All American: Homecoming (2022) s02e08 Episode Script

1
Girl, the way you're
movin', got me in a trance ♪
DJ, turn me up, ladies, this yo' jam ♪
I'mma sip Moscato and
you gonna lose them pants ♪
Then I'mma throw this money
while you do it with no hands ♪
Girl, drop it to the floor ♪
I love the way your booty go ♪
All I wanna do is sit
back and watch you move ♪
And I'll proceed to throw this cash ♪
Yo, is it me, or did everybody
on campus come out to celebrate?
As they should, man. We just beat
the best D-1 school in the country, man.
Between J.R.'s catch
to clinch the win
Oh, man. And that tag-team no-hitter,
which is you and Damon, pssh,
folks are gonna be talking
about this game for a minute.
And where is Damon? Ain't
the spotlight his thing?
Mm-mm. The only attention
he'd want is from
Thea on Blue Ridge Mountain.
You know what I'm talking about?
Everybody make some noise.
We got Damon Sims in
the building, y'all.
I guess you spoke too soon, boys.
What's up, B.U.?
Hey, look, I appreciate y'all coming out
and supporting the team.
Matter of fact, shout out
to my boys for the dub.
Yeah!
We gettin' lit tonight. Ha ha!
And we not leaving
until they kick us out.
Yeah!
Ain't you supposed to be on
a weekend getaway with Thea?
Not anymore.
What happened?
Look, Thea, I love you.
- Can't we just work this out?
- I love you, too.
But I can't lose myself in you.
I have to take a break from us.
You know, nothing that's gonna
stop me from having a good time.
Look who finally made it.
I was wondering if you
was gonna roll through.
Oh, yeah. Apparently,
this is the place to be,
and the dorms are empty, so
Is everything all right?
Did anything crazy
happen to you yesterday
- when you took your drug test?
- Uh, no. Why do you ask?
No reason.
Simone, what's up?
We're friends now, right? Talk to me.
I shouldn't have come. This is stupid.
Simone, wait. What?
- Yo. Ha ha!
- Damon, what?
OK. Your time is up. You might
want to go somewhere else.
Hold up. Wait.
Damon, come here.
- Yo. What?
- What the hell is going on?
I'm just having a good time.
Yeah. With someone who's not your girl?
- Damon, what's gotten into you?
- Look, I don't have a girl.
Me and Thea, we're done or on a break.
Look, I I don't even know.
Well, I'm sorry. But what happened?
Thea said that I was the cause
of her losing focus on tennis
or whatever. Look, I
don't even care, all right?
Boy, that is a lie.
Don't let pain and
alcohol make you stupid.
And you know Thea is new
to this relationship stuff.
Maybe she's just overwhelmed
with her recovery and everything else.
Think so?
You won't know until
you talk to her again.
Trust me, things will be clearer
in the morning for the both of you.
All right. Well, now your
turn. What's going on?
I failed my drug test.
I tested positive for THC.
- Wait. You?
- Yeah.
Simone, ain't no way.
That test got to be faulty.
That's what I said.
So the athletic director is
letting me take another test,
and he said he'll give me
the results in the morning.
I mean, that's foul.
I'm surprised that you
even here right now.
Trust me, I don't want to be,
but everybody is here,
and I wanted to ask some of the athletes
if they tested positive, too.
But, Simone,
a garage party with
everybody getting lit
ain't necessarily the
place for all that.
So what am I supposed to do,
stay in my room and do nothing?
Damon, my future is on the line.
Not really. The test is
gonna come back negative,
and then you'll be good.
You're gonna be OK, Simone, all right?
Come here. Heh!
You'll be good. Ha ha.
Hey, beautiful, you sleep good?
What's with the furniture?
I was just redecorating.
Or you lied about sleeping in
and spent last night rehearsing.
- Cam, I
- And then you lie to cover up the lie?
- Is that what we do?
- I need to nail this routine.
No, you need to rest, bae.
If I want to be the best, Cam, I
have to push myself to the limit.
- That's Dr. Pace talking.
- And what is so bad about that?
Look, I know you want to dance,
but this whole burning the
candle on both ends thing
- ain't where it's at.
- See? I knew you wouldn't understand.
You know what? I don't.
But do you, Keish. I'll catch you later.
Thea.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Look, I um
I I don't want to break it.
