Ramond Stevens speaks at the Common Grounds Foundation Rites of Passage graduation ceremony, May 4, at the Cathedral of Faith Baptist Church Family Life Center. UP photo by Brain Quijada.
From being the starting defensive back in football to an important member of the biggest Black organization on campus, Man Up, Ramond Stevens does it all. Now, the New Orleans junior has taken on a new role, president of the Common Ground Foundation.
Stevens is in charge of organizing events as well as putting out ideas to further help Lamar’s minority community.
The Common Ground Foundation is a collective of minority organizations such as Man Up and Woman to Woman, as well as fraternities and sororities.
“Everybody just comes together, and we empower students,” he said. “Our motto (is) empowering students through unity, advocacy, and cultural celebration for a stronger community.”
Stevens said he is trying to bring the organization back to its roots of hosting big events around campus to get the student population at Lamar to be more active on campus.
“We just try to get students to come together with different things, get students out of their rooms and teach students about certain things such as financial literacy.”
The organization started in 2007. Stevens said he decided run for president after the Man Up president Trevon Sanchez and others told him about Common Ground.
“Some guys told me about it and some of the ideas that the org already had were some ideas that I was already talking about,” Stevens said. “I felt like I could be a leader that could help push these ideas forward and actually get student engagement back up and get people to want to be active on campus again.
“I just have a lot of ideas, along with everybody else who's a part of an organization on campus — they have ideas to push Lamar engagement back up. I feel like when we come together, we can do anything."
Being a part of many clubs and organizations can be very challenging but Stevens says it's all in the time management.
“If I have to do something for a certain org or a certain foundation or club, I have to give my all to that specific thing,” Stevens said. “One team at a time. Nothing overlaps. Just making sure I stay on my time management, because I work, also.
“I try to get stuff done. My days are pretty hectic. It goes from football, class, or class to football, and whichever org has a meeting. It's just about balancing all of that and just making sure that you're staying on top of it and upholding your responsibilities.”
Stevens said he wants to help Lamar’s minority community feel welcomed on campus.
“I want Lamar to be that fit for people, I want people to feel like Lamar is home like I felt it was,” he said. “I just like to help people out because I want to see more people succeed, and not just myself.”
Stevens said he recommends students not be afraid to ask questions.
“The person that you ask those questions to can help you out in numerous amounts of ways,” he said. “Just go out your way and just try to do more and not just be in your room all day.”
Joining an organization will help one find one’s self, Stevens said.
“For all the newcomers, try to join an org, try to get involved on campus, because being involved on campus is fun,” he said. “College is not just parties, because once you get over the party phase, then what? So, always try to find something new and just try to find out who you are.”