Katie Corner, Special to The Denisonian —
At 5:30 p.m. Sept. 13, Denison’s Black Student Union gathered in the basement of Smith Hall for their weekly meeting. But Friday’s meeting was far from routine, with all the couches pushed aside and “Wobble” by V.I.C. blaring from the speakers.
“This plays at every Black function. You gotta know this,” announced Andrew Laramore ‘26, a Junior Global Commerce major from Fishers, Indiana. Laramore. Laramore serves as Minister of Affairs for BSU and was the mastermind behind the Line Dancing Workshop.
“Black culture has so many iconic dances, but unless someone teaches you how to do it, you’ll be left on the sidelines. I wanted to have this event so anyone, not just Black kids, could come and learn the dances so they can always be included,” said Laramore.
Having learned the dances at family events over the years, Laramore took on the role of dance teacher for the 17 participants at the workshop. As he demonstrated the steps to “Wobble,” counting along with each movement, dancers of all levels joined in. Soon after, the sound of footsteps falling into sync and cheers for the quick-learners overpowered the music.
This fall marks 55 years of BSU’s outstanding campus leadership and support for Black and multicultural students at Denison. Since the organization was established in 1969 to help meet the needs of Denison’s then 31 Black students, BSU has worked to emphasize inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism on campus.
This past April, BSU was recognized as the Overall Campus Organization of the Year by the Community Leadership and Involvement Center and by the Center for Belonging and Inclusion. BSU and former Chief Minister Taylor Trimble ‘24 were recognized in all but one category, practically sweeping the ceremony.
Richard Brown, Associate Dean of Student Life and Director of the Center for Belonging and Inclusion, works closely with BSU and other Cross-Cultural Communities at Denison to support students who come from underrepresented backgrounds. By providing funding, hosting leadership workshops, organizing guest speakers, and planning campus-wide events, Brown said the Center’s main purpose is to showcase the effort C3 organizations make to promote a safe and diverse environment at Denison.
“Our campus is experiencing a break-down in communication. People are becoming siloed in specific groups and finding themselves in echo-chambers without diverse perspectives, but BSU is doing an outstanding job leading campus-wide conversations about biases and stereotypes, going above and beyond what is expected of a student organization so that everyone at Denison has access to education about diversity and inclusion,” said Brown.
Senior Computer Science Major and Chief Minister of BSU Adonte Mays ‘25 said the organization is hoping to engage with students from all communities this year. With events such as Implicit Bias Training and “Reaching the End Goal,” an event aimed at uplifting Black students toward their future, Mays is looking forward to another busy semester.
Though it was Laramore’s idea to host a line dancing workshop, he was not alone in teaching the choreography. DCGA Senators Taylor Thomas ‘26 and Chloe Echols ‘27, Historian Chanel Jordan ‘26, and Vice Chief Minister Thomas Coffey ‘25 helped teach dances such as Lil Man Anthem, Tamia Shuffle, and Freakbeat Hustle.
As BSU gears up for another year of programs, Brown hopes students across campus will attend events to work toward the IDEA Certificate, an achievement given by the Center to students who show commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism.
“Our world is not becoming any less diverse. That’s why I think it’s so unfortunate when students take advantage of so many things at Denison but never engage with IDEA,” said Brown.
Echols, who serves as a representative for BSU in the DCGA senate, says it’s inspiring to see people that look like her have such a significant impact on campus, and that it’s rewarding to create a space where she, and others, can feel secure in their blackness. For Echols, being a part of BSU has allowed her to help bring people with shared experiences together, and for that, she is proud.
“And, BSU is just fun!” said Echols. “I always have fun here; it’s a great space with great people. It’s all love, and I think that’s the most important thing to have in the world right now.”