"Julie's Cultural Reset" by

Micah Hutchings

She stumbles into her dorm, her friend’s laughter ringing in her ears. The blazing neon alarm clock broadcasted the night’s fun, reading 2 A.M. sharp. Julie’s final thoughts before slumber were filled with memories.

Memories with the most popular frats on campus.

Memories of sharing laughter with her roommates.

In the frenzy of boys and girls voices, she’s thankful for this shift to collegiate freedom, resenting the curfew she had at home.

As the night died down, Julie snuggled into her blanket, thinking about how grateful she is to be comfortable in her college community.

But, a loud knock wakes her. A firm clip-clop of heels fills the dorm. With the shuffling of papers and a loud voice, Julie clambers out of her bed.

“Is this the residence of Julie Landerberg?”

Curiously, Julie opens the door, and a tall businesswoman awaits in front of her. Her thin mouth dully utters: “You have been selected as the university’s experimental exchange student. You will attend the nearest HBCU for five-seven weeks to collect data on the differences between campuses. Lucky you. Pack your things.”

Plagued with fatigue, Julie stares at the woman intently. “QUICKLY,” the woman insists.

In pure fear, Julie frantically packs her necessities, leaving behind the junk of her reckless living. With the clanging of beer bottles rolling under her bed, she wipes the ashes of her cigarette tray into the trash, and pulls her bulging suitcase shut.

The beginning of a new era?

Still plagued with fatigue, Julie rushes out to class, barely noticing her new surroundings until a bright red bomber jacket flashes across her line of sight. As her eyes focus, she reads what appears to be Greek letters. Her smile flashes, remembering the Greek letters spray painted on the front of each frat house. The memories of her reckless nights flooded back.

But, these letters seemed…different? Crisper? These letters were worn with pride and dignity, instead of hastily spray painted across the door.

From across the yard, the girl with the red bomber exclaims happily, “Hey soror!” to a girl with long, flowing goddess braids. The two girls walk off together with excitement, talking about the upcoming cross event of the Delta Sorority.

Julie yearns for a sense of familiarity. Feeling confident, she approaches the girls: “Is your house plagued with spray paint of your Greek letters?”

The girls stare at Julie, dumbfounded. “Girl, no. We wear our letters with pride. The Delta House features diamond encrusted letters on the door, handpicked to fit our doorway. By the way, we are the girls from Delta Sigma Rho Incorporated, a historically black sorority, and a big part of the Divine 9. Are you new here? You can read more information about the historically black sorority on our website.”

The girl with the red bomber quickly scratches down the sorority’s website on a post-it note. Handing it to Julie, the girls invite her to walk with them to class.

As the group continues to walk through the yard, Julie sees flags sporting “HBCU Pride.” Students bustle around with sweatshirts bearing “HBCU Made,” “HBCU Material,” and other HBCU paraphernalia.

The girls look at each other, confused. “Then, you really must be new!” Despite their initial confusion, the girls answer the question with passion:

“An HBCU is an acronym for the term Historically Black College or University. These sets of universities were created to serve the African-American collegiate population during a time where many colleges did not allow racial diversity. These racially segregated colleges have now evolved into predominantly white institutions (PWIs) who in modern day, embrace diversity. After our country became truly desegregated, the integrity of HBCUs remained. Many AfricanAmericans are proud to get their education at an HBCU because it allows them to embrace their cultural identity and celebrate their academic success in an environment where they see others like them. HBCUs are very popular, especially because they produce some of the most successful black people in our world, who are adamant about serving our nation’s black population.”

Julie appears perplexed.

The girls eventually make it to class, and exit with an empty stomach.

As the girls enter the cafeteria, Julie’s new Delta friends run to greet the rest of their sorors sitting at a long cafeteria table. Chatting excitedly, Julie decides to venture out alone to explore the wonders of this “HBCU.”

She approaches a bustling food stand featuring “Soul Food Friday.” Close by, a group of boys joke about how the meal reflects their mom’s authentic home cooking.

The lunch ladies pile food onto Julie’s plate, piping hot and smelling delicious. The collard greens are fresh and leafy, with bits of slow-cooked meat adding a spark of flavor. The creamy macaroni and cheese has a baked, brown coating on the top, filled with fresh seasonings and an assortment of cheeses. The bright yellow cornbread is soft and delicate, balanced out with thick butter coating.

Julie has never scarfed up a meal so quickly.

As she looks around the Caf, she sees how happy everyone is; the spirit of fellowship, friendship, unity, and community filled the room. Everyone was mixing and mingling, laughing together. All types of young men and women, driven with passion to pursue their needed and valuable education.

The crowd parts ways as the Divine 9 sororities and fraternities take over the Caf with an amazing production. Pumping music, sacred chants, and carefully articulated dance ignited the crowd with cheers and applause.

“Get it, Alpha Kappa Rho,” the sorority girls screamed with excitement. The loudness and bustling energy caused Julie to arise from her seat in the Caf. This was a new wave of excitement, different from the rush she felt from the previous frat parties she attended. Another morning on the bustling HBCU lawn awaits.

Julie starts her day rushing to class. But this time, she talked excitedly to her friends the entire way.

“Culture Quiz: Do you know the difference between a PWI and an HBCU?” “What’s the history behind each?”

“Have you ever heard of the Divine 9?”

“Ever seen a traditionally black fraternity step show in the Caf?”

“Do you know how good cornbread is with melted butter on top?”

The Deltas grin knowingly, excited that Julie had finally caught on.

Julie realized that there was a whole other world outside of her small PWI environment. Although it was where she was comfortable, she embraced learning about new things.

And quite literally, all of these events contributed to…

Julie’s cultural reset.

"Springtime