Tierra in Botswana

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Rate My Professor (dot) UB

Date: 05/08/2015

For students thinking about coming to the University of Botswana as exchange students or simply looking for an elective to take next semester, I think this post will help you.

Also, for my Batswana readers, please do not be confused by my use of "professor". In American colleges and universities, every teacher is referred to as professor whether they have a PhD or not. If you decide to take the course, you can confirm your teachers' qualifications when you meet them. I know you guys make a distinction between lecturer, professor and Dr. but, if I referred to any of my teachers without a neutral title, it would be seen as disrespect (in my culture).

Any-who, this semester as an international student, I took a total of 6 courses, two of which are only offered for CIEE students. CIEE stands for Council on International Educational Exchange which is the program I did. Below, you will find my evaluation of each course, each professor as well as my chosen grade for their teaching method and effectiveness. Hope this helps!

SPRING 2015

Courses offered year around

HIV/AIDS Education, Prevention and Control in Botswana
BNS209 (2 credits)
Mabel Magowe
T.R.B Monau

BNS 209 is a 2 credit course that looks at the history and current trends of HIV/AIDS in Botswana. Guest speakers also come to talk to us about BOFWA (Botswana Family Welfare Association)-which is funded by International Planned Parenthood-and HIV Counseling in the Student Center.

There were always reading assignments. Notes are offered on Blackboard and Moodle. We had two quizzes, two tests and one final exam. The tests are kind of difficult because they are tricky and the wording can be confusing. There were misspellings, missing words and grammar problems throughout them all. Also, Moodle marked several correct answers as being wrong for test two because the answer key was incorrect. So, I ended up with a 30/50 instead of a 40/50. If the professors focused more on clarity of written English, I think they will avoid tons of confusion and student dissatisfaction in the future. Also, you may be waiting a long time for your final exam grade as many of us are.

Besides that, this course was really insightful mainly because I was more interested in their perspective of HIV/AIDS in Botswana and how culture impacted the high rates.

Professor Mable was there more often so I have had more interactions with her. She is really critical of how culture plays into the stigma of HIV/AIDS. Her passion and sense of humor made it easy to listen to her.

Professor Monau was a good professor for our 2-3 classes together. He really makes the content come to life and engages his students. He got us involved in the discussion and encouraged us to think critically about HIV/AIDS in Botswana and in the world in general.

Overall, the professors are pretty thorough during presentations, although some of their statements may be debatable. It's not always a matter of accuracy, but a matter of clarity because often times their written English and spoken English is different from our own. But both professors understood their material and were pretty effective in breaking down the scientific perspective of HIV as well as the prevalence and incidence rates in Botswana.

I would give my professors an A+ for their clarity and teaching effectiveness, and a B- for their use of technology.

Side note: if you could understand Setswana, I promise, you would be laughing all throughout the class because Batswana always have a joke to tell. For international students, you may feel left out because everyone is laughing except you, but this is okay (remember you are experiencing a new environment). But, do be persistent when professors begin teaching solely in Setswana because you are here to learn and need to understand what is being said. So, raise your hand every single time they reach that 3 minute mark and ask them kindly to speak in English because you are an international student.

African Written Poetry
ALL 242 (3 credits)
Professor

This course mainly focused on theory-Negritude, Feminism and Marxism. For one assignment and the final exam, we had to read a poem and analyze it using one of the theories mentioned. We answered in essay form, 5 paragraphs that consist of an introduction, 3 body paragraphs and a conclusion. Try to stick to the structure if you want a good grade. Use topic sentences and adhere to the point mentioned in that sentence. Try not to loose focus or deviate away from the point. There was also a group project which was pretty easy. Groups of 5-7 students analyzed a poem and presented the information to the class. This course was pretty simple and straight forward.

The professor is good with giving notes. If you are look for a challenge, however, I wouldn't recommend this course. Granted it was a second level course, it's too easy. As long as you write perfect essays paying attention to the standard structure, you will be fine.

