Hands down, "A Different World" was the reason I wanted to go to an HBCU. The show made being Black and the college lifestyle look so lit (Hampton term)! But little did I know, they dressed up the college life just a little too much. They say that Hillman was a mixture of Hampton and Howard University; however, if you were to visit or attend either university you would see there are several things wrong with this motion picture.
Besides the fact that there are no Dwaynes or Whitleys anywhere, Hampton has many other well-kept façades.
Hillman dorms had a lot more lenience with the fellas hanging around in the lobby. At Hampton, you practically have to sign in just to sit on the steps of the dorm… outside! Male visitation is beyond limited and that is if you even get it as a freshman. Speaking of dorms, upon arrival, everyone is a lot more like Denise and less like Julissa when it comes to the amount of stuff they have on move in day. Luggage galore and boxes on high are piled into the tiny sardine cans we call dorm rooms.
With such a small campus, you would think it would be easy to connect with people and the staff. But without a place to call “the pit” it is a lot harder than it seems. People may be friendly in the beginning, but the true colors are always reveled by second semester. And there is not a Mr. Gaines to sort out our issues... or anyone for that matter. The staff at Hillman were ideal, but I guess Hampton got shorthanded and stuck with the cranky 60-and-up professors. I’m sure if we had more open dorm directors like Walter, Hampton could feel a lot more like Hillman.
Of course, every college campus comes with stress. Before you had to apply to college, it looked like the real land of the free and home of the brave. That is before you get textbooks that cost more than 2018 Jordan’s and dictionary-thick essay assignments. TV makes it look a lot easier to be like Kim and get good grades and finish homework in time to attend the party. When in reality, you probably will stay up with the street lights trying to finish the paper that is due at 9 a.m. because you went to the Que Cab.
But even after my slew of complaints, I can applaud their precise depiction of the many Ron’s stomping on campus flaunting their frat, the tolerable but not favored cafeteria food, and constant party lifestyle that occurs almost daily at Hampton. While I cannot speak for any other HBCU’s, I know for a fact that Hampton is no Hillman, but it does succeed in elevating my appreciation for being around Black Excellence. That level of gratitude can never be displayed on a TV screen.