Can't we just, like, go
to dinner or something
and figure this out?
Damon, I meant what I said.
I can't lose myself in you,
and if we stay together, I will.
I will never let that happen.
That's the thing.
Damon, you're like a sun.
Everything and everyone in
your orbit revolves around you.
Couldn't stop it if you tried.
Whoa. Hey.
That's it?
Like, we're we're just done?
For now. Yeah.
Simone, I was really
hoping this was a mistake,
but your retest came
back positive for THC.
What? Coach, that's not possible.
I I didn't ingest THC.
Two drug tests say otherwise.
I have to say, I
expected better from you.
Normally, since THC isn't a
performance-enhancing drug,
I'll be more lenient,
but I'm following NCAA guidelines.
All eyes have been on B.U. sports
because of the new baseball scandal.
Wait. What baseball scandal?
Everyone is wondering how an HBCU upset
one of the biggest D-1
schools in the country.
But the biggest question
swirling around the NCAA is,
how did a small HBCU recruit and
MLB prospect like Damon Sims
Bringston didn't do anything.
You came back on your own.
Yeah. And we all know that, too.
But the story that
they're trying to spin
Is that Bringston did something
foul to get Damon here.
Which implies that I'm dirty, too.
I can't believe the baseball team
- is involved in another scandal.
- Not just the baseball team.
All of Bringston sports is on blast.
Which is why the athletic director
is throwing the book at me.
I've been suspended from
tennis for half the season,
which means I lost my spot on the top 6.
If the tests are right,
then the THC got in my system somehow.
Could you have eaten something that
had THC in it without realizing it?
No. Auntie, I am super careful.
The only logical explanation
is that someone dosed me.
- Who would want to do that?
- Tootie springs to mind
or a PKZ interest
who's super competitive.
I'm gonna have a little
chat with the A.D.
You shouldn't have to pay
for the unsubstantiated rumors
- about the baseball team.
- Auntie, if you do that,
it'll look like I'm getting preferential
treatment from the president.
Baby girl, I am still your aunt.
I won't let you go through this alone.
And I won't let you
jeopardize your position.
We stopped family dinners to avoid
this appearance that
you have favoritism,
and the last thing you need right now
is a Yard Yack post.
I don't mean to interrupt.
If you give me one second
to finish up, Mr. Logan.
I'm actually looking for Cam.
I want to submit paperwork to run
for reelection as SGA president.
He'll be at his desk in a few minutes.
You're welcome to wait
outside.
It's nice to see the rules
finally applying to everyone.
Either he heard the entire conversation
- or the word is getting out.
- Don't worry about that.
Find out how the THC got in your system.
I will.
And you
stay Switzerland, OK?
Coach, they're saying that
Bringston cheated in getting me here,
bribed me with an NIL deal.
That's the PG-13 theory.
Trolls on social media
say Bringston gave Damon
hella cars and girls at the ready.
Look, son, the best thing
for us to do is ignore this.
- Are you for real?
- When you win, they come for you.
- That's part of the game.
- Coach got a point, D.
No! We can't let people
disrespect Bringston like this.
- What do you suggest we do?
- A press conference.
That will keep the story
alive, and we don't want that.
Trust me, the media will get bored
and will move on in a few days.
- A few days? Come on, Coach
- Damon!
Do not talk to the
media, you understand me?
- So what am I suppo
- Hey, bro, you got to chill.
- This gonna blow over.
- They are trashing Bringston,
which means that they trashing me, bro.
Come on. I'm tired of people saying
stuff about me that's not true.
You talking about people,
or do you mean Thea?
Look, man, don't think I forgot about
the little bomb that you
dropped on me last night.
Thea said that I'm like a sun
- and everybody's stuck in my orbit.
- She's not wrong.
- Bro, don't even
- No, no. I got this.
- Thea was just talking noise, and you are, too.
- Are we, though?
You're an MLB draft pick who
chose to go to college instead,
and then you held a press
conference announcing it.
That was me helping Bringston.
And then you put B.U. in the spotlight.
It's your name in the headlines.
We are literally in this
situation because of you.
- Come on, bro. Chill.
- And now Simone,
who isn't even your teammate,
is suffering from the
sun that is Damon Sims.
You know what?
I'm just gonna prove y'all wrong.
'Cause being me ain't hurting nobody.
