The Black Awareness Student Union had their first meeting of the year Nov. 17 and there was a better turnout than some of the speakers had expected.

"When I went to school here, there weren't this many colored students on campus," said UAF Alumni Director Joe Hayes.

The students and faculty who attended were treated to free pizza and a speech from Tonya Brown, a former president of BASU, who now works as an educator specialist in Alaska Native education. Brown, who is still a strong supporter of the club, gave a brief history of her days as president, bringing up the time the club had introduced Rosa Parks when she came to Fairbanks. Brown also spoke about the purpose of the club.

"(BASU) is about making a better connection to culture, learning leadership skills, camaraderie with the other members as well making life long friends. The year I was president of BASU was the best year of my life. We had the right combination of people and everything just worked well."

The mood at Thursday's meeting was laid back, with the students just sitting around, chatting, and munching down on pizza. Many faculty and staff members came to show their support and to listen to what will be happening with the club. While most students who attended were black, it is not a requirement in order to be a member. Alfred Mendoza, a freshman studying art, emphasized this point.

"There are a lot of cultures here," Mendoza said. "We don't want to be segregated." Mendoza also noted that he, in fact, is Mexican.

"BASU is meant to promote diversity as well as black awareness," said Unika Nelson, a sophomore studying communications and a student worker in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. "We don't discriminate." This is an important point: The club is interested in any student, regardless of race, who is interested in learning more about black history as well as contributing to the university and also the local community. BASU has made many important connections with the community, and with the group starting back up, they are sure to make many more.

If interested in learning more about the club, meetings are held on Thursdays between 1 and 2 p.m. in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, 110 Eielson building.