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"College Hill" Debut Followed by Rampage at Southern U.

By Jacqueline Dix, Dominique Gibbs and Nikki G. Bannister
Black College Wire

Rampaging students at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., damaged university property, raided dormitories and rocked the car of one of the cast members of Black Entertainment Television's new reality series, "College Hill," after the show's Jan. 28 premiere.

Photo credit: BET.com On BET's reality show, Kinda Andrews makes such statements as "underwear can be so constricting."

The 13-part series, which BET said had the most-watched premiere in BET's 24-year history, originates at Southern.

Students began shooting fireworks, throwing trash cans from every floor -- one was set afire -- and male students ran through the halls of female dormitories.

When cast member Kinda Andrews arrived back on campus, she parked her car in front of the Camille Shade Hall dormitory, where she attempted to get out.

After a student shouted, "There’s 'No-Drawers,'" students flocked around Andrews' car and began rocking it from side to side. An officer from the East Baton Rouge, La., Sheriff's Department used Mace on two male students to prevent them from entering her car.

The 18-year-old freshman sat calmly inside her car smiling and waving to the rowdy crowd.

"I was overwhelmed that so many people were out there. I saw all the students outside as a warm reception," said Andrews.

An escorted Andrews had to sneak into the back of Shade Hall, where Director Barbara Campbell ordered the lobby closed.

Photo credit: BET.com Kinda Andrews tries sneaking into the male dormitory.

Andrews said that she did not attend class the next day, nor did she leave her room. She said she might not do so until things calmed down.

"I am happy about the show and was very aware that I was going to receive mixed reviews, " said the self-proclaimed "wild child," who ignited conversation and controversy around the campus.

On the show, she made such comments as, "underwear can be so constricting. I think we should all just be free," and, "Why can't a woman enjoy intercourse? Or anything that a man can, just as much? And be just as good at it? I mean, everyone has their talent, right?"

"She should not have done the things she did on that show," said Tarianne Green, a freshman fashion merchandise major from New Orleans. "She didn’t represent SU well at all. Now people across the country have developed stereotypes about women at Southern. She just doesn’t make Southern look good."

But Earl Jones, a staff member in the registrar’s office, said that Andrews' performance made the show.

"If everyone on the show was ‘goody-goody,’ nobody would watch it," Jones said.

Donald Wade, alumni federation president, said he did not want to see another episode and that people who did not understand the "Southern tradition and values" should not have played a part in such an endeavor.

"I do not have one positive comment about this program," said Wade. "I’m completely knocked off my feet that something like this could be shown about Southern. Reality is something I don’t understand when this is a depiction of Southern."

Andrews said she was more concerned with her family’s reaction.

"My family is very supportive and are going to be there for me 100 percent," she said.

Andrews, who calls Madonna her idol, added that, "Controversy is what got Madonna where she is today. I am all for controversy." She said she was excited about the show and had no regrets.

BET said "College Hill" debuted with a 1.4 rating, which translates to 1.4 million viewers and 1.1 million households. The rating made it the most-watched series premiere in BET's 24-year history, unseating previous champ, "106 & Park Prime," which had a January 2003 debut rating of .93 (1.1 million viewers; 693,000 households), according to a news release.

BET accompanied the launch with a "Watch and Win Scholarship Sweepstakes," giving away more than $25,000 in scholarship money to college-bound or college-enrolled students. The premiere generated more than 3,200 entries for the sweepstakes, and an online chat with Andrews filled three chat rooms on BET.com, BET said.

Jacqueline Dix, Dominique Gibbs and Nikki G. Bannister, students at Southern University, write for The Southern Digest.

Posted Feb. 2, 2004