What’s Upward Bound?!
Upward Bound is a national, federally funded program for students all around the U.S.. Both of us are proud scholars of the program since the beginning of the year. Upward Bound at Clark University focuses on helping students in High School all around Worcester to fill out and submit their resumes for Colleges, prepare for SAT, and other important requirements to graduate. Ever since joining Upward Bound, we have made several connections, either by networking or simply making friends, and the instructors/staff members have been very welcoming, especially to new scholars like us joining the 4 year program. Although applying to become a scholar at Upward Bound was a lot of hard work, it’s paying off really well because of the new experiences we all share as a program, like listening to speeches from very knowledgeable people and going to tour colleges. As of yet, we’ve only been to Framingham State University however, there are plenty of more trips we’re going to do like in the summer, where all the scholars have to stay at dorms there at Clark University, traveling out of state to tour colleges, and work internships to expand our resumes.
Youth Conference
Waking up early can be a bit of a hustle, but the excitement of going to our first college tour made it much easier. At exactly 8 in the morning on a Saturday, nearly 40 scholars and instructors (staff) hopped on the bus, and headed straight to Framingham State. Although some students were late, we made it just in time for the Youth Conference. Our first impressions hopping off the bus was, “Oh wow, the building is huge, and it looks brand new!” “Look at all the dorms and no way, there’s even a small cafe!” Now imagine a flock of scholars and coordinators. The Youth Conference was, to sum it all up, a bunch of speeches from very intelligent people of all ages at the University’s cafeteria. As soon as we got to the cafeteria, we received a bag full of college information, MLK Jr. merchandise, and a ticket to a free trip to a nearby museum!
Lunch
The people who planned this event had given everyone a free lunch in very fancy boxes, shown below.
Time for a Tour!
The tour began with an introduction to the Mazmanian Art Gallery. It was temporarily closed and empty at the moment because students were on break, and they were still setting up the new artwork that was coming in. Some artwork were displayed in the hallways, and they looked wonderful.
Next up on the tour was the gym and cafeterias. Inside the university, there were places like Dunkin Donuts and other restaurants for the students to enjoy their free time. The gymnasium looked very big from afar and the walks from building to building were not unpleasant at all.
While walking from building to building, there were plenty of small hills to walk on, but engravings like “Countless Steps Will Pass Here” on the floor helped a lot during the rainy day. The Framingham signs looked very professional as well.
Step Team:
The history of stepping is beautiful, Stepping is an energetic dance and art form that originated from African-American fraternities and sororities in the 1940’s. It’s a percussive style that uses the body to create rhythms through stomping, clapping, and spoken word. Military service also let it’s mark on stepping. As military men increasingly joined fraternities after World War II, elements drawn from marching and drills entered into the fraternity culture, particularly stepping. Call-and-response vocalization, while an African American tradition, is also a military practice.
We also had a fun time with some talented students who were in the step team. They taught half of the scholars one routine, and the other half another. Both routines were then performed together to go along with each other.
The Aftermath:
From our time at Framingham State University, we learned a lot about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy and how impactful he truly was. The people there at Framingham State were very welcoming and generous, and the whole experience was just a 10 out of 10! Thank you Upward Bound and the people who planned this wonderful event!