All right. Bring it in.
Due to personal reasons,
Simone won't be playing
for the foreseeable future.
Tiana, you're our new number 6, OK?
Way to go, T.
Congrats, Tiana.
All right. Practice starts in 5 minutes.
Let's go.
Can I help you with something?
What did you test positive for?
THC.
But how did you know? Is my
business out in the streets?
No. But it soon will be.
The only time a coach uses
the phrase "personal reasons"
is because someone's pregnant
or tested positive for drugs.
I didn't use, Thea.
I believe you.
You care too much about
tennis to be that reckless.
So how did this happen?
I think someone drugged me.
Please don't tell me you think
I'd do something like that.
Girl, I know if you gonna come
for me, it's gonna be on the court.
I'm talking about Tootie.
She's had it out for me since day one,
and I think she's still salty
that PKZ's interested in me
and not her,
but I can't just accuse her.
Yeah, we need proof.
"We"?
Look, I may not be number one right now,
but I'll be damned if I
let a Black woman on my team
go down for something she did not do.
It reflects poorly on all of us.
I just can't imagine
how she dosed me, though.
Julian, where the hell you been?
I had to find another partner
for our musical theater
assignment last minute
- 'cause your ass kept flaking.
- Look, my bad, bro.
KEK's had me on lockdown,
mad responsibilities.
- Well, we all got stuff, dawg.
- I know.
Look, I just finished our
fundraising for scholarship stuff,
- so I promise I'll make it up to you.
- Wait.
KEK has scholarships?
Yeah. It's one of the biggest
parts of our community tenet.
We ain't just about that party life.
We take care of each other in
the frat, including scholarships.
Well, I mean, if you
want to make it up to me,
you can start now. Heh!
- Tell your boy about those scholarships.
- Yes, sir.
Bah-bah, da bah-bah, bap bap. Bah-bah!
You're dragging.
You were more than half a beat late.
We talked about working
on your position.
- Are you even trying?
- Yes,
I am. I promise. I j
The 5/4 bit just feels a little awkward.
Not awkward. Difficult.
It's meant to be hard, Ms. McCalla.
You were showing so much promise.
Maybe I was wrong about you.
Just start the music from the top.
Like, I'll do it however
many times it takes.
The next time I see you,
I expect a drastic improvement.
Don't waste my time again.
Dr. Pace.
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
OK. We need a plan.
I changed my mind. No, we don't.
- Thea
- Hey, Tootie, open your bag.
- Excuse me?
- Open your bag.
Someone dosed Simone's
water with marijuana.
Now my business is out in the streets.
- And you think I drugged you.
- Am I wrong?
My cousin spent 3 years in prison
'cause a friend left a
dime bag of weed in his car.
I would never, ever do
anything like that to somebody,
not even you.
Tell me you're not still thinking about
what Thea and Lando said.
Words like that don't just go away, bro.
But what I'm really tripping
on is what you didn't say.
What didn't I say?
That they were wrong.
Do you think people are worse
off with me in their lives?
- Bro, it ain't
- Guys, we've got trouble.
- What?
- Yeah.
There he is.
Damon, why Bringston?
What did this modest HBCU do
to recruit a player of your caliber?
- No comment.
- Did they offer you an NIL deal?
- How much was it?
- No comment.
Are you still certain an
HBCU was the right choice?
We heard rumors of a
recent positive drug test
from a Bringston athlete.
Look, y'all don't know what
y'all are talking about.
Bringston runs a clean program.
You still haven't answered
my question. Why Bringston?
Bringston is worthy of
consideration from any elite athlete,
and there's a bunch right here.
Just look at our newest
member of the squad.
Loves Bringston so much that he
left Hawkins to come play here.
A mid-year transfer.
Lando, how's it you didn't
have to sit out the season?
How were you even eligible to play
in the game against Georgia Valley?
Um, I, uh
Sims, Johnson, you were
both gonna play for Hawkins.
Now you're here. How and why?
What other recruiting
irregularities are there?
You know what? No comment,
no comment, no comment.
- Damon?
- Hey.
- Hey, Auntie.
- Hey.
Hey.
Mom!
Hi.
Aw. Hi, baby.
There's no way I was gonna sit here
and watch you fight this on your own.
I may not be able to get
involved, but your mom can.
You being here is just enough.
