Feels Like Coming Home

As you might know, the first day of the rest of my life was June 7, 2011.  That's when I moved in to the dorms at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi to start my training with Teach for America!

On Wikipedia, Mississippi has two state slogans: "Feels like Coming Home" and "The South's Warmest Welcome".  I think that we experienced a little of both this week.  After spending a lot of time meeting fellow TFAers and in leadership sessions (for a full overview of this, you might want to check out my friend Jeremy's thorough description), my math cohort was welcomed into the home of Carol Tatum for a Southern-style dinner on Friday evening.  The house was beautiful very spacious, big enough to hold over 30 TFAers and several community guests besides.  Distinguished guests included everyone from the president of the Chamber of Commerce to a local Congressman, and they were all interested in meeting us and hearing what had brought us to the Mississippi Delta.  We were served several Southern essentials-everything from fried chicken to shrimp and grits to spiced tea.  I think I could get into this Southern hospitality...

                         Math Cohort 3! (L to R - John, Kennard, Myself, Gretchen, Jack, and Jeremy)  

The next night TFA was welcomed to Greenville, MS with a catfish fry and live concert at the high school gym.  After that, almost everyone headed over to Indianola for a live concert by the blues legend B.B. King.  He was born in Indianola (about a half an hour away from Delta State) and played the concert right outside the museum commissioned in his honor. 

 (The man. The legend.)

I actually had the chance to talk to a couple of B.B.'s cousins who were at the concert- They told me B.B. always loves doing concerts for his hometown because his roots and his family are his priorities.

The South's Warmest Welcome?  I think so.