On Friday, Feb. 16, the Black Organizations Council, in collaboration with the Student African-American Brotherhood and Student African-American Sisterhood, held a monthly Soulful Friday event in the Black Cultural Center.

The culmination of a weeklong collaboration between SAAB and SAAS, students gathered at the Black Cultural Center for soul food — the ethnic cuisine for African Americans — music and a sense of community.

“We have soul food, music playing, drinks, and we just invite the entire community to come around,” said BOC community liaison Jaden Davis-King. “There’s just a chance for everyone to come together, get to know new people and just build a better community, stronger community at Virginia Tech.”

For Ali Porchia, a junior majoring in computer engineering, events like Soulful Friday provide an opportunity for Black students to connect with each other and with the broader community.

“I think it’s pretty good getting people out into the BCC,” Porchia said. “It’s always great. I think it’s definitely brought a lot of people in the younger classes down here to socialize within the community.”