Overall, I would give this professor an A

African Oral Narratives
ALL 342(3 credits)
Prof. E Kezilahabi
Dr. P.G. Tshane

African Oral Narratives focused on oral literature in Botswana mainly in Setswana culture, although oral narratives from Swaziland, Lesotho and Xhosa speaking tribes are referenced. We rarely had any assignments. All we had were two tests, a group performance and a final exam. The tests are difficult if you fail to study and understand the technique side of narratives (i.e. epics, categorizing narratives, theory of Diffusion and Evolution, patterning, imagery, model,spatial time,etc. etc).

Professor Thsane is such a great teacher. At times she does speak in Setswana during her lectures but she made it a priority to include me in the discussion. She wold always say "class can anyone explain this traditional narrative to Tierra. Tell her why stories are important to our culture". Or she would say "Tierra, I have something to say to them that I must say in Setswana, so they understand me fully". Or she would reference American culture and ask me to explain what I knew to the class. I never felt left out or belittled because I didn't speak Setswana. I actually wanted her to speak Setswana more often because I was here to experience their culture and I appreciated their language. I knew she would not say anything important in Setswana without translating for me. Professor Thsane did an exceptional job with balancing Setswana and English and blending the cultures for me.

Prof. Kezilahabi is often hard to hear because he speaks so softly. He rarely projects his voice unless he is telling a story. Even then, the only reason I heard him is because I sat in the front row. He does offer good insight into the purpose of storytelling and the importance of African speaking and writing in their own languages but his explanations of certain concepts such as spatial time and narrative episodes are often unclear.

I would give Professor Thsane an A+ for her teaching methods and effectiveness and Professor Kezilahabi a B because he provided very little clarity.

Oral Poetry in Botswana
ALL 433 (3 credits)
MR. B. L Janie

The course synopsis can explain the objectives of this class way better than I can. According to our syllabus, "The course will cover various sub-genres of institutionalized sub-Saharan African oral narratives such as myths,folkatles and legends as well as experiential ones like contemporary legends, dreams and memorates (i.e. personal experience stories". The key word is "institutionalized" because oral culture loses its essence when written.

This course had much potential but was not difficult at all. We had one assignment throughout the entire semester, not counting 2 performances which should be easy unless you are nervous about public speaking. The assignment was to turn in a praise poem. The two performance include one group performance and an individual performance worth 40% of your grade. We rarely used any of our readings.

Professor Janie was a bit underwhelming during his lectures. We mainly focused on similes and metaphors which we covered in high school. I wish he would have focused more on figurative devices not commonly discussed, like parallelism and ideophones. Ideophones are sounds that have an convey ideas within a particular culture. Ideophones are a signature technique in African poetry and story telling.

The good thing about his class is that he offers old and new poets the chance to perfect their craft as reciters or spoken word artists and perform in front of their peers. He encouraged us to be creative, innovative and excited about poetry, not just writing poetry but delivering our poetry to an audience. His explanation of performance theory was also very helpful.

I would give this professor a B+ for effectiveness. The resources made available to us and his ability to connect tradition and modern culture was very beneficial to me as a modern day poet who respects tradition.

Setswana Language and Culture Practicum
AFST 10001 BOTS (2 credits)
Mma Phono

This course is required for CIEE students. The organization of the notebook was not helpful. Early on, we were advised to sections our notebooks accordingly: 25 pages for dialogue, 15 for verbs, 15 for nouns, 5 for useful phrases and 5 for any other business. This method did not work for me because we didn't have enough verbs or nouns to take up 5 pages and I found myself jumping from page to page. So this hindered my ability to organize my notes according to dates.

Assignments were culturally challenging but not academically challenging. We were required to turn in a Scavenger Hunt, Group Media Project, take a written test and oral exam. Not to mention, many of our excursions to Serowe and Kanye were a part of our grade. The Scavenger required us to speak with local Batswana students and ask them questions about their names, culture and totems. The media project required us to pick a topic (animals, food, clothes etc) and make a video for future CIEE students.

