'Juke Joint' showcases talent

Hundreds of students waited anxiously Friday evening in the University Union Chesapeake Rooms for Friday's Ebony Lounge "Juke Joint" to start. The Black Student Union hosted the event, where students sang, danced and read poetry during the talent showcase. More than 200 students were in attendance for the night of free entertainment. David Butler, a senior English major who was the master of ceremonies for the night, said the event was a reproduction of historic "Juke Joints." "It was established in the 1920s. It was a way to display talent in a cohesive and professional manner. That's what we're going to replicate here tonight," he said. Butler said that the Ebony Lounge "Juke Joint" displays minority talent that would not typically be displayed. "Everyone wants to be a part of this event," Butler said. "I can be funny so that's what I'm gonna do." Ebony Lounge occurs once a semester and is the biggest Black Student Union event during the fall. "I think it's going to be a great show," Cerissa Brown, a senior double majoring in family studies and psychology, said. "I always go to these events as often as I can. It is a good support of black people and talent in the area. Students can support other classmates and help to display their talents." Students who wanted to perform first had to be chosen after the audition process. Britni Johnson, a junior political science major and vice president of Black Student Union, decided to audition for the event. "I auditioned three weeks ago in the Black Student Union office," Johnson said. "I've always wanted to do this but I didn't know what I wanted to do so I wrote a poem about relationships." Twelve acts were chosen ranging from poetry about broken relationships to songs about commitment. Before the start of the planned show, five acts performed in the open-mic portion, including a political poem and a reading from the Book of Psalms. That was followed by a brief intermission with music from a live band. Princess Boa, a sophomore business administration major, and co-chair of the BSU social events committee, described the event as "raw talent." "People don't get exposed very often. Students will be able to see others out there fulfill their goals and dreams," Boa said. During the show, students either clapped or snapped their fingers to show appreciation for the performances. "Music unifies everyone," Boa said. "I wish more students outside of the Black Student Union would come. We're showing music that all people listen to."

Comments

Be the first to comment on this article!

Add comment


I am not posting spam. I understand posting spam or other comments that are unrelated to this article will cause my comment to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server.

Enter the characters in the image above: