On March 31, the African Student Association (ASA) hosted the eighth annual African Pride Fashion Show in the Jubilee Auditorium. To showcase different aspects of African culture, the show went beyond fashion. ASA welcomed musical and dance performers in addition to showing outfits from local boutiques.
Yaa Opoku-Mensah, a junior psychology major, serves as the ASA vice president and will be next year’s president. Opoku-Mensah said that “Our overall achieving goal for this specific fashion show is to show African pride because Africa is not just a continent but it’s expansion of its people around the whole world,” Opoku-Mensah said. “This is why we have Caribbean wear and we also have influences from the hiphop culture in America as well,” she added.
She explained that she hoped the show encouraged people to join ASA and to attend future events.
The fashion show included audience participation in-between performances and runway walks. MC Kofi Williams had audience members participate in various on-stage activities such as walking the runway and learning African dance moves. The audience had the opportunity to select the winners of each activity. The winners were awarded prizes for their participation.
Williams explained the importance of audience involvement at the event.
“Sometimes we go to events and we don’t really experience the event,” Williams said.
Many of the models in the fashion show were Seton Hall students. Taylor Newkirk, a freshman psychology major and Africana studies minor, walked the runway twice as a model. Newkirk said that preparing for the show since before winter break and being a part of it helped her connect with more people on campus.
“Actually getting into the clothes and working with the designers was my favorite part because that made everything real,” Newkirk said.
Assistant Director for Leadership Development Chinez Madueke attended and performed in the fashion show.
“A goal of mine is to be able to support students more in the evening,” Madueke said.
Chinez said she oversees about 130 student organizations. She is there for pre-planning but does not always get to see the final product of the events put on by student organizations.
As the show drew to a close, members of this year’s graduating e-board were presented with flowers. The members of the new e-board were introduced too. In his concluding remarks, ASA President Daniel Kontoh-Boateng shared his appreciation for all those that have supported ASA throughout the year.
Margarita Williamson can be reached at margarita.williamson@student.shu.edu.
