First Experiences at Millersville

Reflecting on their first day at Millersville University, many narrators shared similar reactions. Since a majority of the narrators grew up in settings very unlike rural Lancaster County, they used phrases such as "it was a culture shock," "the smell," "it's in the middle of nowhere," and "all of these white people." 

Due to moving to a drastically different environment, most narrators experienced some type of culture shock. Lacking a support system and consciously aware that they constituted the minority on campus, they felt uncomfortable and anxious which complicated the transition. Terrence Pearson explained that these emotions manifested into a hesitancy to get involved in campus social life which included activities, events, and clubs:

I can’t say “live and let live” because there is still a large portion of black people on campus who still don’t feel safe, who still don’t like leaving their rooms or straying from the norm because they are afraid that they are either going to get judged or physically harmed.(3) - Terrence Pearson

"It’s completely different. Like, honestly I’ve never been the minority in the area. Like, in every class I’m pretty much the minority. Like, in every part of, like, this campus I go to, I’m pretty much the minority. So, it’s like. . .yeah, that’s-that’s completely different for me cause’ at my high school the minority was the white kids."(4) Christhiena Stinson

Two additional narrators supported Pearson’s statement, describing how the populace at Millersville relied on stereotypes to make snap judgements about black students on campus. For instance, during her first year Brittney Brown found it difficult to connect with other students because they used pre-existing stereotypes to make assumptions about her.(5) This appeared to create a visible, racial divide. Sub-divisions even formed between individuals of the same race as well, where some narrators talked about being called too light or white by other students of color which was used to discredit their experiences. Disconnected from other students and the university at large, narrators acknowledged that they became unsure of where to go, what to do, and who to talk to. This led them to feel pressured to conform to the norm. For a few narrators this meant putting on a fake mask and pretending to be somebody they weren’t.