Spring Break
Men to display talents in "Essence of a Man"
Colleen Harrigan/Staff Reporter
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: News
Four men will take the stage and rock Eastern out at "Essence of a Man" at 8 p.m. today in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.
"Essence of a Man" is a competition where male students have an opportunity to display their talents and express themselves to the campus. This year's theme is "The Man below the Surface."
The four men competing this year are Dorrian White, Darius Holland, Keeva Johnson and Ian Winston. Each individual has prepared a great deal to ensure their skills for the competition. The competition is separated into three different categories of skills.
Dorrian White, a senior psychology major, expressed his enthusiasm for this year's competition. While it will be his first time competing, he says he's more than ready.
"It's the first time I'm going to perform some of my own spoken word which is a poetry piece that recited on stage," White said. "So I am pretty excited about that. It intrigues me how a performer can extract feeling from an audience and send a powerful message."
Creative expression, talent and impromptu questions are three categories that the contestants compete in. All the guys in the competition prepare their own talents ahead of time, and spend time practicing. The only category they are unable to prepare for is the impromptu questions.
"The talent portion and impromptu question are probably easy to understand, but the creative expression is a themed skit," White said. "Each contestant will perform their skit and then give a speech about what the skit was about and why they did it."
Last year's winner, Steven Nwokocha, is this year's coordinator for the contest.
"(Essence) gives the males a competition, to show another side, a more intellectual side that they don't show every day," Nwokocha said. "When you see them on stage you might learn something about them that you never knew before."
Another first-time competitor, Darius Holland, a freshman communication studies major, plans to bring something the audience will never expect to the competition.
"I am excited about my talent," Holland said. "I have a surprise that will give people an experience that they will never forget. Each contestant has a great talent to show everyone a different side of them."
Nwokocha welcomes everyone to the event and is excited to see the turn out. Seeing students on stage allows fellow students to see them in a whole different manner.
Tickets cost $3 at the door.
Colleen Harrigan can be reached at 581-7944 or cmharrigan@eiu.edu.
"Essence of a Man" is a competition where male students have an opportunity to display their talents and express themselves to the campus. This year's theme is "The Man below the Surface."
The four men competing this year are Dorrian White, Darius Holland, Keeva Johnson and Ian Winston. Each individual has prepared a great deal to ensure their skills for the competition. The competition is separated into three different categories of skills.
Dorrian White, a senior psychology major, expressed his enthusiasm for this year's competition. While it will be his first time competing, he says he's more than ready.
"It's the first time I'm going to perform some of my own spoken word which is a poetry piece that recited on stage," White said. "So I am pretty excited about that. It intrigues me how a performer can extract feeling from an audience and send a powerful message."
Creative expression, talent and impromptu questions are three categories that the contestants compete in. All the guys in the competition prepare their own talents ahead of time, and spend time practicing. The only category they are unable to prepare for is the impromptu questions.
"The talent portion and impromptu question are probably easy to understand, but the creative expression is a themed skit," White said. "Each contestant will perform their skit and then give a speech about what the skit was about and why they did it."
Last year's winner, Steven Nwokocha, is this year's coordinator for the contest.
"(Essence) gives the males a competition, to show another side, a more intellectual side that they don't show every day," Nwokocha said. "When you see them on stage you might learn something about them that you never knew before."
Another first-time competitor, Darius Holland, a freshman communication studies major, plans to bring something the audience will never expect to the competition.
"I am excited about my talent," Holland said. "I have a surprise that will give people an experience that they will never forget. Each contestant has a great talent to show everyone a different side of them."
Nwokocha welcomes everyone to the event and is excited to see the turn out. Seeing students on stage allows fellow students to see them in a whole different manner.
Tickets cost $3 at the door.
Colleen Harrigan can be reached at 581-7944 or cmharrigan@eiu.edu.
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