In this episode of College Hill: Celebrity Edition, I was hoping to see less of Saucy Santana. His story has become repetitive: he skips class, gets confronted, promises to attend, and then skips again. For the past three weeks, my recaps have focused on questioning his purpose on the show. However, this episode, Saucy Santana wasn't the only one who irritated me. In fact, the entire cast, except for Karlos Miller, truly got on my nerves.
The show is entertaining but a chore to watch this season
As a diehard fan of College Hill, both the original series and Celebrity Edition, this season has been a chore to watch. While undeniably entertaining, this year's cast feels constrained. Saucy Santana is insufferable, and the cast remains overly adversarial towards one another. The entire debate performance in the philosophy class was unnecessary, and I can't fathom why Claudia chose to get
Why are you bringing up self-medicating and attributing it to Karlos and Nick like that? In a class debate, that seemed excessive and we don't have all the information. We don't know the full story of Karlos Miller and Nick Young. They got personal, but due to the editing of that classroom scene, we're missing context. I'm sure a lot was edited out because it was a classroom setting, which might not have had many dramatic moments.
However, the editing didn't make it clear to me why there was a conflict or an issue. Additionally, I didn't quite understand why Tamar, Claudia, and Angela's team won. It's worth noting that two of my favorite people, Claudia Jordan and Angela, were on that team. So, I'm sitting here thinking, okay, if they won, then that's great. I thought that Karlos and Nick presented a solid argument for the assignment, at the very least.
Even though it involved the traditional XULA students voting on what they believe was the best presentation of the argument in the debate, I felt Karlous and Nick's argument was compelling. However, I was confused about how we transitioned from their initial presentation to them winning, and then Nick getting upset and calling Claudia names, which led to her feeling hurt. I understand why Nick was realistically upset, but the progression was unclear to me.
Once again, this cast is very contentious towards each other
The cast is quite divided this season and I can't say that enough. There was a significant conflict between Amber Rose and Jocelyn in season two, which is still a hot topic. Surprisingly, season one had fewer issues and was more seamless. The current celebrity lineup seems to be facing more challenge that they have yet to overcome five episodes in.
Honestly, this episode was a bit frustrating, with everyone except for Karlos Miller getting on my nerves. The constant bickering and lack of chemistry made watching this episode feel like a chore.
Again, let me rant about Saucy Santana
I've been saying that Saucy Santana isn't taking the college experience seriously because he doesn't need to. Being a celebrity, he's not doing it for validation—he's not thinking, “Hey, I didn't get a chance to finish college before, now I can,” or “I want to attend an HBCU, now I have the opportunity.” That's not his motivation. It seems he just wanted to check it off his list easily and have some fun.
Unless this is a coordinated effort by the show, which I doubt because that's not College Hill's ethos—it's more of a docu-series than a reality TV show—there's no real direction for Saucy. I've been saying this since the beginning of the season.
Claudia agrees with me. Claudia Jordan mentioned that she doesn't believe college appeals to Saucy Santana, as he has already found success without it. This is quite evident. It's interesting to note that Claudia, who has taken being enrolled at Xavier University of Louisiana seriously and is aimmensely successful celebrity herself, is in agreement.
She's the main one. sending emails to the professor saying Hey, we're not ready to submit yet. She's the one that is doing these presentations, putting together really great presentations. And she's taking this seriously and she's been very successful since the mid-2000's when she was a reoccurring host on Jamie Foxx's Foxxhole Radio channel on Sirius Satellite Radio amongst other things. And she notices it.
Everyone in that house has committed to the tasks at hand, although some inefficiencies have shown through their work, particularly during the debate about the Zulu class. Claudia, KCarlos, Tamar, Nick, and Angela have all actively participated in class despite any issues they may have faced. Saucy, however, has not. Five episodes in, Saucy Santana is still lying on the couch, sleeping off the effects of partying all night. I find it unseemly and frankly, quite astonishing.
If I was over the Interdisciplinary Studies program at Xavier University of Louisiana this season, Saucy would've been gone two episodes ago. You can't miss multiple final exams in a program of this magnitude and make it through. Plus, he was disrespectful to associate provost Dr. Florastina Payton-Stewart. That was enough to give him the boot in my opinion.
