Lynch...Here and Now a play by Michaelangelo Davis and co written by Laurinho Walch

Lynch…..Here and Now a Review by J. Wesley Beeks




When the song “ Strange Fruit “ plays with Billie Holiday’s haunting resonance, one is taken to the deep south with the apparitions of dangling bodies from sycamore trees a lullaby of those lynched because their skin was too dark. The play Lynch …Here and Now directed and written by playwright and composer Michaelangelo Davis and co- written by Laurinho Walch takes one into the pathos of lynching, profiling and the rebirth of self identity. This limited run at the Black Box Theater in New York City, a Mecca of ethnicities forging ahead in spite of polarities and disparities , became a platform for this tale to be told.

Willie Lynch is conjured up to discern if he really was a slave owner in the early 1700’s who came to the colony of Virginia in 1712 to share his methods for controlling Black slaves. Portrayed as a gothic, macabre and mentally unstable man by Michaelangelo Davis his cryptic dissertation of strategically controlling the African slaves flows forward with contorted desperation and gleeful madness. From this point the anthology of Lynch’s madness continues in a series of characters chronologically parlayed to institute his separatist and divisive tactics on the descendents of African slaves. An elderly woman enters the stage plodding with the elasticity of dead wood to plead with Willie Lynch and his wife to work in peace. She is contemptuous of the lynching of her husband and the selling of her children by Lynch but sings with praises for a better day. Witty and sarcastic the interplay of the old and young slave as they each discussed the merits of their position to end with the irony of an empty inheritance. The audience was kept from drifting into slumber with compositions from Michalelangelo infused with driving rhythms, syncopated rifts and old fashioned stomping grooves.

The multitude of characters ranged from eccentric, androgynous, ridiculous, pathological, amorous to the sublime. One character dressed in 60’s garb rolls out with the admonishments of vampires but that the really dangerous ones are the ones who suck energy as opposed to blood! Physically demonstrative and acrobatic this character screams for one to beware! Poignant and dynamic was the man who lost his job with his pregnant woman telling him he must leave before Lynch Corporation approaches. Diminished and distraught he confronts his woman with rage and angst as she reels back with sadness, fear, and survival to request that he leave the home. It would be unfair to infer what happens next as your interpretation will lead you to your own conclusions and contemporary definitions of relationships. The ensemble cast went beyond mediocre to mastery to bring the words to life and present entertainment, education and history exciting to capture the attention of the techno generation without one cell phone going off during the show!

The showcase of relationships explore the sexuality and boundaries of individuals and personal sacrifices. The image and stereotypes of African- American men are exposed in their interaction with society and towards one another. A daunting subject to deal with much less display but is done with charisma, energy and love. The bounty of female empowerment is expressed without hesitancy and distinguished celebration. The message is received with the audience dancing at the freedom of celebration of a past to the acceptance of the power to change the present and inspire the future. I do mean dancing as the audience ended the show with a gleeful call and response dancing standing up leaving with an inspired feeling that one change their condition.

If you want to see a play go to Broadway but if you want an experience that infuses talent, storytelling, dancing, and music then you have to see the play Lynch….Here and Now.

Does it really Matter who is on the Masthead? by J.Wesley Beeks

College is a testing ground of synthesizing values and the process of their disintegration and accumulation. One crosses the threshold with expectations of enlightenment and the possibility of mass Fortuna. The process of college is akin to the journey and the content learned becomes the template for expanding a landscape of opportunities.




Entering a campus requires a sacrifice not unlike the Romans who did so to Nike, the Goddess of Victory. The sacrifice can be a conscious litany of resolves and with time illuminates the actual sacrifices that must be made. College at its simplest level is an opportunity to network, create and fashion your unique place for yourself in the grand scheme of life. The bounty is set at a sliding scale dependent upon motivation, investigation, diligence, curiosity, and aptitude.



A college degree is posted on a resume perched as a masthead beckoning one to consider the appropriation of proficient skill level. Some institutions are lauded with ivy laurels, others enriched with generous generational philanthropic donors. Sprinkled about are those that defy matrimonial and patrimonial shackles and a few that deign themselves as progeny of contemporary design in constant motion. Yet a special anomaly exist that continues to thrive on the undercurrent of social phenomena from the reserves of vigilance and actualization. African-American universities and colleges hold this prestige as a social and intellectual phenomena in the western hemisphere that survived past pondering naysayer’s and political thwarts. From this a “brain trust “ was documented and developed that integrated all strata’s of society and generations. The influence of this creation was the fuel for other population segments to begin to conceptualize that they could create a template of education for their own.



Boricua College holds the distinction of the first accredited post secondary institution founded by Puerto Ricans who were incensed by divisive and separatist issues of nationality, state hood and the failure of a system to embrace their own. This same spirit was preceded by the historical contributions of African Americans educators, strategists and politicians. Each group holds the mirror of hypocrisy and disenfranchisement in their psychological, sociological, and economic history but it is not held captive by it.



The myths of entitlement and social familiarity are no longer viable or realistic grounds to stand upon for African Americans and Hispanics. Civil rights laws and Affirmative Action were tools to pry open opportunities to enter the race but not the guarantee of equal access to education and training to win the race. Therein lies the detracting element of denominator. “ We will let you compete but you have to first qualify!” It is the dedication to craftsmanship that allows one to shave off the denigration of sloth and the tattered illusions of entitlement.



In a lifetime there are pivotal and defining moments that last past our recollections that seep into one’s character and pours into wisdom. Financially the cost of a home, a wedding, children, automobiles are landmarks in our lifetime. The cost of a college degree is a premier investment in one’s self regardless of who is footing the bill whether it is your parents, scholarship, grants, fellowships or for some of us ourselves. This cost should not be taken lightly and the application of it can provide future opportunities for those who are visionaries in sight. I state this to illustrate the tenacity one must have in determining if this long term goal is applicable for you. If you seek the path of riches and wealth, there are other ways to get there. If one is willing to appreciate the long term goals of an education and develop the integrity of values that facilitate transformation then one can appreciate education. The most important values one receives are derived from how one’s parents or primary care givers extend their own lives, culture and cognitive development to their offspring.



For African- Americans and Hispanics especially, there is disparity in the continual development of inheritances. The inheritance does not have a monetary value but rather intrinsic values that propel one past lucre. This is not determined by race, but by class. One must change the focus of remaining consumers to copyright the intellectual properties manifested on a daily basis and take hold. Technology is a tool and unfortunately many will live thread bare to keep in tune with the most current applications and services but have no clue how or the motivation, to create them. I found it appalling that some students can download a song or go on Face-book but cannot be bothered , or don’t know how to locate a blog or research sites for grants. Yet these are the same pedantic students who are not able to compete in the job market. Unprepared and unmotivated, these students maintain a false sense of entitlement and furthermore no appreciation for the history and achievements of their families.



The opportunity to close the gap on high dropout rates can be greatly lowered at a smaller college with fewer students. In fact the colloquium has the potential to unearth the leadership and talents of students with active participation. Learning the art of interpersonal and group communication is a powerful tool. The learning contract to my experience has had little value except for engaging those students without vision or motivation. I have attended a larger institution in which the class size was proportionally larger and have experienced the smaller class size as well. The benefit of the small class size allows the student to communicate more freely but does not diminish their lack of motivation or preparedness. It can magnify the affect placing the student in the vicinity of accountability with no shields to hide behind. The intimacy of an individualized class offers the student infinite possibilities to explore and challenge themselves. One’s intellectual prowess and strategic planning, coupled with logic has the potential to become a paramount force in the intellectual competencies.



There is no magic formula in this measure. The taxonomy of Bloom and the affective skills have the innate ability to segregate cognitive skill sets that are limited only by the student’s dedication to the process. Piaget refers to cognition in the general population on the pre-operational level with associations with primitive or folklore based thinking. Piaget states that most people will not reach the formal thinking as they may be only concerned with survival and happy in complacency. The possibility of formal thinking can be opened by use of the affective skills only if the student is willing, able and committed to the value. In regards to the learning contract, its value is based on the acceptance of a value from the student. As with all systems there are criteria and if one is challenged with logic, elements of sound, communication and low motivation there is no magic spell to get it. If the student is deficient in areas of but not limited to, language, logic, philosophy, critical and creative thinking then it is their personal responsibility to get prepared and this can be done in tandem with academic support not charity! This is an opportunity to go past pre-operational thinking and master formal thinking. Hispanics and African Americans have the cultural, linguistic, social and cognitive lineage to assimilate this with preparedness and willingness to receive and respond.



Does it really matter whose name is on the masthead? Yes it does! Your name conveys ownership and relays a standard of competency that speaks before, during and after you leave. The legacy has been defined by your work and commitment to a value and that is worth placing your name at the masthead in which the family and community can all share.

Carletta Joy Walker- Artist Profile

Carletta Joy Walker


Text and Photography By: J. Wesley Beeks

We celebrate the diversity of the Boricua College staff with a profile on Carletta Joy Walker an artist, creator, intellectual moderator , poet, and surveyor of cultural, experiential, and theoretical studies. Graciously sharing her artistic installations the Boricua College community was invited to take an elaborate journey inside her visual perspectives of the world at large.


What is your position at Boricua College? What makes Boricua College unique from other institutions of higher learning?

My “position” is one of seer, contributing to illuminating and honoring the mission of Boricua College and its founders. I work in the Manhattan Library and maintain the Instructional Modules Library.



How do you see library science changing with technology and electronic media?

I see Library Science in the role of facilitating order in this vast new expanse of information made available as a result of technology. Also, integrating and co-relating the cataloguing systems made for maintaining order in physical buildings and spaces to the evolving types of electronic publications existing in virtual realities.



How did you develop your artistic perspective?

It is more that my artistic perspective developed me: an acute awareness of the elements comprising my internal and external sight and sense wanting expression.



Did you incorporate the Taxonomy of Bloom in the creation of your art and the placement of it in the gallery?

No, not in a conscious way since my art existed and started being expressed long before I had an intellectual awareness of the Bloom Taxonomy

You work is being featured at the Gallery in the school can you describe the elements in your art work and it was received by the students and faculty.

The physical elements are paper, leads, fabric, oil pastel, paint, ink, wood, canvas, computer, thread, glue and then there are things used which help create the art but are not seen in the finished piece, i.e. scissors or a brush. The elements of sight, sound, touch, taste, smell and sense are in my art work. The work often, perhaps most often begins, is initiated by a feeling in concert with—with a sight, a sound, a sense of something wanting expression. The art is a manifestation, perhaps sometimes a translation of a feeling or a vision.

The reception: what I saw was engagement with the “elements” and their composition that made them my particular artistic expression and engagement with the tone, spirit and informational substance--form and content engagement. It was very moving seeing, hearing and feeling the various responses.



Name three individuals in that have inspired you from their works in Black History and how contemporary society can learn from them.

Fredrick Douglas, Fannie Lou Hammer, Aesop with directness, simplicity, nuance, spirit illumination in concert with action.



Name three individuals that have impacted Hispanic History.

Arturo Schomberg, Frieda Kahlo, Pedro Pietri with directness, simplicity, nuance spirit illumination in concert with action.



What is the correlation between art, technology, and education?

Art manifests inside technology and education; in it most beautiful functioning technology and education are art forms. Art thinking facilitates the learning of the various disciplines contained in Education and Technology.



What role does the Arts play in the continuity of community and global development?

Art is elixir, art carries cultural story that contributes to words written and not written. Art unites, creates individuality and community. Art helps heal microscopic splits and wounds as well as macroscopic explosions and devastations.



What are some of the elements you incorporate in your art.?

Animals, orbs, bikes, cars, beings, geometric shapes, motion, color, spirit, story…



Would you describe your artistic style as unorthodox?

In the creative atmosphere very little is unorthodox. There is balance, harmony, color and tone sensibility form evolved out of creative soup content: content being shaped by material substance… iAmArtIsTheUnity.



