This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Mizzou chapter.
As most people know, February is Black History Month. Many clubs and organizations at Mizzou will have events to promote the awareness for this time of the year. Okey Ukaga is the president of one of those groups: the African Student Association. Ukaga, junior, is a nuclear medicine major from Woodbury, Minnesota.
Her Campus Mizzou: How/why did you decide to get involved with the African Student Association?
Okey Ukaga: Because one of my friends asked me to come to a meeting freshman year and in order to find an African “home-away-from-home” at Mizzou, educate Mizzou students on issues pertaining to Africa, and improving the view of Africans here on Mizzou’s campus.
HCM: What types of events does the African Student Association offer? What do you do?
OU: Events that promote African cultural awareness or relate to Africa in some degree. I mainly focus on the event I started last year, which is the ASA Talent Showcase.
HCM: With February being Black History Month, do you having any upcoming events?
OU: Yes, we do. We are participating in The International Welcome Party on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015 from 7-10 p.m. at the Mizzou Rec Center on the Brewer Courts. Also, we have a Joint Discussion Event with the Phi Rho Eta Fraternity Inc. from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015 in the GOBCC large purpose room. It will be a panel discussion with African and African-American students discussing how their culture affects their view on education and the goal is to walk away with a new positive perspective on education and use it to improve one’s educational motivation. Basically, taking someone else’s perspective and using it to help the African/African-American community as a whole improve the way we view education. And finally we have a Miss African Disapora Pageant on Feb. 28 in the Mark Twain Ballroom starting at 7 p.m.
HCM: What would a student wanting to get involved in the African Student Association need to do?
OU: Come to one of our meetings on Thursdays at 7:30 in the GOBCC’s small purpose room and request to join African Student Association on OrgSync.
HCM: Are you involved in any other organizations at Mizzou?
OU: Yes, International Programming Committee, Hope 4 Africa, College Music Committee, Mizzou’s African Center Advisory Board, and I tutor for the Student Success Center.