Cheers abound at Apollo Night
Performers faced a tough crowd at the Night of the Apollo on Saturday.
Just like the original Apollo Theater in New York, the Organization for Black Unity’s talent show in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium allowed contestants to perform a song or dance for as long as the audience was entertained.
If an act was not strong enough, performers were booed off the stage by a crowd of about 400 people.
However, most of the nine acts, and many audience participants, were welcomed with tremendous applause.
Lakishia Smith, Belleville senior and OBU president, said the night was a success.
“It didn’t start as early as we would have liked, but other than that it was good,” she said. “I enjoyed the singers, especially when it’s an original piece because then you’re really able to see how good they are.”
Benton Harbor sophomore Michelle Brooks won the contest with her performance of “Be Alone,” a song she wrote.
“It’s a testimony. I like to call my music ‘testimonial music’ because it comes from real life situations that I overcame,” Brooks said.
Other crowd favorites throughout the evening were Explicit Content, a dance group that won the last three Apollo nights, and Farmington Hills junior Neliswa Dorsey, who sang a song she wrote about her parents’ separation.
“A lot of people said they haven’t seen me around because I’ve been stressed out,” Dorsey said. “It allowed me to pour out my emotions through my lyrics.”
The audience participated in several contests throughout the night, including a dance contest and a search for the sexiest person in the audience.
Texas freshman Barron Miles was crowned the sexiest person in the auditorium.
Hykyra Caldwell of Detroit won the dance contest. Caldwell, 13, was visiting her sister, Detroit senior Heather Caldwell, for Siblings Weekend.
Hykyra Caldwell said she knew she would win the dance contest because she had better moves than the other participants.
“They couldn’t dance,” Hykyra Caldwell said.
Some of the youngest audience members also were the hit of the show.
Four-year-old Jayla Hawk danced on stage several times.
“I’m a dancer,” Hawk said.
She attended the event with her mother, Detroit sophomore Jamie Hawk.
Students who went to the show said they enjoyed it.
“I came out to support OBU and get some entertainment,” said Thomas “Red” Keith, Georgia junior. “I like all of it. It took courage for them to get up and perform.”
