They Don't Make Ques Like they Use to!

I just got back from the Omega Psi Phi Probate here at Howard and was forced to deal with the reality: They don't make Ques like they use to. I mean no disrespect to the organization, as my daddy is a proud member and greatly appreciates (and WEARS) any 'nalia I get him.
But when my best friend told me earlier this year that someone we have known since freshman year had made it I was shocked and really disappointed. This guy is SOOOOOO wack!
Am I the only one who remembers when que was synonymous to Adonis? Im not saying I feed into thinking that a Greek organization should feed into the stereotypes or look for carbon copy members.
But I am saying these should be some brothers who stand out and are leaders, not wack people with no pull.
Don't get me wrong - the Alpha Chapter as Howard has had a student body president, leaders from every discipline, the drum major this year, and a guy I use to have a major crush on:) just since I was here.
But seeing that wack guy made me wonder what the criteria was. I remember being at the mall with my dad a while back when he saw one of the guys from South Carolina State University who brought him over. Remember my dad was on line for over a year - so when he saw this guy It was like watching him go back to those days as a look of reverence covered his face and he went to greet his "big brother." Ive witnessed the quality of brothers come through the organization first hand with family and close friends.
I like many others want to see quality standing inside those golden boots.

Queen

Help Wanted!

The Queen needs help. I love to write and consider myself pretty computer literate, but for some reason I cant get my profile to stay to the side. I would greatly appreciate the help of a varsity blogger on getting this thing right!!!

On the 3rd day of bliss I meet my idol . . .and my boss for the summer!

Okay. Im feeling GREAT after my Kimora experience and even more excited after Chris Robinson and ATL. But a queen-to-be can't live off of great times alone. After a full week, getting in after 2 from the movie and laying out and sending the paper, and taking a 8am accounting exam (which many business students failed and this journalism major/business minor busted 100) I caught up on some much needed rest Friday morning and afternoon.
ButI couldnt afford to sleep all day. Our magazine group Cover to Cover had a conference to put on and I was nervous.
I dont think I really have said how much that organization is like my baby. I served as the first president of the newly formed group freshmen year, was president again last year and after coming back this year thought I would take it a lil easier as VP. I still do as much work as I did as president and was very excited and nervous for our annual magazine conference, themed U.N.C.O.V.E.R to arrive.
So I start thinking what I am going to wear for the night and check my email like I often do. I had a new message, one I had been anticipating since Monday: ASME Magazine Assignments. I was so excited to have been accepted into what is considered the best internship program in the industry! And now it was down to what magazine I would be at- a magazine that I had never heard of and no interest in, one of my choices of People, Teen People or Glamour, or my top choice of Essence magazine. I scroll down the email reading everybody's magazine placement looking for name and hoping I don't see anyone else's name with Essence under it before I get to my name.
So finally I get to my name.
And underneath it is Essence Magazine.

I scream, I cry, I pray, I breathe - not even realizing I was holding my breath and how much I wanted it until I have this release. And just as quick I realize we still have to get this conference started and am that more excited as I anticipate our keynote speaker the next day, none other than the editor in chief of Essence, Miss Angela Burt Murray.
But back to the conference. We just went to the Cotton Club fashion show Friday night, which started late, but was free so you cant complain. My best friend Celeste comes too and IM glad to hang because we don't chill nearly enough.
After our conference coordinators forgot they needed plates, napkins and cups to serve pizza Friday night, I was a lil bit nervous about our big day on Saturday. I had absolutely nothing to worry about. The day was FANTASTIC!!!! The speakers, Im talking managing editors and editor of chiefs from CosmoGIRL, ESPN, Heart &Soul, National Geographic and everywhere else you can imagine.
The best part was they all seemed really excited to speak to us and we were ready. People looked cute, had their resumes and cards ready and the event was a complete success. Running around and trying to help make sure the day went as smoothly as possible I didn't get to sit down and enjoy it, as I moderated and set up. But that was cool with me. Moderating our first panel I see Angela come in and sit down. And I def felt my heart beating.