I want in.
Well, I don't come
empty-handed. I have a plan.
- OK.
- And it's legit.
I pored through the
Bringston bylaws on the plane
and found a way to reverse the
athletic director's suspension.
You can request a tribunal
of students and staff
to plead your case.
They can either vote
to uphold or overturn
the athletic director's decision.
Well, that's great news.
Now all I have to do is
find out who dosed me.
Well, it wasn't Aqueelah
or her PKZ minions. Hi.
- Hi.
- What did you do, Thea?
I think the words you're looking for are
- "Thank you for helping me, Thea."
- You're helping Simone?
Uh, why don't we go
put my stuff down, Amara, and
Simone can join us when she's free?
- Yeah.
- OK.
I love you.
Before you say anything,
I know that you're
interested in pledging PKZ,
and I didn't blow anything up.
In fact, Aqueelah said
that she knows that
you don't do drugs and
she has your back, so
if you still want to, like, pledge
PKZ or whatever, you're straight.
Wow. OK. Thanks.
Actually, I should be, uh, thanking you.
I meant what I said about
not wanting you to go down
for something you didn't do, but
Helping me helps keep
your mind off of Damon.
Yeah.
It's gonna be OK, Thea.
Mm-hmm.
Well, and, um, since we're
having this moment or whatever,
this whole #weedgate thing
has also made me realize
that this is long overdue.
I'm sorry.
I know my injury wasn't your fault.
That was grief and shame
and was not my finest moment.
Thank you.
Well, that could have gone better.
And we would have been good
if Lando would have just
answered their damn questions.
But since you didn't,
you gonna answer mine.
How in the hell were you able
to transfer and still play?
Because of you.
Shaw pulled half of my
scholarship money to give to you
when you were planning
to transfer to Hawkins,
which meant that my
financial aid was reduced.
Thanks to NCAA rules,
I was eligible to transfer and
play without having to sit out.
Wait. Hold on. So Shaw
took money from you
so Damon could play for him?
And didn't think twice about
how I was gonna pay for school.
Do you finally get it now?
Your skills on the field
and your decisions off the field
have the power to
blow up people's lives,
and those are the facts.
Y'all give us a minute.
- Yes, sir.
- Yup.
What the hell were you thinking?
Look, Coach, I was
just defending the team.
No. You just gave those reporters
something new to run with.
It made us look like we have
something to hide even when we don't.
Look.
What's up?
- Hey, yo, you seen Keisha?
- Not today.
- Hey, I heard y'all got put on blast.
- Heh!
Yeah. Now I understand why celebrities
punch paparazzi in the face.
Oh, by the way, thanks for
the alley-oop with Gabby.
Oh, snap. Y'all finally
got it figured out?
- Yes.
- OK!
So if there's anything
I can do, I owe you one.
Well, actually, there
is something you can do.
Tell me about the
pledging process for KEK.
You're interested in KEK?
You seem like a solid
network of brothers.
And, no cap, I could use the
scholarship money y'all offer.
OK. So what you know about KEK?
Well, you were founded in
1910 by the Fearless Five:
Keenan Pruitt, Thaddeus John,
J.C. Kirkwood, Wilton Robb,
and Luciano Oakes on the
principles of education
Community, social, and
financial empowerment.
- OK.
- Mm-hmm.
So you read the website.
No, no, bro. I'm I'm dead serious.
KEK ain't some club that you
join just 'cause it seems cool.
It's a lifelong commitment.
We need brothers who are
down for the right reasons,
and that don't seem like you.
I'll catch you later, though.
Come on, bro. This a bit
dramatic, don't you think?
Y'all are right.
I'm the sun that burns
everything around me.
Man, today was wild within itself.
What happened wasn't on you.
And how can you even say that?
This is the second time that I
have interfered in Lando's life.
Simone is being punished
more because I came here.
Trying to help the team made it worse,
and now Coach Marcus is mad at me.
How is none of that on me?
I mean
Hey.
Hey.
I wanted to check on you.
You know you could've just
told me about the drug test.
Yeah. But I guess I just didn't
want you to think less of me.
That's never gonna happen, all right?
You can talk to me about anything.
Are you OK?
Yeah. It's just
- been a day.
- Yeah. I saw the news.
Why'd you freeze up in
front of the reporters?
I guess I'm just not
comfortable being the story.