What are some of the advantages a graduate of Boricua College may have over traditional academic systems?

Boricua College graduates have been encouraged to value their thought in relationship to existing bodies of knowledge and information. The educational method encourages and supports thorough intellectual understanding in the context of a necessary and evolved cultural, physical, spiritual mores. This is a tremendous asset because Boricua College endeavors to graduate whole/humanistic human beings.



Who are three artist that we should know of and their relevance.

I’m not big on “shoulds”… my thinking about artists to know, hmm. Know oneself, ones own art expression, which, in my way of thinking will open one to the unity of the art one is in the midst of. Next, look at the different art that arises from and is integrated into the cultures of different geographical areas and historical periods, learn the named and unnamed artists.





When did you know that you were an artist?

I fully claimed being an artist when it felt safe, when I was able to separate being that from some of the prevailing baggage like poverty and insanity.

Black History Month Celebrates- Esperanza Spalding

A Tribute to Talent and Diversity by J. Wesley Beeks

What sounds tastes like ambrosia and cascades across Brazilian landscapes as gossamer winds? Esperanza Spalding that’s who! This breath of much needed tropical air breezed in and with languid pools of heavenly chords brought in a new era. She won the best new artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards. The nominees for this category were Drake, Mumford and Sons, Justin Bieber and Florence and the Machine were also nominated. The other nominees were in the genres of Pop and Rock but Esperanza Spalding made history as the first Jazz artist to win in this category. Justin Bieber was the favored contender as his meteoric rise in Pop music rippled throughout the industry and being a protégé of Usher did not hurt either. When the winner was announced a thunder shocked the audience and a new pioneer emerged. As she approached the stage she bathed everyone with her uncomplicated demeanor, luxurious beauty and radiant talent all bundled in a magnificent swath of emerald elegance.

A child prodigy she learned to play the violin at age five and plays the oboe and clarinet. Her primary instrument is the bass and she sings in English , Spanish and Portuguese. A career highlight was performing at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies in 2009 in honor of Laureate President Barack Obama. Clearly her passion for music is understated by mature and elegant demeanor which resonates to an appreciation of life and all its challenges and gifts. She wears her lineage proudly as a woman of African descent with a Welsh, Hispanic and Native American background ,a conglomerate of diversity and cultural bounty. She is bringing Jazz to the urban and contemporary genres with her unique brand of musicality. Let’s all invite her in to sit a spell and dream of fonder things.

BLack History Month- Celebrates Grace Jones

A template for style, savvy, ingenuity, and power Grace Jones is an official icon. Born May 19, 1948 she is the epitome of ageless grace and beauty. A fashion model, actress, dancer, and singer she took the 1970’s by storm with her androgynous façade and legendary close cropped hairstyle. Jamaican born with Caribbean lineage bringing tropical heat and fierce independence she blazed trails for ethnic women whose beauty went past fairy tale long flowing golden locks to hypnotic eyes and copper bronzed skin.

Her most notable hits are Pull Up to the Bumper, My Jamaican Guy, and I’m Not Perfect but I’m Perfect for You which heated up the charts and lasted for weeks in the top positions. Not content to sing she became an actress in non traditional roles for women exerting power, prestige and sexuality. Starring next to Arnold Schwarzenegger in the highly successful Conan the Destroyer she slayed minions and enemies alike with a bold stance and warrior like precision. In the movie A View to Kill she was lethal as an assassin and enchanting as a lover dealing the ultimate blow after a betrayal.
For those who are looking for the highest sense in style and couture one must study the transition of visionary style by Grace Jones. She is a study in how creativity , business acumen and talent present women to lead the pack. As an woman of African descent and Caribbean lineage she brings honor to Black History Month!

                                                                                                  by J. Wesley Beeks

Modules: A Preference for Cognition? by J. Wesley Beeks

Before you start the modules choose which of the skills your favorites are. Then write down the ones that you have the most difficulty with. Place each in a column and then review why you like some more than others, indicating the pros and cons. You will begin to find characteristics of associated with skills and then have some insight into how you think. Understanding how we think and learn leads us to recognize our natural talents and from that point we can then advance and build better mental infrastructures.

