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More than 25 young African American men sit at rapt attention, taking notes about an assignment due in a literature course on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus. According to Howard Rambsy, PhD, associate professor in the Department of English Language and Literature, it would be difficult to pick out the four high school students.

The following four SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) seniors are enrolled in Rambsy’s English 111 course: Gaige Crowell, Joshua Latta, T’Yon Leach and Mark Miles. They all have grade point averages of 3.6 and above.

“I wanted to give them exposure to literature and a college environment,” Rambsy said. “I also wanted them to have a feel of what it means to be a black man in college.”

Rambsy collaborated with Gina Washington, CHS director, to provide high school students with a college class experience in addition to receiving the credit. The students began the class at the start of the semester.

“This experience is life changing for our students and gives them a ‘head start’ into the actual collegiate experience!” said Washington.

“We are studying African American literature and are also reading a book on technology,” Rambsy said. “But our primary focus is on African American literature and poems by such authors as Amiri Baraka, Langston Hughes, Robert Hayden, Kevin Young and more.”

The CHS students agree that being in a college class has proven to be rewarding.

“It’s an opportunity to stretch your mind and interact with college students,” said Miles, who wants to study film, creative writing, art or arts media. “We’ve been looking at a lot of poetry and the different ways to look at it. I read Robert Hayden’s ‘The Whipping’ and really liked it. I thought it was honest. It rang true.”

Leach came to the class with a good knowledge of African American history and culture, because of his personal interests and studies. He wants to major in mechanical engineering or become a civil rights attorney. “Anything to do with the African diaspora, I’m interested in,” he said. “I have read and studied about Henry Louis Gates, Elijah Muhammad, Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X and more. But I had not heard about Stagolee and John the Conqueror until Dr. Rambsy’s class.”

“I’m learning a whole lot,” added Crowell, who wants to major in civil engineering. “I didn’t know much about Malcolm X. I have just mostly heard people teach about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”

Latta wants to study media entertainment or computer animation, and the classroom experience is what he’s come to appreciate most. “I like socializing with others around my own age,” he said. “I have found others to be considerate and willing to help. Everyone is on task.”

Then there is the matter of the instructor. And all four CHS students agree that Rambsy excels at what he does.

“I love Dr. Rambsy’s class,” Leach said. “He’s emotionally invested in what he’s teaching. He has a lively personality and is also serious.”

“Rambsy is a pretty awesome guy and well educated,” Latta said. “He’s a perfect role model for black people. He talks about how he wants us as a black community and black men to be educated and succeed.”

The SIUE Charter High School is a school-of-choice for families in the East St. Louis School District 189. The mission of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School is to prepare students who are career- and college- ready upon graduation. To achieve this mission, the school and its staff will positively impact the educational and economic lives of East St. Louis, Illinois youth through individualized instruction in core academic subjects, exploration of career interests and aptitudes, assistance in realizing students' talents, high academic goals, and expectations that graduates will become competitive employees for the 21st century.

Photos:

Howard Rambsy, PhD, associate professor in the Department of English Language and Literature, tallks to students in his English 111 course.

SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School seniors participate in an audio exhibit, where students listen to portions of literary readings for an assignment in Professor Howard Rambsy’s English class. Students include: Gaige Crowell (top left), Joshua Latta (top right), T’Yon Leach (bottom left) and Mark Miles (bottom right).