After a year-long wait BET’s highly debated and long anticipated new show about life at fictional HBCU Georgia A & M University will be appearing tonight at 10 PM/9 PM Central on BET! As you already know, Urban Intellectuals has been a staunch supporter of BET’s efforts with this show over the past few weeks. We’ve conducted exclusive interviews with principal members of the cast such as Jake Allyn (“Bojohn Foslum”) and Larry Rehm (“Bryce Richardson”), talked with up-and-coming stars that joined onto the show such as Jerome Lister and even my peers from Fort Valley State University such as alumnae Mykeia Carter and junior Justin Scott. We got exclusive behind-the-scene stories about the show that you won’t hear anywhere else. And, most importantly, we got vital information about how to spark a career in the entertainment industry.

Today should be a celebration of HBCU’s nationwide. Finally, we are inserted back into the conversation. Jobs were created for our students and our graduates. Pertinent issues about HBCU’s and campus life on all college campuses were brought to the forefront. And, once again, it’s cool to be an HBCU student again. Check out the our exclusive coverage that we got for you!

What Is Georgia A & M University? (Interview With Jake Allyn)

Let me paint the picture for how this article was created. It was the morning of December 27th and I was dialoguing with my Fort Valley State University SGA president about “The Quad” and he sent me a link with a commercial about this “HBCU” Georgia A & M University. Because of my extensive research about The Quad, I already knew that this was a part of the savvy marketing scheme for the show that BET was rolling out. Then I saw the commercial for myself. Enamored at what I saw, I went to Georgia A & M University’s Website gamurecruitment.com. I immediately got excited! I hopped on social media and contacted everyone I could that was affiliated with the show. I hit up all the principal actors on the show, which led to me connecting with Jake Allyn who plays BoJon Foslum on the show.

In my article What Is Georgia A & M University I did part one of my two part interview with Jake about the show. Here are a couple of the highlight answers! You can read it at the link below!
RB: Tell us about your role as BoJohn Folsom in The Quad?
Jake Allyn: BoJohn is a very unique kid. While he looks like the All-American jock we’ve all seen on TV, beneath the surface he is battling personal demons stretching far beyond the football field. Georgia A&M provides BoJohn his last chance at a football career after a “secret incident” left him blacklisted from Division 1 schools. He is a desperate kid trying his best to move in the right direction but his past continues to follow him. All the while, trying to prove he belongs as the starting quarterback of a team that hasn’t seen many white players, much less the leader of their team.

RB: In your opinion, what makes The Quad special?
Jake Allyn: The modern relevance. The show touches on every facet of modern society through the eyes of each faculty member and its students. Audiences will see the hardships of growing up around the gang dominant streets of Chicago, the struggles of a first time female University President, the pressure placed on college athletes, and the constant issue of race that lives on in the United States both between races and within race.

Source: http://urbanintellectuals.com/2016/12/31/georgia-m-university/#ixzz4XT850vMO
Below is part 2 of the interview, where we talked about his process of getting on the show and got more into the specifics of what to expect and behind the scenes story.

3rd Generation HBCU Legacy

In addition to connecting with Jake Allyn in my surge of connections that I made with cast members from The Quad, I also got a chance to connect with actor Larry Rhem and interview him about his role on the show as third generation HBCU Student Bryce Richardson. Here is our exclusive interview!

RB: What is your role in The Quad?

Larry Rhem: I play Bryce Richardson who is a freshman at Georgia A&M University. He’s legacy toto the school. His father and brother both attended and he has come to make his mark like the men in his family before him.

RB: Your character Bryce Richardson is a third generation student, his father being an alumni that eventually became a judge and his older brother left a humongous mark on the campus. Is there any pressure for Bryce to live up to the legacy?

Larry Rhem: There is some pressure but Bryce is up to the challenge. He believes in the goodness of people. He has empathy and believes everyone deserves a fair chance no matter who they are or where they come from. However, some things will happen to make Bryce question these beliefs.
RB: What does Bryce do to make his mark?
Larry Rhem: He gets involved. He does the things that he feels his father would do. He leads an organization for young lawyers and he speaks up on things he feels are wrong or
unjust.

RB: Had you had any HBCU experience prior to joining the cast?
Larry Rhem: Yes I attended Clark Atlanta University and it was one of the greatest experiences in my life. So a lot of the things that go on in this series are very familiar and spot on.

RB: Does The Quad truly depict every aspect of the college/HBCU experience (classes, on campus activities, Greek Life, Student Government Association, Royal Court, etc.) or is sports and band the central focus?
Larry Rhem: It covers pretty much everything. In this show you’re going to see  Greek Life, sports, the band, campus social life, administration and what goes on from their perspective. You are definitely going to see many different aspects of college life in this show.
Randall: Does The Quad accurately depict HBCU’s in your opinion?
Larry Rhem: Yes I do. I believe that since the writers and creators of the show attended HBCUs themselves they had a very clear idea of what the culture is all about because they lived it.
Make sure to follow Larry on Social Media
Instagram: @Rhemy2.1

Twitter: @Rhemy1.

Facebook: Larry Rhem.