In regards to simplicity the modules focus on five cognitive methodologies:

1. Comprehension

2. Application

3. Analysis

4. Synthesis

5. Evaluation



Everybody thinks and we have our own preferences for a value that leads one towards an organization of a value. What makes people unique is their characterization for a value and how that value is expressed in cognition or how we think. Identification of each of the five primary modes of cognition can be swayed by our personal styles and approaches. Each one has its characteristics and by virtues of one’s profession, culture, customs or beliefs we may show an unconscious preference for one over another. All are important and any stigmatization should be avoided in attributing values to either one.



There are some professions that require a greater need for some at tasks as opposed to others. We have three primary degree programs and each will utilize these cognition skills. Our proficiency depends on us being open to identifying which cognition skills are needed and some of the tasks may require a greater frequency of certain skills but not to the exclusion of any of the rest.



In the Human Services program one may have to integrate clients within the community either on a program level or direct service level. Awareness of which cognition we use will have an impact on the contract deliverables. Human Service professionals will operate both independently and with groups thus necessitating analysis and synthesis to identify client needs and agency requirements with a view towards a successful partnership. Treatment plans demand the mastery of application and evaluation with realistic probabilities.





The business administration program graduates may work with many departments such as marketing, finance, public relations, community service, advertising and legal to name a few. Often times you may work with one or more departments on tasks and it is at this time a willingness to receive and respond are critical in cohesion. How one interprets information is directly related to comprehension. Some tasks may have multiple deadlines that will require comprehension and a solid grasps on synthesis.



The Early Childhood education program is more than just helping children to increase their self esteem and increasing their test scores. It is here that awareness becomes pivotal in recognizing how students think and cognition skills becomes your asset in outreach and curriculum implementation whether state or federal. Educators must prepare for comprehension, synthesis and evaluation to facilitate unbiased and flexible approaches.



Regardless of the program whether associates, bachelor or graduate all will require cognition skills. The profusion of synthesis and evaluation will be permeated in the final outcome of your module experience. Your own evaluation is most important in assessing the value of and execution of the modules. It is your preferences that create the environment for learning how to utilize the modules for greater effect. Through trial and error we learn which of these skills we are strong in and those that we need to strengthen. Eventually you will experience a generalized set from learning how you think and why you decide to utilize specific cognition skills. The modules are just tools and we have an opportunity to become masters of each cognition skill as opposed to a jack- of- all trades.

2010 Study of Cognition and Curriculum at Boricua College© by J. Wesley Beeks, Jr.

2010 Study of Cognition and Curriculum at Boricua College©


By J. Wesley Beeks, Jr.

In recognition of the multitudes of students who have requested assistance in contracting and completing the modules I was inspired to create a study to measure the student’s cognition preferences for the primary cognition skills and identify areas that needed the most help. The scope of this study was to identify quantitatively the students that would be open to tutorial assist stance in their modules in addition to their individual class. In addition gathering qualitative data from their responses on the affect the modules had on their writing and thinking provided key points in the student’s measurements and values.

As a student council representative and elected Education Committee Coordinator officer it was incumbent to ascertain the student’s feedback on how the curriculum and cognition were received. The most genuine results would come from the students themselves and outreach to the student population would be integral in establishing a tool to utilize in creating strategies for cohesion.


The following is a study of cognition and curriculum at Boricua College that indicates possible trends and correlations. This study was conducted at the Manhattan Boricua College campus and questionnaires were distributed to students and tabulated to generate the possible trends. The study included students from the Associates, Bachelors and Masters Program to track the attitudes, cognition preferences and challenges and tallies the student population that would be receptive to tutorial assistance with the modules.



