Measures of a Man College Campus Tours
Last week, our 6th through 8th grade Measures of a Man students toured local Birmingham college campuses: Miles College, Samford University, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Miles College – Birmingham’s Historic HBCU
Our 6th grade Measures of a Man students were treated to a tour of the historic Miles College by three high-achieving members of the Student Government Association. Miles College, the only “Historically Black College or University” in the Birmingham area, has been a pillar in the community for over a century. Miles served as a meeting place for some of the Civil Rights Movement’s greatest organizers, and the tradition continues today.
The Miles College students were all too glad to impart a little wisdom on our young boys. While breaking in an empty classroom, tour guide Matisse Mann, a Criminal Justice major, took this as a moment to inspire students to strive for success. “When you get to college make sure you get involved so you can start meeting new people and making connections,” he shared, “Get involved in your college.” Matisse, a once troubled youth, expressed how his work ethic has exposed him to great opportunities. Today, Matisse has a 3.8 GPA and is on the dean’s list at Miles College. His accomplishments have allowed him the chance to travel all over the world; to places he never imagined going before.
Before ending our trip with a pizza party, Mrs. Peters commanded the attention of all 36 middle school boys to participate in a Miles College tradition. In unison, the boys, led by Mrs. Peters, chanted, “It’s a great day at Miles!” As the clapping dissipated, she asked our young boys what school they’re going to go to, and they all responded with a resounding cheer, “Miles!”
Samford University – Birmingham’s Top-Ranked Private Institution
Early Thursday morning, our 8th grade Measures of a Man students arrived at Samford University’s Propst Hall, home of their famous Christenberry Planetarium. Program assistant, Jenné Spencer, from the Office of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives led our students on a tour that spanned the entire campus.
Planetarium director, David Weigel, treated students to a presentation that took them out of this galaxy. At the end of his presentation, Mr. Weigel asked if the students had any questions, at which point hands started shooting up in the air. As time ran out, he asked our students if they would like to visit a planet in our solar system. With half the group cheering for Pluto and others contesting it’s eligibility as a planet, Mr. Weigel took this as an opportunity to impart a lesson that would stick with our young boys. “Pluto isn’t a planet, and some people are upset by that. But you shouldn’t care,” he started. “You shouldn’t care if Pluto is a planet or a dwarf planet, because Pluto doesn’t care if it is a planet or a dwarf planet,” Mr. Weigel continued. “Its title says nothing about its character. You being [called] a student says nothing about your personality.”
The Office of Diversity and Intercultural Affairs presented a student panel which included members of Greek Letter Organizations, student-athletes, and scholars. Jalen Spraggins, a senior Accounting major and member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, encouraged our students to get involved in campus activities through sports, student-led organizations, and fraternities because this will help you develop character and introduce you to new people.
Joshua Washington, a senior pre-med student, expressed to students the advantages of being a minority on Samford’s campus. “When I came [to Samford] I saw [being a minority] as a disadvantage, but it wasn’t until I saw that me being a minority is an advantage others don’t have,” he shared. “You already stand out because you’re a minority, and when you do well it opens doors. Never be discouraged.”
University of Alabama at Birmingham – Birmingham’s Largest Employer
On Friday, mentors from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Black Male Excellence Network (BMEN), a peer mentoring program designed to provide academic and social support to Black male students at UAB, gave our 7th graders a tour of their campus. Led by BMEN Lead Mentor, Garrett Stephens, our young boys were exposed to campus life in the heart of Birmingham City.
Stephens met our group of eager students and showed them inside the university’s state-of-the-art recreational center. After a group photo opt outside of Bartow, named after the man who brought basketball to UAB, the students got a glimpse inside of the empty arena. “And this is where you will graduate,” Stephens announced. While there, our students received an impromptu talk on life as a college student-athlete from UAB Men’s Basketball guard, Hakeem Baxter, and Assistant Coach Turner Battle. Both expressed the determination and hard work required to balance academics and athletics. However, with the right mind set, successfully performing both, is completely manageable.
We left Bartow and headed back across the courtyard toward Sterne Library where Stephens explained to our young boys the different amenities readily available to them once they came back to campus as UAB students. At this point, the senior Political Science major, surveyed our group to unearth our students’ interests. While a great majority of our 7th graders expressed interest in becoming computer engineers, we had a few mention a profession in medicine, to which Stephens elatedly responded, “Well, you’re all in the right place.”
Before wrapping up our final campus tour, students were given a sneak peek into the campus dorms, then met representatives of UAB’s Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, who spoke to our young boys about UAB student involvement within the community. Concluding the day Andre Bennett of the Academic Success Center introduced them to the Learning Resources Center, an electronic media center for School of Health Professions.
We are incredibly grateful for everyone who helped make our Measures of a Man Campus Tours possible this year. Special thank you to Miles College, Brittney McClure, Cherise Peters, Jaelin Ross, Matisse Mann, DeMarius Essex, Charnese Hickling; Samford University, Jeneé Spencer, David Weigel, Javion Lee, Jalen Spraggins, Joshua Washington, Jhamall Wright, Cameron Thomas, Christina Harris, Kelvin McKnight, Jarek Taylor, Renie Moss, Dr. Denise Gregory; the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Christopher Jones, Garrett Stephens, Hakeem Baxter, and Coach Turner Battle.