On August 29, students were welcomed with an African American Student Connection event. The African American Student Connection was a mixer that welcomed the incoming African American students to Elgin Community College with several students and faculty members attending.

Students and faculty members were given the opportunity to mingle, eat food, and learn more about Black Student Achievers (BSA), and of different events that were scheduled for this academic school year.

For Jemel Townsend, Director of Digital Technologies, noticed that this Fall connection varied from the others in the past. Previously, Fall connections were centered around staff and faculty from different areas of the college presenting information while the audience sits passively and receives the information.

“This Connection was created with the idea of maximum networking and engagement from participants to make the event more active!  Although this was the first time we have attempted this new format, it was tremendously successful,” said Townsend.

The event had sixty students and twenty-nine staff members in attendance. Brittany Barber, Student Life Coordinator for Targeted Populations, believes that promotion was key to the turn out, as well as the involvement of BSA.

“This was the biggest turn out we ever had, and it speaks to the direct involvement of BSA, it was within the second week of school on a Tuesday, and we had not even a week an half to promote this event, while I used all the connections from last year, BSA is what helped this event be successful,” said Barber.

ECC alumni and singer Char McCallister performed at the event. She also then spoke about her music career, and shared her story of homelessness alongside many different issues. McCallister encouraged students to not give up on their dreams and performed her original song “Dreams.”

One particular thing that happened at the event was “Connection Bingo.” In this version of Bingo, students and faculty went around the room and filled out a bingo sheet by speaking to one anther and finding out information about them. Whenever someone filled out the Bingo sheet, they were given five chances to win a raffle.

BSA also spoke and informed faculty members of what their group had planned for the future. Upcoming BSA Events include a Historically Black Colleges and Universities Fair, some community service events, and many more.

Barber hopes that this event showed students that they belong here that they are safe on this campus.

“I hope the students get that this is more than just a campus, it is a community, I am a person that acknowledges that safe spaces exist and are necessary but I also believe that wherever I set my feet I should feel safe especially when I am on campus, so this event is designed to help students feel like they belong here, no matter where you set your feet on campus, so you don’t have to retreat to a cubicle space, you should feel welcome wherever you are,” said Barber.

Townsend hopes that African American students know that they are welcomed at ECC, with all the support from fellow students and faculty.

“I hope that students get the sense that they are welcome and supported from this event!  I hope that from the moment that they walk in the doors to the second that they leave that they realize that there is a community of individuals here at ECC for the sole purpose to help them to be successful,” said Townsend.