Our professor was really theatrical and she tried to make every class fun and exciting. Using pictures and childhood games and songs was very helpful. The handouts and categorization of words and subject markers were also helpful. I just think she could have been more consistent with having written assignments such as worksheets (like the crossword puzzle we did). Also, I understand that this was not an intensive course, but the difficulty level could have been a little higher. She tried her hardest to give us information gradually so we wouldn't be overwhelmed but, I often felt like the pace was too slow. She was not a tough grader at all.

I would give this professor a B+ for effectiveness because I think she was too easy on us. She definitely could have been more stringent.

Internship
INSH 3003 BOTS (3 credits)
Basetsana

This course is optional and offers public health and Arts & Sciences students the opportunity to intern at a health organization in Botswana. The locations are not limited to Gaborone, so you can seek opportunities in Tlokweng at SOS Children's Village (SOS) or even in Muchudi at Stepping Stones International (SSI). Usually, after reviewing your resume and cover letter, CIEE provides you with various options to choose from. However, if you know of an organization offering internships, bring that up to Basetsana (the program director) and make it happen.

Back to the course evaluation!

This internship gave us a long leash to explore our organizations and be independent. In the beginning, we did have guidance in meeting our site supervisors, establishing our work hours and clarifying our job description. Weekly meetings were held with our course adviser so we could give updates and receive feedback on how to make the best of things. We also had light readings to discuss at each meeting. Assignments are few- a total of 12 reflection journals (1 every week), a 15 page research paper (end of semester) and a 10 slide power-point presentation (end of semester). We were also graded on our performance and attendance at work.

Although, time management and proper planning could have prevented unnecessary stress, our advisers were really interested in helping us. They listened to our concerns and worked with us to ensure that we stayed sane. Because, trust and believe, depending on your course load you may feel overwhelmed in the beginning when there is an excursion every other weekend. If you are Saturday and Sunday morning book worm, you will be torn when you have to drop your books to go to Kgale Hill, Mokolodi Game Drive, a Braii (BBQ), Son of the Soil, a safari-you name it! All of these places are cool, so you shouldn't be upset for going. Just try to do most of your readings and studying during the week so you can enjoy yourself without worrying about class.

I would give our advisers a strong A because they gave adequate feedback on our papers and great advice on how to solves problems at work. I would just encourage them to get assistants to help with

Did this help!? I hope it did.

Keep in mind that professors may change over the years. I know that one of my professors is actually returning to the sates. So you may not catch her in Botswana, but maybe you will get lucky and see her in the mid-west. You will also find that many professors did their undergraduate and graduate studies outside of Botswana in places like the United States, Europe and South Africa. However, all professors are not referred to as "professors". Sorry to burst your bubble. A lecturer is someone who teaches (whether they have a degree or not). A professor is someone who obtained their PhD. My classmates taught me this when I gave a lecturer the distinguished title of "professor". Then I just recently learned that there is a difference between a professor and Dr. which are not used interchangeably. For international students, I know this may be confusing because we are more hesitant when saying "Dr." and not "professor" or lecturer. But, keep in mind that you are experiencing a new culture and this is something to take note of.

For the record, Ratemyprofessor.com is something we have in the states. Students are able to write reviews and grade their professors. When making a decision on which courses to take, students are able to reference these reviews. I am in no way an expert and just because I am from the states, that does not mean that my opinion is superior. I am just a student reflecting on her experience and hoping to help other students.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Exam Performance Piece

Dancing the Dream

It all began at the age of 3

My big sister Mia taught me

She would come over my house with all of her friends.

