Groups agree to educate more

KASA, BUS and SALSA are among the 200 student organizations preparing events that will motivate, educate and entertain students on campus through the spring semester.

“This semester our goal is to educate students about the African culture through educative programming that eliminate stereotypes and promote awareness,” said Taiwo Adesina, vice president of Kent African Student Association, in an e-mail.

Adesina said that in comparison to last year, KASA is focusing more on educating and providing African American students opportunities to get more involved with the group and be more familiar with the resources available on campus.

KASA is involved in a networking event that will expose students to successful African Americans in the community and is looking into bringing an influential speaker later in the semester, Adesina said.

On March 19 at the Student Center Ballroom, KASA is organizing the African Night, dedicated to the elements that compose African culture.

“They (students) should expect an African Night that speaks to all their senses,” Adesina said.

Black United Students sponsored a motivational push program yesterday that featured Adam Smith, The University of Akron’s first Director of Nationally Competitive Fellowships and of the Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program.

Dylan Sellers, president of BUS, said the organization looks for speakers who have content to share with Kent students.

“We want someone who will be able to engage the students, someone who can make the information they have to give interesting,” Sellers said.

On Feb. 23, BUS will present another keynote speaker, Steve Perry, founder and principal of the Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Conn., and the author of the book “Man Up! Nobody is Coming to Save Us,” dedicated to solving problems in the black community.

Sellers said Black History Month events will be announced at the beginning of February.

Spanish and Latino Student Association president Jeannette Reyes said the group’s plan for spring is more than just reaching the Latino student population.

SALSA officially started as a student organization on Fall 2009.

“Our final goal is to educate and uplift minorities in general,” Reyes said.

As part of the organization’s events, Reyes said, Frank Turek, author of “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist” and antiracist writer Tim Wise White will speak respectively on religion and institutional racism against minorities and white privilege.

SALSA will also provide a forum, D for Diversity, in which students will be able to discuss diversity on campus.

The traditional Spanish Night at Eastway Center will happen in May.

Contact diversity reporter Mariana Silva at [email protected].