Entertainment and 47 years of tradition drew a crowd of nearly 300 students, alumni and community members to Jabberwock on Saturday night.
“The point is to showcase BGSU students,” said senior Lauren Harville. “It gives students [a place] to express themselves.”
Harville is the secretary of Delta Sigma Theta, the sorority that hosted Jabberwock, the annual variety show that started in 1967.
“It’s a big show of different talents,” she said. “It’s sacred to the organization and it brings back alumni.”
Events throughout the night included a hip hop dance, fashion shows, vocal performances and poetry as well as the presentation of a $500 scholarship to a student.
“Jabberwock really connects me to BG and Delta,” said Myka Watts, Delta Sigma Theta president. “I’ve been coming here ever since I was a freshman … and I’ll go as an alumna.”
Tradition also brought senior Cory Jackson, co-host of the variety show, to the event.
“This is everything to me,” Jackson said, who has attended Jabberwock for three years. “It brings lots of people and I see a lot of younger faces.”
What brings the crowd, Jackson said, goes beyond mere entertainment.
“It’s not just a fashion show and spoken word; it is cultural expression,” he said.
Senior Brittanie Edwards was one of the students who was able to express herself on stage.
Edwards, along with fellow students Alicia Cleveland and Stephanie Longmire, performed a spoken word poem called ‘There is a war in our city.’
Edwards said the poem was about relaying social struggles to parents and students.
“It’s social enlightenment,” she said. “It was to shine light on social issues known but not addressed.”
Edwards said she has attended Jabberwock in prior years and always loved the experience and the social atmosphere.
“It’s just diverse,” she said.
For some attendees, Jabberwock has always been a fun event to go to.
“Jabberwock always shows me a good time,” said Chanel Patterson, whose favorite part of the show was the spoken word performance. “I think it’s very entertaining and it’s a good show.”
For senior Mike “Rosco” Blair, who has attended since freshman year, it’s the history behind the show that draws the crowds.
“People look forward to it; it’s the environment and excitement,” Blair said as he pointed to a crowd of students dancing near the stage cheering on fraternities and sororities present at the event. “It gets bigger every year.”
