Carmen: I met Carmen in Mosaic, in fact, she was the very first person I met on the first day of auditions. I still remember the first words she said to me, "Oh, you can sing?" Well anyway, we have been friends for three years now and we will continue to be friends for years to come. Carmen knows how to listen and rationalize things. If I have a problem, she is the first person I tell because she knows how to sort through all the crap and get the the real issue. Carmen is intelligent beyond her years too. Her mother and I are forcing her to go to Yale. She wants to go also but we are giving her that push. I should say too that it was Carmen and her mother that helped me get into Ohio State. Carmen helped with her constant support and her proof reading skills. She helped a lot on my essays. Her mother wrote me a letter of recommendation and what looks better than a letter from the President/General Manager of the WB here in Detroit. Carmen is my best friend and I hope she stays that way until we die.

 

 

 

Steven: Steven and I have known each other since 9th grade. Ever since then we have done a lot together, whether it was going to the show or driving out of the state. When I got my full license, he and I made that long trek to Cedar Point in Ohio. I was surprised that my mother trusted me to go along at the age of 17, but she did and we had fun. Steven used to be in the same grade as me but decided in 11th grade that he wanted to graduate early. He was successful in his endeavor and is now at Ferris State University. I have also had the pleasure of driving him there. It took 4 hours and I got a speeding ticket. Although Steven and I are not nearly as close as we used to be, I will always have his back if he needs me.

 

 

 

Jennifer: Jen was the first person I met here at The Ohio State University that became my friend. For most of my first year, Jennifer and I were very close. Chances are, if you saw me, she would be the girl right next to me. Jen is one of the nicest and most generous people I've ever met. She tries to do everything she can to help someone in need, even when she doesn't have the resources to do it with. Jennifer enjoys skating and she tried to teach me how to do it. She got me out on the ice three times before I stopped all together. She still enjoys it though and constantly works at her skill. Jen doesn't go to Ohio State anymore, but she is about to start attending Columbus State. I am trying to get her to come back to OSU, but as long as she is in Columbus, I am happy. Jennifer is one of my best friends here at OSU and I love her.

 

 

 

 

 

Benjamin: Ben was my roommate last year and although things started off somewhat rough, Ben and I grew to become really good friends. Ben would probably describe himself as a normal guy, nothing special, but he is something special. At a time in my life when I was questioning my own spirituality, Ben accompanied me on my journey and guided me along the way. He started taking me to Bible Study and we began talking about various issues. What was great about that conversation between the two of us were equal. I would ask him questions and he would do the same. At one point, I thought I was bugging him with it, but he reassured me that I wasn't. Ben is a great guy. He constantly has a smile on his face. He is also the guy who got me listening to country music. Ben likes to stay active and his love his basketball. When he isn't studying, he is probably playing basketball anywhere he can. I am very happy that Ben and I are friends and he is someone I don't want to lose contact with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anthony: Anthony and I have been friends since last year when I met him in my English 110 Literature class. Probably because we were the only Black guys in the class. I don't remember how, but I got his cell phone number one day and when I found myself bored out of my mind during Homecoming, I gave him a call. Anthony swung by campus and picked me up. After that night, I knew Anthony and I would be great friends. When Anthony, his friends, and I go out, it's never a big event. Once, all we did was go to McDonald's and then to a car store. But it was a great night just because I was around such great people. Anthony and his friends are some of the funniest people I know. And although the things Anthony and I do are simple, somehow they always turn into an adventure. Twice we have stood in line for Something Corporate concerts, the first was for 5 or 6 hours. I've never done that in my life. But with Anthony, there is always something new.

 

 

 

 

Cole: Cole and I met in our Theatre 280 class. Now my view on this guy changed twice in one day. At first, I thought he was pretty cool because he had all of these jokes and he seemed a little strange. But then, while someone was performing, he let out this large sigh as if he were bored. To me, this showed a lack of respect for a fellow actor and I thought he could care less about being there. It turns out that the guy isn't rude or disrespectful at all. He is very serious about his art and is very creative when it comes to making character. Out side of class, Cole is one of the coolest people I know. There is something about the guy that makes me feel at ease because just like most of my friends here, there isn't this feeling of being something you aren't around him. He is a guy I can act goofy around without being afraid of looking stupid because most of the time, he is doing the same thing. I am very glad that I met Cole because he is the type of person that I want to be associated with. Cole makes up one part of "the Kingdom." His position: King. I am the "Court Jester"

 

 

 

 

 

Alec: I met Alec one day walking to class. He was talking to kid from my class (Cole) and as the tree of us approached the building, I being behind them, they held the door for me to walk through. I thought that this was the nicest thing in the world so when I saw Alec again, I held the door for him to show my gratitude. We engaged in small chit-chat, but it wasn't until Cole and I became friends and spotted him at Mirror Lake that we all clicked. Alec is a great guy just because I am able to talk to him about anything and not feel uncomfortable and know that he will listen. At first, Alec and I would only hang when Cole was around, but after a while, we started becoming close ourselves. I can always rely on Alec to cheer me up for some reason. I also learned a great deal about his religion through him. Alec is popular with everyone and I am glad to be his friend. Alec is another part of "the Kingdom." His position: The Town Tool

