???When walking past the classrooms in Baldy Hall during the school day, one can often hear various languages and dialects from around the world being taught to UB students.
???Soon enough, teachers describing the proper usage of terms such as "fo shizzle" and "my nizzle" will be emanating throughout those halls as well.
??? The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) announced on Monday that starting in fall 2009, Ebonics will be offering its first slate of undergraduate courses on African American Vernacular English, more commonly referred to as Ebonics.
???According to CAS Dean Bruce D. McCombe, the decision to add Ebonics courses was made to help further diversify UB and allow students another avenue to explore different spoken tongues.
???"The opportunity for UB students to be able to have another alternative to fulfilling their foreign language requirement is one that I create with much hope and jubilation," McCombe said. "I also see this as a chance for students of multiple demographic backgrounds to unite behind the common cause of learning."
???Freshman communications major Zenobia Johnson was thrilled to hear news about the new Ebonics curriculum.
???"Oh snap. So many of my peeps will want to gank this class before I can sign up," Johnson said. "I got no beef wit it though. I'm so fly in 'bonics I could prob teach a seminar on all it. Holla."
???The CAS currently plans to open two sections of Ebonics 101 within the next week. However, he remains flexible about the idea of adding more sections depending on demand.
???Ebonics 101 is set to be an introductory level course offered in the fall, with a 102 level course to be offered in the spring semester. Students will need to pass both classes in order to receive credit towards their foreign language degree requirement.
???Junior biology major Christopher Smith thinks that classes like this are good for bringing together many races of people.
???"I think I may pick up this class to see how many kids are in it with bleach-blonde hair and claiming to be from 8 Mile," Smith said.
???On the other hand, senior environmental design major Dickie Sanchez, Jr. felt that administrators were neglecting to include other major dialects.
???"What about Spanglish, amigo?" Sanchez said. "I wish here at UB some more people cared about La Raza, 'cause it's growing by leaps and bounds, claro que s'."
???In order to help promote this new offering, UB officials are also hoping to bring in a special guest speaker in order to highlight these groundbreaking classes. Jaeger noted that the university is in talks of bringing rapper Earl Simmons, more popularly known as DMX, as part of next year's Distinguished Speaker Series.
???"Mr. Simmons is one of the most misunderstood individuals within pop culture today," Jaeger said. "We hope that by giving him the podium, he will help clean up his own image and at the same time give our Ebonics classes an increased amount of public attention."
???Although currently serving time in an Arizona prison for drug possession, animal cruelty and theft, Simmons was adamant about being able to speak at UB in the future.
???"Ya'll know I'm tired of wearin' da pink jumpsuit all day, every day," Simmons said. "When I come out of dis here cell, ya'll gonna have one hell of a time when I roll out and party up at ya'll B-lo college. And when I get out of here, I ain't eva goin' back to jail. The next time a county, state sees me, it's gonna be in a body bag."
???
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Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
