Picture of the African Student Union logo.
@ASU_MANNHATTANU / INSTAGRAM
Leyla J. Mercado, Features Editor & Assistant Social Media Editor
For the first time in 173 years Manhattan University (MU) now has its first African Student Union (ASU), a group which plans to celebrate African culture and heritage while further creating culture competency.
Through student recruitment, executive board involvement and campus outreach, the organization aims to increase its visibility while welcoming students to engage with and learn about African culture and heritage.
Hannah Okwuegbue, freshman civil engineering major and president of the African Student Union spoke to The Quadrangle about her inspiration to start the club alongside others.
“What inspired us to start the African Student Union is the need for a sense of community on campus.” Okwuegbue said. “Not only do we aim to foster a community for ourselves, but we want to educate the student body and create awareness about African culture. We want to highlight the diverse nature of African Culture and share it amongst the students of MU.”
By fostering connections among students, ASU aims to advance its mission of creating a welcoming and inclusive space for all students interested in the organization.
May Janneh, sophomore psychology major and social media coordinator, further spoke on the matter.
“What inspired me to be a part of this club was thinking about the African community and how strong it is everywhere in the world, as we are proud and stay rooted in our culture, sharing food, sharing stories no matter where we go,” Janneh said. “I really wanted to see that at MU where there’s so many other communities represented in a beautiful way. I really want to see African students and other students embracing our culture on campus through our events, culture, food and more.”
As representation is a valuable pillar for the club and African students, they encourage those who want to learn about the culture to a greater extent. Emerging themselves in it, through speaking to members and gaining more knowledge through events, is what they feel makes it an immersive experience.
Taiden Chaniel Twumasi Ampofo, freshman economics major and secretary of the club, spoke to The Quadrangle about the significance of the African Student Union on campus.
“An African Student Union is important on campus because there is a need to address misconceptions people have about African culture as well as shed light on the differences and similarities between African and Black Americans.” Ampofo said. “Furthermore, we want to place emphasis on sharing our culture, background and traditions with MU [students] who may or may not be familiar with the African diaspora.”
With the intent to build an educational, interactive and exciting environment for students, they plan to host various events and activities which include Nutty November, cultural food tastings in order to provide students with a taste of the continent, as well as holding educational seminars. Collaborations are also soon to come, with them joining Lotus Magazine’s spring fashion show next semester.
Okwuegbue discussed how she hopes the union will build community amongst African students.
“As students of MU we notice that we are a minority on campus and we are leaving room for others to join our club also,” Okwuegbue said. “We will share stories, have African games and make sure people feel comfortable within themselves.”
“In our first year we hope to be able to educate the MU student body and create a sense of belonging for African students,” Ampofo said. “We hope to appeal to future African students of MU in that they can feel represented on campus. Further down the line we hope to partner with other ASUs to host events.”
With emphasis on building a solid foundation that will result in longevity and prosperity for ASU, the group hopes to create a thriving community with successful fundraising efforts. Janneh shared her thoughts on ASU’s efforts.
“I really hope we establish a safe space for African students to feel grounded,” Janneh said. “As some African students are so far from home, it is really important to cultivate familiarity around you so that you don’t look around one of these days and feel a little lost. Our union is going to connect African students to Africa.”
Updates on upcoming events and initiatives from MU’s first African Student Union will be shared on the organization’s Instagram account, @asu_manhattanu.