{"id":13231,"date":"2026-02-25T21:27:49","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T21:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/?p=13231"},"modified":"2026-02-25T21:28:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T21:28:23","slug":"la-union-de-estudiantes-afroamericanos-construye-comunidad-en-owens-community-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/25\/la-union-de-estudiantes-afroamericanos-construye-comunidad-en-owens-community-college\/","title":{"rendered":"La Uni\u00f3n de Estudiantes Afroamericanos Construye Comunidad en Owens Community College"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13232 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy-300x186.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Por Dr. Linda Alvarado-Arce<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Cuando Lynnishia Foster comenz\u00f3 sus clases en el Owens Community College en enero de 2024, vio una lista de clubes del campus que inclu\u00eda una Uni\u00f3n de Estudiantes Afroamericanos. Sin embargo, hab\u00eda un problema: nadie sab\u00eda nada al respecto. Foster decidi\u00f3 actuar al respecto, revitalizando la Uni\u00f3n de Estudiantes Afroamericanos (BSU) y ejerciendo como presidenta. Ahora es vicepresidenta y trabaja para dejar la BSU en un mejor lugar que cuando la encontr\u00f3. &#8220;Nuestro objetivo principal es: &#8216;\u00bfC\u00f3mo ser\u00e1 esto cuando la heredemos?&#8217; Cada paso se hace pensando en las pr\u00f3ximas personas que tomar\u00e1n la posta,&#8221; dijo Foster.<\/p>\n<p>La participaci\u00f3n en la BSU y otras organizaciones estudiantiles registradas disminuy\u00f3 debido a la falta de inter\u00e9s estudiantil, pero gracias a los esfuerzos de Foster y otros estudiantes, estas organizaciones est\u00e1n resurgiendo.<\/p>\n<p>Para Foster, la presidenta de la BSU, Chalisa Rocker, y el tesorero, Isaiah Brenneman, la BSU se basa en tres ideas principales: representaci\u00f3n, comunidad y creaci\u00f3n de redes. \u201cQueremos asegurarnos de que nos escuchen,\u201d dijo Rocker. \u201cEstar rodeado de personas que no se parecen a ti puede ser intimidante. Tener ese espacio y sentirse como en casa y en comunidad es importante.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brenneman a\u00f1adi\u00f3 que se trata de estar en un lugar donde te sientas c\u00f3modo. \u201cNo es algo descabellado, es simple, pero a veces lo simple importa,\u201d dijo Brenneman. \u201cDamos a estudiantes la oportunidad de reunirse y conectar, que quiz\u00e1s no se conoc\u00edan antes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A trav\u00e9s de esas conexiones, el grupo se est\u00e1 extendiendo a la comunidad de Owens y m\u00e1s all\u00e1. Organizan eventos para recaudar fondos, eventos educativos, eventos de divulgaci\u00f3n estudiantil y oportunidades para establecer contactos. Recientemente, tambi\u00e9n comenzaron a colaborar como voluntarios con Connecting Kids to Meals, una organizaci\u00f3n en Toledo que sirve comidas gratuitas a ni\u00f1os de 18 a\u00f1os o menos. Tambi\u00e9n han organizado varios eventos durante el Mes de la Historia Afroamericana, incluyendo una venta de galletas. Presentar\u00e1n una mesa redonda sobre el equilibrio entre la vida laboral y personal el martes 17 de febrero, el segundo almuerzo anual Taste of Soul el jueves 26 de febrero y la proyecci\u00f3n y debate de la pel\u00edcula &#8220;The Great Debaters&#8221; el viernes 27 de febrero.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Puede que seamos un colegio comunitario, pero seguimos siendo una universidad, y todos deber\u00edan tener la experiencia universitaria,&#8221; dijo Brenneman. &#8220;Tenemos que encontrar la manera de que los estudiantes tengan esa experiencia, aunque no vivan en el campus. &#8220;Por eso queremos organizar estos eventos y reunir a la gente. Es bueno para la universidad: que reunamos a estos estudiantes y les brindemos una experiencia divertida en Owens; al salir, podr\u00e1n decir: &#8216;Tuve una experiencia divertida en Owens&#8217;. No solo mejora la imagen de la Uni\u00f3n de Estudiantes Afroamericano, sino tambi\u00e9n la de Owens en general.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Troy Brown, gerente de reclutamiento de Owens, y Janice Hall, reclutadora de admisiones de Owens, son los asesores del personal de la BSU. Seg\u00fan Brown, contar con una organizaci\u00f3n como la BSU es vital para fomentar el sentido de pertenencia entre los estudiantes de la universidad. \u201cLa esencia y el esp\u00edritu de las organizaciones de la Uni\u00f3n de Estudiantes Afroamericanos de la universidad surgieron de la exclusi\u00f3n de los estudiantes pertenecientes a minor\u00edas de las organizaciones universitarias tradicionales. De hecho, la primera BSU fue reconocida en 1966 en la Universidad Estatal de San Francisco,\u201d afirm\u00f3 Brown.\u201cLas investigaciones demuestran que los estudiantes universitarios subrepresentados que tienen una conexi\u00f3n personal con su campus tienden a tener \u00e9xito porque acceden a los diversos recursos acad\u00e9micos disponibles. Organizar eventos y oportunidades para reunirse y unirse mejora la experiencia de priorizar al estudiante aqu\u00ed en Owens Community College.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>La BSU en Owens es una organizaci\u00f3n inclusiva y de membres\u00eda abierta, seg\u00fan Rocker. No es necesario que los estudiantes sean de ascendencia afroamericana para participar. Para ella, es importante ver a los estudiantes salir y experimentar las tradiciones y la cultura de diversos or\u00edgenes. &#8220;No somos solo para nosotros, somos para otras personas que quieren conocer nuestra cultura. Es necesario aprender sobre otras personas y otras etnias.