Spirit Fest brings ethnic togetherness

On Friday, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs ended Mosaic Week with Spirit Fest, offering students of all ethnicities a chance to enjoy the Commons Plaza filled with music, festivities and fun.

Beverly Walker, assistant director of OMSA, said this weeklong celebration has been going on annually for nearly 15 years. It began with L. Victor Collins, the previous director of OMSA, and the tradition has carried on ever since.

“What we look to offer today at Spirit Fest is an opportunity for students, faculty and administrators to learn something about the African-American community . how we deal with the whole cultural aspects of our being, some of the things that have really brought us to a different level – songs, music, dance.which have been characteristic of African cultures,” said Napoleon Peoples, director of OMSA.

The event commenced as planned, and soon after students leisurely began to drop in.

“We have the Black Awakening Choir, the Morris Street youth praise dancers, soloist Katina Greene and Joseph Lyons, the assistant director of VCU University Career Center. The goal we are hoping to achieve is to have a better awareness of African-American culture through song and dance,” Walker said.

Joseph Lyons and his family performed several songs, two of which were solos by his son, Seth. Among their selection were “Jesus Loves Me” and “Total Praise.”

After their performance, the meal began. The food was provided by the Jamaica House and Ukrop’s.

The praise dance was presented to the song “Just for Me” by Donnie McClurkin and was met with applause. Greene sang some original songs titled “The Bible Tells Me” and “Decisions” just before the Black Awakening Choir performed.

Deserita Bennett, a sophomore, said, “I have friends from my high school that were in it, and they told me about it. We started practicing last Thursday, but we’re singing songs from last year.”

This was the Black Awakening Choir’s first performance of the semester.

Sophomore Candace McCallister said, “We’ve had like two rehearsals. It will be fabulous.”

Peoples said the outdoor celebration attracts crowds.

“Rather than being inside, it is so open, people can come out. They can sit around, they can eat, they can talk to each other,” he said. “They can listen to the performances that we have here.”