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Part of BSU Forum Discusses Black Concerns, April 22, 1988

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BSU Forum Discusses Black Concerns
gathered to witness the forum .
By WILUAM SHERIDAN
Spectrum Staff Reporter

In preparation for the
organization's upcoming officer
elections, the Black Student Union
held an open forum for its
candidates Wednesday evening in
Diefendorf Hall.
Participating in the forum were
10 candidates looking to occupy five
positions within the BSU. Former
Student Association Vice President
Oswaldo Mestre and Terry Lindsay
are campaigning for president,
while Curt Young and Alphonso
Champagne are vying for the vice
president post.
The race for treasurer features
Antoinette Ransom, Roscoe
Henderson and Sandra Chase.
Nicole Thompson and Scott
Norman are both looking to win the
position of activities coordinator.
Elections Coordinator Stacy
Glover presided over the forum,
which fe at ured introductory
speeches from each of t he
candidates and a question and
answer session, during which each
candidate fielded questions
concerning their campaigns from
Glover himself. The candidates
then responded to questions from
the group of about 55 which

Similar goals
The platforms of the individual
candidates are remarkably similar,
as are the issues at hand. Many of
the nominees cited the need for
improved lines of communication,
both within the black community
and between the BSU and other
University organizations.
' ' To be effective as an
organization... we need to establish
a free flow of communication
(within the BSU)," Young said.
Young's opponent for vice
president, Alphonso Champagne,
agreed by including ''lack of
communication" as one of the
major problems facing the BSU
today.
Another area of concern among
many of the office-seekers is the
morale of black students at UB .
Coordinator candidate Nicole
Thompson explained that "in order
to succeed, we need to have the
involvement of the students. They
must give us ideas and feedback,
negative or otherwise."
Her opponent, Scott Norman,
concurred.
"There are over 1,300 black
students currently attending UB,"
Norman said. "If even half of these
students attended a BSU activity, it
would be a major success."

Champagne called student
morale "very poor, and .. .in
desperate need of change.'' The way
to achieve this change, according to
presidential candidate Terry
Lindsay (who ran for Student
Association President during the
recent general electionsr, is to
''heighten the consciousness of
black students at UB. "

General issues of concern
Some of the candidates touched
upon issues pertaining not only to
the University's black community,
but -to all blacks in general.
''What we need to do is revitalize
the black culture as a whole," said
treasurer candidate Ransom, "not
just here at UB but throughout the
country."
Meanwhile, Young sought to
increase awareness of the South
African situation.
"What's going on in South Africa
is modern slavery, no matter what
anyone might call it, he said . "We
must work toward freeing our
brothers in South Africa. ' '
Voting takes place April 27 to 29,
and while the results won't be
known until then, at least one
candidate is confident of victory.
"Judging from the amount of
work I've done," said presidential
candidate Oswaldo Mestre, ''I've
already won ."
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