We would sit in the living room

Smiling, living, laughing

Then I would hear music playing; music was always playing

Music would tell you how to groove

the words would tell you which way to move

and Mia, Mia would tell me which dances to do

She taught me how to be sassy

How to have an attitude and represent for the gang of sisters in the room

They would make a soul train line and I would dance down the aisle

Over and over and over again

I was a dancer in training

I trained myself too

I would watch music videos

mimicking the the footwork, the break-dancing, the attitude

you see good attitude is when you appear to be rude because

You don't apologize for being that damn good

Dancing was my everything

My heart, my lungs, my God

Dancing helped socialize and express myself

Dancing was my emotional tour guide

Showing me the very places that made me cry

The very places that excited me and made me feel alive

Dancing uplifted me

So whenever I had low self esteem

I could dance and feel comforted

Dancing was my escape

Dancing was identity

My way of being recognized as me Tee Tee

And the applause that praised me

Made me understand

That my abilities make me who I am

And that my determination defines my destiny

But had my sister not implanted the art form into my mind

My passion would be confined to the perimeters of a unfertilized dream

and then what?

who would I be?

Just another kid lost and without a dream.

So if there is a child who looks up to you

Take advantage of their admiration

Motivate them to learn and be unique

teach them more than MTV and BET

Point out the golden tickets beneath their feet

The apples on the trees

Train them to believe in their abilities so

They can inspire other children to dream dream dream

For me

Dancing was that apple on the tree

I reached and reached for the ripest one to eat

I tasted its sweet flesh

I planted its seeds

And now dancing belongs to me

Swaziland Part I

A true African Kingdom

Swaziland has had its independence from Britain since 1968, one year after Botswana. The difference between these two independent countries is that Swaziland is ruled by a king not a president. The kingdom is still governed by traditional practices and customs. The king may have more than one wife, as the current king has 14-16 wives and 34children. His father Shingov II had 75 wives and nearly 300 children. Here are some pics of our stay here. I will upload the most informative one.

Had to start with the museum

Wearing traditional attire

The women carrying weapons and shields

HEADING TO THE GLASS FACTORY!!!

HEADING TO THE OLDEST MINE IN SWAZILAND!!!

AT THE ROYAL GARDEN !!!

The Queen Mother

Speaking with a Motswana

One day, I was speaking with a local Motswana and the topic of racism in America came up. They wanted to know if racism was really real and if it still existed. So, we started this dialogue about black people and their relationship to society and each other. Our conversation was so enriching that I decided to do an interview. This Motswana chose not to provide their name and I will respect their decision. Hopefully, you can gain something from our conversation as I did.

What is it like living in Botswana?
Living in Botswana is peaceful. Batswana are nice people to talk to. It's nice because I benefit alot personally from government programs like free education and Youth Development Fund to start your own company.

Do you have plans to ever travel outside of Botswana?

I do have plans to travel outside Botswana, I really want to go to Europe and America just to experience the lifestyle in different countries. I want to watch football (soccer) in England in Manchester united stadium

What does the world look like from your view point or perspective considering that Botswana is one of the most peaceful countries in Africa?

To me I see the world as a beautiful place which comprises of different cultures, customs and languages therefore this gives us an opportunity to learn from other countries where we see it fit. Sometimes I am also fearful of the violence and shedding of blood in other countries therefore as I see the world as someone pointing a gun at me.

What do you know about African Americans / Black Americans?

What I know about African American is that they came from Africa. How? I do not have a deeper insight but I do have a little knowledge. The slaves were traded from Africa even though they did not share the same ethnic groups but one thing they had in common was a way of life that was different from the [enslavers]. They came from mostly western and central Africa. And I know them because I always see them in movies and listen to their songs and watch their videos almost everyday when I am in school. I know that they are hard workers and have big dreams in terms of following the American dream. They are great motivators.

How are Black Americans similar and/or different from African people in Botswana or elsewhere on the continent?

