocked by the changes in Delaware especially if it is student-led. I have to rest now- work and play awaits shortly. Pictures are below.

Helping Delaware, Ohio,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Orientation- Part 3 (Roughing It)

2008-08-25T12:39:00.006-05:00

Well, it is now late. I needed to take care of some other business (believe it or not for the first day). Now that I am back, I can brief you on a cool little hike I took. Last year, I directed people to the events as a Adventure Activities coordinator. This year, I traveled with the Hiking group to Delaware State Park. My immediate instinct was to take as many pictures as plausible. I wondered if any of my Geography professors went to conduct their research here. I am bound to find out sooner or later. Well, take a look at some of these pictures I took. This is kind of nerdy but I find the environment.

We traveled at least three miles into the woods whole trip. We were on the Mink Run Trail most of the way.

The lonely road that we crossed. I like lonely roads. Good to run across them or on them for cross country or just plain fun.

The incoming freshman who are participating in this hike. There was a lot more of them than shown here.

Student leaders John Kirsop and Julia Blyth.

This is me from three different views.

The view is good. Too bad I could not get a better view without the foliage in the way. Oh well, nature at its best.

I think you get the point. This was the main point of interest on Sunday besides buying books and filling out paperwork for Orientation Leaders. I guess that wraps up my second stint as an Orientation Leader. I hope you had fun reading the vast amount of information I provided about my experience as an Orientation Leader. I have to get ready for three classes tomorrow so I will be heading to bed in the next thirty minutes or so.

Preparing for a torrential storm of knowledge and expensive books,

Hasani Wheat

Class of '10

Orientation- Part 2

2008-08-25T12:37:00.006-05:00

This is a continuation of the Orientation blog I wrote earlier since there is so much I wanted to write about it and I didn't to bog you down with everything I did in one blog. On Thursday after Convocation, I helped to set up and tear down Recycled Percussion. I needed my muscles to help me complete the task. Stairs, boxes of equipment, speakers, etc. There are other things I did in the next day that I will personally with you in the spirit of Orientation.

The performance by Recycled Percussion was awesome. Too bad a lot of the Orientation Leader were so tired that they slept through a majority of it (or so I heard). I was wide awoke and I seized the opportunity to be a part of the group that felt the power of the drums, guitar riffs, and other spectacular percussion in the mix. Of course, most of the instruments were not actually instruments, rather they were household appliances used to create a similar but unique sound. Realizing this was pretty cool. They were not the average rock band by any means.

The drummer was amazing. Seeing evidence that he could actually hit a drum twenty times a second was astonishing. The group did a lot of improvization. They did that so well that if they made a mistake (which was a couple like throwing drumsticks high in the air to catch them and missing), the adrenaline and the flow of what they were doing would be so intense that you did not think it was a mistake, that it was a part of the show (which it was, technically). Anyway, Recycled Percussion is awesome and you should get their DVD.

Fireworks? No. This is a demonstration of sparks flying from the sawdrill they were using. Nice, isn't it?

The night ended for Recycled Percussion when we tore down the entire huge set. That was fun. I needed a ton of muscle strength to do it. At the very end of the night, I ended up loading everything in the truck. This is where I took the picture. The camera was fogged up as you may tell. Still, I had a ton of fun at the concert and using team skills to complete the task.

The day before, I went over to the International House. The Moderator, Jeane Pham, invited me over. Originally, I was over to visit a friend who was moving in. When I came back over around 8 pm, there was so many International students on the 1st floor that we had to move outside to continue introductions, name games, etc. Eventually, we all moved back to the Internation House for board games like Taboo and Apples to Apples. This was a fun experience and I got to meet more 1st year International students in this one instance. Sweet! To the left is a picture of Resident Assistant Samantha Spiridellis enjoying the festivities.

Friday night. Almost there. Casino night with pizza tasting. Yummy. At least ten pizza places donated pizza to the event. Some were better than others (I am not naming them.)

Freshmen and returning students gather in the middle of the room where the slots were located.

I still don't believe it. The Soulja Boy dance is still that popular. I thought this was just a fad. People are still doing that dance. Wow.

