To mark the beginning of February, Black History Month, certain organizations on campus are hosting events to temporarily alter the atmosphere and culture of the campus. Mini murals are painted on the exterior windows of the Hughes-Trigg Student Center to showcase Black History Month themes.

One such organization, which will participate actively in Black History Month festivities on campus, is the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

Omega Psi Phi is a multicultural fraternity at Southern Methodist University, and along with Black Men Emerging, will be hosting events throughout the month to raise awareness about Black History Month.

One of these events is a video presentation about Carter G. Woodson, where Jerry Levias will speak. Carter G. Woodson was the founder of Black History Month, while Jerry Levias was the first black football player at SMU on scholarship. Woodson was a member of Omega Psi Phi.

According to John Nwisienyi, member of the Nu Kappa chapter of Omega Psi Phi, he and his fraternity believed it “fitting to honor our brother’s [Carter Woodson] achievements as well as other contributing African-Americans.”

All throughout the month, black history facts will be posted on stake signs around the school as well as everyday in The Daily Campus about influential black Americans. The Black Men Emerging organization will have a hot chocolate sale during the rest of the week where patrons will be given a black history fact along with their drink.

Another main event happening later this month is a “quiz bowl” put on by Black Men Emerging where teams of students will compete for prizes by answering questions about the black history facts featured in the newspaper, stake signs and the hot chocolate sales.

“Black history comes and goes at SMU. It is not really big at all; since I’ve been here nothing really has gone on. So we wanted to change the atmosphere and awareness at SMU during this month,” Nwisienyi said.