SAUGUS — Pioneer Charter School of Science II’s African Student Union (ASU) put on its “Afrochella” event on Friday, April 5, celebrating the African diaspora and community within the school and surrounding areas.

If you walked through the doors to the gymnasium at Pioneer Charter School of Science II (PCSS II), you wouldn’t have known that the event had just started  minutes earlier—the room was humming with conversation, laughter, and African music. Students took turns posing at the photo booth set up in a corner, and the smell of African foods such as jollof rice, puff-puffs, and samosas perfumed the air. It seemed looking at the faces of the guests at their tables, that it all tasted as good as it smelled, as smiles crept across their faces as volunteering students handed out food sampler-style, letting guests get a small bite of everything on their plates.

When asked what the feedback around campus has been around the event, school administrator Melisa Radoncic stated that the kids are “really excited” and that they’re “so proud of the kids”. Radoncic added that the event is a “ great way to showcase our diversity”, and excitedly mentioned “we had a great time last year, we’re hoping to top it off this year”.

The crowd went quiet as the host/emcee for the night, Derlin Salvador, took the front of the room to introduce senior members of the ASU committee, President Adeyinka Olowu and Vice President Sandra Adetola. Olowu took to the microphone, announcing the mission of the ASU: “to create culture, diversity, education about Africa’s culture, history, and economy to help students have a better middle school and high school experience”. 

Next up, Adetola got on the microphone to share that a long-term goal of the ASU is “helping students to define what the diaspora means, and how it has changed the world”.

The African Student Union (ASU) was formed at PCSS II in 2022. The idea for the union came about as a way for students to “express ourselves, express our culture, and come together,” said Olowu. Expounding on the creation of the union, they said that “we’ve been seeing ASUs and ASAs in colleges, but not really in high school, so we were thinking we should bring this to our school”.

Soon after speaking with Olowu, Salvador took to the microphone once again to introduce “African Family Feud”, with students Nathan and Ayomide doing their best Steve Harvey impressions as guests frantically shouted answers relating to Africa’s countries, foods, history, and more. 

The night, continued with poetry readings, bracelet making, and traditional African dance from Congo, Benin, Jamaica, and Ethiopia, was a success — and all for a good cause —  with ticket proceeds supporting charities My Brother’s Table in Lynn, Mer for South Sudan and Sudan, and Sisters building Sisters in Congo.