---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I went to a school called Chapman…"
description: "\"I went to a school called Chapman University, which is a wonderful film school. It was a great program, but it was very white, and it was a culture sho..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/justin-simien-4140_culture_i-went-to-a-school-called-chapman-univer_2948375.jpg"
---

#  I went to a school called Chapman University, which is a…

![“I went to a school called Chapman University, which is a wonderful film school. It was a great program, but it was very white, and it was a culture shock for me because I grew up in Houston, Texas, and I went through what they call magnet schools, so my friends were like a Benetton ad.” quote by Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/justin-simien-4140_culture_i-went-to-a-school-called-chapman-univer_2948375.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/justin-simien-4140_culture_i-went-to-a-school-called-chapman-univer_2948375.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/justin-simien-4140_culture_i-went-to-a-school-called-chapman-univer_2948375.jpg)

> “I went to a school called Chapman University, which is a wonderful film school. It was a great program, but it was very white, and it was a culture shock for me because I grew up in Houston, Texas, and I went through what they call magnet schools, so my friends were like a Benetton ad.”

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Chapman’s predominantly white culture felt alien to a Texan from diverse schools.

**In simple terms:** Cultural mismatch caused shock.

Key Takeaway

Seek inclusive environments.

Themes

culture diversity identity

Mood

reflective critical

Type

social educational

When to use this quote

- college selection
- workplace integration
- media production
- social circles

Key Concepts

representation inclusion adaptation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can schools foster true diversity?
- What support helps newcomers adapt?

A Different Perspective

Not all institutions can change quickly.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Chapman University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chapman-university-4430863/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Culture shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture-shock/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-school/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Magnet Schools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magnet-schools-4430862/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-called-659885/) [Texas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texas/) [Went School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/went-school/)

## Related quotes

> [“Tracking in elementary school was a uniquely American policy. The sorting began at a very young age, and it came in the form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-ripley/tracking-in-elementary-school-was-a-uniquely-american-policy-the/)

[Amanda Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-ripley/)

> [I went to school to be a psychiatrist. That's where I was going until I had a teacher-student conference with one of my teachers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fuller/i-went-to-school-to-be-a-psychiatrist-that-s-where-i-was-going-until/)

[Bryan Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fuller/)

> [I love films from all these different points of views that used the idea of the school as a way to talk about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-love-films-from-all-these-different-points-of-views-that-used-the/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [I took an internship at Focus Features while I was in film school. I was really interested in how specialty movies were marketed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-took-an-internship-at-focus-features-while-i-was-in-film-school-i/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [I never liked 'Donnie Darko' quite as much as my film school peers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-never-liked-donnie-darko-quite-as-much-as-my-film-school-peers/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [I remember in junior high school, which is what we called it, suddenly I was looking at myself, almost through other people's eyes, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/i-remember-in-junior-high-school-which-is-what-we-called-it-suddenly/)

[Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/)

> [I left Texas A&amp;M because my school called me. Mama called, and when Mama calls, then you just have to come running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/i-left-texas-a-m-because-my-school-called-me-mama-called-and-when/)

[Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/)

> [“Call school," I called to her at the door. "Tell them I'm lovesick." -Raven”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-schreiber/call-school-i-called-to-her-at-the-door-tell-them-i-m-lovesick-raven/)

[Ellen Schreiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-schreiber/)

> [You're so old... there weren't History classes in school, they were called Current Events!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-huskey/you-re-so-old-there-weren-t-history-classes-in-school-they-were/)

[Glenn Huskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-huskey/)

> [In my junior year of high school, I went to a boarding school for the arts: a school called the Governor's School for The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teyonah-parris/in-my-junior-year-of-high-school-i-went-to-a-boarding-school-for-the/)

[Teyonah Parris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teyonah-parris/)

> [I was in a school called Shiv Niketan, run by Elizabeth Gauba, where she gave a lot of importance to people expressing themselves in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashish-vidyarthi/i-was-in-a-school-called-shiv-niketan-run-by-elizabeth-gauba-where/)

[Ashish Vidyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashish-vidyarthi/)

> [I went to a school called Waterford Kamhlaba, and 'Kamhlaba' is what the king of Swaziland called the school because... in siSwati, it means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-e-grant/i-went-to-a-school-called-waterford-kamhlaba-and-kamhlaba-is-what-the/)

[Richard E. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-e-grant/)

> [Early in school, they called me 'the artist.' When teachers wanted things painted, they called upon me, they called upon 'the artist.' I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-berliawsky-nevelson/early-in-school-they-called-me-the-artist-when-teachers-wanted-things/)

[Louise Berliawsky Nevelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-berliawsky-nevelson/)

> [A music teacher. It was in the inner city at a school called Horace Mann. I think I was most effective when the kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-robinson/a-music-teacher-it-was-in-the-inner-city-at-a-school-called-horace/)

[Craig Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-robinson/)

> [I had a tightly knit group of female friends in elementary school - we called ourselves the Sensational Six.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-v-gordon/i-had-a-tightly-knit-group-of-female-friends-in-elementary-school-we/)

