Rice Owls of Color Unite to Attend 2024 Black Student-Athlete Summit
5/16/2024 3:53:00 PM | General
HOUSTON, Texas — Rice Owls of Color Unite (ROC-U), a student-athlete affinity group at Rice University, is set to attend the 2024 Black Student-Athlete Summit in Los Angeles, California, on May 23-26.
The Black Student-Athlete Summit (BSAS) is a three-day event meant to empower Black student-athletes and provide them with the opportunity to network and maximize their college experiences. This year's event will be held on the campus of USC.
Daelen Alexander (football), Lavel Dumont (football), Jordan Edmondson (men's track & field), and Ichmael Joseph (football) will represent the Owls at the event. Joining them will be Alexis Garrett, assistant director of student-athlete development & letterwinner engagement, and Phillip Haynes III, student-athlete development coordinator.
"Attending the Black Student-Athlete Summit is crucial for our student-athletes," Haynes III said, "as it addresses the need for authentic representation and mentorship, fostering an environment where black student-athletes can thrive academically, athletically, and professionally. Our participants are excited to use this experience as a way to keep pushing Rice toward being the best in class in every aspect."
Rice Athletics hosted the BSAS in May of 2022, which inspired the creation of ROC-U in July of the same year. ROC-U was then honored with the Student-Athlete Group of the Year Award at the 2023 BSAS for an extensive and varied set of events during the 2022-23 academic year, including:
"After attending last year's summit and receiving the 'Student Group of the Year' award, I believe we gained the opportunity to display Rice's commitment to excellence and the holistic development of our student-athletes on that stage," Garrett said. "Returning this year, we look forward to another great experience for this year's attendees and the opportunity to gain greater knowledge surrounding supporting and empowering our student-athletes."
Rice Owls of Color Unite (ROC-U) was created at Rice University to provide a support network for student-athletes that are black, indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) and to provide cultural enrichment for the general Rice Athletics community. The organization serves Rice Athletics, Rice University, and Houston communities through outreach events and celebrating culturally-specific holidays as well as provides awareness of issues affecting BIPOC student-athletes through educational means, such as speakers, events, and open dialogues.
The Black Student-Athlete Summit (BSAS) is a three-day event meant to empower Black student-athletes and provide them with the opportunity to network and maximize their college experiences. This year's event will be held on the campus of USC.
Daelen Alexander (football), Lavel Dumont (football), Jordan Edmondson (men's track & field), and Ichmael Joseph (football) will represent the Owls at the event. Joining them will be Alexis Garrett, assistant director of student-athlete development & letterwinner engagement, and Phillip Haynes III, student-athlete development coordinator.
"Attending the Black Student-Athlete Summit is crucial for our student-athletes," Haynes III said, "as it addresses the need for authentic representation and mentorship, fostering an environment where black student-athletes can thrive academically, athletically, and professionally. Our participants are excited to use this experience as a way to keep pushing Rice toward being the best in class in every aspect."
Rice Athletics hosted the BSAS in May of 2022, which inspired the creation of ROC-U in July of the same year. ROC-U was then honored with the Student-Athlete Group of the Year Award at the 2023 BSAS for an extensive and varied set of events during the 2022-23 academic year, including:
- HISD College Career Readiness Panel Events
- ROC-U / Team Impact Christmas Toy Drive with Texas Children's Hospital
- NCAA DEI Social Media Campaign
- Black Panther 2 Movie Night
- ROC-U MLK Day Community Service Trip to Hermann Park Centennial Gardens
- Black History Month Social
- ROC-U Study Hall Sessions for all athletes
- ROC-U / Black Student Association Field Day Event
"After attending last year's summit and receiving the 'Student Group of the Year' award, I believe we gained the opportunity to display Rice's commitment to excellence and the holistic development of our student-athletes on that stage," Garrett said. "Returning this year, we look forward to another great experience for this year's attendees and the opportunity to gain greater knowledge surrounding supporting and empowering our student-athletes."
Rice Owls of Color Unite (ROC-U) was created at Rice University to provide a support network for student-athletes that are black, indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) and to provide cultural enrichment for the general Rice Athletics community. The organization serves Rice Athletics, Rice University, and Houston communities through outreach events and celebrating culturally-specific holidays as well as provides awareness of issues affecting BIPOC student-athletes through educational means, such as speakers, events, and open dialogues.
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