Whether you’re interested in a cappella, AC Drip or Alpha Kappa Alpha, there’s a student-led organization for you at Albion College.
Albion advertises “100+ ways to get involved” on campus, with 11 categories that its clubs and organizations fall into, such as Greek Life, diversity awareness and student government.
No matter the category, all of Albion’s organizations are led by students who have stepped up to be role models, decision makers and innovators on campus.
Joy Babatunde: AC Drip President
Chicago senior Joy Babatunde is the president of Albion College (AC) Drip, the treasurer of Black Student Alliance (BSA) and the outreach chair of Students for Reproductive Justice (SRJ).
She’s also been a community living assistant, a tour guide and a student senator. Babatunde calls these roles “little side missions” that she finds herself in.
To Babatunde, being a student leader means having a say in what happens on campus.
“It’s one thing to complain about what’s not there,” Babatunde said. “It’s another thing when I have the opportunity to be in such roles and make such an impact.”
Babatunde said it’s “so important” for Black students to have leadership roles at Albion.
“Having Black students be able to come up to uphold these positions, it’s what’s keeping them standing,” Babatunde said. “Having more students take up these roles once we leave and graduate is what we’re really looking for.”
Miles Newman: Union Board President
Union Board President and Roseville, North Carolina, senior Miles Newman said he has enjoyed meeting and interacting with people from a young age. Naturally, when he came to Albion, he got involved on campus.
“After a certain level of involvement, you can’t stop,” Newman said. “I fell in the rabbit hole.”
To Newman, being a student leader means being “an active presence on campus.”
“I always enjoy people being like, ‘I keep seeing you everywhere,’ or, ‘Every time I go somewhere you’re always out helping out,’” Newman said.
Newman said he wants Union Board to be a collaboration between people of different backgrounds, working together to plan something that everyone at Albion can enjoy.
“I hope that students can look back and enjoy memories at events,” Newman said. “Just knowing that you had an impact in some way, shape or form – that’s pretty cool.”
Bria Jackson: Cheer Captain
Detroit junior Bria Jackson is the president of the Sigma Zeta chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority and was captain of the cheer team for the fall 2024 season.
Jackson joined cheer her first year at Albion, but the coach quit after that first season. Her sophomore year, 2023-2024, there was no official cheer program – but Jackson was rallying.
“A lot of the work that I put in to get the team back was a lot of asking people if they were interested, attempts to go to games and just show that we’re there, that we’re committed to being a team again,” Jackson said.
Over the summer, a new cheer coach was hired: Mercedes Pace, alumna ‘20. Once hired, Pace reached out to Jackson, and they started working together to revive the program.
“Last fall we were able to create a team for football season that was pretty strong, I think we had like maybe 14 girls,” Jackson said.
Jackson said she thinks some students are scared to take the risk of putting themselves out there and going for a leadership position. Some of that comes from a lack of encouragement, she said.
“There’s a lot of people on campus, especially Black students here, that are very talented, but they hide their talents because of discouragement,” Jackson said. “I’ve been trying to find ways to help people step outside their comfort zone with that.”
Tatiyana Oliver: Black Student Alliance President
Chicago sophomore Tatiyana Oliver is the president of BSA and vice president of the Student Senate. For her, leadership is all about collaboration.
“I don’t want people to look up to me, I want people to see me eye to eye,” Oliver said.
As BSA president, Oliver makes sure everything runs smoothly, makes sure everyone does their job and advocates for Albion students of color. However, she said she doesn’t see herself as the “face” or “overseer” of the organization.
“I always tell my (executive board), ‘I’m not over you, we work together,’” Oliver said.
Oliver said one of her favorite things about her leadership roles is getting to meet students and ask, “How do you feel about this? What do you think we should change?”
“To be a student leader it means to humble yourself, to understand that at one point in time, before you were a student leader in a sense, you were a student who just wanted change,” Oliver said.
Everyone should have the opportunity to be a leader, Oliver said, adding that it’s a way to show who you are outside of the classroom.
“It’s important for Black students to be in leadership because we’ve achieved so much and we’ve went through so much,” Oliver said. “It shows significance.
Black Student-Led Events
On Feb. 22, in the science complex, BSA is hosting the first annual James A. Welton Legacy Gala, in honor of the first Black student to attend Albion.
“We decided that since he has caused so much history for Black students here on campus that he deserves to be honored,” Oliver said.
Another event this month was AC Drip’s fashion show, held on Saturday. One of the themes of the event was “cultural/nationality,” which Babatunde said lets her showcase her Nigerian wear.
“It gives me an opportunity to show myself, with the events we have,” Babatunde said. “My biggest impact on this campus is letting my culture be known.”
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