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kristin: I met Kristin through Cole because at the time, they were dating. At first, I really didn't pay too much attention to her for the simple fact that I didn't believe that Cole and I would be close. It wasn't until Cole and I were going to check the results for our audition that I got to know Kristin. She was in the lobby of my dorm playing the piano when Cole and I came down. Even since I discovered that she played, we have been cool. Kristin has to be one of the most talented people I have ever met and I never want to see her in an office...ever unless she is picking up a check. Kristin has it all. She can act, sing, play piano, and write. In addition, she is smart. Cole made the observation that Kristin may not speak up as much as some people, but when she does, she always has these mind blowing comments that people just don't think about. Kristin is easily one of the nicest people I've met, within reason. There is no way she will let anyone walk over her. I am truly glad to be her friend. Kristin is the another part of "the Kingdom." Her position: The Queen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Renee: Renee and I have known each other since last year. She lived down the hall from me, but I never really met her until Halloween. She had gone to the Ohio Union and made a wax figure of her hand holding up the middle finger. I had no idea she lived on my floor until one day when I saw the hand in her room. I knocked and we started talking. I helped Renee a few times on some of her reports for class and because of that, we became good friends. Renee is one year ahead of me, but she treats me like we are the same age. She and I hang out a lot and if we aren't doing something then we are relaxing in each other's rooms. Renee is a great person and genuwinly nice, if you cannot tell from her picture. We both have a lot of fun joking around. I told her how we were going to get married and I wondered how her parents would react. She is Jewish not only religiously, but culturally. I told him that our children would be bi-racial, bi-cultural, and bi-religual. And I don't even think that is a word. I am glad to know Renee and I know that we are going to be close for a while.

 

 

 

 

Darrell: The story of Darrell and I's friendship is a long and sad one on my behalf. Darrell and I were both up for a scholarship worth $24,000 through the Detroit Free Press. We both were part of the Detroit Free Press High School Journalism Program and worked on our school papers, respectively. It was a long process of interviews and essays to get that scholarship, but in the end Darrell won it. I expected to lose. But when the judges told me that it was really a toss up between Darrell and I, I was shocked. He won because he had the better grades. Darrell and I also spent a summer working as apprentices at the Detroit Free Press and ever since then, he and I have been friends. Darrell is a great guy and very driven. He definitely has what it takes to be a journalist, he just isn't as good as I am. Darrell attends Michigan State University where he is majoring in journalism. I am glad that I wasn't so disappointed about losing that I didn't get to know this guy. He is an amazing person.

 

 

 

 

Sarah: If you really want to go by the facts, Sarah was the very first person I ever met and became friends with here at The Ohio State University. We were both OWL's (OSU Welcome Leaders) together and she introduced me to Jen. Our first year, Sarah and I didn't speak all that much, just the few times that we passed each other in the hall, but during the end of the year, we began hanging out more and more. She played for the Ohio State Athletic Band and I would see her coming to and from shows. She would also leave to go home and work at times, but there would be times when she and I could go out. She was the one I saw Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind with and I had a blast. I feel really close to Sarah because I know that I can be honest with her. I can trust her with things that are very personal to me and I hope she knows that she can do the same. Sarah is a kind soul. I know I say nice things about everyone on this page, but I rarely use kind. She has a great heart and I wish we both had time to see each other more.

 

 

 

Jill (Elle): Jill moved into our dorm last year after one of the residents moved out because of problems with her roommate. I did not speak to her too much then but I did get a few pictures of she and Ben together in their pink shirts. This year, Renee and Jill have become close and because of that, I have become cool with Jill. Jill is a crazy girl who is a lot of fun to be around. It's not hard for her to put a smile on anyone's face and it's not hard to put a big smile on hers. I am still getting to know Jill and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monyett: Monyett and I know each other from our student organization known as BANCS (Black Association for North Campus Students). The first time I met her, I didn't even know her name, but she was with a group of people that I knew and so I decided to talk to her. But because I am me, it wasn't in the way that a normal person would. I hooked my arm around hers and told everyone that we were dating. It was the most hilarious thing in the world and as quiet as she was, she went along with it. Monyett and I have been friends ever since then. We served on the same board at BANCS (education board) and attempted to go work out every morning. I like being around Monyett because we can literally say anything and not feel embarrassed about it. If I saw something stupid, we can both laugh about it and move on. But there are also times when she and I can talk about very seriously things and it is in that that we are so cool. I love being around Monyett, even if we are just walking to get something to eat. She is one of my closest friends on campus.

