BSU president Autumm Gonzalez said the organization created new leadership positions, Mr. and Miss BSU, to recognize members who embody BSU’s values and represent IU’s minority students.
“The homecoming court does not have a lot of minority representation in general,” Gonzalez said, “Not just black students but all IU minority students on campus in general.”
To qualify for this new position, members of BSU sent in applications to the BSU executive board explaining why they wanted to hold the title of Mr. or Miss BSU.
The executive board chose four finalists for each position but allowed their members to vote for the winners, BSU Social Programming Chair Tyler Collins said. The winners will be announced at the BSU mass meeting Oct. 16.
“If someone is representing something that I’m a part of, I want to have a say in that,” Collins said. “I thought it was important that the members have a choice in who was representing them as the Black Student Union.”
Mr. and Miss BSU will be the face of BSU on campus and on social media, Gonzalez said.
Although they will not have as many responsibilities as executive board members, the two will serve as a reference point for students on campus and as representatives at BSU events, Gonzalez said.
“It’s a way for our students to be engaged and have a representative of our membership instead of just the executive board being the face the issue,” Gonzalez said. “We wanted someone else to be on the forefront.”
Many of BSU’s current members are freshman and sophomores, Gonzalez said. For this reason, Mr. and Miss BSU will serve as an outlet for young student leaders and minority representatives.
“This should give them an opportunity to find themselves and come into themselves,” Collins said. “We’re really hoping this gives freshmen and sophomores an opportunity to find somewhere where they identify and have a place to learn their voice.”
The executive board chose finalists based off of their personal statements and their involvement with BSU.
The board wanted representatives who were actively involved, able to communicate well and were passionate about BSU’s mission, Collins said.
BSU serves to be the voice of the black community on campus and to improve the quality of life for black students, according to its mission statement.
The African American community makes up about three percent of degree-seeking students, according the Fall 2014 report from University Institutional Research and Reporting.
“People can find themselves as the only African American in their class, the only minority in their class,” Collins said. “A lot of times it’s easy to feel like you don’t have an identity or you don’t have anyone to identify with. That’s why we wanted to have this, to let people know you are appreciated — you are recognized.”