I barely kept it together for
the HBCU showcase
interviews last semester.
Well, if you want to be an ace
pitcher, you got to get over that.
I hear you got some public
speaking coming up, too.
Yeah. My tribunal is tomorrow,
and I don't have enough evidence
to prove that I'm innocent.
But if I cancel, then it'll
just confirm that I'm guilty.
If you get up there in front of
everybody with nothing to say
I'll look stupid, so either way.
Well, something tells me you're
gonna find a way to pull this off.
Ooh, bitch, when I tell you
My bad.
You're home early.
I love my family, but a
cabin in the woods ain't it.
No reception for two days,
- so what'd I miss?
- Well, Keisha is M.I.A. 'cause of dance.
The baseball team is
in yet another scandal.
Oh, and my drug test came
back positive for weed.
I left you heifers alone for two days.
And you positive for
weed? That's my bag.
I know. I still don't know
how it got in my system.
Simone, did you use this?
Yeah, a few times. I ran out. Why?
Your mystery's solved.
This is THC-infused lotion.
What?! So I dosed myself.
Yeah. With my lotion.
Cam, what happened?
I found her like this.
I've been trying to calm
her down, but I can't.
- Kee, honey, what's going on?
- I can't. I can't. I can't.
I'm so tired.
Breathe, baby girl.
We're all here for you.
God. I'm so scared of failing.
I've been working so hard.
Everything hurts.
I've been so focused on my own
stuff, I didn't even notice.
Kee, I'm so sorry.
Yeah. I think we all been caught up.
Come on, guys. Things
ain't been the same since
We lost family dinner.
I mean, let's be honest.
We seen each other, but we ain't
really been seeing each other.
I'm calling my mom.
I know I'm overstepping,
and family dinners
aren't your thing anymore, but
look at them.
You can't take away their home
and expect them not to fall apart.
How mad are you?
I'm not. You did the right thing.
Ooh, why don't you
let me take this over?
It looks like they could
use their auntie right now.
Love you.
Love you.
Anything I can do to help?
This is Dr. P. talking,
not the president.
It's her dance professor. She's crazy.
You mind if I talk to her alone?
Dr. Pace is
all-encompassing.
All I ever do is focus on her class,
and I still don't feel like
I'm good enough for her.
- Maybe I'm just not good enough.
- Mm-mm. First,
let's get that negative
thought out of your head.
Second, Keisha, you are good enough.
I understand chasing excellence,
but you're burning out quickly.
You have to find balance, sweetheart.
Make time for yourself.
Excellence isn't about giving
everything you have to give.
It's about giving the
best that you have to give.
Keisha's a mess right now.
Her professor got her questioning
who she is and what
she brings to the table.
As if she ain't perfect
just the way she is.
It's crazy, man.
Just like it's crazy for you
to question all that you are.
Damon, all that sun-orbit stuff is true.
Like I told you, I've
felt the heat before.
But ain't nothing wrong with that.
There is if I'm hurting
people or if I dim their light.
Bro, it ain't your job to
please everybody in your orbit
or manage our emotions.
We'll be all right because, yes,
Damon Sims, you are that sun,
but you ain't got a monopoly on that.
It's our job to find our own sunshine,
not make you feel guilty
for burning bright.
What's up with Cam?
Did we, like, do something to him?
No, not you.
He's probably mad at me because
he expressed interest in KEK,
and I called him out for
it for not really being down
and just wanting our scholarship money.
But ain't that money something
y'all promote as a selling point?
Yeah, bro, but that
can't be the only reason.
Look, this is my first line.
I just can't let anybody on.
We need dudes who are
loyal, trustworthy, mature,
brothers who got that
intangible KEK spirit,
who won't give up when their
back's against the wall.
All right. Look, I don't
know about the intangibles,
but everything you just
listed describes Cam.
Maybe it's on you to show Cam
that there's more to
KEK than just money.
I'm sorry that I haven't been
there lately for both y'all.
Child, hush. We're all good.
No. I said that I would be there
when things with Nico
went south, and I wasn't.
I'm sorry.
Yeah. I mean, what happened to us?
Because I've barely been
there for you, too, Nate.
I mean, yeah, life
was lifing, but, like,
it's just no excuse.
It's hard to be there for
someone when they disappear.
I thought the cabin would help, but
it's it's different this time around.
