When people ask me what social life is like at Lincoln University, I would describe it as what you make of it. Lincoln in 2026 is not the type of school where you walk outside and immediately find hundreds of things happening around you. Instead, social life happens on campus, and you must get involved, meet people, and put yourself out there. That goes for any university, especially an HBCU.
One of the things I’ve noticed about Lincoln is how quickly you can start recognizing people. Because the campus is small, you see the same people in the dining hall, residence halls, and classes. At first, that can feel a little awkward, especially if you’re new, but eventually it makes campus feel more familiar. You start saying what’s up to people you recognize, meeting their friends, and slowly building your own circle.
With that said, the environment of Lincoln has changed over the years. Yes, there are the advantages of the campus being more inclusive and small but there are also the disadvantages and negatives.
Zion Scales, a sophomore student-athlete at Lincoln, said the social life at Lincoln is dull.
“In terms of people and inclusivity I think it’s great, but it’s lacking the college experience aspect,” Scales said. He added, “When I came here as a freshman, there were a lot of events and it seemed more involved with things around campus, but now as a sophomore and being here longer it feels like we as students have to fight to have something for ourselves on this campus.”
As a senior student-athlete and campus producer, Darryl Husband said Lincoln’s social life has its “ups and downs, and right now it’s just going into a downward spiral.”
After last year’s Homecoming incident (https://thelincolnian.net/news/lincoln-university-sued-after-devastating-homecoming-shooting/), public safety and campus administration have a strict hold on certain activities and events around campus. But it’s getting to a point where even the upcoming freshmen and transfer students are starting to notice how unbelievably strict this campus is.
Dayton Cloer, a freshman student-athlete, is genuinely confused why the campus seems to be “bland and dry”, especially on weekends. This environment has made students feel homesick and uneasy, causing many to go home or leave campus every weekend if they live nearby. This has a significant impact on the college experience at the school.
Even scheduled events by clubs and organizations have limitations, and as students it feels like we are being punished or trapped within the barrier of what we can and can’t do on campus.
The college experience, especially at the first degree-granting HBCU, should be more about trying to get all students involved or even interested in what goes on outside their dorm rooms. They should want to explore the campus feeling safe and experience new opportunities and activities together.