In terms of similarities we can relate well when we talk about racism even though African Americans experience much more than us in Botswana, we also feel pain for them. They are different from us (Batswana) because I think they are more goal oriented, they can unleash their potential to excellence, they also have good facilities and beautiful buildings. Most of us think they are cool

What is your understanding of racism as it relates to African Americans?

My understanding of racism is when a person is treating another unfairly based on the skin colour of a person. Even though racism has reduced it has not eradicated, we see that in African American people, like a protest that was done recently of a young black man who was killed by a white police man, Michael Brown case. Racism still exist and is affecting African Americans.

How are African Americans motivating to you? What do they motivate you to do?

Okay, I will start by by stating my day to day activities and how I spend my day sometimes during my spare time when I am in school or when I am operating a computer. Sometimes I visit my friends, most of the time we talk about football particularly European football (soccer), and when I am alone, I would get to a computer and listen to different African American artist, Authors and comedians. For example people like Benjamin Carson, J Cole, Tupac Shakur, Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama and Myles Munroe, etc. I listen to their interviews/songs and sometimes read their books with the objective of learning life lessons from them and this also motivate me to be a responsible person with dignity and self respect.

You say African Americans have goals and aspirations. What are some of yours?

My goals? haha!! I have unlimited goals to achieve, okay. My first goal is to graduate from University and probably join the working class, after graduation my greatest goal is to set up a company so that it can help me finance programmes I want to set up for the kids in remote areas e.g Maun, Shakawe, Seronga and Kgalagadi district and also areas around those places. These areas are the areas that I feel are most neglected. The kids don't get to be empowered because they don't have the same opportunities that kids in Gaborone get (like the academies for teams). The programmes that I want to do are sports academies particularly football (soccer).

What hopes or visions do you have for your own country and your people?
The vision that I have for Botswana and Batswana is for us to create our own industries. That means we should invest more in human capital. We invest in human capital through education with what our nation needs. Therefore, human capital can help us with the skills we need to create Botswana based clothing industries. There is currently a leather industry that is to be implemented very soon which is good. As Batswana, I believe we are copying most things from the outside world. We are producing beef and providing services such as tourism. We are also making traditional baskets. We can learn how things are done in other countries but we shouldn't just import their goods. So we need to create for ourselves, have our own ideas. This will enable us to import a little bit but not too much. If we have industries in our country, automatically this will increase employment. Therefore our standard of living will increase. I believe one day this will be a reality.

For more information on the Youth Development Fund check out this article on Dee Zone Productions : http://www.european-times.com/sector/ict/dee-zone-productions/

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

My Take on Black Americans & Africans

For some of us black folk, going to Africa better yet returning to Africa is a big deal. It is symbolical of so many things-our ancestors achievements and struggles, their journey through the MAAFA. Returning home debunks the very idea that we would not return. The Door of No Return at Elmina Castle in Ghana, West Africa is not a door of no return but the very opposite. It is through that door that we symbolically reentered the history of our people. It is through that door that some of us seek to be welcomed home. Now I am not going to say that Black Americans welcome Africans from the continent with open arms and I wont say Black Americans embrace all other Black Americans with open arms either. But what I will say is that I noticed (even in innocent situations) there is always this subconscious attempt to create conflict between Africans on the Continent and Blacks in America. It's like someone is instigating an argument in order to let the African people say something about Black Americans that they (the instigator) wouldn't necessarily say on their own. And sometimes, I have to check myself because when I feel Africans are being put on a peddle stool, being praised more than Black Americans, I become defensive. Another thing that makes me defensive, is when I hear Africans in the states talk about black people not getting over slavery while they partake in black culture because they identify with us more primarily because we are all now black in America.What provoked this post however, was a statement I heard in an interview. The African student said (roughly paraphrased) "Black people will not let go and move on from slavery''. Another student said "All Black people care about is HIP-HOP".

