February 24, 2023
2023 Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government Awards
Submitted by Kevin Santos Flores
K-State’s Black Student Union had a successful conference last week when they hosted the 2023 Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government: "Health, Wealth and Knowledge of Self" in the K-State Student Union from Feb. 16-18.
There was an air of excitement and joy as students arrived on Thursday evening for the opening ceremony. The last time that Kansas State University hosted the conference was in 2013, and the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the conference from being held in person the last few years.
K-State's Black Student Union, officers and advisor won numerous awards at the 46th annual Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government. The Black Student Union received the Clarence Wine Award for Most Outstanding Black Student Union in the Big 12 for 2023 and 2022. The K-State Black Student Union has now won this award 14 of the last 18 years.
Several K-State students received awards from the Big 12 Council on Black Student Government. Christopher Burrell, president of the Black Student Union, received the Martin Luther King Jr. Award. Serenity Holmes, secretary of the Black Student Union, received the Barbara Jordan Award. Negil McPherson III, treasurer of the Black Student Union, received the Alvin Ailey Award. Noah McPherson received the Dyric Burt Award for Most Outstanding Freshman in the Big 12. Brandon Clark, current advisor for the Black Student Union, received the Brenda Burt Award for Most Outstanding Advisor in the Big 12.
"I read and heard feedback from some of the presenters and students about how much they enjoyed attending the conference and that it was one of the best conferences that they had attended," said Kevin Santos Flores, director of diversity and multicultural student life.
The success of this conference could have not happened without the generous support of the Diversity and Multicultural Student Affairs Department, the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President, the Office of the Vice President for Student Life, the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, the College of Health and Human Sciences, the Staley School of Leadership, K-State Libraries, the Dow Center for Multicultural and Community Studies, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business Administration, the College of Architecture, Planning & Design, Hormel Foods, Phillips 66, Cargill, Commerce Bank and BNSF Railway.