The Professional Human Services Building echoed with music and laughter during Fresno State’s Black Student United club meeting where students discussed events for Black History Month on Feb. 6.

Club president Diamond Morehead started the meeting by leading the room in a game where teams competed against each other and completed the lyrics to songs by artists like Erykah Badu and Jazmine Sullivan.

“Every time we have a meeting, it’s kind of like a game in a sense,” Morehead said. “We have games to prepare ourselves for the meeting to get [excited] before we start talking about a serious subject.”

During the club’s second meeting, Black Students United focused the dicussion on academic probation and what students can do to help each other if they are struggling at school.

Ciara Armstead, the previous club president, opened up about her own academic struggles during the meeting and encouraged the other members to ask for help if they were struggling.

Club members were also excited to discuss one of their biggest upcoming events: Africana Culture Night on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. The community is invited to dress up in their best attire and participate in a best-dressed contest and enjoy performances.

“There’s a whole entire list of events that are coming up, literally like one a day, so it’s hard to know absolutely everything,” D’Aungillique Jackson, a first-year philosophy major, said. “But I’m excited for everything coming up, especially since it’s Black History Month.”

Black Student Union’s goal is to serve as a comfortable place for black students. However, all students are welcome to join. The club has meetings every other week and holds study sessions for club members during weeks it does not have meetings.

The 60-member club is involved in community service events such as helping out with food donations at the Bulldog Pantry. The club also goes to similar clubs for black students at high schools to give students information about college.

For many students, the club is a way to meet other people on campus with similar interests or who face the same issues.

“I like that we all have the same struggles,” Storm Harvey, a first-year political science major, said. “Someone talked about looking for another black person in class and I thought I was the only person that did that, but other black people do which makes me feel better.”

Morehead said that it’s the sense of togetherness that makes Black Students United special.

“It’s a community, it’s a family and we are always together,” Morehead said. “We’re comfortable with one another and it’s just a great experience to be around people who have like minds like yourself.”