Morehouse College
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Political Science
Minor: Criminal Justice
Student Self Identifies as: African-American Bisexual Male
Summary
I’m a student ambassador. I’m a Martin Luther King legacy scholar, and I’m part of the Morehouse-Spelman Pre-law Society.
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: African-American
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
High School Experience: Private Catholic high school in Baltimore, Maryland with a graduating class of about 200 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Political Science
Minor: Criminal Justice
Extracurricular Activities: I’m a student ambassador. I’m a Martin Luther King legacy scholar, and I’m part of the Morehouse-Spelman Pre-law Society.
Have any of your extracurricular activities had a particularly big impact on your experience?
Being a student ambassador probably has the most. On a week to week basis I provide two or three tours to prospective college students and their parents. It’s interesting over the course of those tours how someone can be very on the fence about coming to an HBCU, or college in general. By the end of the tour, you feel you’ve done a good job if you can kind of get that person to come on board with what we’re about here at Morehouse.
Academic Experience
Can you describe the weekly coursework for your Political Science major?
I have two core classes this semester, and they are lecture heavy. I probably write about a paper a week with issues on social justice, politics, racism, and things along those lines.
Is there anything you feel the Political Science department does especially well or poorly?
The professors in my department and the connections they have is something Morehouse does extremely well. I have secured an internship through a professor in my department and they will go out of their way to make sure you’re prepared to move on to the next level once you leave college to carry out your life. One thing that could be improved is I wish there was a little more clarity of why I need to take specific classes for my major, and more clarity as to what I should take and when. Things could be clearer for students knowing what we need to graduate.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
There are heavy aspects of both. We’re very competitive here in the sense that we’re all here to strive for knowledge, better ourselves and learn as much as we can. With that, considering Morehouse is an all-male institution, you feel a sense of brotherhood. No one wants to leave someone else behind. If I understand something, I want to make sure someone else gets it too. A lot of times you’ll have people go out of their way to help you, whether that’s having a study session in the middle of the night or making sure you have everything you need to be successful.
How accessible have the professors in your department been?
My professors have been very accessible. They’re always there for their office hours. I had a folder that had all of my assignments for a particular class in it and I misplaced it, but my professor emailed me and tracked me down to make sure I got it back.
Do you feel that people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
When talking about my major in Political Science, a lot of people understand the issues and are willing to talk about them, but a lot of people don’t necessarily act on it.
How was transitioning academically as a freshman? Are there systems in place that help you transition?
There was a biology course I struggled with last semester, but my professor was accessible and his office hours were convenient for my schedule. I went to weekly tutoring in the evenings, and it was easy to get help for that course. There were people who were more than willing to help me get that help in order to perform well. In the end, I somehow finished with an A, but it took a lot of people along with me having to be my own advocate to get that grade. I never felt helpless.
How has going to an HBCU impacted your academic experience?
One thing about an HBCU is a lot of people have the idea you’re placed in this monolith where everyone is the same. That’s one stereotype, but I’d say it’s not true. A lot of people think that Blackness is one particular set of features and characteristics and it’s a lot more than that. You have people here interested in politics and people who want to be neurologists and want to find cures to cancer. There is every type of Black person in this space, which is something that’s very valuable. It’s helped me figure out who I am along the way. I’m not alone, and that’s been something that’s made me feel like I belong here.
Reasons to Attend
1) You’re going to meet a lot of great people and will experience a lot of things.
2) The professional networks are outstanding. You’ll meet people high up in their respective professional careers.
3) The professors really care about you and there are people willing to stick their necks out for you.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) Being at an older institution with some aging facilities, every so often something might happen and you may not have hot water on a given day.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: W.E.B. Dubois Hall with one roommate.
How was transitioning from Baltimore to the AUC in Atlanta in terms of location?
There are two parts to that. I went to a private Catholic school that was majority White, and I was class president. One thing I found different was I felt as if I didn’t have to try as hard to be me. I could speak up on an issue of social justice, or certain conversations I felt I could have here that I couldn’t in high school. Comparing Baltimore to Atlanta, there are lots of differences. I feel that we move faster at home than we do here, but in Atlanta there are great people and great food.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
We are in the west end of Atlanta, which isn’t the most affluent zip code. The school is surrounded by people that are struggling. The school is working on improving their relationship with the community overall. I haven’t experienced any instances where I’ve felt threatened, especially on campus. Before you enter campus, you have to show your ID.
