Donya Rouzbehi
Staff Writer
The Black Student Union hosted its first karaoke night of the semester with free food and prizes on Sept. 25 in the Quay Davis Executive Board Room.
Roughly 40 students attended the event.
Stacey Strickland, adjunct instructor of dance and BSU advisor, said they chose karaoke because it brings people together.
“One thing that we believe in within the African-American culture is that music is a strong foundation and a way for us to commune and to connect,” Strickland said.
BSU created this event at this time to give students a break from midterm stress and an opportunity for all to de-stress on campus.
The room was decorated with balloons shaped as music notes and was lit up with disco lights.
WingStop, chips, pizza and Gatorade were among the refreshments.
Along with Strickland, Shane Williams, BSU president and junior psychology major, and the other BSU members organized the event, which also included games, such as a challenge where singers had to remember the lyrics to a song as it played, and Jeopardy!
Participants could pick up free BSU apparel. And karaoke performers won prizes including bluetooth headphones and more. First-place karaoke winners won tickets to the “Dear Beloved” tour featuring GIVEON.
“Even though it’s called Black Student Union, we want to welcome all races, not just black students,” said BSU president Shane Williams, junior psychology major. “We want to make a safe environment for everybody so they can have fun.”
The Black Student Union strives to make African American students on campus feel included and know they have a voice.
Donya Rouzbehi can be reached at donya.rouzbehi@laverne.edu.
Donya Rouzbehi is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print/online journalism, and staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine. She has previously served as sports editor and a staff writer for the Campus Times, and is co-editor-in-chief of La Verne Magazine. Her other writing can be found at trillmag.com/author/donya-rouzbehi
Lexi Giacobbe is a senior communications major with an concentration in public relations. She is a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine, a staff writer for the magazine, and previously served as a staff writer for the Campus Times. She is also a member of the University of La Verne volleyball team.
