Jennifer Wiles
Staff Writer
The Outspoken organization at Jackson State University showcased their talents during a fall interest show held on Sept. 7 and informed potential members of what it takes to be outspoken.
During the “OUTSPOKEN Presents: Pass Thee Vibes,” show, current members entertained students with a collection of original poetry and music.
“Our main focus for this school year is getting back to our roots and becoming more conscience within our shows. We want to be able to stay new age and perform spoken word, but we also don’t want our crowd to leave without a message. We don’t want our crowd to leave without being educated on certain topics,” said NaTosha Devon, a senior theatre major from Chicago, Ill. and also the current president of Outspoken.
Jonathon Rosser, former president and JSU alumnus, returned to perform at the event. He stated that he sees a positive future for the organization.
“I think the organization this year will thrive through unity, because there are a lot of people who now have to become leaders in the organization. As long as we have unity in the organization, we will thrive and I definitely feel that the executive board will do a great job this year,” said Rosser.
Aspiring member, Andre Dyson II, a freshman computer engineering major from Anderson, Ind., shared a few things about the arts.
“There are two different ways to look at it, the average student or someone like me. For the average student it’s probably something that’s entertaining and like ‘Yo, I could do that. But for someone like me who actually loves poetry, it’s like ‘Yo, I could be like that one day’. It gives you something to look up to and it makes you feel like you have somewhere to belong,” said Dyson.
Keleigh Williams, a junior psychology major from Sierra Vista, Ariz., has used her participation with the group to help overcome her fear of speaking in public.
“I prepare for a show by getting my pieces critiqued by the other members of Outspoken and just altering my act until I feel like its appropriate and ready for the show,” said Williams. “To get rid of nervousness, I distract myself and play games on my phone until it’s my turn.”
A question and answer session was held at the end of the event. Potential members asked questions about auditions, the content of the piece, and much more. Outspoken members responded by informing aspiring members to not be afraid to approach them and ask for guidance when needed.
Outspoken plans to hold auditions for new members from Oct. 1-2.
