After a 10-year hiatus, EC’s Black Student Union (BSU) is back on campus with plans to expand opportunities to minority students.

“We are trying to bring academics, information, and networking,” Cristiano Sanchez, president of the club, said. “Those are our three pillars, and we are looking to maximize that and students success on and off campus.”

Currently, BSU plans to send its members to several university conferences in the hopes that their students are successful after graduating from EC.

“We basically want all of our minorities to get together and provide what everyone needs in order to succeed,” Sanchez said.

EC has given the club about $50 to support the cause and BSU has plans to further fundraise, he said.

Before the club closed down, professor Maria Brown organized and advised EC’s BSU for about 17 years. From 1975 to 1992, the organization was named African American Student Society.

Brown is optimistic about the current incarnation of the club, pointing out their strengths as a group.

“It is a matter of getting students to be interested,” Brown said. “I feel very positive about this group of students because they’re academically based, and strive on the importance of helping each other get through tough times.”

Numerous events are being hosted by BSU this month to enrich the campus, and to advertise their return.

The program is still in development, but has plans to send students on tours to UCLA, USC, UC Santa Barbara and many others.

“We are planting seeds, and we feel it is time to invest back into our nature of applied knowledge,” Patrice Johnson, the club’s public relations officer, said. “BSU is here to help and grow us into developing careers for the future.” .

For those interested in joining the BSU, they meet Thursdays in the social science building Room 117.