Featured panelists at the BSU Black Excellence panel.
JAYLIN AMEZQUITA / COURTESY
Leyla J. Mercado, Features Editor / Asst. Social Media Editor
The Black Student Union (BSU) at Manhattan University (MU) held a structured and interactive conversation panel where a group of Black Student Union (BSU) students spoke about black excellence on Feb. 18 in Smith Auditorium.
According to manhattan.edu, the BSU is an organization that provides students cultural diversity followed with the purpose to expand the quality of life on campus and foster a community that provides students the opportunity to voice their opinions, differences, goals and ideas.
The panel was created about two to three years ago as a collaboration with athletics to discuss being a black athlete at Manhattan University (MU), a predominantly white institution.
This year’s panel included the following faculty members: Akeen Baird, athletic liaison, Jon Rodney Lynch, assocaite head coach of MU’s men’s basketball team, Toni-Ann Lawrence, MU basketball alum and assistant athletic director and director of sports medicine and lastly, Waddell Rembert-Jett, assistant track and field coach at MU. Students Briauna Morecny, a freshman finance major, and Tristan Blake, a freshman peace and justice studies major, were also notable individuals who were a part of the conference.
Raya Caamano, a junior criminology and psychology double major and BSU co-president wrote to The Quadrangle about the purpose that lies behind this panel for the campus community.
“The intent behind this panel is to redirect the spotlight onto the struggle that many black student athletes face at this school: issues with identity, belonging, authenticity, etc,” Caamano wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “The faculty contribute their experience in being a role model to these kids and how they address such sensitive topics with students who find themselves facing issues like these. The campus becomes more colorful every year and MU needs to adjust its lens to make sure everyone is getting their turn to have the loudest voice.”
Addressing that the panel was essentially organized to motivate black students to feel that they have a voice and to find a home within their community within a space where it may feel difficult.
Caamano also wrote how she hopes this panel affects other students besides those who are a part of BSU.
“I think this needs to impact other students more than it needs to impact BSU.” Caamano wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “People need to become more comfortable listening to conversations about this and turning a blind eye can snowball into ignorance down the line. It is not only up to people of color to create communities in white spaces.”
Through making sure that real life situations are met with on campus attention, this is not just a panel, but a universal conversation that all are invited to take part in that encourages the support of others.
Representing black excellence, the term means something to students on the e-board as much as it does to any student. Black excellence was defined through the sharing of experiences and allowing others the opportunity to feel understood.
Talia Omer, a junior criminology and psychology double major and BSU event coordinator, wrote in an email to The Quadrangle what black excellence meant to her personally before the panel and if that definition shifted after the conversation panel.
“Before the panel, ‘black excellence’ meant success, hard work and achieving big goals despite obstacles,” Omer wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “I most definitely thought about academic achievement and career success. After the conversation, my definition shifted to also include resilience, community impact and embracing culture and identity, not just individual success.”
Placing emphasis on a moment that stood out to her and motivated her most was knowing that student athletes and faculty got the opportunity to share their past experiences and hopefully impact someone else with similar experiences alongside life.
As the conversation went on, there were multiple occasions where those who attended shared personal stories about individuals who have helped them through hard times, making them feel a deep appreciation for one another.
Toni-Ann Lawrence was a notable name when it came to such. Making others feel comfortable in their own skin, attendees were able to easily express their admiration for a faculty member. Such truly put into perspective the weight that staff holds when it comes to being an inspiration to young adults. Cammano shared that watching Lawrence see the lives she was impacting was a memory she plans to hold onto forever.
Omer further shared how the panel serves as a reflection of ongoing challenges as well as a reminder of the progress that is being made through student-led advocacy.
“There are definitely still gaps with black excellence being shown and appreciated but Black Student Union has put in a lot of effort to rewrite that narrative by holding events and advocating for black students,” Omer wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “Conversations like this are important at Manhattan University because they create a space for students to share different perspectives and experiences. They help build understanding, respect, and a stronger sense of community on campus. They also encourage students to think more deeply about identity, diversity, and inclusion in their everyday lives.”
As BSU plans to hold more events like this in the future, Caamano shared the following.
“When signing on to this position, I had made clear that I didn’t care if we got no work done or had one event per month, if we walked out of every meeting more of a family than we started, I would feel accomplished,” Cammano wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “This board has 13 people on it, and there are hundreds of students that need to know they can find a family too. More events like these make our voice louder, because in my opinion it’ll never be loud enough.”