Black Student Council brought a piece of Chicago to Milwaukee Saturday night with a free Lollapalooza event in Central Mall. Students as well as local artists performed poetry, rap and music.
Kevin Price, BSC president and senior in the College of Communication, got the idea for the event after rapper Mac Irv reached out to him about performing on campus.
“I thought, why not bring a lot of acts here instead of just one?,” Price said. “I started introducing myself to artists I had seen perform in Milwaukee and got more ‘yeses’ than I thought I would. I felt like a celebrity when I had to turn some people away.”
Price said he hopes to make BSC Lollapalooza a staple event on campus and have it grow each year.
“I will be ecstatic if a lot of people show up,” said Mikeita King, BSC community service chair and senior in the College of Health Sciences. “The planning was stressful, so I’m excited for that part to be over.”
Price and King both explained that they initially didn’t know where they would get the money for the event. They reached out to Provost Dan Myers for help, and his office ended up paying for the whole thing.
“We initially calculated that we needed a grand to put on the event, which isn’t something we have just lying around,” Price said. “Unfortunately Myers wasn’t able to attend, but we are so grateful for him.”
Cameron Harris, a senior in the College of Communication, performed at the event.
“I was in a singing group with my brother when I was little, but realized I was better at rapping than singing,” Harris said. “I just enjoy performing and sharing my craft.”
Price encouraged people to get up and dance throughout the event. He said he wanted the night to be an opportunity to let loose and didn’t want to see anyone sitting down.
“The best part of being president is getting to delegate and having my visions seen through,” Price said. “I’m trying my best to promote a sense of community.”
BSC members volunteer with a number of organizations including City Year and the Boys & Girls Club.
“I like to think of myself as a humanitarian,” King said. “Educating kids is very important to me, so tutoring them was something I wanted to get involved with.”
In addition to its service events, BSC is also planning a black career event expo.
Torrin Ollison, BSC scholarship chair and a junior and in the College of Arts & Sciences, coordinates the events like these that relate to helping members get the best education.
“I wanted to take on the position in order to bring more inclusion within the minority group on campus,” Ollison said.
Price said BSC is currently working to rebuild itself.
“I attended one meeting my freshman year and hated it,” Price said. “I decided to give it another shot and ended up running for president on a whim. The club wasn’t left in the best position a few years back, but we have been working hard to bring it back up again.”
