For the first time, Iowa State’s Black Student Alliance won the Best Black Student Government Award, given out by the Big Eight Council on Black Student Government.

Meron Wondwosen, president of BSA, said the award is the result of hard work on the part of ISU’s black students.

“The Black Student Alliance cabinet has worked very hard for this award. I was very fortunate to have an adviser in the cabinet that is very supportive and proactive and is willing to bring forth issues which are of concern to the African-American community on campus,” she said.

BSA is ISU’s form of black student government. For the past two years it won Most Improved Black Student Government Award. Kansas State won the Best Black Student Government Award last year. Oklahoma won it the year before.

Wondwosen said ISU’s BSA is a “highly proactive” group and has sponsored many activities on campus.

Kyle Pierce served as president of BSA for the two years prior to Wondwosen. “I was very happy that we won. I think we deserved it. I think it says a lot about how we’re being a proactive black student government,” he said.

For the award, black student governments are judged on political involvement, being proactive and organization.

This year’s BSA activities include bringing several speakers to campus (Jesse Jackson, Angela Davis, Michael Dyson), supporting The September 29th Movement, publishing the black newsletter Uhuru, organizing a silent march last spring to protest the name of Catt Hall, community service and cleaning up the Black Cultural Center at 517 Welch Avenue.

Wondwosen said BSA members made a book to document their activities and submitted it to the judges and other universities who participated in the Big Eight Conference on Black Student Government over the weekend.

“I feel like BSA has done a lot and we will continue to do a lot, and I’m happy we got some recognition,” Pierce said.