All Around the World

Lights flash, music pulses and people strikes poses. Fashion and comedic entertainment formed a traditional event put together by the University of Toledo’s Black Student Union.

BSU presented their 48th annual fashion show Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Lancelot Thompson Student Union Auditorium. BSU has become the third largest group on campus after UT Student Government and Campus Activities and Programing.

This event was attended by more than 400 students and community members.

MeKayla Pullins is a third-year exercise science major and the president of BSU. She has been involved in planning and putting on the fashion show since her first year at UT.

Pullins did a lot of behind-the-scenes work to prepare for this show and, as the president of BSU, many looked to her to make decisions whenever issues arose.

“I have never heard my name called so much in one day,” Pullins said.

Asha Townsend, a third-year psychology major who attended the event, said she heard about the show from her friend Kyndra Gaines.

“I have been looking forward to seeing all of the different clothes from all over the world,” Townsend said.

As the scene director, Gaines was responsible for coming up with the theme. This year’s theme, “All Around the World,” showcased fashion from four diverse countries. The countries included in the show were Brazil, China, India and Jamaica.

Every year, the fashion show has had a different and unique theme. Previous years’ themes have included “Color me Bad,” “Coming to America,” “Project Runway” and many more.

“The show is always different, seeing that there are different scene directors, themes, models and hosts, but that is what makes it original,” Pullins said. “The crowd will never know what to expect until the day of the show, which I think is what makes it exciting.”

The host for this year’s show was JayLa Milan. Milan, who goes by Lala or @LalaSizaHands89, is a comedian and entertainer from Atlanta, GA, who became famous on Instagram.

The proceeds from tickets sales for the fashion show go to fund scholarships that BSU gives to two students every year. These scholarships are for $1,000 each and they are awarded during the fashion show’s intermission.

Any money left over from ticket sales goes to an account set up to fund next year’s scholarship. The scholarship recipients are chosen by a panel of faculty members. This choice is based on applicant’s answers to essay questions created by BSU’s executive board.

The scholarships awarded during this show went to Isis Walker, a first-year communication major, and Sheri Saka, a third-year pharmacy major.

While BSU is responsible for sponsoring many events, the fashion show is their largest event of the year.

Pullins said that her goal for the show goes beyond just enjoying the performance and appreciating all of the hard work that has gone into it. She hopes that those who attended were made more aware of the opportunities that BSU offers to students.