Social Opportunities
What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you participate in?
There are clubs for people 18 and older and people 21 and over. The Atlanta Hawks and Braves are here, and there are always events at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. A lot of times some of the fraternities and sororities will have parties, and my friends and I will go to those. Often times we’ll have a relaxed weekend. We’ll go out to eat and the library on Saturday and Sunday. There’s never been a weekend when I haven’t done anything. Last week, I volunteered and planted trees in the community on Saturday morning, went to a party Saturday night, then I went to church and did homework on Sunday. The weekend before that, I had cousins come to visit, and the weekend before that, I went to a Hawks game and a concert.
What nights of the week do you regularly go out? Are there regular places you go or things you do on certain nights?
Sunday night to Thursday night I grind as much as I possibly can and I’m all about school. Friday and Saturday, I feel as if since I worked hard during the week I have an opportunity to go party and hang out with my friends. That’s been my rule since college started, and it’s worked for me.
How has identifying as LGBTQ influenced your nightlife experience? Are there any LGBTQ nightlife options that you like to go to?
There’s a large LGBTQ scene within the [Atlanta University Center]. I’m part of a club where you share your experiences and bond with each other. I attend the club almost weekly. You feel comfortable and not alone because people are experiencing the same things as you. There are LGBTQ clubs in Atlanta, and I’ve attended parties at these clubs with friends that also identify as LGBTQ. Atlanta is a very diverse city, so in a lot of ways, there’s a large LGBTQ population. You can be open and feel at home.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
Right now, it’s probate season so a lot of people are crossing in their Divine Nine fraternities and sororities. As a freshman in the AUC, we’re not allowed to pledge or cross, but you’re free to do that anytime in your sophomore to senior year. They have a large presence on campus. They host seminars on how to dress for success, how to prepare yourself for the LSAT for those interested in law, and other things. The Divine Nine fraternities are more life-focused on the process that you are crossing. There’s not a whole lot of partying happening, you have to be physically prepared to handle different challenges thrown at you. Once you cross, you’re dedicated to focusing your attention on your community and the people that are going to come after you.
How happy are you with the options for weekend activities at Morehouse? Is there anything you would change if you could?
We’re starting to have a lot of serious conversations concerning sexual assault. I wish that we spoke more on our college campus about having awareness of sexual assault and abuse, particularly after partying.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I met a lot of them through new student orientation, some came from my floor, and my roommate was the first person I met. I’ve met a lot of good friends in classes. If you have two or three classes with someone you’ll naturally gravitate toward them to lean on each other over time. Our student ambassador team has about ten students per class, and we’re also very close.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Morehouse?
It’s a very social place. There’s the attitude that you want to do well, and you want everyone around you to also do well. People aren’t willing to leave each other behind and we push each other as much as possible. If you’re walking on our main street called Brown Street where everyone is going to class, lunch, or studying, people are talking to one another. It’s a really good feeling. There’s something called “Two Thousand Black Men on the Move,” and you see that in action, and it’s unique to the AUC and Morehouse in particular.
To what extent do people of different sexual orientations mix socially?
I’ve seen two sides to that. There is a large segment of people who are straight and are willing to associate with people in the LGBTQ community. A lot of people say it doesn’t matter to them, and that makes me happy to hear. There is also a smaller segment of people that are more hesitant to identify with people who are LGBTQ. I wish we could have conversations and try to understand when we’re coming from different sides of an issue.
How do you like the size of Morehouse in terms of undergraduate enrollment? [There are about 2,200 students.]
When I was applying to schools this time last year, I didn’t want to attend a small school. Morehouse is about 2,200 students, and I was applying some big state schools and larger private schools up in New Jersey. Going to a small school didn’t appeal to me at the time. Now that I’m here, I think it’s a very good thing. You have the opportunity to make a great group of close friends because you see a lot of people on a day to day basis. Because the AUC is so small, you really have more opportunities to socialize.
How has going to a traditionally all-male school impacted your experience?
I actually went to an all-male high school as well. It fazed me in high school in the beginning, but it hasn’t fazed me since. I didn’t do it deliberately, it just happened that way.
Careers
Financial Aid
Have you used financial aid? If so, accommodating was the office to your needs?
I’ve only been in the office once, and it was an error with my student account. It was a pretty painless experience, and I was in and out.