2008 Woodie Awards
Lack of participation in BAS events stems from stereotypes, not exclusion
Issue date: 4/8/05 Section: Rocket Letters
To the Editor:
I am writing this letter in response to the letter a few weeks back concerning BAS and how the organization should include all students to be diverse. Black Action Society has not excluded the majority on this campus at any event. Wherever this information came from, it is false and inaccurate. Now I can say that there is not a good response in terms of participation from the majority students on this campus. The only reason that I can think of is because people on this campus still do not accept diversity - whether it be black, white, Hispanic, Native American, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, international or even disabled Americans.
As far as BAS is concerned, I believe that when the majority thinks of BAS they automatically jump to stereotypes of Black Panthers or maybe even just modern day stereotypes of African American people. In this letter the person also stated that when they came to a BAS event the feeling of being the minority was overwhelming to them. Welcome to our world. We are the minority everyday on this campus, in our classrooms, in every program and in the rest of the country. I am sorry that these people who feel this way must surrender their feeling of being the majority for an hour or so to attend a program.
I can say that Black Action Society is not the only organization that is experiencing this feeling of lack of support from the campus as a whole. During the Unity Week events, I can say that I attended almost all of the events. At the carnival, which was located in the ARC, there was low attendance. At the carnival, everything was free of charge. There were free air brush t-shirts, free necklaces that you could write your name on a grain of rice, free videos that you can make, food, you could ride the bull, or do the obstacle course. This event was sponsored by SUMA and the Late Night Task Force. So according to the author of the previous letter, the low attendance is due to the fact that the minority organizations, or even BAS in particular are not welcoming.
Natasha Ricketts
Junior
I am writing this letter in response to the letter a few weeks back concerning BAS and how the organization should include all students to be diverse. Black Action Society has not excluded the majority on this campus at any event. Wherever this information came from, it is false and inaccurate. Now I can say that there is not a good response in terms of participation from the majority students on this campus. The only reason that I can think of is because people on this campus still do not accept diversity - whether it be black, white, Hispanic, Native American, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, international or even disabled Americans.
As far as BAS is concerned, I believe that when the majority thinks of BAS they automatically jump to stereotypes of Black Panthers or maybe even just modern day stereotypes of African American people. In this letter the person also stated that when they came to a BAS event the feeling of being the minority was overwhelming to them. Welcome to our world. We are the minority everyday on this campus, in our classrooms, in every program and in the rest of the country. I am sorry that these people who feel this way must surrender their feeling of being the majority for an hour or so to attend a program.
I can say that Black Action Society is not the only organization that is experiencing this feeling of lack of support from the campus as a whole. During the Unity Week events, I can say that I attended almost all of the events. At the carnival, which was located in the ARC, there was low attendance. At the carnival, everything was free of charge. There were free air brush t-shirts, free necklaces that you could write your name on a grain of rice, free videos that you can make, food, you could ride the bull, or do the obstacle course. This event was sponsored by SUMA and the Late Night Task Force. So according to the author of the previous letter, the low attendance is due to the fact that the minority organizations, or even BAS in particular are not welcoming.
Natasha Ricketts
Junior
