Thursday evening, the Epsilon Lambda chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity drew more than 60 students to this year’s Black Man Think Tank in Baker Ballroom.
The event centered on the lack of unity among minorities and came soon after a hiatus in the fraternity’s social events.
“The purpose of this year’s event was to get the multicultural community to come together, because people have been noticing that there’s been a slow downslide of unity in the community,” said Brandon Tramble, the historian for the fraternity and a junior studying exercise physiology.
Tramble, who coordinated the event’s theme of working to be proactive rather than reactionary, said the fraternity’s regular social events came to a halt after they were accused of “misuse of the university’s facilities.”
“The university had a problem with the image that some social events had on the campus as far as ice breakers and on-campus parties,” Tramble said, adding that the halt in social events is a contributing factor to the lack of unity within the community.
Four panelists joined the event to help drive the discussion. Comprising the panel were Brandi Baker, coordinator of Multicultural Retention Services; Cecil Walters, director of the Office of Multicultural Student Access and Retention; Charlene Kopchick, assistant dean of students; and Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, associate director at the Multicultural Center.
The panelists led conversations about leadership and the power students have to remain a connected community despite recent obstacles.
“If you’re sitting in this seat at Ohio University, you’re a leader. You’re in a leadership position,” Baker said.
Also featured at the event was Bobby Scruggs, a 1982 OU alumnus and 1979 Kappa Alpha Psi initiate. Scruggs spoke to attendees about the value of their roles as leaders within their communities and the community at OU.
“I would challenge you to look at community beyond this room and beyond people who look like you,” Scruggs said.
Overall, Tramble said he felt the event accomplished what he set out to achieve — sparking debate and promoting renewed community awareness.
“Even if you feel like you didn’t leave with something, in actuality, you did in my opinion,” Tramble said. “Because now you’re conscience of (the problem).”
sg409809@ohiou.edu
