The 11th Annual Internation Shea Butter Convention

Being the social media consultant for the American Shea Butter Institute, I come to inform you about the 11^th Annual International Shea Butter Convention (ISBC), held by the American Shea Butter Insititute (ASBI). It took place October 24^th-26^th, it and it indeed explosive! This three-day event attracted people globally to know what to further explain the shea technology and commerce, which consisted of workshops, raffle ticket contests, and goodie bag giveaways.

International guests included business partners from the motherland of Africa, which were greeted on Saturday and thanked for their contribution to shea butter research. Also other invited guests were only people that were invited to come and enjoy Saturday’s festivities and conclusion of the ISBC convention.

The convention was held at the Westin Hotel at the Atlanta Airport in Atlanta, GA, which accommodated guests who traveled to the country for the workshops that were provided. And Saturday’s event took place in one of the hotel’s grand ballrooms.

I was able to speak with only one of the ISBC presenters, Dr. Terasita Hariston, consultative panel member and partner of the ASBI. I asked her what was the significance of attending this convention and what she hoped guests would attain after the conclusion of the event, Dr. Hairston explained, “I’ve been a part of this event for a while now, and little does the world know how the product of shea is a life-changing natural resource from the lands of Africa. We’ve spread knowledge on our projects advancing the technology and commerce of shea, and how it is so beneficial for us. Of course the last day is a fun event for everyone to enjoy, where you can bring family and friends for our final day’s festivities.”

Saturday’s event consisted of a mini fashion show of African outfits, and also a dance performance from a few amateur models from Atlanta, GA. The event also had a raffle ticket drawing that gave guests chances to win prizes such as a gift basket from one of the vendors that produced and sold shea products, such as shea soap, shea butter, hair oils, and samples of other natural products that they also sell. Vendors were set up around the ballroom showcasing their products, some of which were unrelated to the shea product.

This event is one that happens every year, which distributes knowledge of working with other scientists in the continent of Africa, and the importance of a healthy lifestyle, with healthy and natural products. I was glad to be in attendance once again.

Time to Roll Bounce! Homecoming 2013 Skate Night

At Albany State University, it is a known tradition to have an evening event where students can enjoy their homecoming celebration in doing none other than, skating at the skating rink!

This past Wednesday, on October 16^th, the Student Activity Advisory Board hosted the fourth night of Homecoming 2013 at Stardust Skating Center in Lee County, Georgia. Skate night always brings the ASU crowd together to socialize and show off some of their talents in skating. I was surprised at how many students not only knew how to skate, but skate very well.

The event began at 8pm which was free admittance for Albany State Students until 9pm, which followed with a five-dollar fee for entry. Then you were given a temporary ticket to give to the designated police officer to enter the actual skating rink showroom.

As I walked into the skating rink, almost every face was familiar. This was an event where everyone comes together, where there are no altercations, no competition, just fun for everyone participating. I asked senior Bruce Colvin how he viewed Homecoming Week’s annual skate night, he said, “it is a fun and energetic atmosphere for everyone to enjoy. It is one of my favorite events to attend during homecoming week.”

The sport or talent of skating was is an interesting hobby to master. It may seem easy for some, but for others, it is quite a challenge. Surprisingly, it is one of the safest sports to participate in. As I watched the students make their way around the skating rink, I was amazed at their performance for such a fast-paced activity. I also noticed that every skater was determined to avoid one thing while on the rink, the art of falling.  It can be embarrassing for some, but it is normal to fall at times when you are skating.

Some styles I noticed while watching the skaters were indeed eye-catching. Everyone had on different types of roller skates if they did not receive the skates distributed by the roller rink. Some students wore rhythm skates, skates that allow you to move to the music played in the rink, and others wore speed skates, to go fast around the skating rink. Slow skaters were in the middle of floor to avoid collision with the more advanced skaters. All night students skated backwards, danced while skating, and even had skating dance routines. It was very entertaining to watch!

I got the attention of one of the more talented skaters, Brandon Moore. Moore has attended every skate night since Homecoming of 2009. I asked him about his styles of skating and what he enjoys about the event. “I’ve been coming to skate night since my freshman year at Albany State. I spend my spare time here at Stardust just to have fun. I’ve been skating since I can remember and my favorite style of skating is rhythm skating. I love music and these skates allow me to move to the music and help do spinning tricks and whatever else. This is event has always been great because I’m amazed at how many other students know how to skate since this sport is so underrated.”

Other activities during this event were arcade games such as car racing, ping pong, board hockey, just to name a few. Everyone was occupied with either gaming or skating. The event ended at 11pm and it drew a large crowd. Everyone seemed to have fun during their time at Stardust Skate Center. But it was time for everyone to go to their destinations to prepare for the next day’s events.

Skate night has always been a favorite event for myself and plenty other ASU students. This was a great highlight of week that was full of positive energy and a time for everyone to enjoy.

The Entertainment of the Cultural Explosion

International Education Week 2013: The Entertainment of the Cultural Explosion!!!

Everyone looks forward to the annual International Education Week (IEW) here at Albany State University. IEW took place from September 30th to October 4th, 2013. The week was filled with informational forums, competitions, and exciting presentations. International Education Week is an enterprise industrialized by the U.S. Department of Education to endorse programs that formulate Americans of our worldwide surroundings and appeal upcoming frontrunners to study abroad, study and tell their stories of their involvements across the world.

One event in particular that caught my attention was the IEW Cultural Explosion. This festival was geared toward students and faculty of an international cultural background to showcase and give information about their native country. Not to mention the eye-catching performances, this kept everyone’s attention toward the stage.

The entertainment of the festival included an international fashion show, which showcased various attires from the countries of Africa. Throughout the fashion show, the host of the fashion show, Mass Communication senior Nkechi Ndukwe,  explained the outfit of choice and what each piece of attire represented in that country of representation. Dozens of beautiful African pieces of attire were displayed on students who were models for the fashion show. At the end of the presentation, faculty and staff also came on stage to display their outfit worn by natives of their country. It was a very exciting showcase for everyone to enjoy.

The festival continued with students of the Albany Early College of the World Language Club reading poems of international poets of the Hispanic culture. These poets described freedom, endurance, and growth as they were raised in a society of confusion, slavery, and learning how to survive the cultural woes of modern society. Each student who presented had a piece to recite to the audience.

Another portion of the festival continued with dorm competition performances which included students performing a folk dance for entertainment. The audience was quite amused, due to the inexperience each student had from the culture. They performed the dance with a YouTube video, so the audience would comprehend the exact moves and rhythm. One last performance I caught was Edward Allen also known as “Keta” which is his stage name, with a performance on the Congo drums. This performance displayed the African culture and their entertainment and how they enjoy themselves to music. His performance on the Congo drums ranged from slow-tempo, to fast paced, and each potion of rhythm blended with one another as he changed the pace of the music. This performance lasted about four and a half minutes, but each moment was attention-grabbing from the audience.

Displays of many countries across the globe were available to read and learn about throughout the duration of the festival.Other showcases of the festival displayed education of various countries across the globe, and there was a representative for each display to provide information, pamphlets, and even food to help guest get a taste of their culture. This was the most exciting event of the IEW because it was engaging for the students, faculty and staff, and it helped everyone come together for such a joyous and educational experience.