Eight Top Students Compete In Alpha Beautillion
Eight outstanding high school seniors from Bermuda’s private and public schools took to the stage to compete in the 19th annual Alpha Beautillion under the direction of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Epsilon Theta Lambda Chapter, Bermuda.
A spokesperson said, “On Sunday, 19 July 2020 at the Ruth Seaton James [RSJ] for the Performing Arts, 8 outstanding high school seniors from Bermuda’s private and public schools took to the stage to compete in the 19th annual Alpha Beautillion under the direction of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Epsilon Theta Lambda Chapter, Bermuda.
“This year’s Alpha Beautillion was executed utilizing a hybrid approach due to COVID-19 which resulted in few guests attending the event onsite at RSJ, [as a result of social distancing], and the majority of our devoted attendees tuning in virtually on Facebook live, Instagram live and Channel 82 Bermuda. Despite having to make these modifications in programming, the excitement of the 2020 Alpha Beautillion ensued and we were off to a great start at 6:30 p.m.
“The 8 Alpha Beaus who competed for the coveted $7000 in scholarship funds to attend college/university were Quadrae Emery representing CedarBridge Academy, Ywione Darrell from Saltus Grammar School, Nahzai Lee from Mt. St. Agnes Academy, Isa Trott representing Impact Mentoring Academy, Noah da Silva from Warwick Academy, Chad McNorton from Bermuda Institute, Robert Thomas of The Berkeley Institute, and Max Whalley from Chatmore British International School.
“These eight men were nominated by their respective schools to participate in the 2020 Alpha Beautillion as they have excelled in the academic performance, are respected by the administration, staff and peers at their respective schools, and have demonstrated leadership skills which reflect their overall commitment to the betterment of their school community.
“The evening commenced with congratulatory remarks from our illustrious Chapter President, Bro. Dr. Tim N. Jackson. This year’s event was rather unique as former Alpha Beau Taurian Hill [2014] undertook the arduous task of serving as emcee for the evening. Mr. Hill’s youthful yet relatable approach to presiding over this event resulted in an uplifting fun-filled activity that could be enjoyed by the entire family, as well as our devoted supporters of this male rites of passage program.
“The first portion of the evening was the Introduction of the Alpha Beaus. Each participant was immaculately adorned in his school uniform and introduced himself by stating the school he represented, his interests and hobbies, career aspirations, and the axioms by which he governs his life. As each Alpha Beau articulately delivered his introduction with poise and self-confidence, it was apparent that the young men had shifted into a competitive mode; however, there was an obvious sense of comradery and congeniality that transcended throughout each portion of the competition.
“The Alpha Beaus were required to execute a 5-minute oratory speech on the following topic: “The People of Bermuda are revered for their pleasant disposition and for the human touch that accompanies each greeting and social engagement within our community. Over the past few weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has restricted our level of social interaction due to social distancing. How has your restricted accessibility to socializing reframed your appreciation for the simple things in life, and what three lessons have you learned from this experience that you will share with the next generation?”
“As each Alpha Beau presented his speech, it was evident that the mentoring by Mrs Kimberley Caines-Best, and Ms Ebony Fray of Bermuda Toastmasters, had afforded the young men the opportunity to fine tune their public speaking and oratorical skills. Each Alpha Beau presented lucid arguments to support his position on the aforementioned topic, and delivered an intellectually stimulating narrative that engaged the audience for the duration of its delivery.
“The talent portion the Alpha Beautillion presented by the Alpha Beaus started with a dynamic percussion selection on the drums by Nahzai Lee by Mt. St Agnes Academy. Max Whalley of Chatmore International British School left the audience spellbound by his magic tricks, followed by a classical rendition on the piano by Noah da Silva from Warwick Academy. Chad McNorton of Bermuda Institute rendered a passionate spoken word on mental illness [specifically suicide] and its impact on Bermuda’s youth. The imagery that accompanied his spoken word was dynamic and caused the audience ponder his plea for young people to seek help when in crisis.