Because you saw the red
flags and ignored them?
Finding love can be
hard for someone like me.
It doesn't come as often or as easy
as it may for others.
So that's why I didn't
want to let it go.
But breaking up with Nico,
that that was the right decision.
Nate,
you can skip my tribunal tomorrow.
As SGA president, Nico
has to be on the panel.
No. I'll be there.
We'll all be there.
Well,
I planned to defend my
innocence, but I guess that's out.
I accidentally used
Nate's THC-infused lotion.
I'm sorry, Miss Tina.
Well, at least we
know now what happened,
and it was an accident.
But I have to talk in front
of the whole school tomorrow.
I'm gonna look like a fool, Mom.
Honey, can I give you some advice?
Yeah.
When all you have left at
your disposal is the truth,
stand on that.
- Hey. Ha ha.
- Hey. Sorry I'm late.
All good. This was very last minute.
Wow. That's a sight for sore eyes
- them happy, laughing.
- Yeah. They really needed this.
Of course they did.
These family dinners are
like group therapy sessions.
The healing is contagious.
None of this changes the fact that
as Bringston's president, these
dinners are preferential treatment.
Yeah. If only you knew
someone that was creative
to find a way to not
make that the case. Heh!
You know what? I am that
smart and creative person.
I'll figure it out
'cause what we have here is
too precious to lose again.
Yeah.
Oh, man, that was fun.
It was. Much needed.
Look, um, my bad again about the whole
press conference situation, Coach.
I just I don't
know I lost my cool.
Look, you were defending
your team, Damon.
I respect that.
In today's media landscape
when you defend yourself,
you end up looking defensive.
And on the other side of the TV,
when they want us to go low,
that's when we go high, son, OK?
And we got to stay there.
I just don't know why they
can't see what we see
the team as a family,
the history, HBCU
legacy, the feeling of,
like, belonging somewhere.
They don't want to see it.
I just wish that there
was a way that we could,
you know, control our own narrative.
Actually, I think there is.
I have an idea.
OK.
- You look really nice.
- Thank you.
- I thought y'all were
- Yeah.
I just wanted to stop by
and wish you good luck today.
Well, seeing your face does
make me feel better, so
- thank you.
- Honestly,
seeing yours does the same.
I just wish I could play baseball
without all this media stuff.
Well, what if you have something
to say that people need to hear?
You have nothing to
hide. Tell your story.
Is that what you plan to do?
Well, unlike you, I'm
technically not innocent.
I'm actually terrified about what
this means for my tennis future.
All right. Listen,
a really smart, beautiful
woman just said to me
that I should consider telling my story
because someone out there
might need to hear it.
So if I'm being called to
something bigger than myself,
maybe your truth ain't just about you.
Yo, uh
since we got a minute, I wanted to say
I can't apologize for who I am, man,
or for the decisions that
people make because of it,
but I never wanted things
to go down bad for you.
I appreciate that.
Look, at the end of the day,
I ended up exactly
where I needed to be
Bringston.
We all did.
We just got to hip the
rest of the world to that.
What's up? Bro, you looking good.
- I'm trying.
- Trying to look like your big brother.
Fellas, I want to introduce
you to an old friend,
someone I trust to
get the facts straight,
who knows how to stand in his own power.
- That's Reggie Bush!
- Bro, you a legend.
What's good, gentlemen?
Marcus told me you guys' character
has been called into question.
I know a thing or two about that,
so let's clear the air.
There it is. Come on.
Hey, Thea, we heard about you and Damon.
You're gonna be OK.
You know that, right?
Yeah, I know, but it doesn't
hurt to hear it from other people.
And the first session of the newly
single ladies club is tonight.
Bring your own ice cream.
Besides, now you can focus
on tennis, 10 toes down.
Go back to your first love.
Simone's got this.
She's a fighter.
Good morning.
My name is Simone Hicks,
and I'd like to thank
everyone for showing up
and hearing what I have to say.
Damon Sims,
the sports community has been waiting
for the answer to one question.
Yeah, Mr. Bush, um,
but before we get there,
there is something I want to confess.
I asked for this tribunal
to prove my innocence,
but the truth is I put THC in my system.
It was an honest mistake,
but it doesn't matter.
Rules are different for
athletes that look like me.
There's a higher
standard that's put on us.
