Good morning world,
Yesterday was pretty hectic for me. As most Illinois residents probably already know, it looks as if the state will be cutting MAP Grant Funding. The MAP Grant is allocated to Illinois residents who are undergraduate students at an Illinois college and enrolled in at least three (3) credit hours. The MAP Grant is applied to in-district tuition and mandatory fees. The MAP Grant is a necessary part of many financial aid packages. As a resident assistant, I interact with a lot of sophomores and freshman and discuss financial issues with them more than the financial aid office. Taking this funding away from students will be a complete travesty. The grant funded the only chance that many students have at accomplishing their goals of obtaining an education. I must ask, what is our government thinking. With the economic turmoil that we are in, where has our money been invested Illinois? If not in the students and human capital, one of the most promising investments, what have we been funding? A true travesty indeed. We have to do better Illinois!
Here is a clip that was on the news last night about the MAP Grant cut. http://www.wics.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wics_vid_467.shtml
Today marks the official termination of summer. Classes have started and the campus is live and full again. My summer was really crazy because I worked in the residence hall maintaining the building for conferences while taking three classes. Usually I hate to see the summer leave, but I have to say this year I am not as sad. The departure of summer is still bittersweet because I had so much fun with Stella Bella, it's crazy how you can go from ignoring a person to really enjoying their company (most of the time) hahaha. I missed all of my friends that went home for the summer. Classes are also easier during the year because you aren't trying to cram everything into a few weeks. I am waiting on the rest of my books to come this week. I never order books from the bookstore because it is ridiculously expensive. I check amazon and half.com to see where is cheaper. Usually, books come to a total of about 450 bucks cheaper online. Half.com really helps a college student in business classes, let me tell you! On another note, my wing seems to be settling in just fine. For those of you that didn't know I am an RA and for the past two years I have lived on 2 of the specialty wings that the school offers. Last year, I did the Leadership for Life wing ( we still have a bond that could never be broken) and this year I am on the Necessary Steps wing ( a leadership and mentoring program). We will see what this year holds and I promise to keep you updated!!!!
Time goes by so fast. Taking time to think to yourself is invaluable. Everyone needs to sit back and just think sometimes, no television or radio, just a little solitude. I know that sounds crazy in a time where technology is no longer a luxury, but it is a necessity. Today, while I was thinking, I realized that we never spend much time in the present. We are constantly thinking about what we want to do next or another decision we made in the past, but we never appreciate the time we have to live now. I am making a vow to appreciate the present because it is a present.
School has been really crazy lately and that is expected in the last couple of weeks. Meetings, tests, meetings, work, meetings......and it goes on and on. You really have to learn how to balance yourself in college. I believe I have really learned how to balance myself pretty well. I used to get really frustrated when other people would try to place their restraints on me and tell me that I am doing too much. I think I know how much is too much for me better than anyone else would. I say no to a lot of things because at the end of the day my well being is what matters.
On a more personal note, I recently lost a friend. A good guy by the name of Donald Haley. I came to know Donald AKA Wheels last year. We were in the Capital Scholars Honors Program together. Donald was always a cool guy, but I really admired the fact that he always kept it real. He rarely sugar coated things and that is something that a lot of other people should learn to do. He was in a wheel chair and that is why he went by the nickname Wheels. He was pretty funny too. I sent my prayers out to his family and I sent some things via his sister. I know that nothing I did would bring Donald back, but I felt I could do something. I really didn't know what to say to his twin sister Delinvia, because i could never imagine losing my brother let alone a twin. I just pray for the family and hope they stay strong.
Coming to a close, I have to write a couple of papers and I have to do a lot of studying. I think im going to have a little movie night in my room. I stole Slumdog Millionaire and Traitor from my house when I went home to visit this weekend. I will probably invite Rachel and Courtney down to watch....
Hey Everybody, I know you miss me. I have a couple of updates for you. First and foremost, today hasn't been such a good day. I am questioning how well I did on my accounting test today. I feel that I could have studied more, but I will let you know what I got. Cross your fingers.
This weekend was my birthday weekend, but I didn't do much because I had a lot of work to do. I wrote a paper for my Language class taught by Professor Debra "Debz" Parker. We have been been focusing on linguistics for the past couple of classes. We have really developed some very interesting and intellectual conversations. We've reviewed the case study of Genie and "The Wild Child". Really briefly, Genie was a young girl found in her house bound to a potty seat. She was essentially deprived of language as a child. She was disciplined for making noises and never really came into contact with anyone. Her dad had real issues and in some sort of sick way, he felt as if he was protecting Genie from the outside world. Her mother was nearly blind and was a victim of her husbands abuse. This was a truly unfortunate event. The way the world embraced Genie upon her discover was very inappropriate. She was treated as a subject and not a human being. Enough about Genie because she is a very interesting topic and can be discussed for hours. On another note, we are partnering up with students from Russia to have conversations about language. Interesting! We have also teamed up with the ESL (English as a Second Language) program. We are required to meet with our partner a total of 8 times this semester for 1 hour sessions.
As you can see today all of the RA's from Lincoln Residence Hall and Founders Hall participated in a fundraiser for Big Brother Big Sister. Having to write people up all the time, RA's aren't always in everyone's highest graces. Today was their opportunity to get some slight revenge. For a dollar, they could pie an RA (Resident Assistant) of their choice. RD's were worth four dollars. I know I am worth more than a dollar but it's okay. All the proceeds went to the charity. I am not sure how much money we made, but the pies kept coming until the whipped cream ran out. It was all in good fun. 
Hello Blog World,
I cannot say how privileged I feel right now to be a part of history. Barack Hussein Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America. He is the first African-American President of these states. When our children attend grade school, this will be in their history books. I am proud of my country! I cannot say much because I am still watching, but I wanted to share this special moment of my life with you guys! He said so many great things. I hope that everyone listened when he stressed the significance of volunteerism and helping one another. Helping not to better ourselves, but to better someone else. YES WE CAN! YES WE DID! YES WE WILL!
In case you missed it. Here is the transcript
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
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It's pretty late or early, i guess. 4 am. I'm up working on door decs for the residents. The theme for the hall for the beginning of the semester is going to be Hollywood. I'm pretty excited about this semester. One of my residents, Erin Jones, is going to bring a lot of movie posters to put in the hallway. The door decs are movie titles and the hall is going to be decked out hollywood style. I'll update with some pictures once everything is done. A new semester, a new year, anything is possible!
Shout out to Erin for helping me out!
This is how we do the holidayz!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yours Truly Charles Olivier Tags: Chistmas, Holiday Season, PresentsThe holiday season is a very special time of year. This time of year means different things to different people. The world is a very diverse place and sometimes you forget that everyone celebrates differently. What does the holiday season mean 2 u...a little mistletoe? I went around and asked everyone what the holiday season means to them and this is what I got...........
A little Mistletoe