Anyone who has attended Hampton University knows that one is not immediately granted the college freedom a college freshman dreams of. Every Hampton University freshman class is put on curfew for a period of 6-8 weeks. and Sunday through Thursday freshmen must be back in their dorms at 11pm. On Friday and Saturday the time is extended to 1am on Friday and Saturday.
Traditionally, curfew ends during the week of Homecoming. Homecoming is often always the middle or end of October. However, this year homecoming came early and was the first week of October. Many Onyx 10 members (the freshman class at Hampton University), were in for a rude awakening when they found out they would not be off curfew for homecoming week. Many Hampton University Alumni call curfew a “right of passage,” and state that it “helps you develop better time management skills a person will need in adulthood.” But many freshmen disagree.
Taylor Johnson, an elementary education major from Daleville, Virginia thinks the situation is not fair to freshmen. “I don’t feel like its fair. I know they do it to keep us on track and safe, but I’m 18 years old and in college. I feel like I should have the opportunity to participate in all activities of my first homecoming. “The Daleville native also believes that since she pays “just as much if no more than some upperclassmen so I should get to participate too.”
Freshmen accounting major Javarus Brown from Durham, North Carolina states “I think we should have had it lifted or pushed back because a lot of people could not truly stay for the parties and events they were at. I tried to make the best of the situation by going to all the free stuff, and saving my money for next year’s homecoming.”
In the end many freshman did the best given their circumstances and went to most events that were available to them. Onyx 10 is still on curfew but hopefully will be off soon.