The Black Student Union (BSU) at University City hosted a beach cookout event on the quad at the UCity campus Oct. 3 where students could share food, participate in games and listen to music.
TaLeah Patterson ’26, UCity BSU president, said members of the organization wanted to squeeze in one last summer event.
“Since summer is ending, we wanted to do something before it gets cold,” Patterson said. “We have a lot of internationals here, so we thought we’d bring a fun activity for them.”
Patterson said the event was partially aimed at including international students so they could try American barbecue.
Hannah Skariya ’26, public relations chair for International Society, an organization that celebrates the diversity of UCity students, attended the BSU cookout and said the event is helpful in bringing new experiences to international students.
“You get to experience other things like new food,” Skariya said. “A lot of the foreign exchange students haven’t had American food. It’s also a good way to meet other people.”
Ryan Alim ’25, who attended the cookout, said the cookout was enlightening because it gave him a space to hang out with friends, meet new people and listen to music in an atmosphere without pressure.
“I think music has a lot of power,” Alim said. “Right now, I think we are playing a lot more laid back but still enjoyable music. Everybody feels comfortable to talk, and you can still hear the music but it’s background noise.”
Janorie Bucknor ’26, secretary of UCity BSU, served food to students and said it takes work to prepare for an event like this.
“We had to book The Quad, make sure we had the chairs and everything in time,” Bucknor said. “You have to be ready for anything, but it always turns out beautifully, so it’s worth it.”
Bucknor and Patterson said they used Instagram, flyers, word of mouth and an e-mail list to spread the word about events on both Hawk Hill and University City campuses.
“I just hope that everyone will feel a sense of community,” Bucknor said. “There’s rumors that the campus is getting smaller but this is a testament that there’s still people here and we can all get together and enjoy each other, take a break from all the school work.”
