Campus legend Hoover "Soultrain" Lawrence was on hand this weekend to welcome the FAMU Class of 2012 to "the Hill". "Soultrain" has been around the FAMU campus much longer than the eternal flame.
In fact, my parents tell me that "Soultrain" sold them snacks when they were in school.
SoulTrain oughts to be given the Rattler of the Year award. In fact, I might suggest this in an e-mail to the president. SouthTrain is as much a legend as those old buildings on campus are. He's probably older than most of them, anyway. On a serious note, though, he's one of thousands of black people who didn't get that chance -to go to school-- for a multitude of reasons -- but has always wished that he had the opportunity.So what he's done is built much of his life around the environment and everything associated with the university. That's what many children these days don't realize: there were so many people who just didn't have the opportunities that they have today; they seem to think that "going to school" is a "right" and not a "given."
ReplyDeleteClarification on my ^^ post:
ReplyDelete". . . going to school is a "right" or entitlement and not a "privilege."
Soultrain is truly an ICON !!!!
ReplyDeleteLong live Soultrain!
11:07 GREAT POINT!!!!!! My kid is at FAMU right now and I wont even get him a d*mn cell phone because he told his mom that he NEEDED it! She was going to give in and I said hell no school aint even started and he already got maxed out gas cards!!!! I told him he doesnt NEED a cell phone, he NEEDS Food, Water, Shelter and to pass his damn classes! He WANTS a cell phone! Needless to say he calls from his dorm!
ReplyDelete3:31, you sound like a good dad. These children have no idea what not having a cell phone -- and, as my 80-something dad says, "all these gizmoes" -- is like. I teach at FAMU, and the "high tech" gizmoes that these children come to school with is a bit much. Yes, I say let that boy of yours use the dorm phone! As my students say, he'll be "aw-ight." After a smester or two -- providing he's made decent grades -- you might have to cave in to his mom. "Cause she's going to win. Sorry. BTW, I'm 11:07, too.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with what the parents are saying but I must say that when there were no cell phones, there were more pay phones. Nowadays the only pay phones that I know of on the entire campus are at the Student Union and Coleman Library. And when they close, well...
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, FAMU is not a place that you want your child be be at without one-especially at night if they are female child...just telling you from experience. I didn't get my first cell phone until college(in 1999 and I didn't even WANT one), my plan was something cheap with free nights and weekends, and I'm so glad that my parents bought me one. When my car needed a jump my junior year after a later-than-usual study session, my cell phone had just died and I remember trying to find someone with a phone at night. I didn't live on campus, and Tallahassee is pitch dark at night with all of the dorm buildings secure from the outside AND the inside. Let's just say that those old campus police didn't let me down. You never want your child to be at a point where they have to use those emergency red phones.
I used to think that it was a luxury and that we were just so dependent on technology; but the problem is that the times have changed as cell phones have become more popular. And I know that with all of the campus shootings that have taken place, FAMU has come up with a great text messaging alert system for the students and faculty. Your child doesn't need a Blackberry; just something cheap that makes outgoing and incoming calls, with text messaging capabilities. They are in college in 2008, and I must say that this year is even starkly very different from 1998.
the cellphones were like the twilight zone, as I also went to FAMU at 1998 to 2002. I got mine in 2000 and kept the same number until it died last year. There are NO payphones anywhere these days, and cellphones can be dirt cheap.
ReplyDeleteThe beauty is that there are plans where you can give you child an allotment of minutes per week, which means they'll only use the phone for emergencies. Keeps the bills low. Oh it's real.
THIS thread is about SOULTRAIN,not cell phones !!!
ReplyDeleteIs Soultrain the boiled peanut man?
ReplyDeleteOh yes he is his! And the "snack pack man".
ReplyDeleteHe should receive an honorary degree!
ReplyDeleteSoultrain is the p-nut man?? Dang, I remember the pnut man from when I was in school in the mid-70s. I KNOW this isn't the same man. Dang, he been sellin' a lotta peanuts over the years.
ReplyDeleteWe called him "Cowboy" back in the 70's.
ReplyDeleteI remember buying snacks from Soul Train the entire four years that I was at FAMU. As far as I am concerned. If you are a transplant, then you need to buy seek him out and buy a snack from him. That will at least give you some kind of credibility.
ReplyDeleteOh, and what ever happened to Purple Rain? I used to love the way she would run out on the field and dance with the 100.
Back to cell phones just for a second. You may have to accept the fact that cell phones are how teachers communicate with their students. You may be setting your child up to miss out on opportunities. FAMU even send out safety alerts on the cell phones to warn students if a shooter is on the loose or if a hurricane is coming.
ReplyDeleteAn earlier poster sounds like a wonderful dad, but I must say that he may have to accept the fact that this is a part of the technology age.
You may want to get him a track phone and make him buy the minutes. What if he breaks down on the road.
Is Purple Rain "Pee-Wee"? Man!
ReplyDeleteSoul Train is not the peanut man from the mid 70's. The peanut man was Mr. Manson and he passed away years ago. I use to buy a bag of peanuts from him everyday.
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of peanut men. When my dad, brother, male cousins,etc. eat peanuts, individually, I call them a peanut man. The operative question here is this:
ReplyDeleteWhy are we talking peanuts?
RN needs to tighten up on that news thang. We're here online talking about who sold peanuts when, where, how, Na d how come? We runnin' slow on the ticker parade, RN. Give up something, or next, we'll be talking about who sells the best ribs on Perry Street after home games.
Well that's alright too- I like ribs! I like that this blog has a balance. We need a little positive/fun to go along with the negative/serious. And we're talking about Soul Train here, not Random Jenkins. He gave me more business advice then all four of my years at SBI(well maybe I'm exaggerating but you get the point)This man is a legend!
ReplyDeleteSoulTrain is the man. He has been out there for as long as I can remeber. Peace, Love, and SoulTrain the snack man. Lol
ReplyDelete