These are the following cumulative results from the Manhattan campus indicating possible trends:



Tutorial service request for modules:

83% answered Yes and 17% answered No





Cognition Skill Preferences:

Comprehension- 34% Application-28% Analysis-16% Evaluation-13% Synthesis-9%





Most challenging and Time consuming cognition skills:

Analysis-40% Synthesis-26% Comprehension-21% Evaluation-9% Application-4%





Feedback on the benefits of the modules on writing and thinking: (see addendum report for detailed response analysis)

Positive 63% Negative 13% Blank 19%


Trends and Correlations:

The majority of students have expressed a need for tutorial assistance for the modules. This is does not denigrate the individualized class professors but serves to illustrate the importance and commitment the students have articulated in their responses. In opposition those who did not request tutorial assistance represent a minority in all three degree programs as documented in the study. The overwhelming trend suggest that this as an important variable to review in the retention of student matriculation and the advancement in degree programs.

The five primary cognition skills are required for the completion of modules and each cognition skill is an important barometer in the mastery of Taxonomy of Affective Domain. The identification of cognition preferences provides an insight onto how the student population thinks in general and their cumulative strengths. Comprehension and Application emerged as the primary preferences noted with Synthesis placed in the last position. One cannot ignore the position of its placement in the category of most challenging and time consuming cognition skills in the secondary position. The cognition skill of Analysis however was placed in the highest percentile with a fourteen percent increase over Synthesis. Overall the trend appears to lean towards Analysis as the most difficult cognition with Synthesis and Comprehension not far behind. Comprehension was identified with the greatest preference and yet was still placed in the third position for the most challenging and time consuming with only a five percent difference from the secondary position. The trends by degree program display the intricacies of cognition as well establishing correlations by degree program and proficiency.

In evaluating these trends one can identify the areas of strengths and challenges of the cumulative student population and commence to shifting an emphasis on those areas. The Taxonomy of Affective Domain is the tool used in the curriculum and the emphasis in on how one thinks. The trends in this study can guide one towards how one thinks and conceptualizes and with a proactive approach can augment the challenge areas of cognition. The desire is documented in the student’s positive willingness to respond and receive for tutorial assistance. It is my recommendation to create supplemental academic support through interactive workshops that integrate multi media presentations to capture those who learn in various sensory methods: visual, audio, tactical, olfactory.
The positive response from this study reveals a trend towards active participation in the continual mastery of all cognition skills. I look forward to creating programs and workshops to address these areas with your support, commitment and creativity.

Acknowledgments:

I want to thank the Student Council at BORICUA College for their outreach in this study of cognition and curriculum. Their willingness to receive and respond has been exemplary in the commitment of education. As an officer in the student council I have to acknowledge and honor their dedication and volunteerism towards creating a positive environment for students in lieu of individual challenges of academics, family, work and personal challenges we all face.

I would also like to thank Associate Professor, LAS/Generic Studies Doris Mills for her engaging, compassionate, and outstanding introduction to Taxonomy of the Affected Domain developed by Bloom and Kratsworkth. Your approach integrated humanistic and scientific methodologies to facilitate my learning a new language. Your feedback has been immeasurable.

Assistant Professor, LAS/Generic Studies Jose Angel Figueroa for demonstrating that the affective skills can be transferred to literature and creative expression. The only limits that exist are those we accept.

Professor Daniel Argote and my colloquium class for surpassing the expectations of the standard colloquium experience.

A special thank you for the students who participated in the outreach of questionnaires. There are so many who have helped and I want to list these student with consideration. Thank you to everyone who participated. You have demonstrated that we do care and are committed to education and the advancement of our cognition skills.



Martha Garcia                                                             James Brown
Shayne Williams                                                           Perseveranda Cruz
Jomayra Fandel                                                            Yulissa Mejia
Yentel Pichardo                                                            Jason Garcia
Janet Gonzalez                                                              Stephanie Estefan
Joanny Corsino                                                             Altagracia Olivero-Cardenas
Kadija Camara                                                             Kashema Bryant
Edward Gomez                                                            Derek Horne
Erick Moralez                                                              Fatima Reyes
Dahiana Rodriguez                                                       Olga Cabrera
Alberto Cruz