Cloudy skies and a little rain didn’t stop Black Entertainment Television from bringing the spotlight to campus Thursday, Oct. 26, for the BET Black College Tour, which lasted from noon till 4 p.m. in the new gym.The BET Black College Tour, which began five years ago as an endeavor of BET in the support of historically black colleges and universities, has been on tour since the beginning of September. The tour consists of informative entertainment and activities that reach out to minority students who attend HBCUs. It is the largest black college tour in the country, covering 14 schools, over a 10-week period.
The festivities and entertainment began with the Singers Spotlight sponsored by the upcoming movie Dreamgirls which is scheduled to open in December. The winner of the contest, which showcased 10 students, was Taushey Sias, a freshman music education major who received an iPod Nano. This was followed by the McDonalds Poetry contest and the Pepsi Freestyle Challenge that featured eight students competing in rhyme skills. The winner of this competition was freshman John Curtis who also received an iPod Nano.
“He did pretty good,” said Kevin Edwards, a communications and sociology major, about the new freestyle champion. “I like this tour better than last year. It seems like everyone can really get to do and see more in the gym than if it was outside like last year,” he added.
Along with the interactive contests, there were also games and raffles held throughout the tour line-up. Students had chances of winning a ticket from Southwest Airlines by entering their names in a raffle, which was drawn toward the end of the program. “I think it’s great that they are giving students a chance to win stuff literally for free,” said student Ciera Hunter who worked as a volunteer for the McDonalds raffle and drawing. Five students won gift cards with a value from $50 to $100 dollars. “It was fun volunteering for this and I know that it’s going to make some student happy at the end of the day,” said Hunter. The tour also featured a Rap it Up booth that allowed students to receive a free HIV/AIDS test.
There were performances by several Motown artists, including ladies’ magnet Sammie. The Stomp the Yard contest, the Verizon three-point shoot out, and the Air-Force two-on-two basketball competition brought the tour to a close. Students can look forward to seeing additional pictures and footage online at www.bet.com.