To kick off a new semester, Black United Students went back to the start.

In the first meeting of the school year last night, President Sasha Parker explained to a packed room BUS’s origin as the first student-founded organization at Kent State.

In addition, former BUS member Nicolette Warren-White, a 1999 graduate of Kent State, spoke about building community and her experiences with BUS as a student.

“If you don’t know your history, you don’t know where you’re going,” said Warren-White, who is now a clinical research coordinator at Duke University Medical Center.

She told members to take advantage of their organization and their leaders and that BUS can be whatever members make of it.

For example, she said when she was a Kent State student, BUS was unhappy with the director of Pan-African Studies, and because of action they took as an organization, the director was removed.

“That didn’t happen because we were sitting in our rooms,” Warren-White said.

Parker said this year she hopes to improve communication within the organization to keep people coming back. She said the organization will begin issuing membership cards, and by attending events, members will be able to earn things such as gift cards, baskets and, ultimately, scholarship money.

Upcoming events include a comedy show, which Parker said will be in the near future, and the Renaissance ball to be held Nov. 6.

A concern Parker said she has for this year is receiving money from the Allocations Committee for these events. BUS Treasurer Chelsea Fuller said one of her goals for the year is to build up at least $3,000 in the treasury in case this should happen.

Concerned about the future of BUS, Parker also encouraged members to have pride in their organization so that it is not lost under the new Undergraduate Student Senate charter referendum, which includes a minority affairs position. Because the All-Campus Programming Board will be lost, she has this same concern for BUS.

Through all of this year’s meetings and programs, Warren-White told members not to lose sight of what BUS is about.

“It’s about students who have needs that need to be addressed,” she said. “It’s only as good as you make it.”

BUS’s next meeting will be held on Sept. 11. The time and location will be determined at a later date.

Contact minority affairs reporter Christina Stavale at [email protected].