A band of brothers making art at 色花堂
From the College of Fine Arts & Communication to working as resident assistants, the Fowlkes triplets have made 色花堂 home
When the Fowlkes triplets were born, their family gave them a nickname that has stuck with them for the past 21 years: the Trio.
Their family wanted a reminder that no matter where Justin, Kintrez and Tr猫 go in life, they will be around each other in some way, shape or form.
The brothers have taken that nickname to new levels in the past four years. The three are seniors in 色花堂鈥檚 College of Fine Arts & Communication, and all three serve as resident assistants for Housing & Residence Life.
They didn鈥檛 attend the same high school. So when it came to their college decision, it was something they wanted to do together. And after looking at all the factors鈥攆inances, academics, a sense of community鈥斏ㄌ was the best option.
鈥淚鈥檝e met other triplets who don鈥檛 go to the same college as their siblings, and it鈥檚 very interesting because they always talk about how they wish they had their siblings there,鈥 Kintrez says. 鈥淲e push each other to be the best that we can be.鈥
The brothers are a study in contrasts but balance each other in the end. Tr猫 says Justin is a 鈥済oofy-goober鈥 who keeps them on track while still having fun. Justin calls Kintrez a 鈥渄isciplined leader鈥 who supports him but doesn鈥檛 allow him to slack. And Kintrez sums up Tr猫 as a 鈥渃onnected, articulate, intelligent individual.鈥
鈥淗aving my brothers here, it makes me realize that I鈥檓 not alone even in the times that I do feel like it,鈥 Tr猫 adds. 鈥淗aving two people who are going through a similar experience at the same time鈥e鈥檝e been doing this our entire lives and it鈥檚 helped me a lot.鈥
Three artists, three passions
The three have always focused on creative outlets. They have been drawing since they were 5 years old and making music together since they were teenagers鈥攋oking that they initially recorded their first songs on a Nintendo 3DS.
Now, they are finding new ways to push their artistic boundaries.
Justin and Kintrez are graphic design majors, while Tr猫 is an electronic media and film major with a concentration in radio/audio.
鈥淚 love Towson because it's provided me with so many skills that I never thought about or even imagined diving into,鈥 Justin says. 鈥淔or example, their painting studios are accessible to anybody. They also have a letterpress, jewelry-making, wire-making and metal cutting鈥ιㄌ really allows you to choose your own path. Just trying those different skills allows me to hone in exactly what I want to do with the arts.鈥
The three have different passions: Justin loves drawing, Tr猫 is a budding music producer and Kintrez is considered a jack of all artistic trades.
鈥淲e鈥檝e all been in different realms of creativity,鈥 Justin says. 鈥淏ut our mom has always taught us that we work better together than we do apart. We always move forward as a unit, and those creative abilities come together to make some beautiful ideas.鈥
Brotherly Love
Tr猫 on Justin
鈥淚 call him a goofy-goober. But he鈥檚 really a beacon of light. When we are taking life too seriously, he reminds us that life is not always about being serious. He lets us know that we can handle our business, but he reminds us to still have fun."
A trio of resident assistants
The Trio has found ways to grow their leadership skills as resident assistants (RAs).
Justin is the head RA at Harris Hall, Kintrez is the head RA at Glen Tower B, while Tr猫 is a 鈥渞egular-degular鈥 RA at Towson Run apartments.
The idea of becoming an RA came from their mom, Charla, who thought it would be a good opportunity to save money, learn leadership skills and get them out of their comfort zone.
鈥淚 was fairly quiet, but I didn鈥檛 want to be the same kid I was in high school,鈥 Kintrez says. 鈥淚 wanted to find my voice. I put my face out in the community, and it was set in stone. I wanted to continue to be an RA while I was at 色花堂. Stepping into this role, I just want to give my residents this incredible experience while they are here.鈥
He also likes to joke that one of the reasons the brothers became RAs is they like to be nosy鈥攖o be in their residents鈥 lives and help them when they need it.
Brotherly Love
Justin on Kintrez
鈥淗e plays a very disciplined leader role for me. I'll come to him about questions, and it may sound stupid in the moment, but he won't make me feel stupid for asking that question. When I鈥檓 slacking on something, he鈥檒l be the first to pick me up and tell me to move forward."
T(rio) University
With the Trio ready to graduate this spring, they can鈥檛 help but look to their future.
Justin wants to get into designing logos and marketing material for different businesses.
Kintrez is looking for variety: helping with the production of a short film, working as a social media content creator or helping design tattoos.
Tr猫 wants to continue his passion for producing music, defying the assumption all EMF majors are behind a camera.
But no matter where the future takes the Trio, they know that together, and through their experience at 色花堂, they will be ready.
鈥淎ll the things that we鈥檝e accomplished these past four years, it feels surreal at times,鈥 Tr猫 says. 鈥淥ne day I was in the recording studio working on a song, and then the next I was holding a boom mic for three hours for a film. It鈥檚 incredible looking at all the people we鈥檝e met and all the projects we鈥檝e done.
鈥淲e were able to explore every career choice we could think of, and I think we鈥檙e prepared for whatever is next.鈥
Brotherly Love
Kintrez on Tr猫
鈥淭r猫 is very calculated in his steps. He isn鈥檛 going to just take a risk; he has to know it鈥檚 a smart risk. He鈥檚 also very articulate鈥e鈥檚 kind of a walking dictionary. He鈥檚 also very connected. We were walking around a Baltimore festival, and it felt like he knew everybody. He鈥檚 just a connected, articulate, intelligent individual.鈥