Before even setting foot in Bryan, people warned me about it, “Don’t get too involved,” they said, “it’s ghetto. It’s dangerous. It’s not like College Station.” However, upon my arrival, I found something completely different. Let’s be honest, Bryan is older, but older doesn’t mean that it’s ghetto. Bryan hosts an entirely different culture compared to the Aggie-built College Station. College Station is growing based on the Aggie population alone, while Bryan is shaped by diverse generations and cultures that long predate the Aggies’ arrival.
Bryan offers a welcoming and inviting environment, whereas College Station is more exclusive. CStat’s identity is centered around Texas A&M traditions. Diversity comes mainly from the students attending the university. Bryan reflects real-world diversity with different backgrounds, histories, and experiences. Yet because of assumptions, people often believe Bryan has less to offer.
From the College Station point of view, it’s easy to see why they might think they have the upper hand: A&M, newer businesses, and higher funding from a larger tax base. But the reality is that Bryan offers something much richer: a mix of cultures, histories, and perspectives that you can’t find in a town built around one school.
Bryan doesn’t deserve its negative reputation. Although I may not have lived here long, coming from the DFW area, I see the judgment as more about privilege and perception than reality. Words like “ghetto” are thrown around carelessly these days, often used as a way to look down on others simply because they’re different. I know people who would be considered “ghetto” based on appearance alone, yet they are some of the smartest and kindest individuals I know. College Station refers to our school and city as ghetto simply based on their own perspectives and biases.
A person’s personal life or habits do not define a city or its population. Simply because someone does not hold the same privileges or live the same life does not give anyone the right to look down on them. That is why it is unfair for residents and students in College Station, as well as TAMU students from other areas, to portray Bryan so negatively. Outsiders’ fears or stereotypes should not define Bryan. It should be defined by the people who live here, who build this community each day. And I, for one, am proud to be a part of it.
When I arrived at Bryan High, students from College Station warned me to be careful, saying that BHS is a dangerous place. However, when I walked in, I saw a well-run school filled with people from diverse backgrounds and income levels, supported by dedicated teachers and staff. My old school would never be considered ghetto, not only because of where it’s located but because of the people and the way that it is run. We have kids just like those here. We simply used uniforms and stricter discipline, along with different data. Is it ghetto, or is it the unfair assumption of outsiders? The truth is, no city is perfect. Every community has “bad apples,” but a few people shouldn’t define the whole. Bryan has deep roots, culture, and diversity that deserve preservation.