HOMECOMING 2014

R&B artists tear up the stage at Homecoming concert

By PRINCESS B. WILLIAMS

R&B artists, Adrian Marcel and Luke James wooed the audience with their soulful voices Thursday night. Adrian began his performance with a brief roll call to get a feel of where his audience members were from. Adrian revealed that he is from Oakland, California. Shortly, after a little more crowd interaction, he began to sing a number of selections from his latest album that is currently on iTunes.
When Adrian finished performing, Luke James and his band took over the stage and began giving the crowd what they've been anticipating. Luke didn't hold back on any notes, taking the audience from extremely high notes to extremely low. He opened the floor up to the audience's request singing whatever selections they wanted to hear. He saved his hit single, "I Want You" until the end of the show.
"This is not a time for thinking. You can think when you're in class tomorrow. Right now, I just want you to feel...feel the music," Luke said.
If you didn't know who these artists were before you attended the concert, you certainly know now. If you weren't in attendance, you missed out on a soulful treat.

By PRINCESS B. WILLIAMS

"SLEEP," Leroy "HypnoBro" Williams shouted!
Suddenly about 20 volunteers were on stage in the WVM Fine Arts Center in a deep trance.
As the students volunteered to come on stage, HypnoBro informed them that the hypnosis process requires three things: concentration, imagination, and relaxation.
"If you have a working mind and the ability to create, you can be hypnotized or even learn hypnosis," HypnoBro informed the crowd.
At the sound of applause students went deeper into a trance.
HypnoBro took the volunteers on the journeys of their hottest and coldest day, smelling beautiful aromas to foul stenches, and even reverted the voluteers back to the stage of being an 18-month old babies that haven't been fed all day.
"Put a thought in your conscious mind, it begins to germinate." 
"When you go to sleep tonight, you will sleep better than you have in days, weeks, months, or even years,"HynoBro closed.
Needless to say, none of the volunteers have any recollection of what happened while being on stage Wednesday night.
They have officially been HypBrotized!

Pep rally on plaza gets students ready for games

By HAVEN TULLOCH

The crowed was live and full of spirit Friday evening on Panther Plaza at Claflin University.
There was a black commercial van that brought all of the music equipment and to add, there was a MC that controlled the crowed.
The pep rally started with music that got students in the spirit of homecoming. Dancing, socializing, hanging out and having fun was highly encouraged. 
The Pep rally was used to get students and alumni pumped for the remaining days of homecoming and for the basketball games on Saturday.
In the middle of pep rally, the MC introduced the male and female basketball players. After the introduction, the cheerleaders did a cheer that would get the crowed going.
There were dance competitions being held, with the winner at the end of each competition getting a small prize.
There were giveaways being thrown all throughout pep rally including:

· Hats

· Shirts

· Balls, which had a special code for an even greater prize.

BY: KRYSTAL E. GEORGE

Claflin University kicked off homecoming with Sunday night’s Gospel Explosion. 
About 350 people filled Jonas T. Kennedy Center in excitement to see gospel artist Kierra “Kiki” Sheard. Along with Sheard, artist Kebra Moore and college choirs contributed selections.
“I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m here as your sister in Christ,” Sheard said before performing.
Sheard sang songs from her new album, Graceland, which is in stores now and also a few selections from previous albums. Between selections, “Kiki” inspired and encouraged students to pray and have great faith.
“Money is the currency here on earth but faith is the currency in heaven,” Sheard said.
Dressed in a hip-hip themed outfit and performing very upbeat songs, “Kiki” was able to minister to the youth on an age-appropriate level. They appeared very interested and entertained, often times yelling “NO” when she suggested she was talking too much.
The gospel concert was opened and closed with prayer led by SGA Chaplain Dorian Dillard. 2012 Claflin graduate Justin Rufus hosted the event, offering musical selections during intermissions.
The Claflin University gospel choir D.R.E.A.M was also featured. D.R.E.A.M premiered a new song titled, “I’m Free,” that they will be singing during their live recording on Nov. 22. The crowd enjoyed the call and response with the choir in attempt to learn the new song.
Guest choirs included South Carolina State University’s “United Voices of Christ,” which sang three selections, and Coastal Carolina University’s gospel choir. They sang one song that thrilled the crowd.
Graduate of Claflin College, Kebra Moore, representative for the group “Singing Behind the Wheels,” performed three songs: “I Am Beautiful,” “Testimony” and “Never Let Him Go.” Moore, seated in a wheelchair, revealed that she was paralyzed in a car accident and now performs to inspire others. Moore’s presentation included familiar hip hop beats and upbeat backup dancers, which seemed to be a trend for the night’s performances.

BY: TAYLOR D. HARRIS

Homecoming is kicking off with a bang this year. On Tuesday, November 18, 2014, Claflin held the Freestyle Funny Comedy Show in W.V.M. Auditorium.
The host of the show was none other than the comedian Dukk. He had the crowed rolling as soon as he walked on stage. Dukk performed at Claflin’s Homecoming last year.
Dukk then introduced four other comedians to the stage: Bdaht, Chico Bean, Osama Bin Drankin, and Darren. Chico Bean is an actual cast member from Wild n’ Out with Nick Cannon. 
They talked about topics that us college students could relate to like:

• The food in the Café
• Being sent to the office when you were little
• How it feels when you get your paycheck
• Roommate problems
• Natural hair and weave isn’t for everyone
• The importance of using protection

The comedians also asked students who wanted to participate in games with the guys on stage to go on social media and tweet #FFCSpickme. 
One of the students that were brought on stage was our Student Activities Board Vice President, Dahlia Mallett and Mister HBCU 2014-2015, Anthony Hyland. One of the games they played was called 2 pictures, one word.
The Freestyle Funny crew kept the audience in stitches all night long. If you weren’t there, you missed out on a whole lot of funny!

By TYLER JACKSON

The annual Greek step show was held Nov. 22 during a fun-filled weekend of homecoming events.
Members of historically black Greek-lettered organizations at Claflin University and neighboring institutions were invited to present competitive performances for alumni and the Orangeburg community to enjoy. 
Each year, the NPHC Step Show is a highly anticipated event for which chapters practice for months. This year's event did not disappoint, with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. taking home first place in the sorority and fraternity categories.
There was also a surprise special guest at the step show, R&B artist Sammie from Atlanta came to perform some of his greatest hits. The crowd enjoyed his performance and was more than excited when announced he would be meeting fans back stage after the step show.