Goshen College is known for its many student-led groups on campus, and this year, there is one in particular that’s standing out: the Black Student Union. With its lack of attendance and support last year, Tyra Carver, a junior, is determined to make significant changes to BSU.

“Last year there were events, but they weren’t advertised well,” Carver said. “People just didn’t show up. So that was our main focus this year. We made it our goal to bring not just African American students, but all students to all of our events as well.”

Carver is the president of the club, and is accompanied by Martin Banda, a senior, as vice president; Antianna Terrell, a sophomore, as secretary; and Jesse Loewen, a sophomore, as treasurer. Malcolm Aquinini, a sophomore, is currently shadowing Banda and will take over as VP of BSU for the spring semester of 2015.

“Leadership is really coming together and we’re putting all our energy in these different events we have,” Aquinini explained. “We trust each other.”

Aquinini has “a lot of passion for what [the leadership is] doing here in Black Student Union, whether it’s representing black students on campus or holding movie nights or talent shows.”

So far this year, BSU has hosted one documentary showing of “Black Power Mix Tape,” which focuses on the Black Power Movement from 1967-75. Despite First Fridays and the Peace Plays occurring the same night, 35 people attended.

“It was a good way to gauge how many people would come when there was other stuff going on, and we had a really good talk afterward,” Aquinini said.

After this first showing, Carver could already tell a difference from her experiences last year in BSU to this year.

“Instead of us asking questions and people just answering them, the people who showed up were answering more questions than we were and the discussion lasted about an hour,” Carver said. “People were actually engaged and they enjoyed the documentary.”

For Aquinini, the goal of showing the documentary was “realizing what was happening during that time and relating it to what’s happening now. How can we use some of that same energy derived from the Black Power Movement in our causes that we have today?”

Currently, BSU is transferring that energy into the planning of their annual talent show. This year it will be held in Umble Center on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. with free admission.

“We’re doing it a little different this year by partnering up with LSU and co-hosting the talent show,” Carver explained. “What we want to do is display some of the African American student talents and then some Latino student talents and from there we want to open it up to the rest of the student body as well.”

Aquinini described the show as “a platform where we can have different members show off their various talents. Sometimes they don’t feel like they have the platform to display it, and I think this is a great stage in which they can display their talents and feel comfortable doing so.”

Auditions for the show will be held in NC 19 on Oct. 22 and 23 from 7-10 p.m. each night. Anyone is welcome to audition.

More movie showings are expected to happen, as well as their annual red carpet event, which will be held sometime early next semester.

The talent is Saturday, Oct. 25 from 9-11 p.m. in Umble.  It is free and open to all. There will be an after party in Newcomer 19.