Steven Hall | Staff Writer

After a short and sweet spring break, Hampton University’s freshman class kicked off their Freshmen Week. The week was organized around the theme Jumanji: Welcome to The Jungle and involved events like Cafe Appreciation Day, Movie Night, Trap Karaoke, and of course, a Fashion Show held in Ogden Hall.

After the administration cancelled the annual Battle of the States Competition, Freshman Class President Bruce Wilson and his team turned a negative to a positive by introducing the Freshman Fashion Show.

Participating students were separated by region and shared cultural aspects from their respective regions through music, dance, and fashion.

The South captured the audience’s attention with their colorful clothing, and lollipops as they showcased their culture through the theme “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

The DMV region had the audience to their feet with their music choices with artists like Shy Glizzy, and Wale.

Students were excited to see the showcase of their cultures on stage. “They all have worked so hard, and it feels good to see everything come to life,” said senior DMV leader Nkafu Foretia.

“It took me back home, and I loved it.”

Although the Fashion Show is completely different event than Battle of the States, it still had the feel, and drive of the event without the competitive aspect.

“The leaders of each region, in my eyes, try to turn this into another Battle of The States. Although it was a fashion show, or at least meant to be a fashion show, many of the regions decided to show off their dancing skills as well,” said Senior Jamal Jackson.

The Fashion Show included many performances that allowed freshmen to showcase their talents. The men of Phi Beta Sigma also had a pre-show showcasing a few of their Spring 2018 initiates.

“I had a great time performing, it gave me a glimpse of what BOTS was like. It was a lot of work, but it worked out well,” said DMV freshmen Winstina Cole.

Freshmen ended the week attending the annual Freshmen Ball. Women dressed in elegant gowns, while men wore suits; all celebrated their first year of college in the Student Center Ballroom.        The Freshmen class also hosted a Freshmen Festival held on Bemis lawn.

After an eventful week, students are now focused on their classes and ending the semester on a strong note.