With the election of its 2000-2001 board last week, the Black Students' Association (BSA) marked its commitment toward balancing its social function, emphasized in the past year, with its traditionally more assertive political role.

"We want to make BSA a more politically focused and advocacy-based organization this year," said newly elected President Aaliyah N. Williams '02.

"This year [BSA] kind of lost its focus, and we're just trying to motivate the black community on campus and we want to do a lot of projects [with other student groups] and get that unity going again," she added.

Typical activities the BSA hosted this year included House study breaks and parties, as well as various lecture panels and discussions.

Former President Alicia E. Johnson '01 said the past board's emphasis on its social position stemmed in part from a desire to strengthen the black community on campus.

"You can go for weeks without seeing someone when you are in the

Houses when you might have seen that person everyday in the Yard," Johnson said.

But in February, BSA joined with other student groups to protest the acquittal of the police officers who shot Amadou Diallo, an unarmed black West African immigrant.