2008 Woodie Awards
Harvest Ball Celebrates African Life
OSAU's Event Thrilled Spectators with Food, Dance and Vocal Performances
Jeremy Slagle
Issue date: 12/2/04 Section: Feature
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Centuries ago, the autumn harvest was a time of celebration. It brought together family and community members as they worked to gather the food needed for survival over the harsh winter months.
In parts of this world that rely on agriculture to survive, the autumn harvest is still an important time of the year. The harvest was recently celebrated at Montclair State University by the Organization of Students for African Unity (OSAU).
OSAU held their annual Harvest Ball on Nov. 22 in the Student Center Ballrooms. The first things one saw when walking into the event were the colorful and vibrant decorations on tables, chairs, and other areas - the browns, oranges, yellows, reds, and greens filled the room, giving the atmosphere that of a rural farm in the country.
The Harvest Ball didn't get off to a good start. The scheduled time for the start of the event was 7 p.m. but audience members didn't show up until past 7:30 p.m.
"The one thing I wished I could have changed would be to have people come on time," sophomore nutrition major and OSAU's Student Government Association legislative representative Crystal Dodson said.
The events for the evening were artistic, spiritual, and energetic. The dance troupe performed in their traditional ethnic garb. Their explosive moves and cultural dances made it feel like the middle of an African celebration. The ladies danced barefoot and were very expressive in their body and arm movements.
The OSAU Gospel Choir performed twice, first in the beginning and then at the very end of the event. The choir was made up of 10 women and two men. They sang songs reminiscent of a Sunday service at a Baptist church.
The powerful sound from those dozen voices shook the foundations of the Ballrooms. At the end, each voice part split and did a solo verse. To everyone's surprise, the two lone men sang with enough force to be heard over the women.
A guest dance ensemble, the Hudson Repertory Dance Ensemble also performed. The group is composed of trained dancers who perform to spiritual music. The concentration and focus that each individual dancer portrayed showed their talent and commitment to their art. Junior dance major and OSAU secretary Tomeka Burgess was responsible for bringing the group to MSU. She is also a member of the OSAU dance troupe.
In parts of this world that rely on agriculture to survive, the autumn harvest is still an important time of the year. The harvest was recently celebrated at Montclair State University by the Organization of Students for African Unity (OSAU).
OSAU held their annual Harvest Ball on Nov. 22 in the Student Center Ballrooms. The first things one saw when walking into the event were the colorful and vibrant decorations on tables, chairs, and other areas - the browns, oranges, yellows, reds, and greens filled the room, giving the atmosphere that of a rural farm in the country.
The Harvest Ball didn't get off to a good start. The scheduled time for the start of the event was 7 p.m. but audience members didn't show up until past 7:30 p.m.
"The one thing I wished I could have changed would be to have people come on time," sophomore nutrition major and OSAU's Student Government Association legislative representative Crystal Dodson said.
The events for the evening were artistic, spiritual, and energetic. The dance troupe performed in their traditional ethnic garb. Their explosive moves and cultural dances made it feel like the middle of an African celebration. The ladies danced barefoot and were very expressive in their body and arm movements.
The OSAU Gospel Choir performed twice, first in the beginning and then at the very end of the event. The choir was made up of 10 women and two men. They sang songs reminiscent of a Sunday service at a Baptist church.
The powerful sound from those dozen voices shook the foundations of the Ballrooms. At the end, each voice part split and did a solo verse. To everyone's surprise, the two lone men sang with enough force to be heard over the women.
A guest dance ensemble, the Hudson Repertory Dance Ensemble also performed. The group is composed of trained dancers who perform to spiritual music. The concentration and focus that each individual dancer portrayed showed their talent and commitment to their art. Junior dance major and OSAU secretary Tomeka Burgess was responsible for bringing the group to MSU. She is also a member of the OSAU dance troupe.