Now something in my soul said, this is a way to create friction and not actually encourage a healthy dialogue between Black Americans and Africans. I could have easily said "How you gonna say black people wont get over slavery and that all we care about is hip-hop when you strive to live the life of a Black American every single day. And when some Black Americans tell you that they don't support BET, you say "BET does represent me". I could have said this, but I recognized the situation for what it was.

And I am nowhere near perfect. I still have biases and play into stereotypes. Making generalizations is not going anywhere anytime soon. I won't stand here and say trust every black man, black woman, African man and African woman you see because a reality where everyone looks out for each other is a fantasy, a utopia, a poetic stanza. Before we are black or any other race, we are human. And there are some black people who will take advantage your innocent pursuit of an African identity. Let's keep it real. Black or white, depending on your character, when you see an opportunity to get over, you are going to take it. So, I will not stand here and encourage anyone to be silly headed or blind.

But what I will stand by is the fact that slavery is American History. Period. You cannot talk about America's British roots without acknowledging its black roots too. Every answer you get about economic development/profit or inventions will always or should always include the history of free labor and exploitation of a people's ignorance due to their denial of an education. Now, what makes Slavery African-American history is the perspective given when telling the story. So its not about black people never letting go and getting over slavery, its about those black people trying to keep history and our story in its proper perspective. Yea, I can't feel anything black people felt 300 years ago. I truly cannot relate to being enslaved. I can't even relate to segregation or the racism experienced less than 50 years ago. I can't relate to my grandmother telling me she was called colored and that her mother had to use separate facilities. I cannot relate because it was not my personal experience. But what I can do is honor that experience and take pride in knowing that I come from a people who survived. Because truth be told, unless you are black you will never know the fear that comes with being black. You will never know what its like to wake up, knowing you have brothers, fathers and cousins, wondering if that day would be their last day. Whether they die from black bullets or blue bullets, the fear is the same. We need healing at home before we search for healing abroad. We need healing in Philly before we run to Gaborone. We need healing in Chicago before we go to Accra. We need healing in Wilmington before we go to Johannesburg.

With that said, some Black Americans (myself included) are looking to Africa for the wrong things. We are looking to Africa for validation as if we don't deserve respect simply because we were blacks born in America. Sometimes, we look to Africa for acceptance because we are not accepted at home. Sometimes, we don't accept ourselves. But no matter what, we need healing on our own soil before we return to the Mother Land. I cannot expect Africa to give me something I cannot give myself. And before I look to someone else's direct ancestors in Ghana, Somalia, or where ever, I need to look to my immediate roots. I need to know MY family history. I need to start compiling information from 50 years back before I jump to 300. I need to know who my grandparents were and who their grandparents were and if that leads me to a dead end because of slavery then so be it. But I cannot go to ancestry.com before I go to my aunt Catherine, a woman who is 97 years old. She has 100 years of knowledge that I can tap into. I need to start there first.

So, in trying to shift the perspective and not play into an instigated argument. My black people who say we need to get over slavery, I feel you. Because, correct me if I'm wrong, but what I am hearing you say is that we need to not "get over it" but surpass it. You are saying that we need to shift our focus from the hurt and the blame and the vindication and focus more on the solution. We need to accept that no one is going to change our conditions and no one can change our conditions but us. We need to get over our expectations of other people and get back to family and community. We need to redirect our attention not to the everlasting discussion of slavery and the who did whats but to the action of restoration. And restoring our own lives does not have to be violent or a case of warfare because when we expect violence, that is what we will receive. Just as when you expect failure, you end up failing. And if that is not what you are saying, then you need to explain yourself. But, what I am hearing you say is that we need to get some more faith even when all of our faith has been drained to the bare minimum. We need to get over the hump that is black and get back to being black.

