AS AN involved college undergraduate, I know that being a student does not just require going to class and studying as an attempt to keep good grades, but also being involved in the community. In other words, many of us sacrifice an ample amount of time to extra-curriculars, activities that are so near and dear to us as students. Of course, it is not a necessity, but to keep some amount of sanity in our hectic, intellectual lives, we have to have something to keep us happy and remind us to still have fun. Most members of organizations can find a balance between their academics and their eventful lives, but as black students, are we able to find an equilibrium? Is there a way that we can maintain our grades while still being part of a positive and active organization promoting the University in a positive light? Black students must learn to further develop their organizations, taking them more seriously, and not only initiate growth within the black community but also within the rest of the University.
Black students at Virginia are known to put more time and effort into their organizations rather than their obligations as students. Being a student first consists of maintaining the grades. We have to remember our first priority to the University and why we came here, not to necessarily be the president of some club, but to make sure that we graduate, so that we can find a job later down the road. Then again, having the status of being a president of an organization while in college also looks good on a resume, but we have to make sure that we graduate first.
Apart from our own lack of focus and balance of what we should prioritize, as black contracted independent organizations (CIOs), we need to understand and value growth within our organizations. Just because we may be part of the administration or the executive board, no justice is done to the organization if we allow for it to fall apart. We tend to be satisfied as long as we have some say or control in the organization, rather than worrying about the interests of the organization. We worry more about ourselves and what we’ll get out of it. We need to realize that the purpose of joining a club is to make it grow, to add our contributions and to make an impact. Organizations are supposed to continually prosper. There is no point in trying new events and raising money for them if we’re not trying to make a larger outreach. We must benefit our CIOs.
Black organizations can also grow outside of the black community. As funny as it seems for a black club to be not just within the black community, it does make sense. We want a wider range of prospects, a new audience, a larger pool of people to whom we advertise. If we stay only within 9 percent of the school population, how is that allowing for the CIO to grow?
Being involved in a black organization does not mean that we only recruit black members or are geared toward black audiences, but that we were created by black founders. In that respect, we must do all that we can to keep their vision alive. Our voices can only be heard if we spread it throughout the University. What change is made if we keep advertising to the same people? Those same people keep hearing the message but everyone else in the community is lost, and, sadly, many may not even know that half of us exist. When it gets down to the point of explaining every club that we are involved in to someone of another race, if their confused face only tells us that they have no idea what we are talking about, truthfully we cannot get upset because more than likely we did not reach out to them. At one period of time, it was understood that we had our own exclusive organizations. Now, there is no excuse.
Problems within the black CIOs seem to be a reoccurring issue lately. Of course, not all organizations are dealing with these issues; some have managed themselves well. On the other hand, some have to beg people to come to their events and to join and participate in their activities. Some wonder why they may not have funding. They really have to sit and ask themselves whether they are doing what is best for that group or are failing as a black community to stay on each other’s toes. Are they fulfilling the desires and needs of that CIO; better yet, are they fulfilling our positions and roles as leaders? They need to look at the mission statements of their organizations and truly follow them.
Brook Howard is the Political-Action Chair for the Black Student Alliance.
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