By Ryan Russell, a 9th grader at P-Tech, and Elijah Vigo, a 9th grader at Norwalk High School

Today we arrived at Delaware State University (DSU), home of the Hornets.

One of Delaware's most famous residents is our 46th and current President Joseph R. Biden Jr. We want to acknowledge his commitment to people of color. He was vice president to the first Black President. He selected a Black woman to be his running mate and she became the first Black vice president (Kamala Harris) of the United States. President Biden nominated the first Black woman to the United States Supreme Court (Ketanji Brown Jackson), who went on to be confirmed.

Our tour guides Samara Benjamin and Elijah Brown balanced each other in knowledge and wit. We learned that Delaware State University is an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) and recently became more diverse when it acquired Wesley College, a (PWI) predominantly White institution. Sixty-two percent of DSU students are African-American and the other thirty-eight percent represent are Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, and other students.

DSU was founded in 1891. Though the campus sits on 356 acres of land, the structures that make up the heart of the institution are constructed in one big circle which makes it easy to navigate. There are approximately 5,700 students enrolled and currently close to 4,000 students are on campus due to the pandemic.

Our sports enthused peers were pleased to hear that DSU is an NCAA Division 1 School with sixteen sports teams representing intercollegiate athletics, including women's and men’s basketball, cross country, lacrosse, track and field, and more. DSU is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Dr. Luna Mishoe, the seventh president of DSU, was one of the Tuskegee Airmen and served as the leader here from 1960 to 1987. In 2018, his daughter Dr. Wilma Mishoe was appointed as DSU’s 11th president, a post she held until her retirement in December 2019 at the age of 70 years old. 

The DSU campus is rich in history. There is the Mishoe Science building named after Dr. Luna Mishoe; the Tuskegee Airmen Plaza honoring Lt. Luna L. Mishoe for his service in World War II as a photographic intelligence officer; Lt. Maxwell Honemond for his service as Tuskegee Trained Observation Pilot; and Nathan O. Thomas for his service as 99th Pursuit Squadron Administrative Aide.

There is specific land space dedicated there for historically Black Greek letter organizations (BGLOs) that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Collectively, these organizations are referred to as "The Divine Nine." All except Kappa Alpha Psi is represented. The “Divine nine” are Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta, Alpha Phi Alpha, Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Lota Phi Theta.

We were impressed with the freshman living accommodations at Tubman Laws Hall. It is one of the newer buildings. Even though there is a residence hall for honor students like our tour guide, our guide shared with us that he elected to stay in Tubman Laws Hall.

There is a building name for Martin Luther King Jr. We admired the blending of centuries-old buildings with modern buildings and the backdrop of pink cherry blossoms during this time of year.

Many majors are offered at DSU including business, management, psychology, marketing, and more. The Bank of America building is host to the school of business. The naming of the building was a direct result of receiving $1 million from Bank of America for a jobs initiative.  The donation was earmarked to help students of color successfully complete their education and to train students to enter the workforce and embark on a path to career and financial success. 

Another important aspect of DSU college life is the dining options. DSU offers two traditional dining halls which are the Village Dining Hall and the Conrad Hall.  There is “Taco Tuesdays” and “Wing Thursdays” which are also party nights for students.  The are several meal plans that are offered, but the most popular is the plan that allows for three meals each day during the week and two meals per day on weekends. There are many other food options on campus including a Chick-fil-A and a Fresh Market for salads and other whole foods.

We strongly recommend Delaware State University. Here’s why. It is affordable ($28,000/year for out-of-state students; it offers a range of scholarship options for SAT scores ranging from 920 to 1030 to lower the cost for families; it has a diverse campus; DSU is rich in history; and the school offers a variety of sports, a robust student life, and comfortable co-ed living accommodations. There are 60 academic paths through the College of Agriculture; Science and Technology; College of Humanities; Education and Social Sciences; College of Business; Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences; and the School of Graduate, Adult, and Extended Studies.

DSU is in the historic capital city of Dover and students experience the small-town feel while being only an hour and a half away from cities like Philadelphia, PA, Ocean City, MD, and Washington D.C.

Go Hornets!