Getting Warmer, Thinking Colder

Audree Fifer

Blog Post #2

     

As this bi-polar Texas weather seems to be getting warmer for the summer, I can’t help but think about fun in the snow! There’s no snow in Texas right now (as there ever is at any time)… but why in the world is a 21-yr-old California-born, Texas-raised college girl thinking about that foreign cold, white stuff in April? 

Yes, I love those scorching hot summers and yes, you could find me outside in the backyard profusely sweating while sunbathing my worries away with a golden glow BUT, believe it or not….. I am an avid snowboarder and I might just love it more than any tropical vacation I can think of. Ironic, isn’t it?

Granted, I’m willingly going to admit I’m no Torah Bright or female version of Shaun White, but I can absolutely relate to their exhilarating passion to be on the mountain. Over the years and ever since my father taught me back in 2003, I’ve come to embrace every bloody nose from a cold face plant in the snow to insanely sore and humongous bruises from a fall. In fact, I couldn’t tell you where I haven’t bruised a part of body actually.

Of course, that’s only the painful side of snowboarding which is learning and learning to fall, HARD. The other side of it are the moments I cherish the most. I’ve been wakeboarding, but nothing is like the soundless noise of your board as your drifting on top of several inches of pure powder. I remember that one moment and I could literally hear nothing but the slight wind in the trees and far distant voices as I was gliding down the mountain. Not to mention, the pure adrenaline rush you get from creating your own personal paths through the trees…. Just watch out for those deep tree wells!

These past couple snow seasons, I have become really comfortable with what is called ‘riding switch’. It’s like learning to write with your right hand all your life, then trying to become a master at writing with your left hand just as good. Riding switch on a snowboard is a constant challenge of balance, weight, strength, speed and agility. Oh, and don’t forget the fun of the challenge itself! It’s especially rewarding when you can practically keep up with the male snowboarders your own age. That’ll show ‘em!

Snowboarding is one of those hidden gems… I didn’t know what I was missing out on until I started to snowboard. And I can’t wait to get back on the mountain!

African? German? Afro-Germans

Audree Fifer

Blog Post 1

        As we all know, February is solely dedicated as Black History Month. For me, it isn’t just about admiring and paying respect to the history of African-Americans, but learning something new from every February that passes about Black History.
How about you?
         Can you reflect on something new that high school history class may have never taught you?
Well, I have one for you: Afro-Germans. Formally known as “afro-deutsch”, Afro-Germans are a hidden culture to many but one with powerfully distinct roots within African-American history. I don’t know about you but I certainly wasn’t aware of this unique population until last week, at the Kelly Center at Texas Christian University, when Dr. Cynthia Chapa was kind of enough to share her knowledge on the topic. And interesting it was! I learned so much within the hour I was able to attend her lecture that I couldn’t possibly fit all of it in one single blog but, nonetheless, I would love to share some points I found exceptionally interesting:

• ·      Auma Obama, President Obama’s half-sister, secretly left Kenya for her studies where she received her Master’s and Doctorate in Germany
• ·      Paulette Reed-Anderson, renowned African-American author, wrote Rewriting the Footnotes – a story that tells of how Africans were treated in the Colonials as practically invisible
• ·      Paulette Reed-Anderson moved to Germany in 1983 and never left
• ·      Germany had several interests in Africa during Germany Colonialism from 1871-1919
• ·      During this time, mostly African men made the move from Kenya to Germany where they often mated or married German women 
• ·      Mohr (Moor), Neger (Negro), Misching (Mulatto) and Farbig (colored) were previous terms associated with Afro-Germans before “afro-deutsch” was appropriated

Now, it’s your turn to continue celebrating Black History Month and share what you know!

The Afro-German Community

Cristina Rios

February 20, 2014

           For one of our classes we attended Dr. Cynthia Chapa's presentation on the Afro-German community. She spoke of a lot of things that had happened towards these people that was very common for those of minority groups or who looked different from the majority. They often suffered the question of where they belonged. What I understood from Dr. Chapa's presentation was that these group of people needed awareness because most people were oblivious to this community. She spoke about various attempts for bringing awareness of this culture. I for example, did not know that there was an entire community and culture of Afro-Germans. When one of my African American friends told me she had been born in Germany I did not think much of it and just found it very unique. This is what most people think which is what Dr. Chapa was trying to explain.

            Then she also spoke about various prestigious people bringing awareness of this group through books and presentations and even movies. She mentioned a couple such as Auma Obama, Obama's half sister, with her book titled And Then Life Happens. Also about Paulette Reed-Anderson who was an important figure in this movement. Some very important figures were Martha Wegner and Theophilus Wonja Michael from Berlin. These people all attempted to bring light to this hidden community.

            What I was able to get out of this presentation was that I am very similar to this community than I thought. I too am a person with two cultures. As a Mexican American, I can relate to the low awareness we had before. It is different now but we still suffered through the same things such as not knowing where we actually belonged. From some of my previous classes, this type of situation is called marginalization. I am very glad that Dr. Chapa was able to provide us with information on what this group went through because even though they are known now, some people are still ignorant to this group and their trajectory in life.