Student life at the fictional Columbus University is a roiling stew pot of high hopes and idealism, identity crises and shattered dreams. The stories of three very different freshman -- an African-American athlete (Omar Epps), a sheltered California prom queen (Kristy Swanson) and a high-strung Midwestern loner (Michael Rapaport) -- limn an institution straining to serve its multiracial student body. Fishburne plays Maurice Phipps, a professor of political science who will not lower his expectations no matter what race or background a student comes from.