I had had the pleasure of seeing her two times before (when the club went to Teen People my sophomore year and Essence in October.) But I still didnt feel like I really knew her or that she even remembered me. So after going through that session and another and announcing to everyone that the buffet lunch was served, I spot her and her husband in line and finally go introduce myself. I tell her that I am her ASME intern for the summer and she seems genuinely interested. I thank her again and as I walk away she tells me "Be ready to work hard" and with a smile and gutso I with enthusiasm reply "I am."
Still on my high I have to really keep myself and check and not shrink from the eyes on me as professor lamb shouts me out during her remarks.
Then its time for the Keynote and Angela rocks!!!!!
She doesn't give us any fluff or dreamy rhetoric. She reminds us of the stark whiteness of the industry we are entering and gives us the low down on how to make it big while black in magazines! We were all scribbling down every note of her priceless advice. And if the day, the fantastic week, couldn't get any better, she shouts me out as her new intern so now everyone knows. Not that I don't want to scream to the top on my lungs that I got ASME and Ill be at Essence!!!!!!!!! I just know how blessed I am and don't want to come off as a bragger.
So we all feel armed to succeed as Angela closes and the line to speak to her afterwards is a 20 minute wait. But when else will students get a chance to talk to a EIC?
The conference was phenomenal and Tia Williams headlines the last session, along with a successful Howard transfer student. And we all fall in love with her life all over again. She even shouted us out in her Shakeyourbeauty blog (www.tiawilliams.net)
I have been reading her book since I got signed and personalized Saturday and am almost finish! Her and Angela both signed copies of their books we had the book store selling at the event and it was fantastic. I still read their personal messages to me to remind myself that this is all real. So I met my new boss, got more pumped for the future and once again, if its who you know, than I am def on my way:)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Triple Tree (you got to say it with the Trini accent)

Dream Day Duece: Chirs Brown and ATL SHAWTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I get a call last Tuesday from DC PR king Dan asking if I want to interview the director of the movie ATL, Chris Robinson, and check out the movie.
So I say yeah and invite the homie/journalist/Homecoming Fashion show coordinator/ past roommate Yasmine (check out her blog to get her run down of our experience) and she's down for the cause. And she is still on her Kimora high after she scored with Kimora's publicist in her yellow pumps. So we head out from Howard for the 4:20 roundtable and are a little behind. Get to the Ritz where we are suppose to meet Chris and run inside. Looking around we check out the lobby and see no event going on when Yasmine sees a husky guy with dreads chilling in the lounge with a white lady and says she thinks that is Chris. I look not really sure and trying to remember what his picture looked like and hopin we aren't to late. Smart Charreah leaves the papers with Dan's number on it in the car so we have to go back to the car. We get the papers out of blackberry molasses and head back upstairs. Calling Dan, he says he's in the same lobby we are in and we meet up with the young yet silver haired PR man.

we also meet Tim, producer of the Real DC morning show on WHUR that was laid to rest by Steve Harvey, a athesist film critic and this screech-like film head from George Mason who loves Madea and "grew up on don't be a menace" Hearing the three of them talk film for 20 minutes while we waited for Chris was a definite experience. I really felt I needed to watch more movies to try and understand what the big damn deal was.

So finally it was time and we go to meet Chris. Its no stuffy Q&A. Me and Yasmine sit on the couch and the athesist film critic and screech from George Mason sit in big stuffy chairs. Then Chris comes over and we all introduce ourselves. And then it starts. The homeboy connection. We tell him how we are from Atlanta. We grew up skating. Are the essence of the southern capitol and wondering how his depiction of the city measures up. And he loves us. Loves that we understand the community of a skating rink. The cliches. the dancing. the official coming of age local. We talk about his whole process of directing. The inside scoop of how Will Smith gave him that "he cool" nod of support. And how he's an artist and "sensitive about his shit" So after we hear his story and chill like we are really homies. He really was feeling us, especially Yasmine. When we tell him we hadn't seen the movie he looks and tell us he really wants us to see it and tell him what we think as some true "Atlanta girls."

