Black Community Joins To Greet Students

Community was the buzzword yesterday as Harvard's Black Students Association (BSA) hosted the first black community introductory meeting, introducing more than two dozen student organizations to first-years.

"This is the first time we've had a forum where we can bring all the black groups on campus together," said BSA President Aaliyah N. Williams '02 in her opening remarks.

"Tonight is a convenient way to introduce [first-years] to Harvard's black community," she added.

About 250 students listened as group representatives pitched their organizations. Participating groups included those promoting black community, such as the Black Men's Forum and the Caribbean Club, as well as performance groups like Expressions and Kuumba Singers.

Student organizations not directly affiliated with ethnicity, like the Living Wage Campaign and the Phillips Brooks House Association, were also given time to recruit first-years.

While all group representatives were applauded, the biggest crowd-pleaser was Undergraduate Council President Fentrice D. Driskell '01. Through cheers and long applause, Williams introduced Driskell to first-years as being possibly the council's first female, black president.

After complimenting the event's organizers, Driskell urged minority students to run for positions on the council.

"We need you to run," she said, adding that minorities are not represented proportionally on the council. "And if you don't run, at least vote."

Driskell also said she hoped to see similar cooperative events occur in other ethnic communities on campus.

Touissant G. Losier '04 said he was impressed by the meeting's organization and atmosphere.

"It was very well put together and, as opposed to other introductory meetings I've been to, it was very friendly and more on a personal level," Losier said.

He added that the meeting was particularly exciting because similar groups had not existed at his high school.

"I want to get a taste of everything before I leave," he said. "These are opportunities I didn't have in high school, so I definitely want to take advantage of them."

Several audience members who were not first-years said they also found the meeting surprisingly informative.

"I've been here for a year and I didn't know half of these groups existed," said Eugenia C. Garvin '03. "Some of them sound interesting, and I'd like to get more involved."

Williams said the meeting was the continuation of cooperative efforts begun last year among black student groups. The most visible show of cooperation came after the Amadou Diallo shooting in February.

"The fact that we came together in the wake of [the Diallo shooting]...we wanted to come together more often to celebrate," Williams said.

She added that she hoped the black community introductory meeting would become an annual event.

However, Williams remained tight-lipped about the BSA's upcoming much-hyped "mystery event." Several e-mail messages have been circulated with teasing messages.

For example, a recent message sent over the BSA e-mail list proclaimed, "We will be announcing an event that is so big...you may not believe it when we drop it on you."

The message instructs BSA members to attend the group's general meeting this Friday for more information.