Because, Black is a lower class race created by a superior group of people. Being Black is a beautiful struggle of surviving, restoring, retaining and uplifting the value of our black American culture while embracing the spirit of humanity. And this is what we should strive for.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Genetics-Related Apps: A Way to Engage The Youth

(Check out my latest post. This is from a blog site I manage for the Genomes Adventures Team)

If youth are your target audience, your teaching strategies should be engaging, fun and interesting. These basic approaches could keep your audience's attention and make learning more fun. Also, you may want to choose current modes of communication as your route to reaching them. For example, where do many youth spend their time?On Social Media! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, Snapchat, you name it. And how do they access these sites? Through their cell phones, Ipads, laptops, PCs and tablets. What all of these of these devices have in common is their ability to download and store apps. Despite being affordable or reliable due to Wi-Fi accessibility, one of these devices is the most convenient to use. Which one could it be? You got it, the cell phone. So if we can reach the youth through their cellular devices with the assistance of apps, we may be able to recruit more young and inspiring scientists.

We did some research two weeks ago, searching for mobile apps that covered a range of topics in the field of biomedical science (see the tables below). We found several apps that have information on DNA, RNA, genetics, genetic diseases and amino acids. The information was vast and the cost of the apps ranged from free to approximately $4.99 and one app was $16. In addition to the cost which may discourage youth in Botswana as the conversion rate is $1 to 10 pula, the teaching approach may also be an issue. Going back to what we mentioned before, no matter what platform we use, our teaching strategies must be engaging, fun and interesting. Through research, we discovered that most of these apps were geared towards a knowledgeable and experienced audience (i.e. students, scientists and educators). This was discouraging for us because we need a platform that is going to attract and retain a not just the youth but the general public, those not familiar with medical and scientific jargon.

According to Coodinator of CAfGEN Project, Edward Pettitt, ''most of the available apps are reference-oriented, with a few being tools and calculators suitable for advanced tertiary students and/or scientists/clinicians. Very few are suitable for the general public and only one was a game (which was more fictional and not really educational). Therefore, it seems that there is a dearth of apps that are geared towards the general public and/or youth that have an edutainment approach." Additionally, we must keep in mind that mobile apps are an opportunity for independent learning to take place. Mobile apps must be programed to guide the learner through the various topics and aid in the learning process.

With that, we have discovered our own solution. Yup, you heard it here first. Genome Adventures is currently collaborating with fellow researchers aligned with H3Africa to develop an app that will help educate youth and the general public in Africa on genetics and genomics concepts, including the use of comics as an educational medium.

Although, only one app suited our approach many of you may find these reference based apps beneficial for your training programs, educational tutorials and research. Please see the tables below and pick the app that suits your needs. And if you have any information to share with us, please do so.

http://genomeadventures.weebly.com/blog/-genetics-related-apps-a-way-to-engage-the-youth

Sunday, April 12, 2015

My Loc Journey

I Am Not my Hair but My Hair is Me

Before I loc’d and way before I got my first perm, my mom would always plait my hair or give me big twisties with ballies and barretts. I was an oldschool child-I didn’t wear hair pieces or extentions. I wore my natural hair made manageable with water, grease and a heavy handed comb. I was extremely tender headed and sometimes I would fall asleep on mother’s lap or in between her legs just to wake up with a sore scalp. Don’t get me wrong, my hairstyles were on point. I would always get compliments on how pretty my hair was. But the process of getting my hair done was a pain in the a%$. Do you know what it feels like to have a comb raking through tightly coiled and tangled hair? Do you know what getting cornrows feels like? Have you ever had someone almost knock you upside your head for squiriming and trying to run away? Do you truly understand the definition of ‘’OW!’’ Well, I do and I’m glad those years are long gone. I won't lie, I do miss getting braids and Mohawks but trust that I do not miss the pain, boul. Now, when I finally decided to loc, I was happy to have a hairstyle that reduced the amount of pain accompanied with styling. But avoiding pain was not the main reason I loced my hair. It was a contributing factor but not the main factor.

