Bringing Black Students Together

BSU Fosters Community

Noah Kneuer, Staff Writer // March 30, 2026

Photo provided by Princess Bell-Gam.

With over 3500 students, Seven Lakes fosters a multitude of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds from across the globe. Black Student Union (BSU) holds itself as a community that brings students of African backgrounds to celebrate their identity and connect with each other on a deeper level.

“It’s a safe space and it fosters a sense of community between the students,” BSU President Princess Bell-Gam said. “There’s music playing [and] we usually have a slideshow for informational meetings, or we just have little cute get-togethers.”

The club welcomes people of different Black identities including African, African American, and Afro-Carribean. Having this inclusivity makes it easy for students to connect themselves with other students, allowing them to make friends along the way and feel included in school.

“When I joined freshman year, I didn’t know a lot of people, especially people that looked like me,” Bell-Gam. “When I joined the BSU, I felt most connected to [the people who] were there.”

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There’s also multiple events hosted by the club, including the annual performance during the Spring Pep Rally and a potluck event that’s done with BSUs from other schools in the district.

“It’s always been a lot of fun,” junior Charis Uwerikowe said. “I’m looking forward to this year. It’s always been a lot of fun to share the experience of our BSU with others.”

The club’s unity also gives Black students a way to feel connected when faced with struggles.

“There’s a sense of belonging you get from being in the same room as people who know your struggle and who have gone through similar situations,” Uwerikowe said. “There’s also a comfort in learning how to deal with and handle the emotions that come with encountering them.”

People who are thinking about joining the club are encouraged to try out the club to see if it suits them.

“You ask questions, you get help and you collaborate with people like you,” Uwerikowe said. “Even if you’re not good at talking or you don’t feel comfortable staring for the first few times, we can help create connections.”

About the Contributor

Noah Kneuer, Staff Writer

Noah is a junior in his first year in The Torch. He was accidentally admitted to the SLHS press, but he liked the mistake so much that he decided to join his school’s newspaper. “What could possibly go wrong?” he said. He’s quite the character, often lazy; he likes to do his assignments early, then be lazy, or be lazy and do them late. You can catch him stealing the USAF’s F-15 EX “Strike Eagle”, the Luftwaffe’s Eurofighter “Typhoon”, or the JASDF’s F2A “Viper Zero”. And occasionally, swimming in IKEA’s stuffed animals.