And the madness continues. Lucas Bezerra demonstrates his moves for the camera.

Saturday afternoon. A special treat. Guess whose house Orientation Leaders and incoming freshmen were invited to?

If you said the Pritchard House, you are correct.

If you think for one second, you will realize the significance of this. This is President Rock Jones personal house. The President invited students to his house? Wow. I never would have fathomed that in a long time. Maybe after I have graduated but certainly not now in my 3rd year. The Pritchard House was forbidden for a while. A change has come indeed. Glad to see it. The burrito bar was awesome. The conversations were good. The weather was perfect. A perfect event to kick off the year for the students.

Almost done with Orientation for the blogs,

Hasani Wheat

Class of '10

Orientation- Part 1

2008-08-25T12:21:00.004-05:00

I am back on campus, people. I survived the beginning of my first two classes of the year and I still have about five to go. I am done with Orientation and I finally have some time to put pictures on the blog. I think I have been going through some hardcore, intensive training with this Orientation and I would like to share some highlights with you of my experience in the last week. I arrived on campus last Saturday and finished Orientation on Sunday, which leads into Bishop Week this week. Since my Orientation experience was a week long, I went kind of crazy on the pictures. That is why you will be seeing this blog in three parts. The first part deals with the actual training portion of the trip. The second part deals with the actual Orientation. The third part deals with the adventure activity that I did- hiking. Without further ado, I introduce to you my experience as an Orientation Leader in pictures.

Delaware, Ohio. Home of my college, Ohio Wesleyan University. A lovely place, really. You just have to give it some time for it to sink in. I miss the streets housing the Small Living Units. Unique places that is a huge part of the campus community.

First day of Orientation. We got to know each other slowly and carefully. We did a lot of role-playing. Here you can see three of the Orientation Leaders acting out a skit about two incompatible roommates and their Resident Assistant. Funny stuff.

Here is another example of role-playing. I do not recall the situation with this one but the role-playing was interesting, to say the least.

Eazzy clean. Yes, this is a college laundry service. It is relevant to me though because all of my laundry is in my board plan. I was happy to hear that the laundry service was available to other people who may be less fortunate.

Day three was packed with adventure and excitement. The Orientation Leaders went to Recreation Unlimited, which is about 10 miles of Delaware. I didn't know what to expect when I first arrived. There was a lot of open, empty space. I realized that we had to hike into the woods for some of our more risky events. The trust fall and the squeeze box were more of the risky events. This is a sign I took of the occasions that the area is used for. Pretty eclectic, huh.

See what I mean? At first, there was nothing but empty spaces which we walked to. It got interesting after lunch and a game of 5-on-5 basketball.

Stream Trail were everywhere. I knew that we would be doing some hiking. That is one of the many reasons why our Orientation Team Leaders had us sign forms and provide medical information. This is one of the many trails you would find around the huge park area.

More space, wide and open for us to play on.

I saw this contraption near the end of the day at Recreation Unlimited. This is the high ropes course. Looks pretty intimidated. Of course! I have gone a contraption like that before with the tightrope walking and the zipline. Boy, what was fun.

A Picture of the Nature Trails Greeting near the woods.

Gotta look that up for more information.

Long story short, I was blindfolded for a game that required me to think without using my eyes. I had one hand in between a person's legs and one hand in between my own and there were hoops I had to navigate blindfolded. Team work, the best thing a fellow human can do for itself to survive. We did it.

Twelve foot wall. Nice touch to the end of our excursion to Recreation Unlimited. Everyone did the eight foot wall. I climbed up that easily. The twelve foot with a little help by the guys hoisting was also pretty easy. A wall in my way is nothing for me. Bring it!

The start of a very, very long night. Recycled Percussion was on campus at the beginning of the Orientation ceremonies on Thursday. Not a pleasant experience for people because of the heavy and constant lifting of awkward items and things of that nature. I did not go to bed until about 2 am the next day. It was all worth it just like the Demetri Martin show. The President of CPB, Griffin Waterman and Entertainment/Social Coordinator, Eric Wise, lend a hand to lifting an awkward piece of steel steps. Wrestlers must be in a world of hurt after getting with that big thing.

The night of Convocation was a success and Recycled Percussion was awesome as well.

To be continued,

Hasani Wheat

Class of '10

Last Friday excursion before heading back

2008-08-09T18:45:00.006-05:00

This is the last week to splurge and enjoy the numerous places to shop before I go back to small town Delaware. I have a lot to do work-wise before I go back so I better keep up with the progress I am making. For my last excursion, I decided to stay close to the work area and go to Beachwood Mall. I have not shopped at Beachwood Mall since July of last year so I figured I was overdue. I knew that I could not buy anything exquisite like I did last year but I had some money mainly because I just got paid about a week ago. I had fun and spent that "me" time I really needed.

I toured Beachwood Mall and went in a couple of stores after taking out some additional money from my bank nearby. I headed across the way to Eddie Bauer, which is one of my favorite places to shop. It is the only one around and I like the fabric and the look of the clothing. It is chic but professional. It is also one of the places that I know I can afford as a working college student who constantly needs to update his look for work and events on campus where it is not okay to come in and wear jeans and a wife beater. I got a shirt for a sales price of 19.99 and two pairs of dress socks for 2.99 each. I was so stoked.

Still in the mall, I went to a couple of sunglass places to compare prices. I like a good pair of sunglasses just like the next person but for now, I opted not to purchase Ray-Bans. In my price range but I am reserving my money for books, dues, and tuition. I was stopped by this one salesmen who wanted me to purchase some cleansing stuff for the hands that he claimed was from the Dead Sea. The mineral salt felt good as I tried it out on my hands but I was not going to spend $180 for the stuff. The salesmen tried to hustle me by negotiating with the price. I was strong and had to refuse it using the excuse of being the poor, broke college student that had $10 on him. People: don't you detest those kind of salesmen. I should know: I worked for CUTCO and went door-to-door by bus for the summer after my senior year of high school. Never will I do that again unless it is a dire, life-threatening emergency on my part.

After wondering around the mall, I left Beachwood Mall to go to a smaller place, called La Place. I usually cut through on my way to Legacy Village but this time, I decided to stay in the shopping mini-mall. Some of the other interns were talking about going to a restaurant called Sushi Rock since we went to Otani's in Mayfield Heights during the lunch break. Well, I decided to try it. I knew that it would be quite expensive (what place in Beachwood, Ohio is not expensive?) so I would have to throw down in two senses- the eating sense and the money sense. The food better be good.

The ambience was place and I got to sit on the outside patio watching the sun begin to set, getting a glimpse of the John Edwards sex scandal (why did we vote for this guy as the VP candidate in our Mock Convention? I knew Edwards had something up his sleeve or in another area), and seeing countless customers come and go. I heard the food was good. My verdict: the good was unique and tasty. I decided to go all out and get the most expensive dish on the list. The meal: Filet Mignon (again, you ask?) and lobster tails. Okay. The lobster tails are not ordinary. The lobster tails were diced up and wrapped in sushi. I was skeptical at first but I had tried lobster and shrimp quesadillas at Lopez's in Cleveland Heights a couple of weeks before and it was pretty decent for a meal. The meal is picture above this text and you can judge for yourself. To me, the food went down without a hitch and I was actually quite full after the meal. Sushi Rock was a success and the $40 I paid for the meal was absolutely worth it. I know how to pick the restaurants and the meal.

Next up?? Hopefully I will be able to come back to Cleveland in a couple of weeks and detail you on the Taste of Cleveland, one of the most orgiastic food festivals I have ever been around (if you got the appetite and the money to spend). Of course, I love it. I am not a fast eater but I can definitely put down some food. I detest wasting food because that is wasting money. So that is why I like food so much and almost always eat everything. Hopefully, I can convince some people to go with me to experience the Taste of Cleveland. Maybe I will take some Circle K people or BMF people or some Phi Delts with me. Only time will tell.

Loving enjoying these "last meals",
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10