Meet the kids from 'College Hill: Atlanta'

Arts and Culture

Meet the kids from 'College Hill: Atlanta'

BET's "College Hill: Atlanta" puts eight students from Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, the University of West Georgia and Georgia State in a mansion together for two months to see what comes from different personalities living together.

"College Hill: Atlanta" is BET's fifth season of the show. All eight students come from Georgia schools (Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, University of West Georgia and Georgia State). They lived in a swank mansion on West Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead for two months last fall. -- Rodney Ho

The 10,000 square foot mansion was within a block of the Governor's residence. Inside, two women and two men shared a coed room, while two men and two women nabbed the two single-sex bedrooms. There were two "confessional" rooms for people to spill their guts, a computer room, a living room with a pool table and a hot tub outside. There was also an intimate room packed with pillows dubbed the "Boom Boom" room. Chuck Aubrey, who does the homes for "Real World," designed the mansion.

Shavon Gihan (left), 21, is a bubbly fashion design and merchandising major at Clark Atlanta. She lives in College Park. Because camera crews were not allowed on campus, she would sneak home to see her mom or go shopping during breaks between classes. "That was my me time," she said. Cameras were everywhere at the house (except the bathrooms, of course).

Dennis Goodman is a Morehouse sociology major and the youngest of the crew at age 19. He loves to dance. He said he was accidentally shot at age 17 at a frat party. Shavon Givan dubbed him "baby Dennis" because he acted so young. "He's growing and learning," Drew Hunter said. Dorion Standberry agreed. "His youth shines out," he said. "He has a lot of growing up to do."

Anthony Adighibe (center), a Clark Atlanta mass communications major, is a party promoter who would like to own a chain of nightclubs. "I'm a smooth sexy guy," he said. "I'm not camera shy." Drew Hunter (right), a West Georgia mass communications major and would-be rapper, couldn't commute to school so he took classes online. He was the troublemaker. "I'm the bad guy," he said. "I'm all controversy, in all the fights. People just irritated me."

Sira Bah, 21, on the pool table, is a Georgia State finance major. She would like to act, but with her finance background, she wants to own businesses. Originally from Guinea, West Africa, she moved to Atlanta 10 years ago. "I'm the most studious one," she said. Drew Hunter said, "She has good intentions, but she has some things to work out with herself."

Ashley Ragland, 21, a Georgia State marketing major from Lithonia, came to the show with a boyfriend and was placed in the co-ed room. She considered herself more independent than most of her peers and was annoyed by the others' messiness. "I know I'm going to be portrayed as the pretty girl who thinks too much of herself," she said. "The prissy one." She said despite the distractions, she kept up with her schoolwork. She also got into some nasty arguments with Drew Hunter.

Ashley Lasseter (left), 21, is a Georgia State business management major who became the Oprah of the group. "I'm the most outspoken here," she said. She's trying to break into the entertainment business, like the other seven in the house. She already knew four of them from video shoots and fashion shows around town. She spent more time in the hot tub than anybody else. "I just wanted to relax," she said. "It's calming. When people get on my nerves, it allows me to separate myself."

Dorion Standberry (on floor), 19, is a Clark Atlanta mass communications major. "Very charismatic, very crazy from time to time," Ashley Ragland said. "Very funny, too." Anthony Adighibe said Standberry is very "outspoken. He was the life of the house." Drew Hunter clashed with Standberry because Hunter was insecure about his roommate effeminate qualities.

Dorion Standberry (left in the vest) talks with photographer Derek Blanks while Ashley Ragland (bottom right) confers with stylist Olushola Nizam (bottom right). A big chunk of the mansion was used for production and off limits to the contestants. About 50 people were involved in the show. There were five camera crews who shot for nine weeks and compiled 2,300 hours of footage cut down to 13 half-hour episodes.

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"College Hill: Atlanta" is BET's fifth season of the show. All eight students come from Georgia schools (Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, University of West Georgia and Georgia State). They lived in a swank mansion on West Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead for two months last fall. -- Rodney Ho

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Meet the kids from 'College Hill: Atlanta'

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