The Black Student Union (BSU) at Camas, as of now, is for anyone who wishes to be involved. However, BSU is going to undertake a demographic change by the 2022-2023 school year, and will try to service a target student body composed entirely of Black students. 

In order to continue to provide an organization for non-Black supporters of Camas’ minority groups like BSU and South Asian Society Association (SASA), BSU leaders Usman Manzer and Andrew Wade have helped form the Marginalized Affinity Coalition (MAC) alongside Darci Jones and music teacher Ethan Chessin, who will serve as advisors for the MAC.

“This dynamic of BSU is going to change next year for the better, and that’s why we’re creating the MAC at the same time,” said Manzer.

The demographics of BSU’s meetings are not overwhelmingly representative of Black students, their intended clientele. The MAC will seemingly fill the supportive and diverse role of the current dynamic of BSU while allowing the BSU to transform in order to be best equipped to address its interests. 

“It’s a space for students of diverse backgrounds, maybe marginalized or underrepresented backgrounds, to come together and show solidarity without being in the way of ethnic or minority groups like BSU,” said Manzer, who is also president of SASA, and a major contributor to the formation of the upcoming MAC club. 

The new club will be open to all students, including those already involved in other similar clubs. 

“MAC is going to be a group for everyone to come together, and can also be people from BSU or other clubs,” said BSU president Andrew Wade. 

The MAC will be connected with other similar clubs, but will associate and support them without distracting from their main purposes. 

“It’s essentially a space where we can collect all of the clubs together and still let the other clubs flourish,” Manzer said. 

The club is still in its infancy, and many details are yet to be set in stone. It will likely take some time and effort to build up, so for now, publicity will be reliant on students.

“Someone who’s interested in it now could promote it to other friends, and tell them what the purpose is behind MAC,” Wade said. 

Any students who are interested in social discussions like those of BSU can continue to attend meetings for the time being, and if they wish to attend, they should now, as time is running out. 

On May 25, elections for BSU, SASA, and the new MAC, will be held alongside a potluck between the groups. Any students interested in leadership for one of these clubs can attend and try to add their voice to the student body.