This year was a trial period for the BEU contest. “I was trying to follow the model of the student council’s door decorating door decorating contest in December, but we had much different results,” she continued. The main problem with these events is that many students do not participate. “I do not think enough people participate. We are a small club with few participants. A lot of these events and activities fall on me as the sponsor.” stated Ms. Harper. Although the contest had many great door entries, BEU plans to make changes to increase participation in coming years. Ms. Harper further explained, “For the door decorating contest, I think I would extend the decoration window. Instead of it all needing to be done in one day, give classes a week to decorate perhaps. I also think I won’t limit it to 2nd-period classes.” 

In many cases participation can be an issue for many club related events. Ms. Harper wrote, “I would like to see more involvement all around.  Students need to pay attention to video announcements, hallway displays, and Schoology posts to make sure they know what opportunities exist.” BEU has many ideas for future events. Ms. Harper continued “I have TONS of ideas for Black History Month and beyond (movie screenings, guest speakers, cultural dinners, etc.), but I need participants in my club and events before any of those things can take off the ground.”

In the end, BEU has many plans and just needs students to attend. The major takeaways from the Black History Month events are there’s change happening even now.  Many of the more popular clubs only function because of the involvement from the building. Should one join the club? Is the club open at all? Do I have the time to join the club? These are just common questions that students may ask frequently. Students like learning about other cultures, while also having fun and having excellent opportunities, are encouraged to join Black Excellence United. The club is one that can be joined regardless of race or ethnicity; it is somewhere where you can be you and learn. BEU has some exciting ideas for future events during Black History Month, but… “All great achievements require time” (Maya Angelou).