Wildcat Alums

Woke Up Black Follow Up

2011-06-23T00:28:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago I wrote about Carter Tindell-Hall's experiences as a freshman at Lafayette College. In his post I mentioned a documentary titled Woke Up Black which starred this young man. Well I have some great news! This Sunday will be the WORLD BROADCAST PREMIER of Woke Up Black on WTTW (PBS) Channel 11.

Directed by Mary F. Morten, the documentary follows around five young African American individuals who have done everything in their power to strive for and attain success.

To watch this wonderful documentary, tune in to WTTW Channel 11 on Sunday June 26th at 4 P.M. Please help spread the word!!!

Leave your thoughts in the comment section!

Take Care.

Robert Liebert-Hereth

2011-06-15T21:29:00.003-05:00

The Beginning Of Robert's Interest In Engineering

Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Minor: Mathematics

Future Plans: Masters Degree

The word "fraternity" stems from the Latin word frater meaning "brother." Yet with most individuals fraternities carry a negative connotation. Even Robert Liebert-Hereth "thought they were just places for people who drink too much together and make people's lives miserable." Now he is glad to have been proven wrong.

About halfway through his freshman year, Robert discovered and was given a bid to join the Theta Tau fraternity. The old Robert would have declined the Theta Tau bid on the spot, but the new Robert understood the benefits that came with being a member of the organization.

"It's a professional engineering fraternity. It's a place where I can relax and be among people whom I can relate to," said Robert who is now a fully initiated Brother of Theta Tau.

The Tau Chapter of Theta Tau
Was Founded At Syracuse University in 1925

Theta Tau was the perfect fit for Robert since he has decided to be a Mechanical Engineering Major. His interest in engineering can be traced all the way back to his freshman year of high school when he joined the Rauner Robotics' Team. As a member of the team he gained a basic understanding as to what the life of an engineer is like. Robert helped design, build, and drive multiple robots for the First Tech Challenge program. Now in college he is gaining a much deeper understanding of the complex world of engineering.

When asked about his early engineering classes he responded with, "My experience thus far has allowed me to use CAD programs (3D Sketches). This has been both a great challenge, and it's been fun making machines that are both real and fictional. The most challenging class was Engineering Computational Tools. It's basically programming using MatLab. It's difficulty lied in the fact that it was the first kind of problem solving class where I didn't know the answer and had to think outside the box. An outside that has an infinite amount of possibilities."

The Quad Is Robert's Favorite Part
Of The Syracuse University Campus

When Robert is done with school, he hopes to use his talents to design machine parts that are both economical and environmentally friendly. He also hopes to update current machines so that they become more efficient and versatile.

For now though, Robert will focus on improving his persona by trying new things. He recently picked up cooking as a new hobby and his favorite dish to make is pork tenderloin medallions. This is why his advice to himself and all others is to "let loose and not be afraid to expose yourself to new environments. Think things through, but don't hesitate to do something if you think it can be a fun/great experience for you."

MESSAGE TO FORMER TEACHERS, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS:

"I'm glad I've known you guys, and I hope to keep in contact with you throughout my life both in and out of college. I am always happy to talk to anyone who wants to talk about anything."

To learn more about the fraternity that Robert joined, Theta Tau, visit this site: http://www.ecs.syr.edu/organizations/thetatau/index2.html

Leave your thoughts in the comment section!

Take Care.

Carter Tindell-Hall

2011-06-08T17:41:00.001-05:00

College Signing Day 2010

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania

Major: Government Law AND History

Future Plans: Politician/Law School

Many children often dream of one day being in a movie and touring the nation like a celebrity. During his freshman year of college, a documentary titled Woke Up Black made its world premier and featured our very own Carter Tindell-Hall. He was given the opportunity to fly across the nation for free to attend the premier, but the scholar chose to stay on campus in order to focus on his academics. It's that type of discipline that made Carter's freshman year a successful one, which wasn't an easy task as the institution constantly ranks as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation. The coursework at Lafayette was so rigorous, that Carter had to push himself beyond his normal limits.

When asked about his experience he responded with, "I did more than what was expected. I reached new heights in my life and in my mentality. I overcame, grew, and indulged myself in foreign affairs because I had to leave my comfort zone and get to know the world...I didn't know I could do so much, be so much, and have so much. I loved it."

Woke Up Black Directed By Mary F. Morten

The young man beamed about a particular moment in the year in which he succeeded when the odds were stacked against him. As part of the Lafayette Rugby team, Carter was two weeks away from attending an important tournament. The problem was, however, that his professors had just assigned two very demanding writing assignments. With pride he said, "I wrote a fourteen page paper with thirty sources for my U.S. Politics course and another eight page paper for Religious Studies in two weeks so that I could attend my Rugby tournament."

Carter's understands that self discipline leads to higher levels of success. That is why he loves to play Football and Rugby. He states, "I like sports that make you push yourself. Sports that make you force out mental pain and make others look at you in admiration. I like to be that role model." This mindset led to him being named the Most Improved Player of an annual Philadelphia Rugby tournament which included several high caliber Division 1 schools. Lafayette's Rugby team went on to defeat Syracuse, Scranton, and UPenn, making it all the way to the finals where they were defeated by the high powered University of Pittsburgh.

Going into his sophomore year, Carter is looking forward to traveling with his Rugby team and sharing new experiences with his friends. He understands that he has what it takes to balance school, sports, and a social life, but he is also aware that he can't control everything and has to be comfortable with letting the little things go.

Lafayette College: Home Of Carter Tindell-Hall

MESSAGE TO HIS TEACHERS, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS:

"I am a better person because of all of you. I have learned that being organized and having more than one study habit is most important. College is the most fun I've ever had because you all pushed me and made the man I am today. I will never take that for granted."

To view a trailer of Woke Up Black featuring Carter Tindell-Hall click on the following link: http://vimeo.com/15935284

To read more about the film and be put on the mailing list for the DVD release click this link: http://www.mortengroup.com/black_youth_documentary.php

Leave your thoughts in the comment section!

Take Care.

A Year Later

2011-05-30T23:33:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that it's been almost a year since the Class of 2010 walked across the stage at the Field Museum and received their graduate diplomas.

It's even harder to believe that the majority of them already have a year of college under their belt, making them sophomores and one step closer to the real world. After hours of reading, diligent note taking, and sleepless nights, they have begun to realize that success does not come easy.

Under the same Wildcat banner are those who chose to forgo college in search of a different experience. These individuals are crafting their own path to success in a variety of fields. The workforce, community service, and Marines are just a few of the fields that have garnered the attention of the Class of 2010, and proudly so.

This blog will seek out Rauner Alums as they take part in a new chapter of their life. With it I hope to give friends, family, and mentors a taste of what life is like for these individuals in their new homes. This will be done in different ways until I find out what works best for this blog.

With that said, I hope to have the first official Alum post up within two weeks, but hopefully sooner rather than later.

Take Care.