CJ GUION | EDITOR – IN – CHIEF
The Black Students Board, as well as other organizations around campus are counting down the days until the 42nd Annual Pan Afrikan Festival. The week long celebration of events will take place from April 9th – 15th. The theme for this year’s Pan Afrikan Festival is “It’s more than Culture, It’s Reality.”
BSB Chair Lauryn Collier stated “this theme was decided upon by BSB general body attendees to reflect the modern ideology that African American culture is not something that is solely studied and traditionalized, but something that changes through day-to-day trials and triumphs.”
With a more current-era centralized theme, BSB is trying to do a couple of things different this year by bringing back ideas from the past such as Pan Afrikan Scholarship pageant and the Alumni Blackout.
“The BSB executive board felt the need to have the scholarship pageant to give students the opportunity to showcase their achievements here at NC State and be celebrated by their peers and alumni. We also felt the need to create a scholarship for underclassmen to increase involvement in the community, get their name out within the student body, while doing something productive within the campus.” The Prince and Princess nominees will not compete in the pageant, but will undergo an extensive process where they will campaign for peer votes and create a service project.
This year the Pan Afrikan Festival will feature various events hosted by the Black Alumni Society, such as the Alumni Blackout which will be held on Saturday April 14th in the West Campus Amphitheater. Collier says the event will give current students an opportunity to network with alumni, fellowship with friends, and enjoy the festivities before the annual step show that night.
New to Pan Afrikan this year is the 100 Black Affair, which was an annual semiformal event sponsored by W.E.S.T and Collegiate 100 which traditionally took place outside of Pan Afrikan Week.
Nina Scott-Emuakpor stated “The 100 Black Affair is all about celebration. We are celebrating excellence in the African American community. This is a time to get dressed up and really bask in the accomplishments of our people. WEST and the Collegiate 100 are thrilled to have this event be a part of Pan Afrikan week”.
Other events for the week include the National Pan-Hellenic Council Pan Afrikan Step Show, a comedy show featuring Lil Duval and Benji Brown, Black Culture Rocks, and a host of other events.
Events List:
Monday April 9th
PAKO (PanAf KickOff)
Harris Field 2 pm – FREE
***GIVEAWAYS***
Mr. and Ms. Pan Afrikan Scholarship Pageant
Talley Ballroom 6 pm – FREE
Tuesday April 10th
Brickyard Cookout Sponsored by BAS
Brickyard 11 am – FREE
AATS 15th Annual Fashion Expose
Stewart Theatre 7 pm – $$
Wednesday April 11th
Black Culture Rocks Sponsored by SAAC
Talley Ballroom 4 pm – FREE
DanceVisions Spring Dance Concert
Stewart Theatre 7 pm – $$
Thursday April 12th
Taste of NC State Sponsored by DAB
Harris Field 4 pm – FREE
100 Black Affair Sponsored by W.E.S.T. and Collegiate 100
Talley Ballroom 9 pm – $10 singles, $15 for two
Friday April 13th
Pan Af Comedy Show ft Lil Duval and Benji Brown Sponsored by BSB
Stewart Theatre *doors open at 6 pm – $5 w/ NCSU ID, $10 others
Saturday April 14th
BAS Pre-Step Show Cookout and Concert
West Campus Amphitheatre 12 pm – FREE
NPHC Step Show
Stewart Theatre *doors open at 5:30 pm – $$
Sunday April 15th
Soulfood Sunday Sponsored by BSB
Witherspoon 2 pm – FREE
Black Finesse Spring Showcase
Stewart Theatre 7 pm – $$
Africa Night Sponsored by
African Student Union
Riddick Hall – 7 pm – $$
