One student’s goal to leave UNR better than she found it.
As SaMoura Horsley prepares for her last semester, she reflects on the ups and downs of her experience at the University of Nevada, Reno.
SaMoura Horsley poses for a photo at Laughing Planet where she was working on grad applications with a fellow Wolf Speaks member.
I think the first time I saw SaMoura Horsley, was as an opening act for a spoken word poetry event at the Brukha Theatre. Her poetry, and her voice reached many of the attendees and stirred deep emotions related to body image, and the black experience in the United States.
“For me, [spoken word poetry] is just a way in which I was able to find my voice,” Horsley said.
Horsley’s high school experience wasn’t the best, and she felt as if no one cared about her experiences. That changed when she started writing poetry.
“It’s like people actually wanted to listen to what I felt in my real life.”
Horsley’s passion for poetry continued into college. She began attending the University of Nevada, Reno in 2017, and the very next year she and her friends founded Wolf Speaks, UNR’s only spoken word poetry club.
Finding community
Wolf Speaks has connected Horsley to both students and community members with the same passion for poetry as her.
“I’ve met some of the coolest people. There’s like, some people you’d never think would be poets, and they have amazing poetry,” Horsley said in regards to members who have joined the club.
For members who are still new to poetry, or not as confident, Wolf Speaks offers support and a space for growth.
“We just want you to leave better than you started,” Horsley said in regards to those interested in writing poetry. For the club, it’s exciting to see people who go from writing middle school poetry to performing on stage or getting published.
At whatever stage of writing someone is at, Horsley, and the members of Wolf Speak, want to make sure that students are heard and taken care of.
Horsley hopes that her work with Wolf Speaks will be her legacy at the university. It’s part of her decision to leave the university better than she had found it.
A lack of diversity
Like many other students of color, Horsley struggled to find diversity in the classroom. “[UNR], it’s just not a very diverse school, so [chances of] finding people of color or like black people, especially in your classes, are very slim.”
Despite the lack of diversity, her experience with the English department has been mostly positive.
“They’re very chill,” she said about her experience with the department. “I get to write about what I want to write about, and I can write about my experiences.”
Horsley couldn’t say the same about courses she has taken outside of her English curriculum. “Some of these other classes- their curriculum is racist, the teachers were racist, and so it’s just not ideal for where I want to be,” she said.
Looking towards the future
Horsley is graduating with B.A. 's in English and Anthropology, and a minor in Women’s Studies this semester.
Her entire winter break has been preparing for graduate school, and applying for grad programs. With 10 schools to apply for, “my break is not a break,” Horsley said.
While the work is time consuming, Horsley is looking forward to starting a new chapter in her life.
“I’m really interested in research and pursuing that more,” she said about her grad school interests.
Horsley is also looking forward to “taking big girl steps”. She has never lived outside of Reno, and is looking forward to moving out and having a little more freedom.
A message to herself
After reflecting on her time at the university, Horsley had two things she wanted to say to her freshman self.
“Go out more,” Horsley said with a laugh. “Covid is coming.”
In other words, don’t wait to do something. It’s impossible to know the future, and things can change at any given moment.
The second piece of advice Horsley would give her past self would be, “take your time.”
Horsley set a time limit for her degree. She wanted to be out in four years, but ended up staying longer.
“It actually ended up benefiting me because I was able to get into programs I wanted, and I was able to do more research. I was able to travel more.”
Going at her own pace instead of the timeline that is usually pushed onto students made her more confident. If she had graduated last spring, Horsley said she wouldn’t know where to go and what to do.
“I feel like I have more direction now.”
