By: ALICIA FLORES
Staff Writer
aaflores@umail.iu.edu
The Black Student Union (BSU) will host its annual Apollo Night from 7 to 9 p.m. March 3 in the University Grill.
The event is open to anyone who wishes to attend, and food and drinks will be provided. Prizes will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winners.
This will be the fourth year of the event. But there are some minor changes being made. The event is typically held during Black History Month but was pushed back due to the need for more preparation time.
“Since this was my first year doing it, we needed more time to prepare,” said junior Caderia Strickland. Strickland is the president of BSU having taken over the position this past fall semester.
Apollo Night is a talent showcase for IUSB students. “We want it to be open to anyone with any talent,” said Strickland. “We want singers, rappers, dancers, poets, any talent can be showcased.”
Typically auditions take place a few weeks prior to the event, but this year all that was needed was to pre-register with the president by Feb. 26. The change was due to lack of time prior to the event.
The event is held to celebrate the history of the Apollo Theater in Harlem. The theater first opened in 1914 and began hosting contests in 1934, according to the theater’s website.
The Apollo played a huge role in musical history for African Americans. Billie Holiday, Luther Vandross and James Brown are just a few of the many names that took to the stage at the Apollo Theater.
BSU is an organization open to any IUSB student. “Their mission is to is to incorporate Black culture awareness with our academic achievements and encourage our growth as successful individuals,” according to their page on TitanAtlas. “Membership in this club is open to all irrespective of race, creed, color, gender, class, age, nation of origin, nationality, disability, marital status, religion, veteran status, or sexual orientation.”
“We are a group on campus that offers support for our fellow Titans. It is open to anyone who wants to join,” said Strickland. “We are looking to recruit more people and want students to feel welcome.”
BSU takes part in volunteering and hosting events on campus, said Strickland.
In addition to planning Apollo Night, BSU is hoping to partner with other organizations on campus for upcoming events.
“We are hoping to partner with LSU on hosting a finals study session jam and also want to help ISO with their International Food Festival,” said Strickland. Once decisions on these events are finalized information will be posted on the group’s Facebook page.
Students interested in learning more about BSU or how to get involved are encouraged to contact Caderia Strickland at cadstric@iusb.edu.
