Photos: Young Men Compete In Alpha Beautillion
On Sunday, June 3 at the Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts, seven high school juniors and seniors from Bermuda’s public and private schools took to the stage to compete in the 17th annual Alpha Beautillion, sponsored by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Epsilon Theta Lambda Chapter, Bermuda, with Aaron Ratteray winning the event.
A spokesperson said, “The seven Alpha Beaus who competed for the $14,000 in scholarship funds to attend university were Matthew Daniel representing Warwick Academy, Antoine Jones, Deputy Head Boy, from the Berkeley Institute, Jermayne Dears representing Impact Mentoring Academy, Tylar Jones from CedarBridge Academy, Gabriel Smith from Saltus Grammar School, Aaron Ratteray representing Bermuda Institute, and Rodrigo Lira of Mount Saint Agnes Academy.
“These outstanding young men were nominated to participate in the Alpha Beautillion by the administration at their respective schools as a result of their strong leadership skills, solid academic performance, and overall involvement in their school communities.”
.
“As the curtains lifted to signal the start of the show, the 2018 Alpha Beaus were greeted by the rapturous applause of cheering fans. The Alpha Beaus walked onto the stage and proudly introduced themselves by sharing the school they represented, career aspirations, and the axioms by which they govern their lives.
“The level of confidence that exuded from each Alpha Beau during at the start of the show was electrifying. The audience reciprocated in admiration by the blowing of bull horns and screaming vociferously for their contestant of choice. Bro. Jecoa Burrows and former Alpha Beau, Jordan Simmons-Trott, masterfully emceed each segment of the program with great synergy and humor which culminated in much laughter from the spectators throughout the night.
“After preliminary remarks and a formal welcome from our illustrious Chapter President, Bro. Dantae Williams, each Alpha Beau was required to execute a five minute oratory speech on the following topic: “You have been invited to your Alma Mater as the Commencement Speaker to share an inspirational message to the Class of 2028. What message would you impart to the Class of 2028 to inspire them to become agents of change through career choice and civic engagement?”
“As each Alpha Beau presented his speech, it was apparent that the mentoring and expertise from Mrs. Kimberly Caines-Best and Ms. Ebony Fray of Bermuda Toastmasters club, had afforded the Alpha Beaus the opportunity to hone their oratorical skills in public speaking.
“The talent exhibition of the Alpha Beaus started with a powerful rhythmic rendition on drums by Jermayne Dears of Impact Mentoring Academy. To the audience’s delight, Gabriel Smith of Saltus Grammar School serenaded them with his melodic vocal tones with intermittent accompaniment with his brass instrument.
“The competition bar was set even higher when Tyler Jones of CedarBridge Academy rocked the stage with a sequence of blaring musical renditions with the aid of CedarBridge Academy’s horn band-Brothers in Music. The audience were on their feet applauding as Tylar took them to a musical journey of instrumental perfection. And who would have ever thought that the Alpha Beautillion would ever experience a comedy act in its talent repertoire?
“Well, Matthew Daniel of Warwick Academy broke the mold as he had the audience on the edge of their seat with his impeccable comedic timing as he retold the narratives of his dating experiences. Rodrigo Lira continued in the vein of comedy as he developed a caricature of our Chapter President, Bro. Dantae Williams in record time.
“The humorous banter between Rodrigo and Mr. Williams resulted in a finished product that caught the audience by surprise. At the announcement of Aaron Ratteray’s name, Bermuda Institute supporters erupted into a contagious chant that reverberated throughout the auditorium. His presentation took the audience to a euphoric state of musical genius as he catapulted the talent presentations to another level.
“Antoine Jones of The Berkeley Institute took the audience through a theatrical simulation of what it means to maximize your time on earth. His dramatic monologue encouraged the members of the audience to be “authentically you.” This year, each presentation displayed by the Alpha Beaus captivated the audience differently than it had in previous years.
“One of the most challenging aspects of the competition is the Impromptu Question and Answer Period. This part of the program allows the Alpha Beaus to demonstrate their ability to think critically, to remain composed under pressure, and to respond expeditiously to a current issue in Bermuda. The impromptu question this year was: “The Bermuda Government is looking to introduce a sugar tax to curb unhealthy eating, what can be done to encourage young people to eat healthy?”
“One major highlight that every attendee of the Alpha Beautillion looks forward to is the annual Step Show Exhibition. This year our Alpha Beaus were instructed by Bro. Omar Lodge and Bro. Te’Jour Riley. The Alpha Beaus put on a riveting step show inspired by box office hit Black Panther.”
“In between each major segment of the program, a video presentation enlightened the audience about the activities that the Alpha Beaus engaged in throughout their seven month mentoring process with the Brothers of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
“Each of the Alpha Beaus participated in community service and professional development initiatives at the Matilda Smith-Williams Residence home, Deloitte, Butterfield & Vallis, Ascendant Group, OBMI and XL Catlin, as well as public speaking initiatives with Bermuda Toastmasters Club, and Interview workshops with Deshay Caines of the Pristine Group.”
“The night culminated with the Alpha Beaus lined on stage in a brotherly fashion awaiting the announcement of the 2018 Alpha Beautillion winner. The second runner up was Antoine Jones of The Berkeley Institute who was awarded $2000, the first runner up was Rodrigo Lira of Mount Saint Agnes, who received a $3000 bursary, and the winner of the 2018 Alpha Beautillion was Aaron Ratteray who was awarded a $5000 bursary.
“Mr. Aaron Ratteray, of Bermuda Institute, was the recipient of the coveted “Best Oratorical Performance Prize” which was awarded by Toastmasters’ Past President, Ms. Kimberley Caines-Best and Ms. Ebony Fray. Matthew Daniel and Rodrigo Lira also received awards from Toast Masters for Best Impromptu Answer and Most Consistent respectively.
“Each of the remaining participants received a $1000 bursary and all will be sent on an all expenses paid trip to the Leadership Development Institute at Long Island University, sponsored by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. The Alpha Beaus were judged on their performance throughout their seven month mentoring process, as well as their performance on the night of the Alpha Beautillion.
“As is customary, the evening summited with a reflective rendition of the Alpha hymn in which the Brothers of the Fraternity surrounded the Alpha Beaus. This nostalgic tradition represents the fact that the Alpha Beaus are forever connected to the Brothers of Alpha in Bermuda for future mentorship, support and networking opportunities.
“The judges for the prestigious event were: Takeysha Wolffe, HR Strategist, Butterfield & Vallis; Darren Woods, Outreach and Prevention Manager, Ministry of National Security; Edith Caines, Troika; N.H. Cole Simons JP, MP, Private Banker, Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Sons; and Tonesan Amissah, Partner, Appleby (Bermuda).”
“Bro. Dantae Williams was the Chairman of the 2018 Alpha Beautillion. Also serving in the Beautillion Committee were Bro. Zuri Darrell, Bro. C. Michael Wellman, Bro. Dr. John Duncan, Bro. Lloyd Holder, Bro. Michael Pearman, Bro. Ahmad Ahad, Bro. Jache Adams, Bro. Jonathan Tankard, Bro. Philip Trott, Bro. Aubrey Pennyman and Bro. Dr. Timothy Jackson. The Fraternity at large is to be commended for their tireless efforts, and commitment to the social development of the young men in the island of Bermuda.
“This year XL Catlin were the lead sponsors with other contributing sponsors including Hiscox Re, Butterfield & Vallis, MS Amlin, the Bermuda Government and Bermuda Community Foundation. The members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Epsilon Theta Lambda Chapter, thank our sponsors, corporate donors and patrons for their support in the Beautillion program and the organization as we endeavor to make a difference in our community one life at a time.
“The 17th annual Alpha Beautillion will go down in history because of the impact that the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Epsilon Theta Lambda Chapter has made in fulfilling its fraternity mandates- “Manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind.”
Click to enlarge photos:
