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Three Strikes, We’re Out: How the No. 1 HBCU Neglected the Class of 2027
Three Strikes, We’re Out: How the No. 1 HBCU Neglected the Class of 2027
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. But fool me three times, and I might be trapped in the paradigm of loving what my institution represents while disagreeing with the way that it continues to overlook the Spelman College Class of 2027.
There is no denying that the matriculation experience of the graduating Class of 2027 looks different from that of succeeding classes.
Some aspects of the neglect seem almost trivial or comical, like younger classes receiving Spelman-branded Stanleys and personalized Spelman College blazers, while Class of 2027 was only given a scarf and a roll of paper with the hymn typed on it.
It can be dismissed as insignificant or reinterpreted as the Class of 2027 being ungrateful – or even just plain jealous of our younger sisters.
But let’s take a moment to really analyze the root of the issue.
A gift signifies the thought and care that went into appreciating the incoming classes. Seemingly, if a gift presented to one class is more expensive or thoughtful than a gift presented to another, the gift giver is signifying that one class has more value than the other – strike one.
Admittedly, this is a slightly drastic conclusion. However, when the lackluster welcome-home gift is compounded by a lack of guaranteed housing, insufficient funding and a lack of consideration for community culture, one can not help but compare the drastically different experiences between the classes.
Kaitlyn Howard, a senior who did not receive housing her freshman year at Spelman, describes this disregard as “seemingly intentional.”
Howard’s story is not unique within the Class of 2027. The inattention did not end with housing but extends to scholarship availability and the distribution of funds.
Senior Catherine Omeh describes a similar struggle that persisted throughout her matriculation at Spelman.
While she was granted a scholarship that covers housing costs, it did not shield her from the “panic” and “disappointment” she felt having to work the entire summer to cover the first two months of rent before Spelman issued her refund.
A traditional freshman and sophomore student is anywhere from 17 to 19 years old. Forcing teenagers to live off campus or take on additional jobs while they navigate their newfound independence is premature exposure to the harsh realities of life at an institution that promises parents their children will be loved like their own at 350 Spelman Lane – strike two.
Luckily, Spelman has come to this realization. Unfortunately for the Class of 2027, it was one year too late.
The Class of 2028 and succeeding classes are guaranteed housing for their freshman and sophomore years. While many seniors express gratitude that the following classes receive an extra layer of security, the damage is already done.
Nothing captured the gap more clearly than the convocation celebrating the centennial of the name Spelman College.
Upon receiving a $100 million donation, excitement filled the room. The entirety of Sisters Chapel got up and cheered before the room went cold as it sank in that the largest single gift in HBCU history was not meant for Class of 2027.
After receiving that titular hymn and scarf, the Class of 2027 was now being asked to celebrate a fortune that belonged to someone else's future.
However, the class kept clapping anyway because, as Black women, they had been raised to love without keeping score. But loving Spelman has never meant acting as though the ledger was balanced – strike three.
Disillusionment with the number one historically Black college or university (HBCU) has shaped the Class of 2027 as much as anything we have learned in the classroom. Disillusionment is not the absence of love – It is what is left when love stops being blind.
Spelman grants the ability to be authentically yourself without being constrained by racist stereotypes. Within these gates, a sibling bond keeps students close when the safety net is taken away.
Spelmanites cherish the safe haven. It was never an issue of love.
However, what the Class of 2027 can no longer extend blindly is trust.
Fool them once, shame on you. Fool an entire class for four years, and shame is not the word anymore – neglect is.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. But fool me three times, and I might be trapped in the paradigm of loving what my institution represents while disagreeing with the way that it continues to overlook the Spelman College Class of 2027.
There is no denying that the matriculation experience of the graduating Class of 2027 looks different from that of succeeding classes.
Some aspects of the neglect seem almost trivial or comical, like younger classes receiving Spelman-branded Stanleys and personalized Spelman College blazers, while Class of 2027 was only given a scarf and a roll of paper with the hymn typed on it.
It can be dismissed as insignificant or reinterpreted as the Class of 2027 being ungrateful – or even just plain jealous of our younger sisters.
But let’s take a moment to really analyze the root of the issue.
A gift signifies the thought and care that went into appreciating the incoming classes. Seemingly, if a gift presented to one class is more expensive or thoughtful than a gift presented to another, the gift giver is signifying that one class has more value than the other – strike one.
Admittedly, this is a slightly drastic conclusion. However, when the lackluster welcome-home gift is compounded by a lack of guaranteed housing, insufficient funding and a lack of consideration for community culture, one can not help but compare the drastically different experiences between the classes.
Kaitlyn Howard, a senior who did not receive housing her freshman year at Spelman, describes this disregard as “seemingly intentional.”
Howard’s story is not unique within the Class of 2027. The inattention did not end with housing but extends to scholarship availability and the distribution of funds.
Senior Catherine Omeh describes a similar struggle that persisted throughout her matriculation at Spelman.
While she was granted a scholarship that covers housing costs, it did not shield her from the “panic” and “disappointment” she felt having to work the entire summer to cover the first two months of rent before Spelman issued her refund.
A traditional freshman and sophomore student is anywhere from 17 to 19 years old. Forcing teenagers to live off campus or take on additional jobs while they navigate their newfound independence is premature exposure to the harsh realities of life at an institution that promises parents their children will be loved like their own at 350 Spelman Lane – strike two.
Luckily, Spelman has come to this realization. Unfortunately for the Class of 2027, it was one year too late.
The Class of 2028 and succeeding classes are guaranteed housing for their freshman and sophomore years. While many seniors express gratitude that the following classes receive an extra layer of security, the damage is already done.
Nothing captured the gap more clearly than the convocation celebrating the centennial of the name Spelman College.
Upon receiving a $100 million donation, excitement filled the room. The entirety of Sisters Chapel got up and cheered before the room went cold as it sank in that the largest single gift in HBCU history was not meant for Class of 2027.
After receiving that titular hymn and scarf, the Class of 2027 was now being asked to celebrate a fortune that belonged to someone else's future.
However, the class kept clapping anyway because, as Black women, they had been raised to love without keeping score. But loving Spelman has never meant acting as though the ledger was balanced – strike three.
Disillusionment with the number one historically Black college or university (HBCU) has shaped the Class of 2027 as much as anything we have learned in the classroom. Disillusionment is not the absence of love – It is what is left when love stops being blind.
Spelman grants the ability to be authentically yourself without being constrained by racist stereotypes. Within these gates, a sibling bond keeps students close when the safety net is taken away.
Spelmanites cherish the safe haven. It was never an issue of love.
However, what the Class of 2027 can no longer extend blindly is trust.
Fool them once, shame on you. Fool an entire class for four years, and shame is not the word anymore – neglect is.