Violet Beesley / Staff Photographer
Elantra Yarbor, a fourth-year studying business administration, and Lauren Clark, a fourth-year studying english, dance at the Stomp The Yard Darty at Harris Field on Friday, April 12, 2024. This event featured three different food vendors and a air-brush artist.
On Friday, April 12, the Black Students Board (BSB) held its annual Pan-African Week kickback on Harris Field. Stomp the Yard was yet another hit and just what the campus needed as we begin finals week. I would hate to be the person to miss out on such a fun time, but luckily, I got you covered.
Before even arriving at Harris Feld, you could hear the DJ spinning tracks and the attendees singing along. Virgil’s Jamaica Food Truck and Catering and an ice cream truck were lined up on Cates Avenue with lines stretching far beyond Witherspoon. Tables sat in the middle of the field and behind the ticket booth sat a custom spray-paint t-shirt station.
Nubian Message caught Danielle Moody, a first-year student studying Fashion and textile management right after leaving the t-shirt station. “He did an amazing job! This is quite literally fire which is so funny because there’s fire on the shirt. He’s so sweet. I love the shirt and I can’t wait to crop it.” As this was Moody’s first Pan-Af Week, Nubain inquired about her expectations for Friday’s event. “I’m expecting some good music with a lot of dancing, and I’m expecting this food to be bussin.”
As the clouds cleared and the sun shined bright on the field, Moody’s expectations were indeed met with people flooding the space in front of the DJ booth to dance. As the DJ started spinning Wobble by V.I.C. and SkeeYee by Sexxy Red, students got on their feet and began spinning along with him.
Coupled with the good eats and dope beats, the vibes of Stomp the Yard were immaculate. So much so that it caught the attention of second-year Computer science major Carmela Holloway. Nubian Message spoke to Halloway while they ate Virgil’s curry chicken and cabbage. “THIS IS SO CUTE! It’s so cute, a cute little vibe, cute little food. I like the airbrush thing, I love free shirts and drinks.” Halloway was in line to receive their own spray-painted shirts with a few friends. They shared how excited they are for next year’s BSB Pan-Af Week events and some expectations they have for it.
“A better way to get through the food trucks or a better system. I’d like the ticket system but maybe if there were more staff like another guy on the airbrush station for example. Just a better way to alleviate the lines.”
Halloway stated that she enjoyed the event and the opportunity to spend time with Black students on campus in one spot.
Food trucks, spray-painted t-shirts and deejaying. Stomp the Yard was such a fun event and it surely took a dedicated team to pull it off. Nubian Message stopped over at the ticket station to speak with BSB about the set-up for the event. Justin Garret, a sophomore studying Political science, gave us insight into what it means to be an event coordinator.
“We plan events across campus for BSB. We try to unify our students on campus and just try to make an inclusive environment for everyone.”
Farah Honeine, a second-year Business marketing major, is an event coordinator for BSB. Honeine shared what it took to put together Stomp the Yard.
“First, I got in touch with some vendors. Then we just put a poll on our Instagram stories, asking people what they wanted to see, just to give the people what they wanted. Then, we just got the DJ and the airbrush people. We wanted to do something fun and different on campus for Pan-Af Week, so that’s what this is,” said Honeine.
The time and effort it took for BSB to put together this event was not in vain, as Nubian Message heard many students expressing what a fun event Stomp the Yard was.
Stomp the Yard brought students from across the African diaspora together in one safe space and community. The importance of Pan-Af Week was a hot topic at Stomp the Yard.
Jalen Hampton, a first-year Computer science major, stated “events like Pan-Af Week are important on PWI campuses. It serves to kind of bring awareness to the Black communities on campus because even though we are a little small in comparison to the majority on campus, our presence and impact on campus is just as important.”
Hampton explained that this was his first Pan-Af Week. “I went to the Blissful Body & Mind Mixer on Tuesday. It was really fun, we did yoga and I got to try new food.” Hampton explained that he felt bliss at both events and noted that “there is something for everyone during Pan-Af week.” Treasure Goldsmith, a second-year studying Genetics also gave us her thoughts on the importance of Pan-Af Week at NC State.
“It allows students across the African diaspora to come together and congregate amongst one another. I didn’t even realize how many Black students there really were on this campus like dang there’s a lot of us. It’s comforting to see us come together and create our own space on campus like this,” Goldsmith said.
Nubian Message asked Goldsmith what aspect of Pan-Af Week she enjoyed the most. “It gave me something to do. With finals coming up, I’ve practically been living in the library, so to be able to have something to go to and take a break from studying to just step away was nice.”
Ashlyn Swann, a second-year studying Criminology, explained how much of a culture shock it was to see so many Black people on campus, “I don’t know like half of these people here. It’s refreshing to see new faces and to see more of us on campus than I expected.”
She explained that she wasn’t planning on attending any Pan-Af Week events, but saw the food trucks and music playing and got a wandering eye. “I’m glad I stayed, this is such a vibe!”
Stomp the Yard was yet another successful event for Black people on campus, and a wonderful way of concluding Pan-Af Week. With another spring semester done, many students, including myself, just can’t wait until next spring to see what else BSB has up their sleeves. As said many students said , ‘it was a cute luh vibe.’
