Mbongi

First, I must start this blog off by saying that Dr. Carr is an amazing instructor! I had previously sat through one of his lectures during the week before classes started. In that session, Dr. Carr went over most of the themes that he addressed during his lecture for Freshmen Seminar. Tbe concept of an mbongi, an open room meant for deep discussion, was new to me, as it was most likely new to the entire group of new freshmen. The idea of an open space where you are ordered to speak your mind freely and with purpose both appealed and distressed me. As I am usually not the one to volunteer to speak publically mbongis would not be my ideal place for a comfort zone. However, that is exactly the point. Mbongis are not places of comfort, they are places where ideas are created and action is initiated. The mbongi forces you to think, and think critically, which is what most colleges, with Howard University in particualr, want their students to acheive. By coming togehter, sharing issues and solving those expressed issues, those who speak in an mbongi have the ability to reconcile differences and benefit their community as a whole.