By: SARAH CAWTHON
Staff Writer
saecawth@indiana.edu
Students showcased their talents Friday, Feb. 27 at IU South Bend’s third annual Apollo Night presented by the Black Student Union and Titan Productions. Singing, dancing and rap were front and center throughout the night as the students highlighted the end of Black History month.
The Apollo Theater, located in Harlem, New York, is considered to be an influential part of the African American story. Originally a burlesque theater, the building opened under the Apollo name in 1934 and has housed some of the most prominent African American talent of the last 80 years including Ella Fitzgerald, The Jackson 5 and The Notorious B.I.G. Modeled after the long-running television talent show “Showtime at the Apollo,” participants’ fates were determined by the level of crowd applause.
“Apollo Night is just a showcase of people coming out and doing all kinds of talents,” said Jasmine Allen, president of the Black Student Union. “We have IUSB students and some people from the community who will perform tonight. It’s just a night of fun.”
In 2013, St. Mary’s College collaborated with the IUSB Black Student Union to create Apollo Night. The event relocated to the IUSB campus in 2014 and has been hosted by Titan Pro since.
Senior Grace Ball assisted in the setup of the night as a student representative of Titan Pro, a position she’s held for more than three years.
“I am here to help the Black Student Union create an event for everyone to enjoy,” said Ball. “My job with Titan Pro is to make sure everything runs smoothly so everyone can have the best night possible.”
Joselyn Ellington rapped an original piece to win the event’s top prize, a pair of Beats by Dre headphones. Allen Roberts and John Carton took second place and Joshua Schleer placed third.
