The Legion of Black Collegians, the Caribbean Students Association and the African Student Association kicked off the school year with their annual “Welcome Black Block Party” on Wednesday, Aug. 22.The annual event serves as a kickoff for new and current students to meet and have a good time.
The event started at 6 p.m. at the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center. There was a DJ and staff members from the various organizations to help serve food. There was an assortment of food including burgers, jerk chicken, macaroni and cheese, jollof rice and much more.
The line for the buffet quickly grew to stretch all the way to Rollins. After some time elapsed for the attendees to eat, people started to dance.
“It was really kind of an icebreaker for me as a freshman,” sophomore Alyssa Jackson said when talking about her freshman experience at the annual event. “They brought in students from freshman to seniors. They had good entertainment, really good food and it was really just a good event to bring everybody together.”
According to its website, LBC is the only Black Student Government in the country. They provide support for all aspects of their members lives. They educate others with the hope to expunge ignorance from the MU campus.
“The Legion serves as a resource for African-American students during their first-year transition to Mizzou, throughout their academic pursuits, and beyond,” according to the LBC OrgSync page. “The Legion operates with a clear vision and goals that are suited to the needs and concerns of the African-American students at Mizzou. We are dedicated to enhancing our experiences through opportunities available for student leadership in our student government senate.”
According to the CSA OrgSync page, the CSA was created to celebrate the Caribbean culture of students at MU and works to maintain the expression of its members. According to the ASA OrgSync page, ASA works year round to unite African students and enhance academic achievement.
Lots of students are looking forward to various events that these organizations will hold throughout the year.
“There are new people coming in so I’m hoping that that’ll reaffirm what we already have going on at the University of Missouri,” senior Kennedi Keyes said.
LBC, CSA and ASA were not available to comment at the time of the event.
_Edited by Caitlyn Rosen | crosen@themaneater.com_