College Life and Murder

Last weekend, a young man my daughter knew was shot to death outside of his apartment complex. His name was Dennis Hayle and he was a 22-year-old senior from New York. He was scheduled to graduate from North Carolina A&T in the Spring.

Who shot him remains a mystery. No one is talking even though there was a crowd of young people gathered at a "house party" right across from his apartment complex that same night.

My daughter, Janie, said the college community is grieving hard for this young man who was a good student and a good all-around person. He always had a kind word for everyone. As she reflected on seeing him just hours before his murder, Janie joked about how she couldn't believe he was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity because he just didn't fit that "rowdy boy" image.

What is disturbing about this story (in addition to the fact that no one is talking) is that students open up their apartments to complete strangers for the purpose of having a "house party." The fact that someone you don't know would come to your house and kick it with other strangers is beyond me. That would be like Nate and me posting signs all over town inviting everyone to join our Super Bowl Party.

Have young people become some impersonal with each other that they don't really care who they associate with as long as everyone is having a good time?

Well, I can say this for my daughter. She's decided "house parties" are no longer in her college life future.

A Baby Boomer's Witness to History Part III

Make no mistake about it, President Barack Obama knows how to command an audience. You could've heard a pin drop during his Inaugural speech. Despite the fact that there were plenty of children and babies who could've gone cranky--they chose not to. No matter where you were in the crowd of millions, you were listening intently to every word he had to say.

President Obama wanted us to make sure we understood the challenges we face are real and serious----and it's going to take all of us as a united front to pull us through this mess. He told us "the time has come to set aside childish things." Now for those of you who aren't well versed on the Bible, this reference came from 1Corinthians 13:11:

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

So what was he saying? In my opinion, he was telling us it is time to put aside our political differences---the bickering and finger-pointing. We all know how we got in this mess but continuing to wallow in it won't do anything but keep us deep in it.

It's true that 43 percent of the country did not vote for President Obama but, just like in life, we don't always get what we want. The important lesson is how you handle your disappointments and can you really be a team player in the face of adversity?

During his speech, the President also said: "The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history..."

Now this is where I beg to differ----because I don't think our better history has been written yet. I look forward to the new chapters that are being created by the Obama Administration.

Enjoy the slide show!