In the car we already decide we probably aren't going to the movie as we both have stuff to do and I have to run production for the paper. But when the director of a movie looks and asks are you going to see his movie tonight so you can tell him what you think. Me and Yasmine didn't even look at each other and both say "yeah, we going" Even though you cant see his cute gap in the picture above, Chris is one of the coolest accomplished folks I know. He even confided in us that he directed Mandy Moores 1st video (you know the one with the green bug:)

After being lost and trying not to get too stressed me and Yasmine finally make it to Arundel Mills where the movie is started almost a hour late. But for us its just enough time to see where the key events begin to set into motion. the movie is the SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I say that not just cuz Im from da A. The art of the film. the shoots. the set. the detail. the dialogue. I found a new movie to add to select favorites I consider my classics.T.I. is sexy. Im excited to see that new new is the girl from the Pharell "Frontin" video, who was just naturally pretty and not that extra made up 'video girl' look. I wont tell you the plot but the ending could have been a little more realistic. Hands down though my favorite scene was in the country club when you see how much this black man has succeeded and then they ban to the wall with a portrait of confederate soldiers with their flag. If you gonna show Atlanta, you got to include that part.

Even thought the theater is packed when we get there, I make the usher who is busy enjoying the movie like everybody else and ask her to find us some seats. So we cant get 2 together and Yasmine is sitting directly behind me. So the whole time Im grabbing her foot and she's kicking my seat as we are so excited to hear "play play," JJ's ribs, aaliyah's 'at ya best' and the all time A-town classic 'Blackberry Molasses'. So we finish seeing the movie and clap with the packed audience and are ready to hold up our end of the deal and tell Chris what we think. I told him at the hotel we would be brutally honest on what we thought and that we are. We finally spot him up in the stands as fans congratulate him. He's walking down the steps and sees us and points and cocks his head in a way of saying what did we think. We LOVED it and showed him so as Yasmine showed him our two thumbs up.

Getting lost, being late for work and still knowing I had a accounting test at 8am was all worth it! He was happy that we were happy. Heading out and not to excited about the 30 minute ride back to campus, we see a restaurant. Im ready to truck to the car when Yasmine ask am I hungry and looks at the menu. Good thing she did because we then see Dan inside the restaurant who waves us over. We air kiss as this business is known for and thank him again for inviting us. He lets us know that the buffet is set up and the bar is open. We were both hungry grab a plate and enjoy the calamari, crab cakes, shrimp scampi and other dishes. Eating at the bar we reflect on our day of euphoria and how fantastic the experience was. An older guy comes sit down so we ask him what he thought of the movie. he enjoyed and goes on to tell us of his favorite scene. All is well until he asks, "what does ATL stand for?" Before I can stop myself I go, "you dont what ATL means?" and then quickly try and do some damage control. I say how Atl is short for Atlanta and how the movie is set there with, starring the town's 'king.' He's cool, and obviously not aware of southern culture or rappers and since the high school and area the movie is in is called 'mechanicsville' it could have been placed at the town by that name in VA. We finish our drinks, get one look at Chris and head out. Two girls from Atlanta are def going places!!!!!!!!

If life is about who you know and not what you know, I may be on the right track:)

Faboulosity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That' s how I describe the last week of my life. I have been trying to sit down and tell you about my week for the last 5 days. 5 days and still no post. My buddy/ego stroker mike (aka Mr. Incredible) delivered the PSA that I gotta blog more so here I go. I don't know how to import pictures like my homie Yasmine (check out her fabulous blog at randymethoughtsofyasmin.blogspot.com) but I do have some good stories to tell.

