'Early Turkey,' Black Student Union cooks up Soul Food dinner

Even through the closed doors of Forest Quad's old dining hall, the smells of candied yams, beans and fried chicken invaded the noses of the waiting diners. Ten minutes before the start time, a line of over 40 people are queued for positions close to the door, hoping to be the first to the food.\nThanks to the Black Student Union, some students got an early taste of Thanksgiving dinner Tuesday night at the BSU's annual Soul Food Dinner.\nAdmission to the dinner required either a canned food item or a dollar donation. The canned food and money will be made into gift baskets for a local charity. With the recent tornadoes in Martinsville and other surrounding areas, the aid will be well received.\nBSU President junior Gerald Mitchell said the dinner helps to bring people on campus together.\nJunior Carolyn Randolph, the BSU's Political Action chair, said the event is at once a fellowship and a lesson for the community.\n"We want to teach one thing about the African American culture, that we like to bond through food and sharing," Randolph said.\nThe annual event normally draws a crowd of 200 to 300 during the two-hour dinner.\n"We enjoy it," Randolph said. "It's time for us to come together and put on a program that is classy, sophisticated and is for a good cause."\nVarious members of the BSU worked in shifts throughout the day to cook the food. All of the items served were cooked homestyle, with no help from any catering services.\nSophomore Lynell Westbrook, one of the kitchen volunteers, said the kitchen was busy all day long.\n"We started at 10 a.m. and were done by six," she said. "A lot of people did not have class today or came between classes."\nWestbrook said the BSU volunteers would also clean the dining hall afterwards.\n"Fortunately, we'll have the help of the dining hall staff," she said. \nThe line continued to grow as the night went on, with more and more hungry students eager to sample the menu, which included turkey, ham, corn, stuffing, yams, chicken, green beans and desserts.\nThough the wait in line was more than 40 minutes, smiles were on the faces of students as they left the line with plates spilling over with soul food.\nSophomore Camille Kuthrell said the food and the environment were pleasant.\n"It's good to get out and meet people," she said.\nSophomore Darryl Watkins said the event was important to show solidarity among African Americans.\n"I am in an African American fraternity," he said. "Supporting any BSU event is good for the fraternity …for support, to show unity among African Americans in general."\nDiners were also entertained with an impromptu performance from sophomore vocalists Alaina Williams and Stephanie Parker. Their gospel renditions added an artistic garnish to the Thanksgiving dinner atmosphere.\nSenior De Juan Jordan said she was pleased with the night.\n"I think it was very nice," she said. "It was a good fellowship"