James Moore, First Year Student
James Moore’s first year at the college has been so memorable that he’s writing a poem about it.
“I want to tell people about the whole experience—what went well and what didn’t,” explains Moore.
The south Minneapolis native hopes to present the piece at an open-mic night hosted by Voices Merging, a campus organization that fosters personal expression through urban arts such as spoken word, hip-hop, rap, song, and dance.
One of the biggest surprises for Moore, a first-generation college student, was how well he has done during his first year at the University. “I actually stayed on top of my school work!” says Moore, who also holds down an off-campus job and participates in the Impact Movement, an inter-denominational Christian group for African Americans. “I thought I was going to slack off, but the people I hang around with are focused on their work and that helps keep me focused.” It hasn’t been easy, though. “I’m busy—very busy,” he says.
“I was also surprised by the amount of reading you have to do,” says Moore.
As part of the college’s First Year Experience, each first year student read the novel, A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest Gaines, and discussed its relevance to the central question: Can one person make a difference? Students also wrote reflective papers about issues raised in the book and participated in a videoconference with Gaines. “It’s very rare that you get to hear directly from the author,” Moore comments.
He took the book and the class to heart. “The book gave me a different perspective on how I should live…I want to graduate and make a difference for other people.”
Moore’s drive to help other people may bring him back to Martin Luther King Park in south Minneapolis, where he used to spend his after-school time doing homework and playing basketball. “I do think one person can make a difference,” he says, answering the central question of the First Year Experience.
Moore’s love of sports combined with an interest in business led him to choose a major in sports management through the School of Kinesiology. “I think it’s the perfect fit for me,” he says.
This spring, Moore took his first kinesiology course, which was linked with a psychology class to form a learning community—another aspect of the First Year Experience. The instructors of both classes worked together to explore similar themes and examine the connections between human performance and human behavior.
His encounter in the First Year Experience classes affirmed his choice of career and reminded him to keep his eye on the future. “Right now, I’m focused on graduating and starting my career,” he says. “That’s what keeps me motivated every day.”
Story by Kara Rose | Photo by Justin Evidon | January 2010