Fabulous Day Numero Uno:
So after seeing posters around campus announcing the coming of Kimora Lee Simmons to sign her new book, I call the editors at the paper to finally have a perk with my title as managing editor and cover the stories I want to cover. Only to get a call back from the bookstore that one of our editors has already said they were covering it. Shook and put off, I encounter the best scene of conflict resolution ever and am able to get the story and keep a good working relationship. (special shout out to C. Fam) So Im excited to meet the mogul, reading the book to get the best questions and loving my new kimora lip gloss. So I leave my BORING Copy Editing class to head the bookstore and get my reporting on. I get there and its set up, the seats are about full but nothing to crazy. I head over to the press corner cuz I know that's where the action is. I feel extra official as I get my press pass and see girls from my accounting class who we mutually ignore, eyeing me and wondering why Im over in what becomes VIP. So Kimora comes in and she is gorgeous, and more important than that - she is the perfect mix of down-to-earth and diva. After seeing her on VH1 and Runs House I wasn't sure how much drama she brought, but she seemed so cool and like she really wanted to be there and valued us as students and readers. But I couldn't act impressed. I went into reporter mode and put on my game face. So she walks in and heads over to the corner to do a life broadcast with Jeanie Jones from WKYS (the station where my former crush Osei use to work before he headed to Atlanta and got on V103.) So after meowing with jeanie she finally heads to the front of the crowd and addresses the big crowd that has grown since she arrived.
After speaking and proving she was definitely one of the homies she started signing book. I didn't know she even went to college since she started modeling when she was 13. VH1 was there taping her new reality TV show, which she has been taping for two weeks. I cant to see it when it comes on and see her and her cute daughters (one has the hamburger hair) site seeing, which she did before coming to campus.
So after models showed her their portfolios and girls in their finest baby phat got their books sign and after George, the reigning king of the ivy for the AKAs put on his rhinestoned pumps and showed Kimora his walk and was offered an internship on the spot, she was finally about done signing books and I could interview her which was cut down to you can ask her a question.
So camera is on me and its my time to shine.

Ball to Charreah and . . .Fumble on the play

I completely blow my first question as my fear of my mind going blank comes true and I ask her what can we find about faboulosity that's not in the book (duh . . . the WHOLE book is about being fabulous) and she politely tells me. So then I rebound and go for the gutso, tell me about Howard and how your experience was today. So even students who didn't come to the signing can now feel Kimora as she says she loves Howard for its "thinkers and doers" that walk this campus. We even laugh as she saids she loves to be around black people, checks out my chocolateyness and adds "all shades." It was no touch down, but I def gained some yards.

Only to write a bomb story and have entrepreneur misspelled. Such is life. I still had a great time and have a clip with a typo and some lip gloss to prove it:)

life is GREAAAAAAT!

I really need to start blogging ere day cuz so much has been going on!!! So yesterday whats starts off as whats suppose to be a quick interview with director Chris Robinson

breaker breaker

Im back from spring break!
I dont know how or why Im up this early, since I went to sleep late as usual on a Tuesday night, after sending the paper.
I know I haven't posted in a minute. Probably why I feel so tense b/c I havent been doing any writing. My spring break last week was great. A lot of rest and even more shopping. I feel a lil bad b/c I really need to be saving my money for when me and the cool cousin Jen go to Vegas in May, but I got good deals and will need this stuff for the spring and summer:) I would have posted an hour ago, but I was tryin to figure out how to put my picture up, with minimal success.
Got in a really heated debate today and made me realize how conflicting it is to be a 'boss' and still get what you know is rightfully yours. So today, I need to do what I need to do, and not always be a softy or walk away from whats yours.
I have so many conflicting thoughts and feelings I cant even seem to get my mind straight to tell one of the many many experiences I encountered since the last time I blogged.
From going out with some friends, where one of them gets tipsy and then he goes on to tell us that my friend (it was her b-day. so thats the only reason I went) was only hanging close to her light skin friends and not us, her dark skin friends. Or when I saw Barack Obama (my president) while I was in a standby crisis at the airport. He was so incredibly normal and blended right in. no fanfare. no huge entourage. Just quiet confidence. I think I feel in love . . . with that power and presence.
Or having my cousin who just had three babies ( and they are not triplets) drive his RV down to atl with his 'girlfriend' (not one of his 5 baby mammas or the one he is stayin with) come to town on a whim and ask me to come with them to Chicken and Waffles. Sitting in the restaurant waiting for our food and my aunt and cousin, who stay down Peachtree to come, we look over and Ray Nagin is finishin up his chicken bone. Seeing him left me with mixed feelings. One of regret that I didn't make it to N.O for the break to do what I could do. And made me shake my head at black people as his party told him bye as he left, and in there sunday best (sequins, hats, suspenders and everything else overly pretentious) and with as much dignity as possible, dissected the check to figure out which one of them was payin. I guess to them its was all worth it since they had luch with the maaaaayor.
So let me stop being sidetrack and get some business handled that I need to. Like making sure everything is on point for our magazine conference this weekend (Angela, Essence's EIC is the keynote!!!!!) Thanks for the release and I wont be a stranger. I think I need to post some of my poetry, so I can keep up with my work from the random sheets of paper I have been doodling on lately.

