Spring Break
Letter from the Editor
Juontel White
Issue date: 9/17/08 Section: Letter from Editor
Dear Reader,
Fall semester has begun and while continuing students have settled into their familiar routine, new students are discovering their place at USC, wondering what impact they will make during their time here.
They wonder, 'Who can I ask for help?' 'Where do I fit in? 'How will I make a difference on campus?'
I, too, grappled with these questions and discovered answers by getting involved in black student organizations.
I easily fit into black student groups because I feel comfortable working with people who share my racial identity.
As such, I became an active member in organizations like the Annenberg Black Student Association, the Urban Literary Society and, of course, Black Voices.
I, like many black students, am proud of my involvement in black organizations and believe my work has positively impacted USC's African American community.
But, why do we as black students confine ourselves to groups specific to our race?
We have an affinity to work with people who share our racial identity, but, perhaps this is to our detriment.
In the article, "Blacking Out: Erasing the Black from Student Groups" a Black Voices writer addresses the issue of black students being exclusively involved in racially classified organizations.
The article challenges us to get involved in a variety of student groups, rather than limit ourselves to organizations within the Black Student Assembly.
Diversifying our campus involvement can enrich our Trojan experience and, moreover, increase our marketability for future jobs.
As we begin a new school year, we should nurture our affinity for USC's black community by getting and remaining involved in black student organizations.
Yet, we should also challenge ourselves to join non-racially specific groups so that our impact at USC will be greater.
Fight On!
Juontel White, Editor-in-Chief
Fall semester has begun and while continuing students have settled into their familiar routine, new students are discovering their place at USC, wondering what impact they will make during their time here.
They wonder, 'Who can I ask for help?' 'Where do I fit in? 'How will I make a difference on campus?'
I, too, grappled with these questions and discovered answers by getting involved in black student organizations.
I easily fit into black student groups because I feel comfortable working with people who share my racial identity.
As such, I became an active member in organizations like the Annenberg Black Student Association, the Urban Literary Society and, of course, Black Voices.
I, like many black students, am proud of my involvement in black organizations and believe my work has positively impacted USC's African American community.
But, why do we as black students confine ourselves to groups specific to our race?
We have an affinity to work with people who share our racial identity, but, perhaps this is to our detriment.
In the article, "Blacking Out: Erasing the Black from Student Groups" a Black Voices writer addresses the issue of black students being exclusively involved in racially classified organizations.
The article challenges us to get involved in a variety of student groups, rather than limit ourselves to organizations within the Black Student Assembly.
Diversifying our campus involvement can enrich our Trojan experience and, moreover, increase our marketability for future jobs.
As we begin a new school year, we should nurture our affinity for USC's black community by getting and remaining involved in black student organizations.
Yet, we should also challenge ourselves to join non-racially specific groups so that our impact at USC will be greater.
Fight On!
Juontel White, Editor-in-Chief