1993_05 The Daily Collegian May 1993

              ^
8 — Back Page
The Daily Collegian
Monday, May 3, 1993
"   \
Black student groups thrive since 1992 riots
College Press Service
Black Student Groups Thrive
After Riots
African-American student union
throughout the country report an
upsurge in membership since the
fiery Los Angeles riots of last April,
and many say that while race rela¬
tions are still strained, the black
voice on campus is stronger than
ever.
LeVoid Carter, vice president of
the Black Student Alliance and a
senior at Georgia State University,
said last year's three days of riot-'
ing in Los Angeles was "the awak¬
ening" for many who thought rac¬
ism was dying.
There are 1.3 million black col¬
lege students on U.S. campuses
and. according to a recent U.S.
News & World Report survey of
college students, half the respon¬
dents reported that campus race
relations today can be character¬
ized only as "fair" or "poor."
'The riots, were a spark that ini¬
tialed the immediate conscious¬
ness. They (the riots) said: "The
problem has not left us. it is only
camouflaged. It can still sneak up
on you,"said Carter, who isacrimi-
nal justice major.
Alliance membership has sky¬
rocketed from 45 last April to 400
currently, and members are in¬
tensely interested in the political
life of their university community.
Carter reported.
The year has not been easy for
the campus. In November, 70 stu¬
dents staged a two-day sit-in and
successfully demanded an African-
American Studies department.
* "We fought for seven and a half
years to get an African-American
Studies Department," Carter sad.
The Division of Graduate Studies
Announces
CALIFORNIA GRADUATE EQUITY FELLOWSHIPS
tor
1993-94
Grants ranging from $500 to $4,500
per Academic Year to Underrepresented
Graduate Students who qualify:
AMnn AmMtoaft, CMcaneVLstino, Unclean Amartoan,
othar Hispanic, Native American, Eskimo, Hllplno,
Paelfle Mandar, Women and Students with Disabilities
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, May 28,1993
Contact: Helen Galvan, Thomas Admin. Bldg.,
Room 132, 278-2448
"Atlanta is the heart of the civil
rights struggle. Seventy percent of
this school is black. If there is
anywhere that should have an Af¬
rican-American Studies Depart¬
ment, h is here."
rioting brought their cause to a
head.
•Therewasalotofinterestinthe
union due to the Rodney King ver¬
dict People had a lot of enthusi¬
asm," she said. "Wegot ourselves
"There was a lot of
interest in the union
due to the Rodney
King verdict."
— Fabiola Narcisse,
student
"Initially, we received resistance    together and asked for more schol¬
arships, which we
got, and asked to
be put on commit¬
tees, like search
committees,
which we have."
Narcisse noted
that Chancellor
Richard        D.
O'Brien is leaving
the university, and
that a member of
the Black Student Union is sitting
on the search committee that will
choose his successor. "That was a
big step," she said.
At the time of the riots, African-
American students, particularly
those in the union, took the oppor¬
tunity to vent their feelings to the
administration, who were atten¬
tive, according to Narcisse.
"We got our voice heard defi-
niteljf^ We met-with the president
and top officials and we were heard,
loud and clear. They took us seri¬
ously. We put pressure on them.
from white stu¬
dents. They
thought we
weresilry, mili¬
tant. Now they
have no prob¬
lem that we
stuck our necks
out It was re¬
ality.       We	
started making
the administra¬
tion become accountable," Carter
said.
In the fall of 1991, Fabiola
Narcisse, a sophomore majoring
in English, received a hate flyer in
her University of Massachusetts at
Amherst mailbox. That's when
she and a handful of friends got
angry and formed the sc hoo I' s first
Black Student Union.
"We had to create a voice for
ourselves," she said.
About six months later, she said,
they were a group to be reckoned
with as the televised Los Angeles
We told them we would take things
into our-own hands," Narcisse
added.
At Kent State University in Ohio,
the Black United Students has been
a strong presence on campus since
i9&j\ when a group of African-
American students banded together
and demanded one o f the firs t black
studies department in the country.
Last year's riots made a strong
organization even stronger, accord¬
ing to Nikki Marchmon, president
of Black United Students (BUS)
and a senior majoring in social
studies. The group wiU/celebrate
its 25th anniversary May 21, she
said.
The riots brought an influx of
newly interested black males into
the organization she said.
Maichmon reported that mem¬
bership consists of "nearly every
black student on campus" and a
core'group of about 100 students.
'The riots were a wake-up call,"
she said, noting that the group acted
as anjautlet for black students to
express their emotions at the time.
None of the black students de¬
sired violence like they were watch- .
ing on television, she said, and
they went out of their way to see*
that it did not occur.
Elections
From page 1
"1 got 48 votes. The whole party
each received 120 or more votes,"
Crews said.
Licea said he feels Crew's loss
of the presidency may have to do
with the number of presidential
candidates.
'1 heard that students would vote
for another presidential candidate
and then for the rest of the Reality
ticket," Crews said.
Election results are unofficial
until 10 days after the election.
Candidates have 10 days from the
date of the election to request a
recount.
Five recount requests have been
filed so far, according to Tammy
Moore, Elections Committee chair.
Moore said the recount process
will begin Tuesday, and should be
completed by Friday.
Grievances against a candidate
or a candidate's representative for
violations of the Elections Code
must be filed by 4 p.m. today.   »
All grievances will be handled at
the grievance meeting on Tues-_^
day.
HERE COMES THE
 IWI-
-TCBVS Peanut Butter Fudge Parfait
Il's here! WeVe swirled
together "TOV7 frozen yogurt
with fabulous hot fudge and
creamy peanut butter toppings
and crowned it with sprinkles
of crunchy peanuts to create an
absolutely incredible parfait
And right now, you can get a
delicious Peanut Butter Fudge
Parfait for the special price of
ordySl.99. Vvailabtenow
al rjartWrjating
"TOY? stores.
c?
n
V