Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Lichelle Byrd makes the Soul Food Social a way for students to network while enjoying traditional soul food and a live soul band.
Byrd, Vice President of the Black Student Union (BSU) at Point Park University, planned this year's Social as a way for students to make connections with people from the school as well as leaders in the community.
"It's an opportunity for students to meet people they wouldn't normally get to meet," Byrd said.
The Soul Food Social, one of the Black Student Union's (BSU) biggest fundraising events of the school year, will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 1, in Lawrence Hall lobby. The event will take place in the lobby from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
In the past, the Social was a way for BSU members unite, celebrate their culture and raise funds for their Black History Month events, but the event has turned into something more: it is a way to celebrate African American culture and meet influential community figures.
Last year, Candi Castleberry-Singleton, chief diversity director for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, spoke about the importance of diversity, and Pittsburgh jazz singer Patte Terrell performed for those in attendance. This year, Byrd said the event's focus will be on "networking with people from the community," similar to Castleberry-Singleton and Terrell. It will also be more causal than in past years, allowing students to socialize with the professionals that attend.
"We have a lot of freshmen this year," Byrd said, who will benefit from the event.
She also said the event will give them more of an idea of what they are doing such as who is out in the community, both at Point Park and in the city. The event will especially help those students who are not from the Pittsburgh area by allowing them to interact with the guests.
Marguerite Sutton, president of BSU, agreed with Byrd that the event will benefit students the most.
"[The students] will have the chance to network with professionals as well as other students that attend Point Park University that they may have not gotten the chance to meet," Sutton said.
Sutton also says that this year's event will be even more casual due to its change in venue and possible lack of a guest speaker.
"I did not want a speaker this year [because] we are moving the event from the ballroom to [the] Lawrence Hall lobby, which will give the event a more social vibe," Sutton said. "Someone brought to our attention that December 1 is National AIDS Day, so we might have someone speak [about] that because AIDS is a big issue in the African-American community."
Students look forward to the event and the opportunity to meet professionals, like Castleberry-Singleton, who could help them after graduation. Ikuma Ojok, a senior business management major, said the event is a good idea.
"It's motivation because after you graduate, you have to go somewhere," Ojok said. She adds that it helps to see people who have already been through school and are now successful in the community.
The money raised at the Soul Food Social will go toward BSU's Women's Gala, which is held in March and honors seven women who hold leadership positions in local companies and organizations or in the Point Park community.
Tickets are $10 for students from any university in the area and $20 for non-student attendees. The tickets will be sold at tables outside of the Point Cafe, at BSU meetings, by members and online at bsu.ppu@gmail.com.
