It was 2003, just graduated from High School, I'm young, fly, and black!! Graduated best Dressed in my class(To this day that's my most favorite acomplishment). At the same time I was excepted to Southern Connecticut State Universatity. However, I felt i would be able to fair well on campus. Knowing that I had slacker tendecies I felt I would have gotten caught up in the campus drama like many of my peers did that same year. So in order to avoid university trappings, I opted out for Community college for a while. Well enough with the formal crap, I went to GATEWAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, also known as the 13th grade. Let me tell you, the first day I rolled up in there, I had a blast. It was like the 13th grade for every new haven, west haven, and hamden public high school. Because everybody knew eachother. You had Wilbur Cross, my beloved high school, Hillhouse, Co-op, Eli Whitney, common Ground, Hamden High, East haven High, you name it, it was there. We had cats from cleavland and new york(harlem B lol!!!) that came to play for our basketball team. And what was the 13th grade with out it's share of drama. Drama would start in one or two places. The Cafeteria and 2 the student Government, aka the lounge. The lounge was a hang out where all the low lifes, class dodgers, jump off chicks and the popular hung out. While I was there the lounge would stay open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. so literally cats would be there all day from morning to close. But because of the drama, the he said she said, the hate with groups against eachother, it forced the college life office to limit it's hours. Plus it was a boxing ring, discusion forum, make out spot, bedroom, and ect. Which forced everybody into the cafeteria. Which upset the balance between those who were there to cause mischif and those who are there to study. Talking about it brings back sooooooo many memories. It was just like any other college. You had ya jocksters, posers, pretty girls, atheletes, and then there was me, the registerd fashion plate of the school. People lived to come and pick my brains about fashion, style and clothing. anyway back to the memories. I made many friends and enemies while there. I also met the love of my life in those very halways. YES THATS RIGHT MY POOKIE VERONICA ATTENDED GATEAY TOO!!! Matter of fact, the pics of the double red doors and the heater were our two favorite spots(I'll leave it as that, wink wink! LOL). Education wise, I have nothing bad to say about this place. I would put Gateway up against any other University in the world. Because teachers made sure they challehged the thought process. My favorite classes were the English classes, the psychology classes, the communications courses, all that!!! The classes that forced me to think. Many of mornings I looked foward to walking in these classrooms to do battle with my teachers. Because I was ready to start an arguement!!! I remember saying the word Nigga in a presentation about working with inner city youth in new haven during my African American History class. The whole room got quiet!!! Man you had to figure my teacher was super militant, panther, and felt the young generation was filled with gangsters and bling blingers. He used to always make sly comments about young guys thinking they're pimps players and superfly. The whole classroom, would turn around and look at me, cause they knew he was directing his comments to me. But by the time of that report, he had a new found respect for me. By the end of the class we respected one another, because he knew I wasn't going to back down!!! I see that man to this day and we talk frequently. But I was glad to have that experience. It was experiences like those that made me a person. Helped shape my trend of thinking. Helped keep me on my toes. Or like my early childhood studies course, that was filled with nothing but scornful women and two other males and was taught by a scorned woman that i like to call witchy poo!!!! That woman was crazy!!! But, I had to stay sharp and my toes at all times when dealing with her!!!! She was the type to go back and dig up dirty laundry!!!! But I loved every min of it. What I liked the most was going to the north Haven Campus(forgot to mention there were two different campuses, one in new haven and one in the deep back woods of North haven). i used to love getting on the shuttle bus making that trip in the mornings to get to a class. Best thing about north haven was you actually got work done. New haven's campus is where the action took place. North Haven was quiet, you could actually hear yourself think. Which was a gift and a curse. Anyway i was there from 2003-december 07. my last semester it didn't feel right. i felt like I outgrown my stay there. The people who were there at one point finally dropped out, a new breed of so called hip kids were coming in trying to muscle their way in for respect. Very beligerent acting. By then I considered myself and old man amongst this sea of children. At the time I was only 22. But I felt so old. I mean our school was filled with older people in their 30's 40's and 50's, some even in their 90's trying to receive a degree. But I really felt I had out grew this stage in life. For one it wasn't fun because most cats were tryin to creep up on chicks to bag. Me I already had my queen. I had way more than enough credits to graduate with my associates degree. The only person holding me back was me. So by the end of that semester I called it quits and graduated. Many who came in with me didn't make it or are still working towards. I'm just blessed I had the oppurtunity to attend. With any school you go to, be it a technical school, university, or comm cllege, the choice to attend class and study is in your hands. theres always gonna be a band of those who come to just have a good time. I know because I was apart of the good time. However, when it was time for class, I cut the good time aloose and went to work. when i came out the good time was right where i left it. I may not have invested time into studying, but i was definetly a hard worker. in order to make it anywhere you just have to put ya best foot foward.
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