Monthly Archives: March 2025

Afrika’s Struggle at a Funeral in Central Park West

March 31, 2025 - Events

“The quintessential ‘gentleman and scholar,’ erudite, kind, engaging and to so many a valued friend, colleague, teacher and mentor. An honor and a privilege to have known him.”

– Dr. Gary J. Roeburt

“Dr. James Nicholas Jordan is the only person I think could have pulled off being the consummate Southern gentleman despite living in NYC for almost 60 years.”

– Dr. Stephen Grover

The above quotes capture Dr. James Nicholas Jordan’s essence.

Dr. Jordan was a former dean, department chair, and program director.

He is the author of Western Philosophy: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages.

Most importantly, Dr. Jordan was my former professor.

A former professor with whom I picked his brain on many crossroads’ decisions.

RIP, Dr. Jordan!

Dr. Jordan’s funeral was at 11 am on Monday, March 31, 2025, at

Christ & St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church

120 West 69th Street, New York, NY 10023

The repast was at Penny Shaw’s (Hunter College—CUNY) apartment close to the church.

Today, I learned that Dr. Jordan was a talented sketch artist. He was a renaissance man, indeed. Please see some of his sketches in the pictures below:

 

 

 

Afrika’s Struggle in Jamaica for a Funeral

March 27, 2025 - Events

Meeting a Schoolmate

The Head of the Economics Department at UWI, with a print copy of the book, Afrika’s Struggle: His Experiential Journey.

The above picture shows the Hon. Dr. Una Clarke, OD, and her husband, Leslie Clarke. Mr. Clarke is a retired architect and planner, and the Hon. Dr. Clarke is a retired NYC politician on the CUNY Board of Trustees. They are the parents of US Congresswoman Dr. Yvette Clarke, OD, who holds a senior leadership position in Congress. They welcomed me into their palatial home after the funeral. I received excellent hospitality with pomp and circumstance. Believe it or not, this upstanding couple is in their nineties. The Hon. Dr. Clarke is a distant relative of Jamaican Heroine Nanny of the Maroons. I am a Maroon via my father’s father.

It’s a small world: I ran into a retired colleague and close friend who divides his time between Jamaica and New York.

Even if you visit Jamaica for only two days, you must make time for the beach on the north coast.

Outside my hotel sits a VW van that Bob Marley and his band owned. The Bond car featured in the first James Bond film, which was written and filmed in Jamaica.

In my hotel room lies an album by the legendary Bob Marley.

 

Blackstone LaunchPad Competition Victory to Latest Achievement

March 21, 2025 - Events

Let’s commend Atanas Peichev for his entrepreneurial endeavors.

As an 18-year-old freshman, he won the Health Track of the Blackstone LaunchPad competition at QC in the fall of 2022, earning perfect scores from the judges.

He invented a non-medicated asthma inhaler. (His parents are medical doctors).

Recently, he invented the Mini Technologically Reinforced Bioswale, a prototype that merges stormwater management, air purification, and energy generation. Using steam-driven power storage, it redefines urban sustainability by integrating nature and technology.

He conceived the idea for an Urban Economics project, which earned him an A+ in the course.

Afterward, he refined it for a project, specifically a business proposal, formal report, and presentation, which he completed for a Business Writing course, where he performed exceptionally well.

Last week, QC Makerspace unveiled the prototype in their space at the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library.

Life’s journey is not always a straight line. It is usually a long, winding road (i.e., the streets from Gatwick to London in England).

He is an impressive young man and will one day put QC on the map with his next invention or startup.

 

Mr. Peichev earns a spot at the 2023 CES convention in Las Vegas after winning

the Blackstone LaunchPad competition’s health track at QC

 

Mr. Peichev (with his former group member/lieutenant – Salma Ramjohn – a 4.0 GPA student),

with his prototype after a demonstration for my current and former students