Black Student Union works hard to connect students
BSU club group photo; photo courtesy of Sharron Keletakona
By Maxine Salvador, A&E editor
A shocking two percent of Maria Carrillo High School students are black. In comparison, that makes up a classroom full of students. That number is small. Despite this tiny percentage, the Black Student Union is an almighty club that highlights and celebrates black excellence by hosting club meetings and events to unite students on campus.
Black Student Union (BSU) was founded last year by now sophomore Rosemary Richardson but was passed onto senior Bella Henry and the club leaders to run the club. “Ms. Luke asked us to take over the club after [the students] last year who founded it didn’t want to continue it this year,” said Henry, the club president. “There’s not that many black people at this school so we wanted to be inclusive and BSU to continue.” Henry highlights this reason as the main purpose of the BSU club, and it’s safe to say that BSU successfully carries out this goal.
During club meetings, BSU prioritizes having fun and engaging events, such as food and games, to expose themselves to other non-black students and encourage them to join. However, these are not limited to just club meetings. BSU holds fundraisers, as well, for other students to participate in. “We had a food truck fundraiser at school to support our club and almost the whole school came,” said Henry. “We also had a Fruta fundraiser and a lot of people came to that too.” She notes that those fundraisers were two of the most successful fundraisers the club has put together, as many students showed up to support the event. The money raised goes to support the club in continuing to host events and supplying food/games for club meetings.
Fundraisers are not the only way BSU attempts to reach out to other students and make their club’s presence known. This club has a significant impact on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, where they post content regarding upcoming events and club meetings, in addition to trendy videos, with the hopes of reaching a greater audience. “We want our club to bring people together and have fun,” said senior Emmalynn Lundy, the programming chair. “By posting on social media, we’re not only shedding light on our club, but we’re also connecting with other clubs in different communities,” said Lundy. She emphasizes the true impact of social media and how it has granted the club opportunities to connect with others and bond over the beauties of black culture.
Every other Wednesday, BSU meets in the College and Career Center during lunch for a club meeting to play games like bingo or Kahoot based on fun topics about black individuals and the culture itself and discuss plans and upcoming events. These meetings truly allow students to engage with one another and have fun while bonding over black culture.
Having BSU on campus is a fantastic opportunity many people share their appreciation for. “BSU is really important to me because there’s a lot of white kids at Carrillo and less people of color, so it’s nice to have the minority group come together,” said junior Shay Kahoro, the club vice president. Similarly, Amari Jones, the only black campus supervisor, shares his thoughts on BSU after attending the club’s latest meeting. “I think it’s very important that Maria Carrillo has a BSU that puts events and meetings together to make things happen,” said Jones. “I hope that we can continue it and keep making it bigger.”