On the fourth floor of Boyd Hall, the UNLV founded its first floor of life and learning for the black and African-American diaspora. The ...
On the fourth floor of Boyd Hall, the UNLV founded its first floor of life and learning for the black and African-American diaspora. The Wakanda Forever doorplates adorn the hallway, and despite their titles, the Cards Against Humanity and Uno games bring the community together.
The one-story standard, the expectations that the residents create together and live in, is to talk to each other as they walk down the hall. Encourage students to get to know each other better. Andre Cooper's assistant said, "It's refreshing because we tend to spend too much time on the phone and forget about simple greetings."
Howell Town is the campus's new thematic community. Student residences also include women's apartments, healthy living and LGBTQ + students, and floors for members of Honors College and Harrah College of Hospitality. In the first half of the year, Howell attracted 30 residents, mostly students and graduate students.
V Dedeaux chose Howell because "someone here can talk to me and understand me." Howell Town feels completely different than other floors and other spaces. "
Resident Faith Lawson added: "The apartment is very communicative, we see that we go through the same fights and although I still do not know anybody in my apartment, I feel like I know him ."
Cooper said how Howell's experience brought students closer and "people really want to interact and get involved." Bringing like-minded people together, where they can thrive and move out of their comfort zone, maximizes what needs to be offered. "
The roots
Inspired by the launch of Stonewall Suites in 2017 , an apartment for residents of LGBTQ +, student Anna Opara and student Sharon Uche (BA 19 communication studios) sponsored the new identity-based apartment. "We thought Howell Town would complement the UNLV's ethnic diversity to help students retain their titles while affirming their identity," said Opara.
Opara and Uche have studied similar soils at other universities such as Stanford University, Virginia Polytechnic University and the University of California at Berkeley. Opara also sought support from the Black Student Organization, the National Society of Black Engineers Chapter, and the Residence Association before submitting an official proposal to UNLV Housing & Residential Life to approve the decision. the speech.
The name of the apartment appeared when they learned that John Howell was the first African American from Clark County to legally own land. Since opening for the 2018 winter semester, students have learned that Howell Land is now part of Springs Preserve in Las Vegas. This discovery led to a collaboration with the Springs Reserve team. The residents are planning an excursion in the spring semester under the direction of conservative archeologist Nathan Harper.
Beyond the different, brave, diverse.
Residency coordinator Andrew Lignelli said speaking was part of the campus's efforts to improve the resources and support of minority and first generation students. The UNLV is the country's most diversified university and an "institution for minorities" designated by the federal government.
"In the last two years, students have said that the UNLV is well suited to being an" institution with minorities "and not an" institution serving minorities, "which goes beyond the numbers, enough resources for colored students at the UNLV "Lignelli said.
Oversee the South Complex, which houses the city of Howell. "We felt that this type of soil community would help African Americans and African Americans create a community in which they could feel involved by validating a large and traditionally underrepresented community."
Assistant Andre Cooper added: "Howell Town gives us something special, and therefore our residents feel very much attached to a similar group of like-minded people."
That can attest to Imani Satterwhite. Satterwhite, the youngest of three children, says she grew up alone. "I have the opportunity to live in an environment I'm no match for, any color I've seen was a minority, but here I see what the family can be like."
Residents attended campus events and invited spokespersons from the UNLV's Student Diversity and Social Justice Office, Greek Life, and the Panhellenic National Council (the Council of Brotherhoods and the Historical African Brotherhoods). American, Greek International).
Residential Life's deputy director, Orlando White, mentioned Howell Town was founded when UNLV hosted Men's Retreat and Black Girls at the March 2018 Round Table in September 2017. At these events, he said, "It has become clear that there is the desire and the need for dedicated spaces to explore identity in a meaningful way ... Howell Town offers its strength by celebrating and exploring diversity rather than n ' that of diversity or the existence of differences. "The connection between them is essential to the students' success. "
