The BSU Scoop

Written by Gianna Cook BSU President

As a senior, I have witnessed the Black Student Union (BSU) transform in many ways. From freshman year when I was welcomed with open arms by the Black community, but noticed some separation and one could argue exclusivity. To abruptly leaving due to COVID, and leading the community virtually. Then returning back from a pandemic that changed our lives completely – it’s been a ride. Acknowledging all of this change, I am grateful for every road that was paved that led the BSU to where it is today. Under Devon Bradley and Peyton Wilson’s leadership from 2020- 2021, the BSU gained a whole new structure which changed the trajectory of our organization for the better. They were instrumental in creating more opportunities for leadership roles within the BSU and setting systems in place for the future and the inevitable changes of administration to come. I served as the Vice President of Marketing during that year and was able to use my skills in social media to motivate people even while we were all at home. I was able to truly see my creativity come to light through social media by hosting a quarantine Instagram live series where we discussed virtual ways to connect, and the creation of interactive stories and social media campaigns to keep the community engaged. I want students to know that innovation can start with them and that whether you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, Black or not Black, that you understand that there’s something valuable that you have to o er the GW community. Seeing the massive change we were able to accomplish virtually inspired me to run for President for the 2021-22 year. Running unopposed for the presidency and feeling the endless support from the community is something I will always value. In our 2021-22 year, I was the first Black woman president that the Black Student Union had for about five years so I had to set expectations for how we would rebuild our community. Under my leadership, I don’t want you to see my face on the work we will do, but your own. I am passionate about empowering and building leaders that understand the importance of community, especially in spaces where you may not be the majority. That is why, after thinking about how can we set the standard, our Vice President of Marketing, Telease Bowen, and I thought of the theme “Elevation Amplified.” This theme stemmed from an aim to fuel the innovation of our community and take it to the next level. We wanted to remind Black students that although we were gone for a year and a half, we have always been here and will continue to be. We persisted despite the COVID guidelines and lower event attendance rates, I encouraged my team to stay consistent because we weren’t going to give up on our community. My team last year was so instrumental in bringing Elevation Amplified to life and I am forever grateful for them. That leads us to now. I’m in my second term as president with a powerful and dynamic team. Our Executive Vice President, Drew Dodd came up with our second annual theme, “Black Renaissance: Innovation Continued.” This theme arose from the hope of building upon the work that was done in 2021- 2022 and centering a focus on the limitless creativity of our community. I realized last year that there was so much more our community had to o er. We’ve always been innovative, we’ve always been striving for this creativity, and it’s not starting over. With this new team, my goal is to show them that creativity, innovation, and the essence of the Black Renaissance can exist along a vast spectrum. My goal is that Black students feel the strength of Black life here at GW and experience all of its unique identities and nuances. I am so proud of the work we have already done and will continue to do.

PART 2: THE ROSE