Due to turnovers in members and leadership between the Fall and Spring Semesters, the Bakersfield College African American Student Union will be holding its Black History Month event March 26.

AASU club member and Student Government Association activities liaison Tawntannisha Thompson said in concerns to the lack of events during February, “The problem we had is that the president we had in Fall transferred. And that’s been I think . the last three years.”

“The year that I’ve been here,” said Thompson, “there was nothing because we get right out of the Fall/December semester and then we come back in January, and we have all new members.”

According to Thompson, the club is currently struggling, along with others, in acquiring new members and participants in the club. This thwarts the development of club-sanctioned events on and off campus.

“We are still struggling to get new members in,” said Thompson. “And a lot of students still don’t know that the club exists. We come to school in January, Black History Month is February, we don’t have members until school starts on the 21st . that doesn’t give them time to plan anything.”

Thompson also mentioned that club members either go on to transfer, don’t return for the following semester, or are unable to hold office due to other responsibilities.

AASU Adviser and African American History Professor Ishmael Kimbrough said “Going into Christmas break you’re not going to have the same level of cohesiveness, especially because you’re supposed to elect new officers come next semester, so there is not this carry-over of leadership. So it’s almost like reestablishing the club.”

Scheduled for a showing at the Bakersfield High School Harvey Auditorium March 26, the club will be showing the film “Men Ain’t Boys.” This film is described in the synopsis on the film’s website as: “At a time when African American men are often depicted poorly throughout mainstream media Tyler New Media breaks that trend with ‘Men Ain’t Boys,’ and ‘Men Ain’t Boys’ provides a blueprint for men, women and children to learn how real men live and how real men love.”

AASU is also trying to secure a showing at the BC Indoor theater, as well as the Stars Dinner Theater downtown.

For those interested in attending an AASU meeting, or joining, the club currently meets Thursdays at 3 p.m. inside Campus Center 5.