The Black Student Union educated students with knowledge not usually taught in classrooms with the event Major Keys.

The BSU had workshops on Thursday throughout the third floor of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

While in these workshops, students were able to learn about a variety of topics, including entrepreneurship, money management, studying abroad and interview etiquette.

Tiarra Webb, social affairs chair for BSU, said it is important that students get this information.

“This event is for anybody and everybody that wants to know things they don’t teach you,” Webb said. “We don’t necessarily get taught how to manage our money.”

The workshops are new to campus and the BSU.

Webb said in all the time she has spent at Eastern, she has never seen an event like this.

“There hasn’t been an event on campus that presents all of these facts at one time,” Webb said. “I believe this is something new for us, something new for the campus and I hope students are receptive to this information.”

Webb said of all the workshops put in place, the one on money management was essential.

Jerome Hampton, community service chair for the BSU, said he wants people to grasp the information.

“It’s hard to single out a certain workshop, but the college level scholarships are definitely important,” Hampton said.

Hampton spoke on this generation’s lack of priorities and how they put their wants before their needs.

Money management was a big point of interest from all their perspectives.

“People don’t understand how important it is to save money to use for other things,” Hampton said. “Entrepreneurship and interview etiquette are really key in the outside world. People are going to judge you based off of your appearance.”

Hampton said he wants students exposed to this “well of information.”

BSU president, Tylen Elliot said he felt students could take advantage of workshops like Major Keys.

“In our society we don’t take advantage of as many resources as we could,” Elliot said. “It starts with the student. If you want more you would be there.”

When asked about the future of this event on campus Elliot said he hoped to see it again despite a small turnout of students.

“We are trying to set people up for success,” Elliot said. “The importance of events such as this still holds significance not only for African-American students on campus, but also for African-American History Month as a whole.”

Webb said the BSU is just trying to educate and enlighten their peers to be entrepreneurs and that they have people striving for multiple strains of income.

“It is about empowering our people,” Webb said.

Hampton said he hopes this event can be used to encourage all students, not only African-Americans, to self-educate.

Elliot said the workshop is preparing students for the future.
“Anything that you learn you can share with other people,” said Elliot.

Josh Saxton can be reached at 581-2812 or jlsaxton@eiu.edu