Dreams of New York City

So let's talk about the one aspect of the future that is always on my mind, New York City.

Back in the first week of April, I got the chance to go to NYC for the NIT tournament with the Ole Miss basketball team "Rebel Rebound Sound" pep band. The three short days that we were there opened my eyes to a world of opportunity I had never truly considered before.

I fell in love with everything about New York. The constant sense of adventure and excitement was intoxicating. Getting to play in Madison Square Garden was incredible. Broadway and Times Square were amazing. I could spend forever in Central Park. There were even moments where I road the subways by myself.

One time on the subway, just as the doors were closing, a group of young black men jumped on at the last minute. The leader yelled out "Listen up everyone, we've got a very important announcement!" Then they broke out into doo wap a capella for the rest of the ride to the next station. It was great. Mostly it was about political propaganda and the count down until Pres. Bush leaves office. I couldn't help but laugh. They did it in a unique way that drew interest.

The most wonderful moment for me was from the 80th floor of the Empire State Building. It was almost midnight and I could not stop thinking about how I wished none of this would end and I could stay in New York. I thought about a lot that night while overlooking the cityscape. Mostly, I thought about the future. The trip was an epic event that pushed me to dream for something more...

So what's the Plan? I have developed two options.

THE FIRST: is the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. For that I've started researching admissions standards, funding and housing. The great aspect to CUNY is that it is located in Times Square and the journalism school helps to provide you with a paid internship during the summer of your spring and fall semesters.

THE SECOND: is probably the most daringly insane aspiration I have yet to conceive, the NBC Page Program. to quote the New York Times, "7,000 people apply for 60 to 85 slots each year, making the page program about 10 times as competitive as admission to Harvard or Yale."

Both of these dreams will take a lot of hard work to accomplish and my focus is on BOTH of them. To be honest, I have never been filled with so much Hope and Fear at the same time. But I believe that you should use fear to compel you; otherwise, it will destroy you. It will be difficult but the odds have never stopped me before.

Someday I will wake up again in the city that never sleeps and it will be so much more than just a dream, but instead a reality.

"Keep your dream alive
Dreaming is still how the strong survive
Once upon a time in New York City."
(Huey Lewis, Oliver and Company Soundtrack)

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Above Photo: O'Bryon Pams, Holli Lancaster, me, and Becca Roberts in Times Square.
Below Photo: The south side New York cityscape from the Empire State Building.