And these rules are designed
to disproportionately
affect our communities.
So we look for safe places
that are just for us,
where we don't feel
like we're being punished
just because we have a pulse.
But then the outside world
attacks us there, too.
My integrity and the
integrity of this institution
was questioned by the media.
Because people can't
understand why a great athlete
would choose an HBCU like Bringston.
Nobody asks why students
choose to go to Harvard
or Stanford or the
University of Georgia, right?
We shouldn't have to
explain or apologize
for taking our talents to an HBCU.
But our own institutions
shouldn't attack us
from within when we do,
using the same archaic rules that
are used against us by the majority.
THC is not performance enhancing,
and it shouldn't be banned.
At the very least, the harshest penalty
shouldn't be applied for its use.
And Bringston is a place where
we can be a part of that change.
And sometimes change is necessary,
when we realize old rules no
longer serve our best interests,
especially when they're
perpetuating the same rules
that were originally designed
to tear our communities apart,
the kind of rules that sent our
brothers and sisters to prison
for now-legal substances.
I came to Bringston because
I wanted something more,
something special, that wouldn't
just make me a better athlete
but a whole person.
So the question isn't "Why Bringston?"
The question should
be, why not Bringston?
No other place can take care of my being
inside and out like this school.
And I hope that what I've said
helps you see that what we
have here is really special.
So how we govern ourselves
has to be different, too.
Whoo!
The tribunal members will
now give us their decision.
Whatever happens, I want you to know
that I am proud of you.
Thank you.
Guilty.
Not guilty.
Guilty.
Not guilty.
Guilty.
Somebody needs to
remind that little punk
that being the student body
president isn't about ego,
it's about serving the student
body, all the student body.
I'm gonna go out back and beat his ass.
There might be a better way to beat him.
I'm sorry.
Excuse me. Bringston is an
institution of higher learning,
and it's not just the
students who learn here.
I intended to make an
example out of you today.
I was so worried about how
things looked on the outside
that I didn't see how
things are on the inside.
Your words moved me, Ms. Hicks.
And I promise you, Dr. Patterson
and I will work together
to make sure that there
are administrative changes
to these arcane rules.
However, you did break the
rules that were already in place,
no matter how arcane.
So you'll be required
to serve a suspension
of one match.
-
- Dr. P., this is a great idea.
No one can complain
about our family dinners
if everyone has the same access to you.
I agree, Cam. Go ahead and
send this out campus-wide.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I have some official presidential
business to attend to.
Yes, ma'am.
- Yo, what's good, Nate?
- What are the details
on the upcoming SGA
presidential elections?
Candidates have another day to
submit themselves on the ballot.
I'd like to submit my name
as a presidential candidate.
You're gonna run against Nico?
That's petty as hell. I love it.
This isn't about him. This is about
the future of our student body.
It's time we had a president
that fights for all students.
Say less. I'll get your paperwork.
Hey. I was just coming to see you.
Look, if you're really interested
in becoming a member of KEK,
you got to know, these
initiation fees ain't no joke.
Yeah, I figured, so I
dropped the whole thing.
With that being said,
I don't want money to be an issue, so
- What's this?
- Business card for Chuck.
He's a prophyte, but he's also down
to sponsor quality new applicants.
He might talk your ear off
about KEK, but he's a good dude.
I thought you weren't down
with my interest in KEK.
- Why you helping me?
- Because I realized
KEK could benefit from you as
much as you'd benefit from KEK.
Doesn't matter why you're
interested. You're interested.
I think it'd be a good fit.
And in the end, if you make it through,
we'll end up brothers.
Think about it.
I assure you, Dr. Patterson,
that my teaching methods
are proven and effective.
I'm preparing my students
for the real world.
Then explain to me why your students
- aren't sleeping, why they're not eating.
- In the real world
This is the real world, Dr. Pace.
We are educators. They are our students.
The days of breaking them down before
you build them back up are over.
The real world has broken them enough.
It stops now.
You're right.
I'll ease up.
Thank you.
Oh! Look. Check this out.
It's Reggie's story on us.
- Oh! G what?
- Yes.
We just hit over a million views, y'all.
- Wait. What?
- We're rolling!
A million views.
A million, a million
Oh. Hold on.
A million, a million views!
Where's Thea? She's supposed
to bring the ice cream.