BSU also known as The Black Student Union here on campus is all about promoting and advocating love and equality for all people of color. They had various events and meetings on campus this year that allowed students to enjoy themselves while also being in a safe place. I had the opportunity to interview the president of BSU Enny and vice president Nate. I had a chance to sit down with the both of them to have them elaborate on BSU and what actually goes down. 

When Enny was asked how it feels to be the president of BSU she gave a very heartwarming response. “It feels really good to be the president of BSU to advocate for the people around me and the student body and to just spread light to what goes on in the world.” Enny said that being president comes with a lot of responsibility. She has to make sure that events are situated and making sure that everything and everybody is in check. “I wouldn’t say it’s an easy role but at the same time it’s not an overbearing role. It’s vibey.” Enny says. 

As vice president Nate supports Enny’s every decision and has her back the whole way through. “ I have her back whenever she needs me. Whenever we have any events I’m always there right by her side. I’m her first line of defense.” 

I was curious about the different events that BSU held throughout the semester and when asked Nate gave an answer I wasn’t expecting. “One event I want to talk about was this voting event we held. We took a test that our ancestors would take. This was to bring light on the difficulties they faced while trying to vote. It brought a lot of different perspectives on what life was like during the time for our people during the segregation eras. 

Another event that was held during the semester was the Groovey Feud which was held by the Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship Incorporated. Nate is apart of Groove and was able to give me a better understanding of who they are and what they represent. “It’s an organization that’s on campus. We believe in academic awareness, we promote ethical standards and we want to not only build but strengthen healthy bonds with black men in the community. It’s most definitely a brotherhood, I love my brothers, you already know it’s brothers for life!” Groovey Feud was an event that I was able to attend and witness what actually goes on at these BSU meetings. It was a twist on the popular show “Family Feud”. Just like “Family Feud” Groovey Feud was broken up into teams of contestants who were competing for a prize at the end. Instead of just any regular questions asked like on “Family Feud” BSU put a spin on their questions by asking questions that people of color could relate to such as “What is the most popular song by Kirk Franklin” who is a black gospel artist and “Besides a belt, what are the most popular items your mother beat you with as a kid.” This event was quite comical and a pleasure to attend. There were also events such as The Aux Cord Wars which was an event where the students came together to display their hottest tracks and an event that touched on relationships in the black community which opened up a lot of people’s eyes to what actually goes on. 

I still wasn’t content and wanted to find out a deeper meaning why BSU is on campus. Nate responded to this by saying “Although Mercy is a diverse school, BSU is a way for students of color to come together and interact with each other on a deeper level. I remember BSU my freshman and sophomore year and to see how far it’s come since then is amazing. BSU is it’s only family within itself where everybody supports each other.” Enny agreed with Nate by saying “We created a really strong bond this year and not just with members but especially with the eboard and we really just advocate for any injustices that happen and we bring light to them on our Instagram page which you can follow us @mercybsu_official.” BSU most importantly wants to advocate for students who face any type of discrimination on campus as well. Whether that’s in the classroom or anywhere else around campus, BSU wants to make it known that students can come to them and feel like they are in a space where they can express themselves freely about what’s going on in their lives. 

Wrapping up Enny and Nate had a few final thoughts to share. “We had an amazing semester and we had a lot of new amazing members who joking BSU this semester. We are going to keep on growing and keep getting stronger as a family. Oh yeah, and we have a Fashion Show coming up in February so be on the lookout for that.” Enny says. Nate wrapped everything up by saying “We had our meetings on Tuesday’s but for next semester it’s still up in the air so stay tuned.” 

Overall this was a very eye-opening experience. Never being a part of BSU before this gave me insight on what life is like behind the scenes. To see have BSU advocates for their people was truly an amazing thing to witness.