#cpsa200

On Wednesday, October 25th, homecoming juke joint presented by the Nyumburu Cutural Center rolled around, and I was able to see my friend Tochi perform an interpretive dance. It was so inspiring to see her get up on stage and leave everything out there. Each movement was graceful and yet powerful in the same token. I was thoroughly impressed by her and many other students’ performances that evening in such a beautiful showcase of black art, expression, talent and excellence. 

On Thursday, October 19th, UMD MASC, or University of Maryland’s Muslim Alliance for Social Change, made its debut with its “Untold Stories: The Immigrant Experience” event. One of my favorite performances of the night was an intense poetry recitation by my friend Natma Hired. A Somali-American herself, Natma intentionally chose to recite a poem that detailed the trials and tribulations that often characterize Somali refugees’ experience as they make an effort to seek refuge in another country, like the United States. Overall, I really enjoyed this event and think that it did an excellent job of capturing diverse perspectives and experiences that often go unrecognized and unconsidered. 

At the first juke joint of the semester, which took place on Thursday, August 31st, I was supremely impressed by musical performances from many acts, but especially my friends. Tomi, Lami, Layo, Adaeze, and Sam wowed the crowd, myself included, when they took the stage by storm with their mashup of SZA’s “The Weekend” and Tory Lanez’ “Say It”. While I had already gotten sneak peaks of them practicing in my apartment, hearing the harmony and melody of their voices the day of was still an amazing experience. 

On Monday, November 6th, I had the pleasure of being able to present a GBM, or General Body Meeting, to members of the Black Student Union as the Vice President of Public Relations. Alongside my fellow executive members Jasmyn and Kumam, we facilitated both a presentation and discussion on fall fashion trends, celebrity icons, do’s and don’ts, and tips. It was a really rewarding experience to be able to collaborate with other on-campus organizations as well, including Masterpiece and The Makeup Society.

On Friday, October 20th, I finally got the chance to see Goldlink in concert at the Fillmore Silver Spring, as a part of his “At What Cost” Tour. As if my day wasn’t already amazing because I got the chance to go to Howard University’s 140th YardFest Celebrartion, I also got to see one of my favorite artists, who just so happens to be from the DMV as well. After R&B artist Masego warmed up the crowd, Washington DC native Mya stunned everyone as she came on stage for the first time in a long time, to perform “Roll Call”, a song that professes a love for the DMV because it made both artists who they are today. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of the concert, especially when Shy Glizzy and Brent Faiyaz came out to perform the 2017 anthem “Crew”.  10/10 would recommend.