Tagged: Hofstra University

Hofstra’s Charles Jenkins Stayed at Home and Stayed Focused – NYTimes.com

[Hofstra’s Charles] Jenkins, a chiseled 6-foot-2 guard, is expected to be the first New York City public school graduate to be selected in the first round of the N.B.A. draft since Sebastian Telfair, who turned professional straight out of Lincoln in Brooklyn in 2004.

via Hofstra’s Charles Jenkins Stayed at Home and Stayed Focused – NYTimes.com.

As a person who grew up idolizing Kenny Anderson, and who’s about the same age as Stephon Marbury, it’s almost unfathomable that New York City could almost go a decade without producing a lottery caliber NBA point guard–let alone one worthy of getting drafted in the first round.  Yet, that’s precisely what was on the verge of happening until Charles Jenkins’ emergence.

Even if you’re not much for basketball, Pete Thamel’s profile on Jenkins in today’s Times is worth the read.

Where is the Ground For Haitian Americans

Excerpt from my opening remarks at Tuesday’s Hofstra University’s Day/Night For Haiti

On The Ground — or — Where is the ground for Haitian Americans?

Arguably the most ubiquitous term to emerge in Haitian-American parlance in the aftermath of January 12th’s earthquake is “on the ground.”  This term as you all know refers to the process of traveling to Haiti to help with earthquake relief.  It is slightly ambiguous because for many Haitian Americans how one can help once “on the ground” after the earthquake was slightly ambiguous.  The idea was, once “on the ground,” it would immediately become evident how to help.

The more I heard this term, I couldn’t help but consider the tragic irony embedded in its proliferation.  The last thing that Port au Prince needed was more Haitians “on the ground,” yet here were a about half a million others pining to do just that.  This term eventually brought to mind a memory from childhood.  Upon returning home from work one day and discovering that the roof of our apt had collapsed, my father chided my mother (who I should mention was about six months pregnant with my brother) for not getting on the ground and immersing herself in the debris.  It was his contention that this would have been great grounds for a lawsuit, after all, what court wouldn’t sympathize with the image of a pregnant woman buried under a collapsed roof?

As Dad acted out what his response would have been had he been home when this roof collapsed, the more farcical his plot became.  Not only should my mother have rolled around in this debris, but she (I guess now would be a good time to tell you that the roof collapsed in our bathtub) should have pulled me into the tub and bathed me in the debris as well.  After all what court wouldn’t side with the image of a pregnant woman and her son buried under a collapsed roof?

Hofstra University| A Day For Haiti | A Night For Haiti

Hofstra For Haiti

I will be delivering the opening remarks at Hofstra University’s A Day for Haiti on Tuesday April 13th.  More info on the day’s events are available below and here

On Tuesday, April 13, 2010, Hofstra will host “A Day for Haiti”, a full day conference examining the relief and rebuilding  efforts, the media coverage, the issues impacting children and education, the role of the United States, and the post-earthquake experiences of Haitian-Americans. The conference begins at 9:30am in the Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theatre, and the “Day for Haiti” will be followed by a “A Night for Haiti” which kicks-off at 7:00pm in the Main Dining Room in Mack Student Center. Join us as we celebrate the rich culture and heritage of Haiti.  Enjoy Haitian DJ Markensen, authentic Haitian food, live music and Haitian dance performances, and the renowned Haitian Mass Choir, directed by Dickson Guillaume. Both events are free and open to the entire campus community and to the public. For more information you may download the entire conference schedule here. Questions can be directed to the Hofstra Cultural Center at 516-463-5669.