Black Capstone Caucus
Ethena Lighty, Sophomore Capstone Scholar
Introduction
Hi! My name is Ethena Lighty and I am a sophomore
Information Science major and Capstone Scholar (future
Fellow!). I serve as a mentor and coordinator of the
Multicultural Assistance Peer Program (MAPP), a
founding member of the Black Capstone Caucus, a
Spring 2020 Initiate and current presiding secretary of
Alpha Phi Omega community service co-ed fraternity as
well as an Ambassador for the Capstone Scholars
Service Team.
I am a big advocate for BIPOC campus programs and
initiatives on predominately white institutions (PWIs) and
currently work in the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs
(OMSA) as an Undergraduate Assistant. I have seen the
works of other black organizations on campus and how
they have impacted not only the Black population but the
University of South Carolina as a whole.
When completing the Leadership Practices Inventory
(LPI) online quiz, I scored the highest in the ”Encourage
the Heart” section with a perfect score. When I
‘encourage the heart,’ I make sure that everyone is
recognized for any and every contribution they make to a
group/team. I would like to implement my leadership skills
of communication, networking, and interpersonal skills by
helping establish a safe space for student who identify as
Black with the Capstone Scholars program.
Aim
How can Black Capstone students connect with
each other?
With making up approximately 10% of the student body,
it is imperative that Black students have access to
spaces of their own. Within the Capstone Scholars
community especially, I noticed that there were not
many people who looked like me living in the actual
Capstone House. Towards the end of the Fall 2020
semester, I was informed about the creation of the Black
Capstone Caucus by Capstone Fellow JD Dawson
through a group chat. It was then that I realized that the
majority of Black identifying students in the program
were housed all across campus.
Through this group, I will strive to not only provided
more opportunities for these students through outreach
and fellowship, but promote inclusion within our
scholar’s program, learning something something new,
and engagement in the Capstone, University of South
Carolina, and surrounding Columbia communities. In all,
I want to make this group larger than what it already is
by shifting from a group chat to an officially recognized
student organization on our campus.
Method
What can the Black Capstone Caucus do for the
University of South Carolina (UofSC)?
§ Promote diversity and inclusion within the
Capstone Scholars Program and the University as
a whole
§ Cultivate a cohort of extraordinary campus leaders
§ Make a noticeable impact on the Carolina
community
Capstone
Scholars Logo
((Issuu.com)
What can the University of South Carolina
(UofSC) do for the Black Capstone Caucus?
§ Ensure a safe space for Black students to
congregate and share their views and ideas
§ Provide access to resources to make the
organization structured as possible
§ Grant the Black Capstone Caucus the opportunity
to represent the University to the best of its ability
Inspiration: Black Honors Caucus
The Black Honor Caucus during a social meeting on 14 September 2019.
(@uofsc_bhc on Instagram)
• The Black Honors Caucus is a group that’s
mission is to “service high achieving Black
students and give them a safe space to convene
and share ideas unapologetically and without fear”
• Although it is an Honors founded group, it is not
Honors student exclusive; EVERYONE is
welcomed!
• Monthly meeting set up
• Six member exec board
• Dues for membership
Detailed Action Plan
✅ Step One: Have a meeting with BCC visionary
In order to get a better sense of what has already been
accomplished with the group’s progress, I will meet with
senior Capstone Fellow and creator of the Black Capstone
Caucus (BCC), JD Dawson, on 1 October 2020 at 8 p.m.
E.S.T. through Zoom.
✅ Step Two: Schedule a meeting with the
Leadership & Service Center (LSC)
After discussing and evaluating how we would like for the
organization to look like, JD and I will be meeting with
Ambra Hiott, Director of the Leadership and Service Center,
for a virtual Student Organization Coaching appointment on
6 October 2020 at 3 p.m. E.S.T. through Microsoft Teams.
During this meeting, we hope to determine what our next
steps will be to create and structure the organization.
“Start-Up Checklist” for starting an new Student Organization, located on the
Leadership and Service Center’s page. (University of South Carolina)
✅ Step Three: Talk with Capstone Faculty
Principal regarding Associated Student
Organization (ASO) status
With the LSC recently changing how organizations are
classified, I will speak with the faculty principal of the
Capstone Scholars Program, Dr. Elise Lewis, in an informal
setting to discuss the possibility of the Black Capstone
Caucus to be affiliated with the program itself as an
Associated Student Organization rather than a Registered
Student Organization (RSO).
🔜 Step Four: Hold BCC meeting to draft
Constitution
In the near future, I will send out a survey to BCC’s current
group chat to determine several items:
1) Who is interested in becoming an “official” founding
member of the organization by contributing to the
required constitution.
2) What is the best date and time for this particular
meeting to occur
3) Would participates prefer this meeting to be held in-
person in the Keystone Room (Capstone 105) or
virtually (if virtually what platform?)
🔜 Step Five: Complete New
Organization Intent Form
Once the Constitution has been completed, I will submit the
New Student Organization Form through GarnetGate and
await 1-2 week(s) for a response from Leadership and
Service Center staff. If everything is approved, the Black
Capstone Caucus will be an official organization on
campus!
Evaluation
Creating the organization is the easy part, actually
making a comforting space with a lasting affect on
campus is a completely different story. To me,
success in regard to the Black Capstone Caucus
would look like having a seat on the Office of
Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) Leadership
Council by the end of the Spring 2021 semester. We
will know we are on track for success if we have an
elected and trained Executive Board and are holding
meetings and events for the Spring 2021 semester. I
say this because without an executive board, the
organization would not be able to function properly.
Additionally, if we have an exec board and they are
unprepared on what to do in their position, it will leave
the organization with a not-so positive reputation.
Despite those possibilities, I have complete faith that
our organization will be very successful in the
following years to come.
Conclusion
With the founding of the Black Capstone Caucus, I
feel like I had an essential part in creating a space of
intersectionality for Black Capstone students.
Although we are Capstone founded, we are not
Capstone exclusive! With this space, I hope that we
can put the spotlight on how it is being involved with
an organization at the University of South Carolina.
This process as a whole has made me realized that
the Capstone Scholars Leadership Program has
helped me cultivate and adapt more traits of a leader.
References
University of South Carolina. (n.d.). Start an
Organization. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from
https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/leadership
_and_service_center/student_organizations/start_an_
organization/index.php
Student
Garnet Gate. (n.d.). Black Honors Caucus.
https://garnetgate.sa.sc.edu/organization/blackhonors
caucus.
13 October 2020