Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents
- How do I join BSU?
- Where is BSU located?
- How can I get involved?
- What is the advantage to having an active membership ?
- Do you have to be a UW student to be a member?
- How do I use Paypal ?
- Do you have to be Black to be in BSU?
- What types of community service does BSU provide?
- What are typical meetings like?
- Is there anything like new student support services provided by BSU?
How do I join BSU ?
Easy. There are two kinds of membership. First there are active members who have registered and have a membership card. Second, there are inactive members who are not registered and may not vote, but still may attend meetings. To become an active member you must fill out the membership packet and pay dues of $10 to our treasurer. You will then receive a membership card and be
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Where is the BSU located ?
In the Black room of the Ethnic Cultural Center.
Ethnic Cultural Center
3931 Brooklyn Ave NE
Box 355650
Seattle, WA 98195.
Directions:
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I-5 North or South take exit #169 NE45th Street.
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Make a right (from I5 South) or a left (from I5 North) onto 45th.
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Make a right onto Brooklyn Avenue. You will go through three intersections before you arrive at Campus Parkway.
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The ECC is on the corner of Campus Parkway and Brooklyn Avenue. Across the street is parking lot W12.
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How Can I get involved ?
This is also easy. We are always in need of more helpers. There are four standing committees - the Community Outreach Committee, the Communications Committee, the Recruitment Committee and the Finance Committee (go to the link to learn more about what each one does). Choose the one that interests you the most. Then find out when the meet and start going!
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What is the advantage to having an active membership ?
Without an active membership you are unable to have voting privileges in BSU issues. You have access to discounts for all BSU events and some non-BSU events. And besides, $10 (what you could spend on a movie!!) goes a long way and is contributing to a worthwhile cause.
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Do you have to be a UW student to be a member ?
No. The BSU was founded as a link to the community and we would love anyone who desires to attend to come.
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How do I use PayPal ?
Why? It's free to join and you can pay for all BSU events through PayPal. It's convenient because you can pay using a credit card, debit card or have it transferred straight from your account to ours. There are several events throughout the year that require tickets. Setting up your account now can provide you a lot of convenience in the future. (Don't forget that PayPal is accepted internet wide in many different sites including Ebay.)
How much? There is, however, a 50 cent fee to cover our costs of providing this service to you. (We are charged for every transaction we accept this way and we are simply covering our costs. **We receive no profit or incentive except the benefit to you, our members.
Okay.... When you want to pay using PayPal, sign in and send payment in the amount specified in the event info for the event that you are purchasing tickets for. When you get to the receipt page print out a copy that you will give to the Treasurer. Assuming that you signed in using your name we will also receive an email saying: "You have payment from John Doe". That email and the printed receipt will be verification of payment.
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Do you have to be Black to be in BSU?
No, of course not. BSU is open to anyone of any race. One of the key phrases in our mission statement is " BSU exists to enhance cultural awareness ".
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What types of community service does BSU provide?
One of our goals for next year is to open up more community service activities to our body. While we have several events in the community, including our Kwanzaa event where we sponsor a family, we do not yet have events that have members volunteering directly. If you have any ideas please email our VP of Community Affairs.
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Is there anything like new student support services provided by BSU?
Another one of our goals is to implement a mentoring program for new students including an orientation geared for the new Blacks on campus (transfer and freshman students). The mentoring program would pair new students up with upperclassmen of same or comparable majors.
For now, if you are a new student to the UW, all of the officers are available to you for questions or ways to help you feel more acclimated. Go to the officers page to get contact information. (Our majors and years are included. So if you are interested in what it takes to be a biology major you can email Shariffa...etc.)