By Mackenzie Davis
Grand Rapids Community College’s Black Africana Student Union is helping all the student dreamers, who imagine performing on America’s Got Talent, achieve their goals on Thursday, Feb. 6 from 3 to 6 p.m. with their very own talent show. Happening in room 168 of the Applied Technology Center, also known as the auditorium, the show will consist of talents spanning from poetry readings to rap and all students and staff are encouraged to join.
Auditions are taking place from Jan. 14 to 29 every Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. For more information on auditions students and staff are advised to message the student union through their Instagram page, BASU GRCC.
“If you dance, if you sing, you rap, write poems, you have inspirational words that you can inspire somebody when you write something,” President of BASU Evodie Djunga said. “…just come and show your talent. We are here to support you.”
The top three winners, who are decided by a judging panel and the crowd’s reaction, are due to receive prizes as well.
The BASU has several other events lined up for the spring semester at GRCC including:
- Movie Night (Dreamgirls) Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m.
- A “Big Surprise,” Wednesday, Feb. 19 from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
- Mad Book March Wednesday, March 5 through the entire month.
- Game Day Wednesday, March 19 from 12 to 1:30 p.m.
- Family Feud Wednesday, April 2 from 12 to 1:30 p.m.
More information can be found by going to the Instagram page linked above.
When asked if everyone is allowed at these events Djunga said, “When we do events we do it for the GRCC student body. We don’t pick and choose who comes or does not come. We are there to make sure everybody feels welcome and that’s how you learn from each other culturally. I am from Congo, and when I meet people from here, I learn from them and they learn from me. The group name should not stop you from coming.”
With her last semester coming to a close at GRCC, Djunga wants the BASU to be remembered for all of its great events and accepting space.
“People come here, they just hang out, play Uno and just have fun. Sometimes you just want a place where you can destress from school or family and we are that place,” Djunga said.
Unsure of who will fill her place as president of the BASU next semester, she plans to finish her role strong before heading to Davenport to finish a B.A. in business management.
“What I want to share for this last semester is I want to give people my best,” Djunga said. “That’s what I tell my team, we want to give them the best.”
