This semester, through Bates College, I have the opportunity in teaching a group of high school students in a workshop titled “Perform Your Mind”.

During this workshop, students will get familiarized with spoken word and write. The goal is to get them comfortable enough to perform works of literature on their own.

The workshop runs from January 30th until April 2nd at Lewiston’s Public Library.

The event is held at Callahan Hall every Monday evening from 5 pm – 6:30 pm. Bates College is all about their community and Perform Your Mind is no different. Who says learning about spoken word couldn’t be fun?

You must dress in grown and sexy attire. The party is from 10:00 pm until 2:00 am located at the 280 Underground.

The party is sponsored by the Mays Men. I will be the official DJ. I will play music from artists ranging from;

Beyonce

David Guetta

Drake and Lil’ Wayne

Come to 280 College Street next Saturday night if you want to enjoy a night of good music and great fun!

The break begins as of yesterday afternoon and it lasts until Monday, February 27th, 2011.

However, for those individuals who must stay on campus, do not be alarmed. Most of the facilities will be open. Unlike Thanksgiving break, Commons will be open everyday. Meals cost 5 dollars as students are not a part of the meal plan during winter recess.

Brunch is from 10:30 am till 1:00 pm. Dinner is from 4:30 pm till 7:30 pm. Stock up on groceries if you need to but meals will be available this break.

As usual, the den (located in Chase Hall) is open during the week. Regardless if you will be or will not be on campus, have a safe break and let’s finish the year off strong.

This is YOUR vacation. You deserved it!!!

Well that was the case for Toure, an American novelist, cultural critics, essayist, and television personality, who came to Bates College to talk about his latest book, Who’s Afraid Of Post-Blackness?.

A group of people had dinner with Toure last Wednesday evening and he talked about a variety of topics ranging from Hip-Hop, sports, and politics. He also talked about Post blackness and what it means to identify one’s self as black in the 21st century.

Later that evening, he spoke to people in the Benjamin Mays Center. He once again talked about his book and even made some not so popular, yet famous remarks (well at least on campus) about filmmaker Tyler Perry.

It was great to see some star power on campus, but more importantly, it was intriguing to witness a man with such an abundance of knowledge. You never know what to expect with Bates College and Toure’s visit was no different.

The conference will feature the co-author of Black Wealth/White Wealth: A New Perspective On Racial Inequality; Dr. Thomas Shapiro.

Shapiro is a professor of Sociology and Public Policy at Brandeis University. The presentation and discussion will both take place in the Keck Classroom in Pettengill Hall from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.

What color is your money? Find out next Saturday at the Unity Conference.

The music will be divided into three rooms;

The Little Room will feature Caribbean music such as Reggae, Reggaeton, and Soca.

Chase Lounge will feature Hip-Hop and R&B music.

Skeleton Lounge will feature Pop, Techno, and Mash-Up music.

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Yes, the party will be in Chase Hall. Yes, there will be a party on each floor. Yes, there are three parties to attend to in one night. This is TRIAD!!!

The event is February 11th (next Saturday) from 10:00 pm until 2:00 am. It will definitely be a night you would not want to miss.

Why go to one party when you can attend three?!?!

These are only some of the many questions I get on a daily basis ever since I finished thesis. You would think that this semester would be smooth sailing. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I have five classes, including two seminars, and an independent study that requires me to teach once a week.

I am teaching a spoken word workshop that I will explain more of in a post next week. The name of the course is “Perform Your Mind.” So basically, the semester is just as stacked as it was last semester. Yes, I am done with thesis, but I still have tons of other things to complete before I can walk that stage on May 27th. I’m sure that you all will hear more about in the upcoming weeks.

Every senior needs to stop by for a fitting. We also need to reserve our respective cap and gown packages. This is an opportunity for students to interact with one another, relive past college memories, win prizes, and engage in a pre-celebration.

You do not have to attend the entire fair. You can just come between 3 pm-8 pm for cap and gown fitting and leave in a matter of minutes. Class of 2012, we are almost at the finish line!!!

This semester, I’m working on a new project and two weeks I released a song called “King James.”

I collaborated with a fellow senior from Bates College named Sean Karr and he mixed and mastered the record as I provided the vocals. This record highlights my ambition to strive for the finer things in life. While I talk about the subject money, it is not limited to monetary value. Graduating is an achievement that I desperately strive for because there are not many role models in my neighborhood and no one from my family has graduated from college. I will be setting the blueprint for my little cousins. This is exactly what the song is about; trying to be the absolute very best at whatever you put your mind to. Below is a link to the song and I hope you enjoy. Parental discretion is advised as there are expletives and minor “adult” references.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPtIBiEhB5o

The Winter Carnival in itself was exciting with  a Hot Dog contest held in the Benjamin Mays Center and endless amounts of games and moon bounces in the Grey Cage. Bates students had the luxury of reliving their childhoods.

All of this happened in a mere two weeks at Bates. Only one can imagine what’s next to expect on campus. But best believe that I will be here to document the most prolific and exciting news regarding Bates and its historic campus. So stay tuned because here at the Bates Corner, you never know what to expect.