&#8221; \u201cQueremos poder conectar y sentir compasi\u00f3n por los dem\u00e1s,\u201d dijo Rocker.<\/p>\n<p>Rocker, Foster y Brenneman est\u00e1n aportando una energ\u00eda y un enfoque renovados a la BSU. Rocker coment\u00f3 que uno de sus mensajes constantes es crear una base s\u00f3lida para la organizaci\u00f3n, de modo que pueda transmitirse a un nuevo grupo de l\u00edderes y continuar creciendo y prosperando. \u201cQueremos asegurarnos de tener una base s\u00f3lida para poder transmitirla y que perdure, para que cuando nos graduemos, no se quede inactiva,\u201d dijo Rocker. Brown afirm\u00f3 que su impacto puede trascender la BSU y llegar a la comunidad afroamericana en general.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSon l\u00edderes serviciales que exigen la excelencia para nuestro campus y nuestra comunidad,\u201d dijo Brown. \u201cLa BSU est\u00e1 proporcionando una base s\u00f3lida en estrategias de liderazgo transformacional, compartido y adaptativo para nuestros estudiantes. Estas habilidades innatas les ayudar\u00e1n a construir nuestra comunidad a largo plazo.\u201d Puede obtener m\u00e1s informaci\u00f3n sobre la organizaci\u00f3n Black Student y otras organizaciones estudiantiles registradas en owens.edu.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Acerca de OWENS COMMUNITY COLLEGE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Owens Community College ha servido al noroeste de Ohio desde 1965 como una instituci\u00f3n acreditada de educaci\u00f3n superior de dos a\u00f1os, subvencionada por el estado, con una pol\u00edtica de admisi\u00f3n abierta. A trav\u00e9s de una educaci\u00f3n intencional, adaptativa y empoderamiento, Owens ofrece m\u00e1s de 160 programas acad\u00e9micos para ser la primera opci\u00f3n de estudiantes, empleadores y la comunidad. Como un medio para mejorar vidas, Owens crea caminos hacia el \u00e9xito. Para m\u00e1s informaci\u00f3n, visite www.owens.edu.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Black Student Union Building Community at Owens<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When Lynnishia Foster started classes at Owens Community College in January 2024, she saw a list of campus clubs with the Black Student Union on it.<\/p>\n<p>One problem, though \u2014 no one knew anything about it.<\/p>\n<p>Foster decided to do something about it, revitalizing the Black Student Union (BSU) and serving as the president. She\u2019s now the vice president and working to leave the BSU in a better place than when she found it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe main goal for us is, \u2018What is this going to look like when we pass it down?\u2019 Every move is thinking about the next people who will take the torch,\u201d Foster said.<\/p>\n<p>Participation in the BSU and other registered student organizations waned because of lack of student interest, but thanks to the efforts of Foster and other students, those organizations are making a comeback.<\/p>\n<p>For Foster, BSU president Chalisa Rocker and treasurer Isaiah Brenneman, the BSU is about three main ideas: representation, community and networking.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to make sure we\u2019re heard,\u201d Rocker said. \u201cIf you\u2019re around people who don\u2019t look like you, it can be intimidating. Having that space and feeling at home and community is important.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brenneman added that is about being somewhere you can feel comfortable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not something that\u2019s too crazy, it\u2019s simple, but sometimes simple matters,\u201d Brenneman said. \u201cWe give students the opportunity to come together and connect that may have not known each other before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Through those connections, the group is reaching out into the Owens community and beyond. They host fundraisers, educational events, student outreach events and networking opportunities. They\u2019ve also recently began volunteering with Connecting Kids to Meals, an organization in Toledo that serves no-cost meals to kids ages 18 and younger.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ve also hosted various events throughout Black History Month, including a cookie sale. They\u2019re presenting a panel discussion on work-life balance on Tuesday, February 17, the second annual Taste of Soul lunch on Thursday, February 26, and a screening and discussion of the movie \u201cThe Great Debaters\u201d on Friday, February 27.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe might be a community college, but we\u2019re still a college, and everyone should have the college experience,\u201d Brenneman said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to find a way for students to have that experience even though they\u2019re not living on campus.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s why we want to host these events and get people together. That\u2019s good for the college, us getting these students together and giving them a fun experience at Owens, when they leave, they can say, \u2018I had a fun experience at Owens.\u2019 Not only does it boost the image of the Black Student Union but for Owens overall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Troy Brown, Owens manager of recruitment, and Janice Hall, Owens admissions recruiter, serve as the staff advisors for the BSU. According to Brown, having an organization like the BSU is vitally important to provide a sense of belonging for students at the college.