 

 

 

 

Dominique: Dominique is one of the only people from high school that I still stay in contact with. I've known her since my sophomore year, but we didn't really become close until our senior year. She was on the staff of the school paper when I became Editor-in-Chief and quite often she would spend time in the editor office just to talk while I worked on the paper. She was always great company and one of my top writers. She always produced stories for me when I needed them. Now that we are both in college, we can only talk online. Every time we come home, however, we go to the movies. The first time we went, we saw Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. This past time, we saw Darkness. Although the movie was bad, I had a lot of fun with Dominique. I forgot how much the girl makes me laugh with her blunt remarks about things around her. She is a great person to know and I am glad I have that privilege.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gabriel: I cannot list my friends without listing this guy. Here you won't find too many folks that I knew from Mosaic but I had to list him because this is my boy. I have known Gabe the same length of time I knew Carmen. When I met him, he was 12 years old. Since then he has grown and matured and become a great person. He is an amazing actor and smart too. He goes to Cranbrook...I know there are names after the school name but I don't remember them. Cranbrook Kingswood something school. Well anyway, Gabe is 15 now and you can hardly tell. Anyone can have an intelligent conversation with the guy and think that he is my age but he isn't. Gabe goes to the 3 best high school in the nation. So we are going to get him into a good college too.

 

 

 

 

 

Shavonne: Another Mosaic person. She was the first returning member to walk up and talk to Carmen and I and I'm glad she did. Shavonne is one of the best people anyone could ever know. She is so funny, the girl is a clown. Shavonne is also very real though. She is very quick to tell a person what she really thinks and that is one of the things I love about her. She is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever met and yeah, I have liked her since I first saw her. She now goes to Grand Valley State University where she is majoring in Theatre.

 

 

 

 

 

Alpha: I met Alpha at a time when I didn't have many friends. When I was going through hell during my 8th grade year at school, Alpha always found something for me to laugh at. I used to constantly spend the night over his house and we would play video games and watch MadTV. I remember one time, I was horribly sick and he actually made me something to eat so that I would feel better. I have to say that Alpha was a big part of my writing too, because it was a conversation with him that made me write my first book (41 pages single spaced on word). Alpha and I stopped talking for a long time because of a breakdown in our friendship. Time, however, has changed both of us. We began speaking before I came home from college and when I finally did come back, we started hanging out again like nothing had ever changed. Alpha is still funny, but now it seems like he can actually talk to me about things on a more personal level and I can do the same. Alpha is going to school down south and I miss the guy. We still talk over AIM, but I am looking forward to vacations.

 

 

Alexandria: This is another friend from Mosaic that I managed to stay in contact with. Alex is a great person and one hell of a performer. She is a very well trained in classical music and a pleasure to be around. I met her during Mosaic's show at the Music Hall for the Performing Arts. We were talking about my director and she said that he was going to have a cow...a big fat heifer. I couldn't stop laughing and ever since then, we have been cool. Alex accompanied me to see Les Miserables when it came to Detroit. We both paid almost $100 for our tickets but the show was worth it. It was great because Alex was actually in Les Miserables, playing Cossett. Alex is cool and we love spending time with her. We try to use her house as much as we can because it is on a lake. This girl is destined for success. We are both going to be in The Phantom of the Opera. Me, Phantom. She, Christine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marquise: Marquise is a guy that I have known for quite a while now. He lives in Philadelphia and is constantly clowning me for my pronunciation of the city's name. Marquise is a great guy and I am glad to know him. He can always make me laugh when I am feeling crappy, yet he will always listen to anyone if they have a problem. One of the things that I really like about this guy is that he knows who he is. Marquise lives in a completely African American community (and you know what that means, thugged out folks). But this guy doesn't conform to the dress, way of speech, or mentality that surrounds him. Instead this man will walk down the street with his spiked belt and wrist band. At one point he was going to get a mohawk, but decided not to. I respect and love that about him.

 

 

 

Andrey: I met this guy while on my internship at the South Bend Tribune. He frequented the house I stayed in and I thought, by his age, that he would want nothing to do with me. But because of my failure to realize that he was only a year older than me, I missed out on times we could have hung out. Andrey and I did end up hanging out and did quite a bit while I was in South Bend. Andrey is a really nice guy with aspirations high than Mt. Everest. He wants to design boats for a living and I think if anyone is good enough to do it, it's him. Andrey helped me a lot by chatting with me while I was at work waiting for people to return my calls and going to the movies with me.

 

 

 

 

Michael: I have known him since the 10th grade. He and I were in JROTC together and boy were those some...times. Michael is a cool girl to be around. He is a jokester and loves to have fun. He matches everything, down to his shirt and book bag. He just recently moved to ATL with his family. He is also going to school down there at Georgia Tech I believe. I am definitely going to miss him and I wish he and I had the chance to do something before he left.