Again, did the celebrities watch the other seasons of College Hill: Celebrity Edition?
While I liked how Karlous carried himself in this episode, he said something that once again makes me wonder if they really watched the first two seasons of College Hill: Celebrity Edition. Karlous quipped that he sees why Ray J dropped out. While I get it was a joke, Ray J didn't drop out. Quite the contrary, Ray J got caught cheating and was not allowed to graduate in Season 1. He eventually graduated with honors in season 2.
And that informs what I think about Saucy. I've said this before, Ray J got his consequence for cheating in Season 1 and remedied it by graduating from Alabama State in Season 2. Meanwhile, Joseline Hernandez & Amber Rose got the boot for their fight. Why would Saucy get what's coming to him for not actively participating in class and being so flippant about it?
To me, there is no reason why he is still a member of this show. And the fact that we're waiting for episode six of this season for Saucy to finally locked in is asinine. I don't care if they're enrolled in a class that ties into music. There should be an expectation for these grown people to handle their business.
Karlous is the most improved player of the year
I must commend Karlos Miller, as he has truly redeemed himself. Since around episode three, when he interacted with the homeless youth, Karlos has shown remarkable growth. I recall the moment vividly: Karlos encountered a hardworking 23-year-old who, despite his efforts, found himself homeless after an 18-wheeler accident left him unable to pay his bills. This young man’s plight clearly affected Karlos deeply.
Since that encounter, Karlos has transformed significantly. Whether it’s due to the show's editing or his genuine change of heart, it’s evident that Karlos now embodies the role of a guiding figure in the house. He’s become the supportive uncle or father figure that I always believed he could be.
Someone who approaches this unemotionally, genuinely trying to bring everyone together. He plays the role of the funny man, joking and interacting with folks to foster unity. Initially, I expected this from him, but it didn't show in the first three episodes. However, after addressing his issues with homelessness, he has significantly improved.
He even showed improvement with how he dealt with the Zulu parade and his opposition to the use of blackface in the parade. Instead of totally shutting out the idea of going and being combative, he got out there and experienced it himself. That's something I respect from Karlous, one of my favorite comedians. It was unfortunate to see his behavior to start the season but it's great to see he got it together and he could be a sneaky contender for valedictorian at the end.
Not knowing how to use Microsoft PowerPoint is interesting
We discovered that Nick Young and Angela White didn't know how to use Microsoft PowerPoint, which I found quite surprising. The skills we learn, especially in college, often include proficiency with the Microsoft Suite, is typically introduced in grade school.
I understand that not everyone is familiar with everything. However, Microsoft PowerPoint is relatively straightforward to use. I was genuinely shocked that they struggled to place images on a PowerPoint presentation. This made me wonder where the disconnect lies.
I'm not here to criticize anyone for lacking certain knowledge. But, it just puzzled me because, from my perspective, I've used the Microsoft suite extensively, along with Google's suite of apps like Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Sheets, and Google Forms. These tools have been integral to my education and professional life, including my involvement with HBCU Pulse & ClutchPoints and various other projects.
So, it was foreign to me that they'd never interfaced with PowerPoint. I'm especially surprised given the fact that Nick Young went to USC before he got his shot in the NBA and Angela White is a successful businesswoman and influencer. It's farfetched that they'd never interfaced with PowerPoint enough to know how to use it in a basic sense.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, I hope Saucy Santana does better. Next episode, we're treated to a visit from Big Freeda from Season 1. This could be a pivotal moment where Big Freeda connects with Saucy, given Big Freeda’s impressive performance at Texas Southern. It’s fantastic that Big Freeda took the time to engage with them. However, Saucy needs to stay focused.
I wish we could've seen more of the philosophy debate to see the dissension between Claudia & Nick and how Claudia, Angela, and Tamar won. Maybe if they didn't cut to Saucy sleeping every two minutes it would be easier to have put in more of that moment.
Here's to hoping that things improve, allowing us to move beyond the contentiousness and issues, and enjoy an entertaining and informative rest of the season.
College Hill: Celebrity Edition Season 3 is available now on BET+.
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