Known as the only Black student government in the nation, The Legion of Black Collegians was established in fall 1968 as a voice and advocate for Black students at MU. Currently, The Legion has five standing committees created to enhance the experience of Black students at the University. One of these committees is the Freshman Action Team (FAT), a group built on increasing opportunities for MU freshmen involvement through philanthropy, service and networking. 

For the 2021-2022 school year, FAT’s executive board was announced in November. With five ambitious members, this executive board is ready to make their impact at MU and beyond.

Mikayla Higgins

Position: President

Major: Journalism

Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee

Higgins said that she anticipates growing as a leader in her position. After attending the Legion’s informational meeting at the beginning of the semester, she knew FAT was a great way to get more involved at MU. 

“I just wanted to make sure I inserted myself in Black spaces because I come from a mostly Black background,” Higgins said. “I wanted to make sure I had that community while in college.”

As president, Higgins has the responsibility of running all meetings and planning events for service and fellowship. Beyond these expressed presidential powers, she also feels it’s important to help members of the organization cultivate a community.

FAT has already hit the ground running with assistance from Higgins. The group has held successful informational meetings and events such as Aux Wars on Nov. 17 where students competed on teams to see which was the best on the stereo.

Carrington Peavy

Position: Vice President, Maneater staff reporter

Major: Journalism

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

Peavy said that she is ready to apply her abilities to FAT. An email seeking freshmen interested in running for the executive team sparked her interest.

“I wanted to join just because I wanted to be able to be a helpful voice to freshmen, since I had come on campus early already to be a Welcome Week leader,” Peavy said. 

This year, MU offered the unique opportunity for freshmen to guide their incoming peers as they transitioned into their new environment. Welcome Week leaders like Peavy learned communication and interpersonal skills before even starting the fall semester, which encouraged her to apply for FAT leadership. 

“I felt like my skills could be best advocated [as vice president],” Peavy said. “I also felt like I was able to take on what vice president entailed and be able to plan and provide my skills to freshmen in a more effective and innovative way.”

Not only does Peavy believe her organization is a great way for her and other students to build friendships, but it is also a beneficial means of networking with upperclassmen through The Legion of Black Collegians. As vice president, she hopes to see members create long-lasting bonds. 

Marissa Mott

Position: Secretary

Major: Pre-Nursing 

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri

Scrolling through social media can come with its perks. For Mott, following MU organizations’ accounts she was interested in before she came to campus helped her find her community. Mott had previously been in student government and leadership positions in high school, so when she spotted an application for the executive board on her feed, she felt it would be a good fit.

“I came from a predominantly white area,” Mott said. “I was kind of used to being the only Black student advocating in leadership positions. I thought it’d be really nice to be with other Black students who want to continue to make change and continue to make that freshman year as best as we can.”

The position of secretary includes being organized for note-taking; however, Mott envisions her role beyond this. She wants FAT to continue being a place for open and honest discussions, including what it’s like being Black at MU.

“[The organization] is just a safe space for students, Black students and other minorities,” Mott said. “They get to come and just enjoy the presence of other Blacks, and just be ‘unapologetically Black’ as my mom likes to say it.”

Imani Davis

Position: Treasurer

Major: Pre-Nursing 

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois 

For Davis, FAT is a place for guiding one another and growing as a community. It’s a space for having fun, but it’s also somewhere to learn and educate. One example Davis used is the influence the documentary “Concerned Student 1950” had on freshmen at a recent general body meeting.

“We showed the documentary, and a lot of freshmen felt impacted around that and how they didn’t know that this happened on this campus,” Davis said. “We reiterate youth voices and our voices around this campus.”

Allowing herself to discover avenues to meet new people and make an impact at MU is how Davis got involved with FAT. Besides her specified duties as treasurer, which include keeping track of the budget and raising funds for the organization, she sees her role on the executive board as a service to other students. 

“At the end of the day, I represent the organization when I walk out my door,” Davis said. “People see me as ‘oh, she’s on FAT,’ so [my role] is this level of leadership and commitment that I have to this organization.” 

 She said she is grateful for the chance to help her peers, and the connections she gets to make with upperclassmen in the legion.

Kobe Smith

Position: Historian

Major: Graphic design

Hometown: Bloomington, Illinois

Without Smith, many students wouldn’t know about the organization’s events and meetings. To members of the executive board, student involvement on campus is crucial, especially early on in their time at MU. However, Smith applied to his exact position for strategic reasons.

“I wanted to be the historian because the historian’s job is to create and post flyers on social media,” Smith said. “Since my major is graphic design, I really enjoy making flyers and making designs that I can put out on Instagram and Twitter.”  

In his role, Smith said he wants to get people to come and continue attending events and meetings beyond letting people know of upcoming dates. Smith knows college success comes from who you surround yourself with, so as the historian, he feels his responsibilities are vital. 

“[The organization] is really a family of people that you can count on,” Smith said. “A group of people that have the same interest as you and all want to succeed in college.”

Smith came onto the executive board with high school experience in leadership positions, but alongside other members of FAT, he hopes to make new experiences at MU.
Edited by Shannon Worley | sworley@themaneater.com