The Omegan Conference Edition 2016

Voice of the Second District
Springdale, MD March 12, 2016 -- They really do have talent in Prince
George’s County, and every year, the high school youth who participate in
Gamma Pi chapter’s Omega Talent Hunt showcase the exciting talent of local
youth. That was on display again this year as parents and friends joined
members of the chapter for an entertaining Talent Hunt Program on March 12.
A total of 27 students participated in this year’s event, covering four areas
of performance: Instrumental Classical, Vocal Contemporary, Dance Contemporary
and Art. Aston Woolery, of Suitland High School, was named
the overall winner of the Talent Hunt. He performed Prelude in C# Minor
by Rachmaninoff. He has participated in Gamma Pi’s Talent Hunt before.
The atmosphere was very much reminiscent of the old variety shows
that were popular on television in the 1960s and 1970s, when numerous
performers would appear on one show. The sky-high voices, the
sounds of finely tuned instruments, the captivating dance moves and
the riveting artwork, all made for an exciting scene that made you
think you were in the audience at the old Apollo Theatre in New York.
As always, Gamma Pi’s Talent Hunt team of judges was comprised of music
and arts professionals and educators, including professors from nearby
Bowie State University and the University of the District of Columbia,
and the manager for the popular Rhythm and Blues supergroup, Earth,
Wind & Fire. Bro. Dr. Leroy Barton, a music educator, chairs Gamma
Pi’s Talent Hunt. “It never ceases to amaze me the level and kind of talent
we have among our high school students in Prince George’s County.”
Gamma Pi Vice Basileus Bro. Tony Lee served as Master of Ceremonies.
True to form, Bro. Lee kept the audience entertained in between the
performances with his well-known stand up routine that included a little
falsetto singing. Other category winners of the Talent Hunt are as follows:
Gamma Pi 2016 Talent Hunt
The Omegan
Vocal Contemporary: Olowabukola Odediram, Visual Art-Photography:
Terris Johnson, Dance: Tianna Robinson, Instrumental Contemporary:
Langston Hughes II, Classical Piano: Aston Woolery, Instrumental Classical:
Graceson Moore, Visual Art – Drawing: Jakema Washington.
Gamma Pi Mardi Gras
Bro. Tony Lee, Overall Winner-Aston Woolery and Bro. Dr. Leroy Barton
www.opp2d.org
Gamma Pi Mardi Gras guest dance the night away
National Harbor, MD. March 19, 2016. For so many years, Gamma
Pi’s signature fundraising event, Mardi Gras, was easily one of Prince
George’s County’s hottest social tickets. You could count on it being held
on a Friday night in mid-March and at the same Greenbelt, Md venue it
has called home since the 1990’s. This year, the Super Chapter took its
biggest and most widely attended event to a new level, moving Mardi Gras
to the county’s hottest new upscale venue, Washington National Harbor.
Mardi Gras 2016 (“Hollywood at the Harbor”) turned out to be a huge
hit. More than 1,000 people packed a ballroom at the Gaylord National
Hotel at National Harbor Saturday night, March 19, to dance to
the live funky sounds of the Omega-comprised Just’s Friends band,
enjoy a costume parade with the chance to win prizes, and bite into a
delicious midnight breakfast all while helping to raise funds for scholarships
and social action programs. As in recent years, Mardi Gras
was co-sponsored with the Friendship Charities Foundation, Inc. As
Gamma Pi likes to say, Mardi Gras is always a “party with a purpose.”
it was about more than just a new location in one of the hottest areas
of the DMV. Patrons enjoyed some other new wrinkles this year.
Thanks to the capabilities at the new venue, the audience was able to
share in the occasion interactively. Two large video screens at either
end of the room posted live tweets from patrons throughout the
night, adding to the excitement and the atmosphere. The crowd was
also able to see some of Gamma Pi’s and Friendship Charities’ work
over the years through a digital slide show. The breakfast was anew
menu for Mardi Gras (switching from dinner in previous years) and
couples were also able to stroll in on a Hollywood-style red carpet.
The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the Mardi Gras parade. Highlighted
by women sporting parasols, the parade drew undivided attention as
strutters and others in costume competed for cash prizes and bragging rights.
It was one of the most memorable Mardi Gras nights in Gamma
Pi history. Congratulations to Brother Ronald Swann, Chairman,
and Co-Chair Brother Rodney Beverly, for an outstanding
job. You can catch all the “sight and sound” highlights of this
year’s Mardi Gras at this Twitter hashtag: #gpmardigras2016..
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