Members of BACaSO Talk about Finding a Home with the Group on Campus
February 20, 2018
Student-run clubs and organizations are at the heart of Bryn Mawr's on-campus community. Below, members of The Bryn Mawr African and Caribbean Student Organization (BACaSO), talk about the importance of the group in their lives.
Aisha Soumaoro '20
"BACaSO has become a place for me to retreat into a space where I am comfortable, with people who identify with me as an African person. So it’s been like a home for me, where I can feel comfortable and where I can let down my hair."
Anita Ntem '18
"BACaSO means that I’m getting a platform and a space to be myself, to deliberate with different peers from different cultures and to highlight preconceived notions that need to be clarified. So it’s all about celebration and education and learning how to navigate through different cultural systems."
Dezirae Gomez '20
"For me BACaSO is a space where I think Black people can come together and celebrate their culture. I think it’s a space where there’s a lot of women’s empowerment."
Farida Ilboudo'18
"BACaSO means home to me. It means there’s a space for students like me, who are willing to celebrate my culture and my people. We can all come together to be surrounded by people who look like us, support us, feel us, and help create a home and welcoming environment."
Jenisha Stapleton '19
"BACaSO is a space for me to connect, share and learn from other African and Caribbean sisters in this place that is Bryn Mawr, which sometimes feels like it lacks a representation from people of my descent or people who look like me and have had similar experiences. It’s also a place that I am able to celebrate culture and be myself."
Kamice Francis '20
"BACaSO is a space where I can be myself, which is unapologetically Jamaican and a place where I can discuss various matters on campus that I would’ve never been able to discuss otherwise, whether it’s chicken curry or curry chicken. It’s just a place I call home."
Massendie Djaby '18
"BACaSO means a home away from home. I feel like it is one of the affinity groups that I connected more with, especially with my African roots and my culture. It’s so nice to be surrounded by people that I relate to, people who listen to the same music that I do, eat the same food that I do, basically share the culture that I have when I’m at home so I love being a part of BACaSO. I love our culture shows, I just love all the events and everything that we do on campus. This is sad because I’m a senior so everything is the last thing for me but I know that BACaSO’s legacy will live on."
Among its many events, BACaSO hosts an annual Fashion and Culture Show. This year, the theme was ''This is Us" and it was preceded by the group's first art exhibition entitled ''BACaSO's Picasso: The Precursor." Visit the BACaSO Facebook page for the latest news and events from the group.
