An ISU student organization made its mark at a regional conference last month.

Iowa State’s Black Student Alliance received two awards at the annual Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government held Feb. 20 to 23 in Norman, Okla. The ISU BSA took home the Most Improved Council Award and Shelley Whitehead earned Outstanding Sophomore of the Year honors.

Bradford Johnson, BSA president and senior in meteorology, said the conference was a success for his organization.

“I’m proud of everybody,” he said “It was a collective effort.”

Johnson said 1,000 students attended the conference, including non-Big 12 schools like Drake University and the University of Minnesota.

Johnson said Iowa State’s BSA was the most improved because of strides it has made in increasing membership since last fall.

“At the beginning of the year we had just four cabinet members,” he said. Johnson said 16 members are required for a full cabinet and delegation at the conference. “We were a dying organization.”

The organization was founded in 1968 as a means of activism for black students.

Johnson said one thing BSA did to improve membership was co-sponsor a party at the beginning of the year with the Pan-Hellenic Council.

“That was a massive plug that got more freshmen and sophomores involved,” he said.

Johnson said there are now about 35 members in BSA, up from last year’s 15 members.

“It’s a dramatic improvement as far as that goes,” he said.

One of the four cabinet members at the beginning of the Fall 2002 semester was Whitehead, sophomore in marketing. She said it was discouraging to see original cabinet members dropping out.

“It was looking like BSA would not be very productive,” she said. “We had to do something quick or BSA would die for a year.”

Whitehead said the group held elections and concentrated on freshman retention as a means for increasing membership.

Whitehead said her active involvement in community and campus activities helped her win the Outstanding Sophomore of the Year award. She said she wrote an essay about her commitment to community service and education in order to win the $1,000 scholarship. She serves as a Big 12 Delegate for BSA and participates in BSA community service and campus activities such as upcoming multicultural events planned for this year’s Veishea celebration.

Whitehead said she got involved with BSA for many reasons.

“I saw it as a home away from home; a place to be surrounded by positive African-Americans who are committed to the upliftment and achievement of the black community,” she said.

According to the conference’s Web site, www.ou.edu/bsabigxii/bsabigxii2003.htm, the Most Improved Award is given to the university who has attempted to improve and has a visibly better Black Student Government. Outstanding Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior Awards are given to outstanding black students who have contributed and assisted in the success of Black Student Government.

In 2000, BSA earned the award of Best Black Student Government and several Iowa State students have won awards for the outstanding student in the past, Johnson said.

Johnson said BSA still seeks social and political advancement for black students and increased diversity on campus.