Photos: 16th Annual Alpha Beautillion Event
On Sunday [June 4] at the Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts, five outstanding high school students took to the stage to compete in the 16th annual Alpha Beautillion sponsored by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Epsilon Theta Lambda Chapter, Bermuda.
The 5 Alpha Beaus who competed for the $12,000 in scholarship funds to attend university were Garyn Simons representing CedarBridge Academy, Zuhri Burgess representing Impact Mentoring Academy, Samson Douglas from Saltus Grammar School, Aaaon Spencer representing Bermuda Institute, and Jamel Amory of The Berkeley Institute.
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 standing, and overall involvement in their school communities.
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“The doors opened at 5:30 p.m. and the audience poured into the auditorium with great anticipation to cheer on the 2017 Alpha Beaus. The evening commenced with congratulatory remarks from the illustrious Chapter President, Bro. Dantae Williams followed by preliminary remarks by our emcees for the night Brother Jache Adams and Theo Wolffe, the latter was the winner of the 2016 Beautillion competition,” the organisers said.
“As the curtains lifted for the start of the show, the 2017 Alpha Beaus were greeted by the thunderous applause of cheering fans. “The first talent of the evening was the Introduction of the Alpha Beaus.
“Each participant was immaculately adorned in his school uniform and introduced himself to the audience by stating the school he represented, his interests and hobbies, career aspirations, and the axioms by which he governs his life. Each Alpha Beau delivered his introduction with poise and self-confidence as the audience waved banners, blew party horns, and cheered in admiration for the Alpha Beau they came to support.
“Each Alpha Beau was required to execute a 5 minute oratory speech on the following topic: “The positive and negative effects of technology on our community have been debated in various circles. Many believe that a shift in our culture is directly related to the growing use of technology. Explain how technology effects our Bermudian culture and whether or not you believe it can be a threat. Additionally, explain how we can maintain a healthy balance between technological advances and our community’s cultural identity.”
“As each Alpha Beau presented his speech, it was evident that the mentoring from the Ms. Kimberly Caines and Ms. Ebony Fray of Bermuda Toastmasters club, had afforded the young men the opportunity to fine tune their posture and oratorical skills when engaged in public speaking. Each Alpha Beau presented lucid arguments to support his position on the aforementioned topic, and delivered an intellectually stimulating narrative that engaged the audience.”
“The talent exhibition of the Alpha Beaus started with a dynamic musical rendition on soprano and alto saxophone by Aaron Spencer of Bermuda Institute. The melodious and skillful execution of his presentation sent his supporters from Bermuda Institute into a rapturous chant of “Spencer!” Spencer!” By the end of this musical display, the bar was set high for the remaining acts to follow.
“Samson Douglas of Saltus Grammar School serenaded the audience with a classical rendition on the violin. The entertaining skit by Garyn Simons of CedarBridge Academy kept the audience engaged as he demonstrated to his musical protégé on stage how skillfully he could master various genres of music on the drums which comprised of gospel and jazz.
“This captivating performance was followed up by a soul stirring rendition of ‘Lean on Me’ on the keyboard by Zuhri Burgess, from Impact Mentoring Academy. Jamel Amory of The Berkeley Institute ended the talent portion of the night leaving the audience mesmerized with a fashion show of his clothing line, “Rookie Fashions.
“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: “Recently we have observed global attacks by groups who exhibit intolerance towards others based on race, religion and ethnicity. As a young Bermudian how do you suggest that we address the issue of intolerance in our community?”
“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 once again by Annae Robinson of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Sigma Xi Omega Chapter, Bermuda and In Motion School of Dance.
“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 initiatives at the Matilda Smith Williams Residence home, Workshop Presentations at Deloitte and Butterfield & Vallis, a tour of Artemis Racing facilitated by Argo Re, as well as public Speaking initiatives with Toastmasters, Bermuda Chapter, and Interview workshops with Deshay Caines of Bermuda Business Development Agency.
“The night culminated with the Alpha Beaus lined on stage in a brotherly fashion awaiting the announcement of the 2017 Alpha Beautillion winner. The second runner up was Jamal Amory of The Berkeley Institute who was awarded $2000, the first runner up was Samson Douglas of Saltus Grammar School, who received a $3000 bursary, and the winner of the 2017 Alpha Beautillion was Aaron Spenser who was awarded a $5000 bursary.
“Mr. Zuhri Burgess, of Impact Mentoring Academy, was the recipient of the coveted “Best Oratorical Performance Prize” which was awarded by Toast Masters’ President, Ms. Kimberly Caines and Ms. Ebony Fray. 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: Joseph Smith, Account Executive at Butterfield & Vallis; Corville Hylton, DTM – Past President of Bermuda Toastmasters Club; LaKea Dill, Manager – Talent Advisor Deloitte; Myra Virgil – CEO and Managing Director, Bermuda Community Foundation; Dean Foggo, Teacher, Clear Water Middle School.
“Bro. Dantae Williams was the Chairman of the 2017 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. Donald Lottimore, Bro. Jonathan Tankard, Bro, Philip Trott, and Bro. Quennel Robinson. 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 Butterfield & Vallis and Markel Corp were the lead sponsors with other contributing sponsors including Deloitte and Chubb. 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 16th 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 of “Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for all Mankind.”
Photos by Philip Trott, click to enlarge:
This is where some of that Americas Cup money couldve been utilized toward, SCHOLARSHIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Couldve used the $4mil spent on Beyoncé, or the $60 million overspent on Berkeley because the PLP hired a new company with no track record. How about the 20 mil overspent pushing dirt around Port Royal? Man, we could have given out lots more scholarships if the Grand Atlantic wasn’t built! How many scholarships could we have offered if the Faith Based Tourism project that ultimately led to someone being incarcerated was never launched. Geesh, then there was the Dame Liois Brown Bldg disaster that also was way over budget. How much did Globalhue get after they wined and dined Premiere Brown on their private jet? Or just imagine how many sponsorships we could give if we could just figure out where the $800 million in unaccounted for dollars went.
Here is the difference. The AC event is on or below budget and we know where and how every penny was spent and we can see the positive effects for Bermuda. If you or a family member was an electrician, construction worker, hospitality worker, taxi Driver, Jetski, Bike rentals, tour operators, in advertising and so on they benefitted. Name JUST ONE PLP project that was :
a) on budget
b) on time
c) not awarded to a family or friend of the PLP
d) had a real impact on the economy and / or tourism
We are waiting.