By: Taye L. Bronner
College is an experience that many remember for the rest of their lives. However, how does the college experience shape a student into adulthood?
Many do not realize what can go into a university experience. Depending on the current sociopolitical climate on a college campus, a student’s views can vary greatly. Students’ interests are a combination of their friends and the times.
So how does campus life at Georgia State in the past compare to the present in terms of sociopolitical climate?
“I was in school from the fall of 1995 until now, actually,” Lynn Spearman said. “Students from all walks of life are here on campus now and that is great. We had diversity when I was a freshman too, but it is nothing like it is today.”
Spearman graduated magna cum laude from Georgia State in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, but went back to school at the University of Arizona to study sociology. Her memories of her college experience were relatable, yet different from what most students experience today.
“I think, politically speaking, that students have voiced way more concerns on social issues and the rights of marginalized people today compared to the activism I saw in school,” Spearman said. “I also believe that we live in a fast-paced era due to technology, of course. [Georgia] State definitely has not changed the lack of diverse faculty to match their vastly diverse student body and that is my only problem that irritates me to this day and I was a freshman over a decade ago.”
Spearman was not far off with the racial division amongst faculty. In 2016, Georgia State University posted an excerptfrom a New York Times Article that briefly discussed the racial bias among faculty positions and low graduation rates that the institution carried. Despite the article being positive in terms of uplifting the institution’s academic success, how has Georgia State changed its racial diversity amongst faculty? How do interactions between students of various backgrounds occur now?
Blair Hudson, a 20-year-old biochemistry major, gave his perspective on campus life at the university.
“In my experience here, I feel like there is still so much confusion around racial identity and respecting cultures,” Hudson said. “It is so much diversity at State, but I think the diversity is only seen through one type of perspective. There definitely needs to be more diverse faculty to really bring inclusivity into the campus without it feeling forced and ingenuine.”
With politics and social issues influencing relationships between students on campus, other factors also come into play.
Music, television and fashion serve as the biggest influences in popular culturefor our society. While television and fashion have their own impact on a college campus, music is a language that everyone connects with no matter where they come from.
So how does musical influence on Georgia State’s campus affect student interaction? Both students from the university had a similar viewpoint on the effects of a particular genre amongst students?
“For my generation we had so much pop[music]. Destiny’s Child, Blaque, Spice Girls, Britney [Spears],” Spearman said. “Really it was a lot of 2000s music, but on campus you could hear all types. They would always play hip-hop tracks at parties and sports events though, and usually everyone always knew the words. I always found that interesting because while we all connected as a student body, I think non-black people of color thought they were cool for knowing about hip-hop music. It gives you an insight that while some things that you’ve always connected with may seem normal, to others it gives some type of edge.”
“Rap is definitely the rock and roll of today and it shows at every college party,” Hudson said.” When you walk in all you hear is [Lil} Uzi, Kanye [West], or an unknown rap artist. It does not matter what type of crowd is at a party or even where it is being held, hip-hop still has a presence there. That is how you know that not only do people connect with it but that it somehow is defining a generation.”
In terms of what makes a college experience one to remember, there are various things that could come to someone’s mind. Outside of academic success, what things do students take away from life on campus?
“For me, I think the most important thing I gained as a student was not prioritizing traditional success,” Spearman said.” I realized that regardless of how many times you study for that test or outline that paper to a ‘T’ that you still will fall short sometimes. You have to live with your shortcomings just as you would your accomplishments.”
For Hudson, the influence to finish his undergraduate career came from prioritizing self-sufficiency.
“Understanding that you can make time to do all the things that you need to do is what got me through,” Hudson said. “Every time I felt myself gaining too much free time, I made sure that I utilized that time by doing something productive. It’s how I made sure all my assignments got done too. College isn’t hard, it is literally about time management.”
The college experience is different for everyone. With graduation season approaching next year, it will be interesting to see what pushes students to their next destination.
Georgia State University is an Atlanta Based college.