“Ywione Darrell of Saltus Grammar School, clad in historic presidential regalia, provided a historical oratorical presentation on social inequality and how it continues to permeate throughout our society, while Isa Trott from Impact Mentoring Academy gave a dramatic presentation regarding his love affair with his drone and brief jui jitsu demonstration. Quadre Emery of CedarBridge Academy came on stage and lightened the mood with his hysterical dramatic monologue pertaining to how the older generation engaged young people when they showed signs of disrespect while living in their household, while Robert Thomas of The Berkeley Institute presented a highly spirited mime dance. By all accounts, the talents of the Alpha Beaus were diverse and entertaining which kept the viewers highly engaged throughout the presentations.
“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: “How can young people be agents of change in the current fight for social justice and equality?”
“Each of the Alpha Beaus tackled this question with dignity, and was able to elucidate on how they, as well as their peers, can improve their civic engagement in addressing issues related to social justice and equality in our global community. Albeit all of the Alpha Beaus did an outstanding job in answering the impromptu question this year, special commendations and acknowledgements were given to Noah da Silva of Warwick Academy, Ywione Darrell of Saltus Grammar School and Robert Thomas of The Berkeley Institute, who demonstrated an acute ability to expand upon the question posed and to offer tangible solutions in addressing the problem at hand.
“The major highlight that every attendee of the Alpha Beautillion looks forward to is the annual Step Show Presentation. This year our Alpha Beaus were instructed by Bro Te’Jour Riley . The seamless transitions between each step routine showcased the individual competencies of the participants, and provided the judges with another perspective in which to evaluate the performance of the young men.
“The night culminated with the Alpha Beaus lined on stage in a brotherly fashion awaiting the announcement of the presentation and awards. Prior to the announcement of the overall winner of the 2020 Alpha Beautillion, Mrs. Kimberley Caines-Best and Ms Ebony Fray of Toastmasters presented the oratorical awards. This year the most improved oratorical award was presented to Nahzai Lee of Mt. St. Agnes Academy, and the overall best Public Speaking award was bestowed to Noah da Silva from Warwick Academy.
“This year, due to our premier sponsors [AXA XL – Title Sponsor, Deloitte, Butterfield – Silver Sponsor and Butterfield & Vallis – Bronze Sponsor, the Department of Youth and Sport and Bermuda Community Foundation], the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was able to increase its cash prizes and awards to its participants.
“The third runner up for the 2020 Alpha Beautillion was Chad McNorton of Bermuda Institute, who was awarded $2000, the second runner up representing Saltus Grammar School was Ywoine Darrell who received $3000, the first runner up was Robert Thomas of The Berkeley Institute who received $4000, and winning the competition by a 1/6th of percentage point was Noah da Silva of the Warwick Academy School, who received $7000 in scholarship funds. The top three students were separated by less than 1 percentage point. Each of the remaining participants received an award of $1500 and a plaque of participation.
“The judges for the prestigious event were: Tenia Woolridge – Parliamentary Registrar, Jonathan White – attorney at Marshall Diel & Myers Limited and Retired Permanent Secretary and Former Deputy Principal and Teacher Robert Horton.
“Bro, Dantae Williams was the Chairman of the 2020 Alpha Beautillion. Although there were some unprecedented challenges that presented itself due to COVID-19, he along with committee members, Bro. Dr. Tim N. Jackson, President, Bro. Dr. John Duncan, Bro. Zuri Darrell, Bro. Jecoa Burrows, Bro. Michael Wellman, Bro. Michael Pearman, Bro. Philip Trott and Bro Jason Green and the Fraternity at large are to be commended for their tireless efforts, perseverance and commitment in ensuring that our 2020 Alpha Beaus were afforded the opportunity to showcase their talents and to share with the audience how the mentoring program of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Epsilon Theta Lambda Chapter, has positively impacted their lives.
“The Fraternity is proud that AXA XL were our title sponsors of the Alpha Beautillion this year, and continue to support our organization as we endeavor to make a difference in our community one life at a time.
“The 19th Annual Alpha Beautillion will go down in history because of the ingenious manner in which our fraternity capitalized upon the work that the Alpha Beaus completed during their seven months of mentorship during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Alpha Men we were relentless in fulfilling our mandates of “Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for all Mankind” as a result, we are elated that we were successful in instilling values in our Alpha Beaus that will propel them to become dynamic change agents in our global community.
“The 19th Annual Alpha Beautillion Show recap can be viewed here.”
