With a name like Black United Students, one might be inclined to believe that the group is only open to students of African-American decent — but this is a big misnomer.

In fact, BUS President Sasha Parker maintains that this group is open to anybody who wants to join.

“I like to think of it as the black Undergraduate Student Senate,” said Parker, a senior magazine journalism major who is about to undergo her second semester on BUS’s executive board. “It’s for anybody who wants to join and participate, anybody who wants to join and help out.”

Parker said BUS is much more than a great social outlet — it’s also a great tool for networking.

“We cover a lot of things from politics to education to programming — you get to form bonds with faculty and administration and you get to keep up on issues going on around campus,” Parker said.

And when necessary, the group makes protests on the behalf of campus issues it feels is important. When students Malik Griffin and Tyrone Wright were expelled last semester, the group marched in protest, suggesting that the university revise its Judicial Affairs policy.

“We have had two protests in the past couple of years that have made a lot of proactive changes for minority students on campus,” Parker said.

But it’s not all about the protests. This year, Parker has many programs in the work, such as establishing a minority student scholarship fund.

“It’s all about being proactive and moving forward,” she said.

The 700 member group also holds several social functions, ranging from homecoming comedy shows to cookouts and Jazz cabarets in an effort to unite the minority community on campus.

Students who are interested in joining the group can attend one of BUS’s meetings, which take place every other Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Oscar Ritchie meeting hall.

Contact managing editor Ben Breier at [email protected].