First day of classes

Date Written: 1 February 2011

Yesterday, Twi class began. UG offers no classes in introductory Twi but Brockport provided funds for our program director to hire an instructor and marks it up as a three credit course. I purchased the required book and need to begin memorizing some of the phrases and greetings. I will write more on this topic in the future.

At 6:30a, I began what will certainly be all downhill from here. African Traditional Dance does do away with an arts gen. ed. but its overall cost in personal embarrassment as well as excessive expenditures of energy has undoubtedly led to the question of continuing. My coordination’s usual absence was evident even to the Teaching Assistants as I was quickly given special attention. All of that happens three days a week at the crack of dawn.

Next up, I met with an administrator at the Legon Center for International Affairs & Diplomacy (LECIAD). The gentleman was kind enough to hear me and encouraged me to show up at the class I desire to take tomorrow. Diplomatic Communications should be exceedingly interesting and particularly relevant, given the recent leaking of diplomatic cables by an egotistic anarchist. It taught by a pair of Ghanaian Ambassadors. It should provide a decent taste on my graduate school ambitions.

Colonial rule and African Response: Nationalism and Independence was my next class. Before beginning class, the professor inquired about where in the US I was from and then where in New York. He had spent two years at Binghamton obtaining a doctorate and taught there as well, going back and forth on occasion for close to 30 years. The class itself was great too as he teaches differently than most other lecturers here at UG. He thinks that a student that comes to class, participates and does their reading/assignment should still get a decent grade and not have to worry so much about the final. Therefore, it was only 50% of the grade and participation is 10%. Thus, this history class appears, at least at the outset, to be far more engaging and fascinating than the one history class I had at UAlbany where the professor droned me into near sleepiness.

It should turn into an interesting week!