[Emily V. Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-v-gordon/)

## More by Justin Simien

> [I don't doubt that straight white men have identity issues and identity complexes and struggle with defining themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-don-t-doubt-that-straight-white-men-have-identity-issues-and/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [I thought I was depressed because I wasn't a writer/director. I moved into a space where I'm a writer/director, my movie is a hit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-thought-i-was-depressed-because-i-wasn-t-a-writer-director-i-moved/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [I saw 'Beauty and the Beast' at eight years old in theatres and spent hours trying to recreate the majestic imagery of that story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-saw-beauty-and-the-beast-at-eight-years-old-in-theatres-and-spent/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [I'm very interested in clans and the way people group together, and there's a lot of group shots. There's a lot of people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-m-very-interested-in-clans-and-the-way-people-group-together-and/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [One of the things that I love about Robert Altman's movies is that, really, a Robert Altman movie is just a bunch of short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/one-of-the-things-that-i-love-about-robert-altman-s-movies-is-that/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [I am more than a black guy. I am a person, I'm storyteller, I'm a son, I'm a friend, so I am all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-am-more-than-a-black-guy-i-am-a-person-i-m-storyteller-i-m-a-son-i/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [There are a plethora of ways of being black, just like there's many ways to being white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/there-are-a-plethora-of-ways-of-being-black-just-like-there-s-many/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [The way Hollywood and TV is, black people don't have any choice but to see ourselves in white-dominated television shows and stories and movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/the-way-hollywood-and-tv-is-black-people-don-t-have-any-choice-but-to/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [Everybody else was quoting 2Pac, and I was running around with Green Day in my Walkman. Racially speaking, I wasn't cool or appropriate for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/everybody-else-was-quoting-2pac-and-i-was-running-around-with-green/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [Self-doubt is a constant companion for a chubby, gay, black boy born in the South.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/self-doubt-is-a-constant-companion-for-a-chubby-gay-black-boy-born-in/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [In the press, there's this desire for the black audience to be this monolithic thing that always responds to the same stars. That's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/in-the-press-there-s-this-desire-for-the-black-audience-to-be-this/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [It is a fine line between making fun of the right thing and making fun of the wrong thing. And the language oftentimes is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/it-is-a-fine-line-between-making-fun-of-the-right-thing-and-making/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [Hip-hop isn't dead by any means, but it's not something I define my black identity with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/hip-hop-isn-t-dead-by-any-means-but-it-s-not-something-i-define-my/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [I took an internship at Focus Features while I was in film school. I was really interested in how specialty movies were marketed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-took-an-internship-at-focus-features-while-i-was-in-film-school-i/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

> [Racism is wrong, racism is very dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/racism-is-wrong-racism-is-very-dangerous/)

[Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

[Explore all 115 Justin Simien quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/)

## More Culture quotes

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/)

[Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/)

> [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/)

[Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/)

> [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/)

[Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/)

> [Our times demand the declaration of the world's resources as the common heritage of all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-times-demand-the-declaration-of-the-world-s-resources-as-the/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/)

[Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/)

> [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/)

[Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/)

> [I think it's useful to experience other types of dance and other cultures, and the life of a classical dancer these days is certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-bull/i-think-it-s-useful-to-experience-other-types-of-dance-and-other/)

[Deborah Bull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-bull/)

> [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [It is not my intention to explain Turkey, its culture and its problems. My literature has a universal concern: I want to bring people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/it-is-not-my-intention-to-explain-turkey-its-culture-and-its-problems/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [I don't think the distinction between high and low culture exists anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scott/i-don-t-think-the-distinction-between-high-and-low-culture-exists/)

[Jeremy Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scott/)

> [You get below the Mason-Dixon line and you have some of the best music, culture, the two races, the literature, and it's so rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-duvall/you-get-below-the-mason-dixon-line-and-you-have-some-of-the-best/)

[Robert Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duvall/)

> [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/)

[David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/)

> [“Being grounded in your lifelong culture and your personal perspective, you are comfortable with the way you see things and may believe it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/being-grounded-in-your-lifelong-culture-and-your-personal-perspective/)

[Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/)

[Browse all 15,940 Culture quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I went to a school called Chapman University, which is a wonderful film school. It was a great program, but it was very white, and it was a culture shock for me because I grew up in Houston, Texas, and I went through what they call magnet schools, so my friends were like a Benetton ad.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Justin Simien"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-went-to-a-school-called-chapman-university-which-is-a-wonderful/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Culture"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-went-to-a-school-called-chapman-university-which-is-a-wonderful/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/justin-simien-4140_culture_i-went-to-a-school-called-chapman-univer_2948375.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/justin-simien-4140_culture_i-went-to-a-school-called-chapman-univer_2948375.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/justin-simien-4140_culture_i-went-to-a-school-called-chapman-univer_2948375.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I went to a school called Chapman University, which is a wonderful film school. It was a great program, but…” — Justin Simien",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Justin Simien",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I went to a school called...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-went-to-a-school-called-chapman-university-which-is-a-wonderful/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-went-to-a-school-called-chapman-university-which-is-a-wonderful/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
