My Thoughts

Last week I turned the big 35 and since I couldn’t go to Vegas like I wanted, I celebrated here in town. Thursday was Karaoke night and I must say I had a good time. The drinks were flowing and the money was being pinned (I just found out this is a southern black thing). It was also another karaoke regular’s birthday and she was turning 25, go figure, so we celebrated together.
Now having come full circle with my drinking I should know better than to mix liquors, but hell when they are free who am I to argue besides I faired pretty well, I had no hang over or upset stomach the next day. I started the night off with my favorite, a frozen margarita with salt, and in the course of the night I had a Budweiser select, a couple of tequila shots and a blow job
(don’t know what’s in that drink.) I sang a couple of songs before I got too drunk (well at least one was before).
Friday, my actual day of birth, I went shopping and I also bought myself a nice new Ko.da.k Digital Camera since my old one (F.uji ) was dying a slow death (see the burry pictures throughout earlier part of this post). Then later that night went to dinner with my mom, one of my sisters and some friends. At the restaurant there was a Mariachi Band, my sister told the wait staff it was my birthday and they did the restaurant thing and sung. So yes my bday was fun. Next year I’ve been promised a party but we will see if it comes to fruition.

My dear sweet alma mater is having, what I think is, one of the roughest years in its 59 year history. On the heels of a presidential spending scandal the university is in the news yet again, announcing the layoff of 178 employees. They, the current administration and the board of regents, say it’s not because of the spending scandal and firing of Dr. Priscilla Slade, former TSU president, but because of rising insurance costs and a decline in enrollment. Recently the school instituted a 21.5% increase in tuition and fees. That rate increase it what hurt and will continue to hurt the enrollment at the school because many of the students are working and paying their tuition themselves and the government is giving little help by way of financial aide. I think all of this is just the tip of the iceberg.
The district attorney has indicted the former university president and several staff members, on charges that they misappropriated funds. So all the work to improve the school’s image in the past 7 years, that former university president, Dr. Pricilla Slade (who was indicted), has done will be negated in a matter of months. TSU has one of the lowest records for alumni giving and we are at the bottom of the list for enrollment vs. graduation rates (we have an open door policy).
Despite all this scandal and drama I still believe in our motto “Excellence in Acheivement” I know that TSU will weather this storm as it has so many others. I don’t understand why HBCU’s can’t get it together and handle business like it should be handled or at least keep the dirty laundry out of the media like PWCs do.