On the fourth floor of Boyd Hall, where the UNLV has established its first phase of learning and living for the black and African-America...
On the fourth floor of Boyd Hall, where the UNLV has established its first phase of learning and living for the black and African-American diaspora, there is an immediate sense of purpose. The labels on the doors of Wakanda Forever decorate the room and card games against humanity and Uno bring the community together.
The standard of an apartment, the expectations that the residents create and accept together to live in, is to talk to each other as they walk down the hall. Encourage students to meet. Andre Cooper's assistant said, "It's refreshing because we spend too much time on the phone and forget about simple greetings."
Howell Town is the new campus community. The residences also have all-women apartments, healthy living and LGBTQ + students, as well as apartments for members of Honors College and Harrah College of Hospitality. In the first half of the year, Howell Town attracted 30 residents, mostly doctoral students and transfer students.
V Dedeaux chose Howell Town because "I can have someone here to talk to and who can understand me." Howell Town feels completely different than other floors and corridors.
Resident Faith Lawson added: "The apartment is very communicative, we see that we have the same difficulties, and although I do not know anybody very well in my apartment, I still have the feeling that I know him ."
Cooper said the experience in Howell Town has brought students together and that "people really want to interact and participate." Like-minded people on the same floor where they can thrive and leave their comfort zone contribute to maximizing UNLV's offer. "
The roots
Inspired by the launch of Stonewall Suites in 2017 , an apartment for LGBTQ + residents, student Anna Opara and student Sharon Uche ('17 BA Communication Studies') defended the new apartment because of their identity. "We believe Howell Town would complement the UNLV's ethnic diversity to help students graduate and verify their identity," Opara said.
Opara and Uche have studied similar soils at other universities, including Stanford University, Virginia Polytechnic University, and the University of California at Berkeley. Opara also asked for support from the Black Student Organization, the National Society of Black Engineers Chapter, and the Association of Residences before he prepared a formal proposal from UNLV Housing & Residential Life to approve the word.
The name of the apartment was mentioned when they learned that John Howell was the first African American from Clark County to legally own land. Since opening in the fall semester of 2018, students have learned that Howell's field is now part of Springs Preserve in Las Vegas. This discovery led to a collaboration with the Springs Preserve team. The residents are planning a trip to the apartment in the spring semester, which is led by archeologist Nathan Harper, the reserve curator.
Beyond the different, daring, different
Residency coordinator Andrew Lignelli said the apartment is part of campus efforts to improve resources and support for minority and first generation students. UNLV is considered the most diverse university in the country and is called by the Federal Government as an "institution serving the minorities".
"In recent years, students have expressed the feeling that UNLV is very good at being an" institution with minorities "as opposed to a genuine" institution serving minorities ", which means that this goes beyond the numbers There are not enough dedicated resources for color students at the UNLV, "said Lignelli.
He oversees the South Complex, home of Howell Town. "We believe that this type of shared housing would satisfy the needs of black and African American students to create a community in which they can feel invested by validating a large and traditionally under-represented community."
Deputy resident Andre Cooper added, "Howell Town gives us something special and, as a result, our people feel very connected as a group of similar and related people."
This can be attested by the resident of Imani Satterwhite. Although she is the youngest of three children, Satterwhite says she actually grew up by herself. "I am in an environment where I could not grow up ... Every person I saw was a minority, but here I see how the family can be."
The residents attended campus events together and received guest speakers from the UNLV Bureau for Student Diversity and Social Justice, Greek Life and the Panhellenic National Council (National Council of Brotherhoods and Sisterhoods). with Greek letters (historically African-American)
Residential Life's Deputy Director, Orlando White, said Howell Town was founded when UNLV hosted the Color Men Retreat and the Black Girls at the Round Table in March 2018 in September 2017: "It was clear that there was a desire and a Need for special spaces to explore identity in a meaningful way ... Howell Town offers its strength in celebrating and exploring diversity rather than doing diversity or the presence of differences are integral to the students' success. "
