Music, dance and poetry rocked Pruis Hall Thursday night duringDelta Sigma Theta's Variety Show.
"This was a chance for people to get up and show off the talentsthey had," senior Bethany Peterson, chapter president, said. "A lotof the time they don't get that opportunity. We have so manytalented people here at Ball State."
More than 250 students cheered on the performers during theshow's 22 featured acts, which included rap, vocal solos and duets,piano performances, poetry and comedy.
Audience members waved cell phones and cheered as junior WilliamBirdsong and four other members of independent record label RawStreet from Cincinnati, Ohio, rapped and threw free copies of theirnew Lethal Injection Mix CD to excited spectators.
Members of Ball State's Trendz of Essence dance group alsocaptured the hearts of the audience as they danced to MichaelJackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel."
Dressed in a psychedelic cap, junior Monte Williams, nicknamed"Good Brother Hollywood of the Future," read a poem entitled "WhoAm I" emphasizing his power as a black male in contemporarysociety. Williams also performed with senior Malcolm McIntyre onanother poem called "What's Beef?"
"During the past two years, it seems like a lot of the thingsI've done have been looked over or looked down on," Williamssaid.
McIntyre, who also read a poem called "Young Assassins," saidboth poems highlighted such problems as drugs, violence and thelack of education in minority communities and the need for studentsat Ball State to address these issues.
"We wanted to bring it to the forefront so people willunderstand them," McIntyre said. "We're here at Ball State, but westill have to go back and help the community."
Senior Charles Sanders, nicknamed "Hussey Mac," performed comedyhe said was based on personal experience and highlighted the issueslocal blacks deal with in love and other areas on a dailybasis.
"I'm an amateur now," Sanders said. "People told me I was funny,so I took a risk."
While he said performing comedy is hard, Sanders said it's alsorewarding to see the audience enjoy a good laugh.
"Life is hard, and people get down," he said. "A laugh is like atension releasing."
Peterson said Delta Sigma Theta's variety performance showcasedgood talent this year and turned out better than she expected.
Sanders said he especially noticed the diversity of the audienceand hopes to see more programs and shows like this in thefuture.
"A lot of talented people were out there tonight," Sanders said."It was just students putting their thoughts together. It wasbeautiful for Ball State."
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