0 Does History Really Matter?

By: Marvin DeBosePublished in The Edinboro Spectator, Feb. 21st, 2013 "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots" -Marcus Garvey It can be said that seeing the curiosity and vibrancy of the youth can cause us to become more reflective of ourselves and of life in general. I remember when I worked in a summer camp in Philadelphia about 3 years ago when I heard something from a young teen that struck my mind and caused me to reflect on many things. I was talking to a group of young camp counselors, most of them around the ages of fifteen and sixteen, while on the bus en...

0 You Gonna Learn Today: When Kevin Hart came to the Boro

Kevin Hart may a household name for comedy fans today, but in early 2011, he was still working his way up in the world of comedy. That summer, his show "Laugh At My Pain" went on to break records grossing over $2 million and setting a record as the best performing concert series since Martin Lawrence's Live: Runteldat in 2002. By the end of 2011, Kevin Hart was solidified as a top star in comedy.  But on April 2nd 2011, after bring down the house at Edinboro University, performing his then-new "Laugh At Pain" comedy show, Hart sat down (while joking about the tartan couch on which he sat, he sarcastically remarked, "Wow,...

2 NBA Dunk Contest: Get back to dunks, you're celebbing too much

I'm getting tired of the NBA Dunk Contest.  To me, it seems like every year it gets worse and worse. In fact, I'm having trouble remembering the last time I saw something at a dunk contest that made my jaw drop. Don't me wrong, I'm not hating on the hard work of the young men of the NBA. I admire and respect their passion and what they do, but from a fan's perspective, from a entertainment perspective, I'm not impressed. I think I've seen more impressive stuff on YouTube. But the dunk contest is failing miserably and I've come up with a few reasons why: 1) Too much focus on theatrics- A prime example: Last night, James "Flight"...

0 Being present makes a difference

Published in The Edinboro Spectator: Sept. 20, 2012 Eight years ago, when I was in high school back in Philly, I had an English teacher named Mr. Brown, who always used a famous quotation that stuck with me.  It seemed that almost every day he’d tell us “Always remember: Wherever you go, there you are”. Now at first, being a young high school student, I thought to myself, “What the heck does that even mean?” But today, as a grad student, getting closer and closer to being in “the real world” it makes more sense than ever. To me, that quote can be summed up in two words, “Be present.” Now when I say “be present”, I don’t mean...

0 The Lost Art of Listening

Published in The Edinboro Spectator: Feb 14, 2013 When I was a kid, to my parents it often seemed like I lived in my own world. I was imaginative and focused on whatever I chose to be focused on.  However, on the flipside, living my own world often caused me to get into trouble. My parents said that I was a bad listener. My Dad would tell me, “Boy, you gotta learn how to listen.” My mother, more frustrated with me, would say, “You heard what I said, you just didn’t listen.” As I got older I made a conscious effort to become a better listener, but I problem that I notice today is that it seems as if our generation doesn’t understand...

0 Living Fearlessly

Are we conquered by fear? Published in The Edinboro Spectator: Feb. 7, 2013 A few months ago, I was watching a trailer for Will Smith’s new movie, After Earth, when I heard something that stuck in my head ever since. In the trailer, it is shown that Smith’s son, Jaden Smith’s character, who plays his son in movie as well, faces the insurmountable task of surviving in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by hostile animals. In the trailer, Smith gives his son some sound advice, he stated, “Danger is real, fear is a choice.” Needless to say, for me, that line was thought-provoking.I began to think about the power of fear and the limitations which...