By By Jenna Duncan, News Staff

Last week, The Onyx Informer hosted a series of events to help promote the publication around campus. Oversized sweaters, legwarmers and neon lights flooded afterHOURS Saturday night to conclude Onyx Week 2009.
This was the first year The Onyx Informer, which seeks to be a voice for the African Diaspora at Northeastern, hosted a week of events to promote their magazine, editor-in-chief Margaret Kamara said.
‘The reason we did Onyx Week was to help people hear the name on campus again,’ Kamara said. ‘A lot of the student population isn’t aware of the publication or what it’s about.’
This was the second year for the ’80s and ’90s dance party. Attendees dressed up in previous decades’ clothing and danced to oldies. Based off its earlier success, members of The Onyx decided to host an entire week of events and finish with the dance party, she said.
The festivities began Monday, April 6 with an alumni mixer at 6 p.m. in West Village C. A similar event was hosted Kamara’s freshman year, and she said she was glad to reinstate it.
‘The events weren’t really for the alumni, but in the beginning [of the week] we wanted to connect them and start an alumni group,’ she said. ‘So now in the future they can give back to The Onyx or mentor, or help with any type of networking.’
This focus is to make sure that The Onyx is a recognized student publication on campus, Kamara said.
‘We hoped to let students know that there are different publications on campus and to expose themselves to it,’ she said. ‘They should make an effort to let them know what we’re about.’
Through the events and new freshmen added to staff this year, Kamara, a senior, said she feels that the publication is in good hands and will continue to grow next year.
‘[The new staff] is really excited,’ she said. ‘The new people have energy and enthusiasm and they’re dedicated to promoting the magazine. They’re going to take it to another level.’
The magazine already attracts students because of promotion by the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute, as well as through networking with friends, said freshman Onyx member Danielle Howe.
‘I heard of The Onyx before I got on campus ‘hellip; and I got here and got more involved,’ she said. ‘It exposes a lot of good and bad about the university.’
The Onyx continued to promote the magazine through its events, handing out copies of the magazine and talking with students Wednesday at a barbecue in the Centennial Commons.
‘We had food and at the same time passed out our issues,’ Kamara said. ‘We let them know that we are here and cater to minority students, but also cover issues that effect the whole student body.’
Thursday was another event where a group of students went out to dinner at Fajitas and Ritas, a Mexican restaurant in the Theater District. On Friday, there was Soul Speech Live in Frost Lounge, where there was an open mic for poets, rappers and artists, and the week was ended with the dance party at afterHOURS.
‘Soul Speech and the party were [my favorites] and it was so successful,’ Howe said. ‘Everyone was just having a good time.’
The party was at full capacity, and was a successful way to cap off the week, Kamara said.
‘The party of course was the most successful,’ she said. ‘A lot of people showed up and the fact that it hit capacity speaks for itself. It was a great event.’