Alpha Kappa Alpha celebrates community service

The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. members will celebrate their sorority and community service by hosting various events throughout the next week.

AKA president Tiaura Harris said AKA Week is a time to give back to the community by raising money through the different events.

"We raise money for our organization and also raise money to give to people who are in need," Harris said.

The sorority will kick off the week by hosting the Twelfth Annual Mr. Esquire Scholarship Pageant Sunday at 6 p.m. in Bennett Auditorium. Tickets are available for $5 in the HUB. The contestants for pageant are Boris Rhodes, a senior broadcast journalism major from Hazlehurst; Marcus Dillon, a marketing major from Hattiesburg; Rashad Jackson, a junior electronic engineering major from Batesville; and Stradford Goins, a freshman math and physics major from Poplarville.

Shaundraya Pride, AKA member and pageant director, said the pageant is a way to empower black males in the community.

"It gives them an opportunity to showcase their talents and personality," she said. Pride said the winner of the pageant will receive a $1000 prize.

Monday, AKA will host Black Dollar Day in the Union Lobby. Hattiesburg businesses will set up booths to advertise their businesses to USM students.

The sorority will celebrate Be Out Day April 15 at 12:15 p.m., followed by bowling at Hub Lanes later that night.

"Be Out Day is a time for everyone to come out and mingle with us," said Ashley Collins, public re lations chair for AKA. "It's mostly for Greeks to come out and hop."

Hattiesburg children can come play games at Pride Field April 16 at 4 p.m. for AKA's Ivy Day. Following Ivy Day, the sorority will present their patchwork quilt program called "7 Shades of Black" in Stout Hall.

"It is about the different shades of our sorority members' skin and what they represent," Collins said.

Members, representing the various shades, will present poems and insights about each shade.

On April 17, there will be a Hop Contest at the Union Plaza at 12:15 p.m. followed by Alpha Kappacino, an open mic night with poets, singers and other entertainers, in the R.C. Lounge. Refreshments will be served.

The Pretty Nasty Party, a party with AKA and Omega Psi Psi fraternity, will be held at Club Palace at 10 p.m. later Thursday night. The week will end with AKA and Alpha Phi Alpha celebrating AKA's centennial with "100 Years of Ivies and Ice" at Club Palace at 10:08 p.m.