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THE INTELLECTUALS
|i Darian Nwankwo
|i Senior/Computer Science Major
11 Decatur, GA
L SR: What does it mean to be an intellectual?
BDN: To be an intellectual means to always
ft be questioning. It means to never take any-
Hthing given as is, but to question, challenge
Hand research for yourself.
N SR: What things do you do to grow and chal-
Hlenge your intellectual capabilities?
p DN: I am an extremist—an all in or all out
Nkind of person. I give my all to growing and
■ challenging my intellect. I always have a
p journal and a book with me so that I can
[iread and journal my thoughts and things I
■ learn. Also, at one point--for a period of nine
I months--! would take a cold shower every
■day. I also have practiced 24-hour fasting
I sometimes. These practices come from the
I stoic philosophy of “intentional discomfort"
land have helped me to maintain and chal
lenge my intellectual growth. Additionally, I
■ try to exercise for one hour daily, because
■ exercise correlates with stimulating mental
■ capabilities.
HSR: How have you overcome self-doubt re-
fa garding your intellect?
DN: I didn’t originally plan to attend college,
jj I was going to enlist in the Marines, but my
M father encouraged me to attend Morehouse.
■ While I have been at Morehouse, my profes-
jjsors have helped me to overcome self-doubt
Hby reassuring me of my intelligence. Profes
sors like Dr. Cooper of the Mathematics de-
apartment, Doctors Howard, Gosha, Dennis
Hand Johnson of Computer Science and Dr.
IkColes of the Leadership Center are just some
■of the many professors who have mentored
I me and helped me along the way,
Hi SR: What have you done to create balance
■ between academics and social activities?
TDN: For a time, I was partying during school
■days and had to step back because I re-
[italized that balance was missing. I began
ire-prioritizing my time between academics
*and social activities to make sure I placed
a my studies first.
pSR: What are your post-graduate aspira-
Stions?
9 DN: I plan to go into a Ph.D program with
■ a focus on the advancement of science in
■ areas of artificial intelligence and research.
pH want to teach at an R1 (highest research
■ activity) university and eventually return to
fa teach at Morehouse College.
Darius D. Johnson
Senior/English Major
Mobile, AL
SR: What does it mean to be an intellectual?
DJ: An intellectual is someone aware of
what’s taking place around him or her. An
intellectual is a problem solver, who recog
nizes the issues around them, identifies the
source of the issue and proposes solutions.
SR: What things do you do to grow and chal
lenge your intellectual capabilities?
DJ: First, I interact with people of diverse
backgrounds (religious, cultural, political)
because it allows me to see how others
think. Second, I read various texts, such
as African-American literature or political
non-fiction, and this enables me to see how
others convey ideas differently and the writ
ten critiques they offer on certain topics.
Third, I place myself in spaces that make
me uncomfortable and around people whom
I do not know. In these spaces, I try to create
simple dialogue, so I can learn from those I
am speaking with.
SR: How have you overcome self-doubt re
garding your intellect?
DJ: I use different methods. I speak with my
friends about the doubt I am facing—like if
I am intimidated by a specific class—and
they will often hype me up, but they always
keep it real. I also remind myself what got
me to where I am. My whole life has been
adversity, so if I got through the adversities
in my past, I know I can overcome self
doubt.
SR: What have you done to create balance
between academics and social activities?
DJ: School always comes first; however, I
don’t allow school to overrule everything. I
allocate my time to put class work first—typ
ically doing my class work in the morning or
right after class—and when I am not doing
class work, I am hanging out with friends, or
participating in co-curriculars and extra-cur-
riculars.
SR: What are your post-graduate aspira
tions?
DJ: I plan to attend Fordham University
School of Law in the fall and eventually
become a federal judge. Although I cannot
choose a concentration until my second
year of law school, my interests include
international human rights, litigation and
prosecution. I desire to educate the Black
community about the legal field, represent
marginalized groups globally and make the
law fairer for everyone.
Derrick Parker
Senior/Political Science Major
Kansas City, MO
SR: What does it mean to be an intellectual?
DP: It means to constantly question the
world around you and look for solutions to
the problems you observe.
SR: What things do you do to grow and chal
lenge your intellectual capabilities?
DP: I read often. I also talk to people who
I admire and are more intelligent than me.
I also place myself in uncomfortable envi
ronments around those who think differently
than I do. As well, I listen to a variety of
speakers, and one of my favorite speakers is
former president Barack Obama.
SR: How have you overcome self-doubt re
garding your intellect?
DP: I reassure myself that I belong in the
spaces I am in. Also, I remind myself that
no matter where I come from, I can make a
difference.
SR: What have done to create balance be
tween academics and social activities?
DP: Balance is important. Elevation requires
separation, so I create personal time for my
self to reflect. I also hang with friends and
my line brothers. Academically, identifying
goals and the opportunities I have help to
keep me focused.
SR: What are your post-graduate aspira
tions? (cont. page 46)
DP: Attending Harvard Law School and mov
ing back home to become involved in poli
tics.
Jordan Mulkey
English Major
Miami, FL
SR: What does it mean to be an intellectual?
JM: Having a critical disposition towards
everything. It means ridding oneself of im
maturity and the things society has told you
to accept. Being an intellectual means the
refusal and interrogation of everything.
SR: What things do you do to grow and chal
lenge your intellectual capabilities?
JM: I read. One of the books I have read
multiple times is “The Fire Next Time”—it
is quietly chilling, prophetic and examines