LBC Senate hosts Paul/Hoffmann

Posted to On Campus by Grace Meiners at 2:23 a.m., Oct. 23, 2008

At the Legion of Black Collegians Senate meeting Wednesday, members told Missouri Students Association presidential slate Jordan Paul and Colleen Hoffman multicultural issues on campus take more than a few days to understand.

A member asked Paul and Hoffman about their involvement and knowledge of the minority community on campus, and Paul admitted he had not spent much time on multicultural issues.

“I’m trying to learn as much as I can,” he said. “ But I am pretty limited in my scope.”

When Paul said he had begun to research LBC and other minority groups a few days ago, the room responded with an audible rumble.

Another member, who said she was in MSA, asked the slate if they knew of programs related to multicultural issues, such as the Missing Minority campaign to keep a measure that would have ended some affirmative action programs in Missouri off the November ballot. Paul said he had heard of them but did not know much about them.

She said these issues have been brought up at MSA Senate meetings and that she was surprised he did not know of them.

“To be honest, I couldn’t tell you what happened two weeks ago,” Paul said.

 After a few more questions, Erica Joyner moved to elongate the question and answer portion to two minutes.

In the final two minutes, senior Cierra Chuley Obioha asked the slate to tell her something that would make her want to give them her vote.

Paul said he’s making an effort to learn about all student groups, not courting votes.

“Although I haven’t been at Four Front, I’m making an effort,” he said. “If I were up here superficially, I wouldn’t have gone to the exec board and met with (LBC President) Anthony (Martin) one-on-one.”

Also at the meeting, the Senate approved giving $500 to the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students for their trip to the Student National Medical Association national conference. One member opposed the monetary gift.