I was a preteen, a young girl growing up. Ballies and barretts were no longer for me. I needed something that was up to date, something mature enough for my age, something affordable for my mother and manageable for me. I thought a perm was the solution. It was quick, simple and easy to work with. So I begged my mom to let me get one and she did. During that time, having a perm was manageable in the sense that I didn't have to style it everyday. But I also was unable to wrap it every night. I didn't know how to put rollers in without denting my hair, eventually my hair shedded from split ends and the heat damage from the constant blow drying and flat ironing broke off my hair. In short, I didn't know what the hell I was doing with permed hair. It just didn't fit my lifestyle, I guess. I had a perm for about two years before I reverted back to my natural look.

Carmel Treatment E'TAE Natural Products

From the age of 13-15 I began going natural. As, I allowed my perm to grow out, my hair broke off some more and became uneven. During that process, I tried Carmel Treatment, a "natural perm''. Basically it was a solution of ‘’natural’’ ingredients that gave you the same straight look a perm produced. I put natural in quotation marks because I honestly don’t know what natural is anymore. But anyway, I also I learned how to twist my hair. Initially, I thought twisties weren’t for me but I was ready to see my natural hair again and needed some kind of transition style. I saw my aunties wearing twisties in so many different styles and colors. Coincidentally, several women at my highschool sported twisties...but something was different about their twisies and my aunts twisties. Their twisties could not be undone. They were called dreadlocs by many and locs by a select few. One teacher in particular was from Jamaica and had the most beautiful locs I had ever seen. Her tips were dyed blong, her locks were medium large and clean and she wore the dopest styles. It didn’t take me long to become a hair stalker. I was curious about this look-up until then I had never seen locs before or at least payed enpugh attention to know what they were. Whenever the time came, it would be my time to loc and I was going to do it right.

I was 15 going on 16 when I began to loc my hair. February 2015 made my it 7th year mark. It was a personal decision I made after two years of research and observation. Throughout my loc journey I learned how to retwist and style my own locs (saving aot of money). I also experienced a little build up, had to switch locing gels and twisting oils and I also had my hair cut a couple years back. If I had to give advice to anyone thinking about locing their hair I would say DO RESEARCH. There is no need to rush, this is a lifestyle not just a hairstyle.

Okay, I’m not Rastafarian and you don’t have to be Rastafarian to start your locs but locs require patience, care and concern. You need to be patienct with your hair during the locing and budding process. You need to care about your hair during the process and you have to be concerned about the health of your locs if you want them to last. Breakage, thinning and buildup is real, so real. And you need to be willing to paitiently discover a loctician who you can trust and communicate with. One thing is for certain, if you cannot communicate with your hairstylist about YOUR hair without them thinking it's THEIR hair, there is a problem.

Hair Safety & Love is important. It is something I adopted growing up after having my mother be so protective of my hair. I don’t let just any old Patty, Sue and Brenda touch my hair and I don’t depend on anyone to do my hair. That’s a fact. But there are a couple of locticians whom I have learned to trust and I appreciate their work on my hair. One woman in Philadelphia actually clipped my ends after I needed to release some negative energy. She was very Afrocentric and intuned with her spirit so I knew she cared about my hair as much as I did. Another woman in D.C styled my hair a few times and gave me the red streaks I asked for. She is also a down to earth woman who is concerned about the health of her client’s hair not just the look.

Call it a myth or crazy thinking if you want, but there is a spiritual component associated with locs. .My hair represents a part of my story. My hair is a part of my culture, my heritage and my essence as a black woman. My hair represents my courage and strength to be me and not a plastic Barbie you see in magazines. My locs are mature twisties. My spirituality is defined by my value and appreciation of self as my natural self IS good enough. Spirituality is when you care for something or someone beyond the surface of their existence. I care about who touches my hair and what I do to my hair. Spirituality applies meaning/value/worth and symbolism to objects. My hair has a story too.

On another note, let’s switch gears. I posted some photos for you. Check out the hair styles I have done over the years. Keep in mind, some photos are not in chronological order.