CUE Student Club Highlight
“Creating BSA is a way for us to empower students to take up space, and to go outside of the box that was set up for us,” says Masanjay Kromah, the BSA Event Planner. “Creating BSA was a form of us taking back our power.”
The Black Student Association is a club focused on creating a community for CUE’s Black student population. Through an assortment of events, the club creates opportunities to meet one another and uplift students throughout the year. Some events include game nights, movie nights, paint events, and, recently, an open mic night for students.
“Our history has always been told by other people,” says Kromah. “We were not the narrator. Other people were narrating our story for us.”
Through building a community, this can empower students to step outside their comfort zone and pursue things they may not normally do — like sharing their art and poetry at an open mic night. Plus, it adds an opportunity to expand your horizons. “I can learn so much from all of the other BSA [executives] and just anyone that comes to the events… getting to know people, getting to know different perspectives.” says Chipo Mapfumo, the BSA President of Administration.
“It’s really important in university life to not just focus on school, but actually make a community.”
The BSA focuses on events for Black students, but anyone is welcome to join. In February, the BSA will host an informational event on natural black hair, which will cover topics like protective styles and the history of black hair, and will have other events throughout the month.
“I feel like sometimes we can define ourself by the hardship that we’re going through.” says Kromah. “You can leave your burden outside for a little bit because you are around people who care about you, who have your best interests at heart, who want to see you thrive.”
As for future plans, the BSA members want to see their club continue to grow. Eventually, they’d like to create events with other Black student associations in the city. They’d also like to create more opportunities for students through networking, mental health initiatives, and eventually scholarships.
“You have nothing to lose by going to BSA events,” says Mapfumo. “I feel like you can only really gain things, like you can make new friends. You can build community.”