and it's only 8:30am . . .
Queentobe

sista . . .

Dreamin

Sittin here doing what I often do best: procrastinating. I have a big midterm in Africana Studies and I cant seem to focus. Possibly because Im watching girlfriends and all the other UPN shows and excited that Top Model is coming back on Wednesday. Im just excited about a lot of things going on - like my big time internship this summer, our Magazine Conference coming up, going home on Friday, my mom's surprise award coming up and the list goes on. I also sort of feel like im looking at myself from the outside watching my old habits die hard. Like the fact that I am eating now & laters, though I really need to cut down on candy or that Im even writing this blog since I should be studying. But with the bad habits, some of my good habits are hanging around too.
So last night I'm instant messaging one of my buddies and dishing some juicy gossip when I get the urge to open back up the novel Im writing and get back on it. Though it was funny watching my mom read my 'Have you written your page today? If not sit your ASS down!' sign on my door, looking at the sign also reminds me of the go getter I am and for the need for me to drop my proscratinating habit with the quickness.
After a meeting with our magazine group, which always leave me nostalgic and inspired, Im dreamin of my future and how fabulous my summer be, how great it will be to shop publishers this summer and how I really need to not get stuck in the dream, but wake the hell up and do something about them. I guess Ill start with my midterm studies.

nite!

Don't say good bye say good night

met this guy night before last. He was cool. In town for a conference where I met him as I was hanging with two of my high school buddies who were here for the same event. Chilling downstairs in the bar, he says he can make my heart beat fast and ask if I want to go upstairs to his room. Now he didn't say it in that context and it sort of was a challenge as I said my heart doesn't race unless I want it to. But still he has no idea how close he was to me getting up and walking away and pegging him as another negro out for the goods.

I didn't though. With a rolled eye and bended brow I told him 'no' and the conversation moved on. I went on to learn some things I didn't know. like how u should never call locs 'dreads' as other cultures called them that stemming from 'dreadful' and how piru relates to the bloods. I also realized how talented this brother was when he did a poem for me and my friend and sort of dedicated another one to me I think, during a lil impromptu open mic the group started. Though I probably won't see this guy any time soon, he did make me wonder how many other cool guys I have overlooked b/c they may have said something out of pocket, and how I probably missed out on some cool conversations because I'm so sure the guy is trying to get in my pants.

Im just thankful for this reality check. and for the reality check I got last night at Howard's $200 a plate Charter Day dinner. Talking bout relationship with the girls in the bathroom, an alum told us that this is the best spot for us to find good mates and to be willing to overlook some of the things these guys do because their still growing. She told us how she met her trauma surgeon when he was still ashy at Howard. So with so many lessons coming my way, I think I need to reevaluate my standards. Im not even looking for a guy because I have way to much to work out with myself. But when I am, Im not gonna be such a hard ass.

My motto remains: "I don't want no fly guy, I just want a shy guy"