2008 Woodie Awards
MASDA promotes minority involvement on campus
Maleria Brown
Entertainment Editor
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The Minority Academic Social Development Association (MASDA) is not as well-known as some of the larger onse at ABAC, but it is one of the most active.
MASDA was created because its founders believed that minority students needed an organization in order to make sure their needs were met on campus. It originally focused on the contributions of African Americans to society. It still does that today, but much more is involved.
"We try to bridge the gap between the students and the institution," Marsha Anderson, advisor of the MASDA program, said.
The club gets involved in many administrative activities on campus to try to encourage its members to have an active part in all of the important issues on the campus.
"We try to empower our students and make them feel like they have a voice on campus," Anderson said.
"MASDA is the voice of minority students on campus. We get a lot of respect through this club. I feel that my needs as an ABAC student have been met because of MASDA," Reginald Rainge, president of MASDA, said.
The club is also involved in the community. It will be having its first community service activity of the semester on October 23. The club will be working with the PLIGHT (Proud, Loving Individuals Giving a Hand to Teens) organization and the Behavioral Health Services of South Georgia to have a Youth Summit. There will be skits, dancing, and performances by the Georgia Teen Institute. Final plans are still being made for the project.
During November MASDA will be working with Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) to do a Can-a-thon to collect cans and nonperishable food items for needy families for Thanksgiving.
"If this goes well, we may try to implement this can drive each month," Nicki Hill, vice-president of MASDA, said.
"We are a community driven program," Anderson said. "MASDA provides activities that enhance the educational and personal growth of its students. We teach them how to make themselves heard in the proper way."
The program will host a Talent and Dance Show on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m. They are trying to have a major club event at least once a month. During September, they elected officers and held auditions for the Step Team.
MASDA also participates in cultural activities. They will be attending the Battle of the Bands, which is a competition between bands of historically black colleges and universities, in Atlanta on October 31. They will also go to the fifteenth annual Fountain City Classic in Columbus on November 6.
The club is also making plans for Black Awareness Month in February and Women's History Month in March.
Club members will also be attending the annual Minority Advising Program (MAP) conference in spring 2005. Students from other colleges and universities around Georgia come together for workshops and association each year at the MAP conference.
"The MAP conference taught us how to be leaders and resolve conflicts. There were also career-oriented classes. The conference is preparing us for our careers after college," Hill said.
MASDA, which started out as the Afro-cultural Club, began on the ABAC campus in 1974. Throughout the years the name has changed numerous times. The name changed from the Afro-cultural Club to Students United for Progress. It was then renamed the Black Priority Club before it eventually became MASDA.
MASDA has its meetings on Tuesdays at 3:05 p.m. in Conger Hall room 107.
Its officers are Reginald Rainge, president; Nicki Hill, vice-president; Sharma Harris, secretary; Kizzy Collins, assistant secretary; Eric Hill, treasurer; Tangela Collins, IAC representative; and Andrew Sneed, publicist.
All students are invited to join them. Dues are $10 per year, and they are used to purchase t-shirts for all club members.