By Myles Russell, 11th Grader at Norwalk High School
Allen University is a liberal arts institution located in Columbia, South Carolina, with 20-acre campus. The school is the oldest historically black college in the state. The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) founded Allen University in 1870. The school moved to Columbia in 1880 when it was renamed Allen University in honor of Bishop Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Allen University is located across the street from Benedict College and is an HBCU school (Historical Black Colleges and Universities). Allen is a Division 2 school with sporting opportunities in track, football, basketball, and soccer (coming in 2020). If sports don't interest you, there are music courses and a band program. The band director is the same band director seen in the movie “Drumroll”! There is a plethora of instruments to choose from; you will never be unsatisfied with all the choices.
The minimum GPA for acceptance is 2.0, however, the university doesn't require SAT scores for admissions. There are over 20 majors for students to choose from and study.
Chappelle Auditorium, named after the great-grandfather of the famous comedian Dave Chappelle, has been the designated place on campus for guest speakers to address issues such as race, social justice, and equity.
The dorm rooms were the best we’ve seen so far on the Carver Spring College Tour, in my opinion. Two spacious bedrooms are separated by one bathroom that the students share. Students have their own desk and there are only two students to each room with enough space for study, rest, and enjoyment.
It was great to see past Carver student Kyle Clark. He greeted us and shared his thoughts about Allen University. Kyle is a talented singer who won many talent competitions at Carver over the years. He was suffering from laryngitis but he still managed to provide inspiration for us all.
Overall, Allen University is more than a "sister” school to Benedict College; it's a special place!