This is a new semester here at Northern, and I am looking forward to a wonderful semester. We did not have a very pretty semester last year, and we all felt the tension and the unrest that came about because of the “racial” incidents on campus. I put the word racial in quotation marks because many students on this campus felt that these incidents were not racial, but just misunderstandings. Whatever they were, I hope that we can put all of these things behind us, and get on to bigger and better things.

When the new year rolls around, people often try to make things right in their lives, and they make resolutions. I was criticized in the Star the day before Christmas break for the use of the word “pissed.” I never had a chance to say anything about that, and I would like to now.

My job is to not only to be one of the spokespersons for the black community here at NIU but to also let everyone know how they feel when an uncomfortable situation arises. If you asked the people in the crowd at the anti-racism rally how they felt that day, they would not just say that they were “very concerned” or that they were “a little upset.” No, I’m sorry to say that they were in fact, “PISSED OFF.”

I have been accused of many things; in fact I’ve been called a racist myself. I’m sure that the white individuals who are my friends know that that accusation has no validity at all. I have never excluded anyone from anything that I am involved in because they were not black. I know that none of the “black” organizations on this campus do that either. I think Matt Brady (who always has something interesting to say) and his friends needed to do their homework before they made the comment about whites not being allowed in black greek organizations. Did you know that John Quilico, who is white, is not any president of Lincoln Hall’s BSC, but he just became a member of the black fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha Inc.? (By the way, I’m very proud of you John.)

I have wonderful plans for this semester! I am looking for people to volunteer two hours a week to tutor students in any subject. If you have a specialty, and if you are really great in your major, come on down. We will arrange times for you to be at the Center for Black Studies to help out students. Once I get the schedule arranged, I will put out fliers to let students know when to come in to the center to get help in their classes. I am also planning poetry readings on Thursday nights at the center for all who are interested. We have a large calendar of events for Black Heritage Month, and Feb. 1 is red, black and green day. This will be a wonderful semester, and I don’t want to have any repeats of last semester. No one should have to worry about the color of their skin when they are trying to get an education. This is just one of the things that give this school a bad name that can be eliminated.

Tracy Lynn Deis

sophomore

English/black studies

BSU President