BUS, SALSA hope to help one another

Spanish and Latino Student Association and Black United Students will converge in a discussion tonight to address issues the groups face and to unite minorities.

The discussion will take place at 7 p.m. in the lecture hall of Oscar Ritchie Hall.

When SALSA and BUS were going strong, there were rumors of tensions among the groups, said SALSA President Jeanette Reyes.

“It’s been a roller coaster ride,” BUS President Dylan Sellers said.

The event “puts us on a new path of unity,” Reyes said. Hispanic/Latino and black culture are similar, so the forum is meant to see where commonalities are and start up teamwork among the organizations.

Sellers said by establishing a relationship, the two groups can stop battling for resources and instead use the same ones. Also, bringing together the minorities on campus creates “power in numbers,” he said.

Some of the issues that will be addressed are the dropout rate among minorities, how the media represent minorities and the lack of minority representation at Kent State.

Reyes said she encourages black and Hispanic/Latino students to come, but also those who want to tackle the issues that minorities face.

Contact diversity reporter Kelly Petryszyn at [email protected].