Tag Archives: Mr. Collipark

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Return to Banneker High School…20 years later…

Hello World,

I’m not ashamed to admit that 20 years ago, 1992, I graduated from Benjamin Banneker High School in College Park…I am ashamed to admit that since then I had not been back to my high school alma mater until Monday…

As a part of Banneker’s Homecoming Week Celebration with the theme “The Rise of the Trojans,” BHS Alumni Association representative Michael Shepherd, class of 1993, invited Banneker alum to return to be a part of the homecoming festivities starting with Career Day!

First of all, I was impressed with the brand new buildings that are now Banneker High School! Gone are the dusty trailers that were a daily part of my schedule at BHS! The new school is beautiful and looks like a mini-college campus. I’ve always loved to go to school (at least most days), but going to such a beautiful school would have definitely enhanced my high school days all those years ago now. But I will stop telling you about what I saw. Instead of I will show you what I saw…

Isn’t this a beautiful and impressive new building?

Alum were invited to assemble in the media center before we got started with Career Day…

Class of 1993 member Alfred Bacon, who has a high-tech computer job, came back…

Class of 1992 member Shaun Ware came back to show her support…We still look good 🙂

William Arnold III, who I think is in the class of 1990, and another BHS alum showed up…

Mike Crooms aka Mr. Collipark aka DJ Smurf, class of 1991, represented…

Another BHS alum…

BHS Principal Mr. William Bradley took a picture with me…Mr. Bradley was a BHS teacher when I was there…

A new generation of BHS teachers…Looking younger than some of the the alum 🙂

Just another view of the fabulous new media center…

I spoke to a 10th grade language arts class taught by Ms. Marscida Kinlaw, my friend and BHS Class of 1990 alum…I love that she teaches at BHS!

Ms. Kinlaw let me pretend to be a teacher…Unfortunately I was not able to take pics with her class, but the funniest part of my discussion with the students was trying to explain the concept of pagers to them…Communication technology has certainly evolved since 20 years ago 🙂

Following our presentations, BHS ROTC members escorted alum to the auditorium for a Career Day assembly…

The auditorium…Only select members of the school were allowed to attend the assembly…

Members of the 2012 BHS Homecoming Court…

2012 BHS Homecoming King and Queen listen to Mike Shepherd encourage BHS students…

His words of wisdom really inspired the students…

Mike handed out candy as a part of his presentation…

The students were really excited about Mike throwing candy into the crowd…

BHS alum and BHS ROTC…It was so good to come back…

Final pics before leaving…

On the way to my car…

Driving off of the BHS property…It was my first time back, but it won’t be my last…I hope to see more BHS alum at the new and improved Banneker High School in the near future…

Any thoughts?

 

 

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37…

Hello World!!! 

As of yesterday, I am 37 years old…Maybe that’s not a big deal if you’re 73….but if you’re me, 37 is three years away from 40…Wow! I mean it’s all good…I’m here…I’m still alive…I’m healthy as far as I know…I’m cute…but I think every year that you are alive, you should grow in wisdom and grow more into the person that God created you to be…I think I’m growing in wisdom and I have been striving to be all that God created me to be so I feel like I am making progress…But it’s just amazing that I can remember turning 13 and now I am 37…Oh yeah, maybe I am going somewhere with this post and maybe I’m not…Here’s a thought…If I could go back and tell my 13-year-old self some wisdom and some revelations about myself, below is what I would say…

1. You are enough…If the kids around you think you’re ugly or lame or lacking in any way, ignore them because you are enough…

2. Hang around some of the kids that rap and sing and maybe don’t go to class in high school because Ludacris, Bone Crusher, Tiny from Xscape better known as T.I.’s girlfriend, Mike Crooms aka DJ Smurf aka Mr. Collipark and the original DJ from OutKast went to Banneker…and maybe you could have been in their crew or a video or gotten a free album or something…

3. You will meet some of the nicest guys you will ever meet in high school…You may meet guys who have more money or  who are more sophisticated after high school but pay attention to the nice guys because you will always want be in the presence of one…

4. Having parents who have a ton of rules is actually really cool…You won’t get pregnant in high school, be tired of clubbing at age 20 or have reached your peak at age 16…

5.  Treasure your friends. No one lives forever, but the young die too…Rest in peace Shakita and Shonda…

6. That girl who threatened to “kick your heart in” in homeroom ended up on Divorce Court (yes the television show) years later looking unkempt, hefty and just plain ghetto…karma, ha!

7. Never tell a female associate about your good man because she may just take him…Shout out to N…I guess I really can’t be mad at you since you married him and everything after high school…Guess it was meant to be…But I still learned the lesson…

8. You are a writer…(Still affirming that truth…)

9. Slow down girl…Don’t believe the hype…

10. Keep journaling…It’s therapeutic and a good way to hear from God and yourself…

11. Continue to be unflinchingly polite…You will be surprised how many people don’t bother to say please, excuse me, thank you, etc. anymore…but being polite makes you feel good about yourself even if others think you’re corny…

12. Every goodbye ain’t gone, every shut eye ain’t closed and every adult ain’t grown…

13. Exercise actually feels good…

What would you tell you’re 13-year-old self if you could go back and do so?

Any thoughts?