Mystery, style and goodwill led more than 100 guests to join the Black Student Union at its masquerade-themed gala Nov. 16.
The BSU presented its 9th annual scholarship and benefit gala at the Musee Conti Wax Museum. The money raised from the ticket sales and other semester functions is going to the Save Darfur Coalition, an alliance of human rights organizations meant to raise awareness and mobilize a response to atrocities in the Sudanese region.
The event began at 8 p.m. with a tour of the museum, whose iconic figures include reproductions from the American Revolution and Boston Tea Party. A separate section, which guests described as “freakishly scary,” held wax figures of Frankenstein’s monster, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula and other literary horror characters.
A banquet followed on the second floor, with music by three Loyola jazz music students and catering provided by Loyola’s Dining Services.
Saxophonist Woody Rinker, music education junior, bassist Ted Long, jazz studies junior, and Chris Guccione, jazz studies junior, made up the jazz trio.
Mahmoud A.M. Braima, president of the Darfur Association of the United States, was the guest speaker. He spoke about the history of Darfur and its current hostile relations with Sudan, noting that President Bush was the first person this century to use the term genocide while it’s still going on.
“You have a lot you can do to promote advocacy (and) raise awareness, because in this country there’s a lot of good people who intervene,” Braima said. He urged the audience to participate in governmental politics and “raise your voice and tell your representatives.”
Braima is part of a 35-member group rewriting a draft of a new constitution to give to the Sudanese government. This position paper, which includes provisions for civil liberties, democratic representation and a strong democratic system, will act as a peace negotiation. He emphasized that awareness and understanding, with help from representatives, gives a lot of weight to the outcome of the conflict in Darfur.
The actual planning and execution of the gala took about three months, said Tramaine Breaux, psychology sophomore and BSU parliamentarian. Breaux said BSU president Khadijah Rogers, accounting and finance senior, and gala chairwoman Lexy Plummer, music industry studies sophomore, took on the task of planning the event.
The BSU, which is about 50 members strong, donated $1,000 to the Darfur Association and plans to continue its fundraising efforts, Breaux said. They also donated three items for the gala’s silent auction to help with funds to Darfur.
Samira Jones, psychology sophomore and a member of the gala committee, said the event went well, especially after the weeks of planning and coordination on and off campus.
Brendez Wineglass, a Howard University student and one of the president’s guests, said the banquet was very elegant.
“More positive (events) like this should happen closer to campus,” he said.
“There are atrocities more awful than we can imagine going on in the world,” said Breaux, “and I would hope that the information gained from the gala has given insight into one of those issues.”
Rosie Dao can be reached at [email protected].
