MyTimeToBlog
Finally, I'm back in college. My mind has been wrapped in crafting my fourth screenplay, and I completed that Sunday, the night before my return to studying for my associate degree. Now that I'm done with figuring out an ending for two unique characters, I'm in bed early, dreaming of what I'll learn in Western Civilization. Hopefully something useful.
Ramutu and I would be taking two classes together this semester. This made me excited, because he too is passionate about attaining higher learning in our confinement. We already sit with each other every morning, studying our shared faiths (he is a Shi'ite, and I follow Yahweh). We drink tea and converse about our relationships with our significant others, and how we're going to attack this semester with all that we have.
After my early morning workout with Ramutu and Haneef, I completed my Bible studies, then showered. I'm at the ironing board, smoothing out the wrinkles in my Levi's and my button-up shirt. Music by the Temptations had me dancing and steam from the iron made me feel like I'm in the streets of New York, going out to a dance club, but instead, college in prison.
I gotta attend my college class from 2:30 PM until 4:30 PM. Since it's early in the day, I'm relaxing as I watch the final season of The Witcher. My celly popped back up in our cell from his maintenance job with a tray of chicken tenders. I avoided the food he offered because I snacked on a Kind bar. We chatted about the latest gossip: the entire prison system is thinking that Abigail Spanberger would free us all. I shook my head as I watched Yennifer use her Chaos Magic to dispatch an enemy on The Witcher.
Lunch call and I'm strolling with a few college students on the sidewalk. It's cold, but the sky was as blue as the ocean. I admired it, then I was called to the fence that had me separated from the segregation cages that one of my friends in handcuffs bypassed as he was being escorted by correction officers to medical. He asked how I was, and I gave my response as being OK, and then I asked when he would get from back there? Once that was over, I'm back in my head about college: what will I glean from Western Civilization? That ended as I'm at a stainless-steel table with my daily tray of you figure out what kind of meat they served us? I gave up and traded my tray for the dessert, a child's package of Oreos.
I departed from the chow hall and headed to the Academic Hall. A few of the men in my class stood outside as we waited for a correction officer to allow us entrance. As we did, micro conversations started up with the men about TV, sports, and getting free. Me, I'm thinking about college.
Ever since I made this promise to myself that I would get my degree while incarcerated, I shut down frivolous conversations. This was due to my limited educational background in prison. In my 27 years of incarceration, all I could take to grow myself mentally were unaccredited courses--now that I'm in an accredited college course, my focus was on that and that alone; that was why I completed my screenplay before returning to school. I wanted a clean slate.
A female correction officer opened the door for us. We handed her our identification cards, then stepped through a metal detector. Security was mandatory for us, but I'm oblivious to it as I'm marching down this small corridor with posters of educational stimulants: You can be what you want when you learn. I read all of them as I entered this corridor a few months ago for the winter semester. I push opened the door to my classroom at the end of the corridor, discovering Dr. Jordan at her desk attempting to get her flash drive on her computer to work for the smart board.
I greeted her with a warm smile, then found my seat at my usual table with Ten-A-Key, Torres, Jae, and this new white guy with tattoos all over his face. The class slowly filled as we were being told to sign in. If we didn't, this could get us removed from the class. I signed and picked up my syllabus for what our 15 weeks would consist of.
We're all in our seats, a whopping 15 students. The most I had in my two previous semesters. This was awesome, but in a small classroom that had four small wooden tables, the desk for Dr. Jordan at the front of the class and a long table for extra seating, and our college aide, Hamilton, who had a swivel seat that looked comfortable as he leaned back and worked at his computer.
Dr. Jordan began with an introduction to the class, giving off more degrees than I could remember. Basically, she's overqualified. Her background was military, and she began her day at 4 AM. We listened intently, then she revealed that the flash drive with all her work was erased, so she would discuss with us about Prehistory.
We were handed two chapters on the Introduction of Prehistory, and reading material with questions that required answering. Since this wasn't a normal college environment, there were caveats: since we had no access to computers, we would do more writing and reading from material Dr. Jordan felt was necessary, as well as an oral presentation at the close of the course. Once this was shared, she dived into what she required from us: participating, completing our work in a timely manner, and bringing our heads to class to learn.
I ate it all in as I surveyed my classmates. Fifteen of us are desiring a college education. I'm so proud to see that, because opportunities like this were fought for by people I never met. That is why I cleaned my slate, so that I could give my all, hopeful that those coming behind me can set the same trend for those incarcerated in Virginia.
This is amazing. I'm back in college, and I am so happy for this unbelievable opportunity to become something more. What? Only time will tell.