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe essence and spirit of the college and university Black Student Union organizations rose from minority students being excluded from traditional college campus organizations. In fact, the first BSU was recognized in 1966 at San Francisco State University,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cResearch shows that underrepresented college students that have a personal connection to their campus and tend to be successful students because they are accessing the various academic resources that are available. Hosting events and opportunities to gather and unite enhances the student-first experience here at Owens Community College.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2014MORE \u2014<\/p>\n<p>The BSU at Owens is an all-inclusive, open-membership organization, according to Rocker. Students do not need to be of African American heritage to participate. For her, it\u2019s important to see students step out and experience the traditions and culture of various backgrounds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not just for us, we\u2019re for other people who want to know about our culture. You need to learn about other people and other ethnicities. We want to be able to relate or have compassion for other people,\u201d Rocker said.<\/p>\n<p>Rocker, Foster and Brenneman are bringing a renewed energy and focus to the BSU. Rocker said one of her consistent messages is to create a strong foundation for the organization to so it can be passed on to a new set of leaders and continue to grow and thrive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to make sure we have a solid foundation so we can pass it on and have that longevity, so that when we graduate, it doesn\u2019t go dormant,\u201d Rocker said.<\/p>\n<p>Brown said their impact can reach beyond the BSU and into the African American community at large.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are servant leaders who demand excellence for our campus and our community,\u201d Brown said. \u201cBSU is providing a solid foundation in transformational, shared and adaptive leadership strategies for our students. These innate skills will help them build our community in the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can learn more about the Black Student and other registered student organizations at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.owens.edu\/student-activities\/rso\/\">owens.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>###<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>About OWENS COMMUNITY COLLEGE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Owens Community College has served Northwest Ohio since 1965 as an accredited two-year, state-assisted institution of higher education with an open-door admission policy. Through intentional, adaptive and empowering education, Owens offers more than 160 academic programs to be the first choice for students, employers and the community. As a conduit to changing lives for the better, Owens creates pathways for success. For more information, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.owens.edu\">www.owens.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Por Dr. Linda Alvarado-Arce Cuando Lynnishia Foster comenz\u00f3 sus clases en el Owens Community College en enero de 2024, vio una lista de clubes del campus que inclu\u00eda una Uni\u00f3n de Estudiantes Afroamericanos. Sin embargo, hab\u00eda un problema: nadie sab\u00eda nada al respecto. Foster decidi\u00f3 actuar al respecto, revitalizando la Uni\u00f3n de Estudiantes Afroamericanos (BSU)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13232,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_rtcl_gb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[300],"class_list":["post-13231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"aioseo_notices":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy.jpg",700,433,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy.jpg",700,433,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy.jpg",700,433,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy-300x186.jpg",300,186,true],"large":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy.jpg",640,396,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy.jpg",700,433,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy.jpg",700,433,false],"rtcl-gallery":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy.jpg",700,433,false],"rtcl-thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy-320x240.jpg",320,240,true],"rtcl-gallery-thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy-150x105.jpg",150,105,true],"psacp-medium":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy-500x433.jpg",500,433,true],"rpwe-thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Owens-BSU-copy-45x45.jpg",45,45,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"LaPrensa Newspaper","author_link":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/author\/laprensa\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/category\/articles\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Articles<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Por Dr. Linda Alvarado-Arce Cuando Lynnishia Foster comenz\u00f3 sus clases en el Owens Community College en enero de 2024, vio una lista de clubes del campus que inclu\u00eda una Uni\u00f3n de Estudiantes Afroamericanos. Sin embargo, hab\u00eda un problema: nadie sab\u00eda nada al respecto. Foster decidi\u00f3 actuar al respecto, revitalizando la Uni\u00f3n de Estudiantes Afroamericanos (BSU)","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13231"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13233,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13231\/revisions\/13233"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13231"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=13231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}