Vanity brings unity

Petty differences among Greeks on campus were put aside to emphasize unity through fashion during the weekend.

Approximately 600 people crowded the Student Center ballrooms Saturday night to watch models from the student group Vanity dressed as everything from cave women and men to animals in the jungle with a focus on campus-wide unity.

Although all scenes in the diverse fashion show shared a theme of unity, the concept was emphasized in a final scene dedicated to two SIUC students killed in September and President-elect Barack Obama.

The scene showed pictures and a written message to Kevetta Davis and Yasmin Jackson, both sophomores who were killed in a car accident Sept. 26. It also gave celebratory visuals of Obama.

Aaron Murphy, a graduate student from Chicago in recreation administration, said many of the Vanity members were close to Davis and Jackson. He said honoring the women was a way to unite various Registered Student Organizations.

"There are always conflicts between our RSOs, and Greek fraternities and sororities," Murphy said. "It was time we all come together."

The models walked the runway while pictures of the women were projected on the screen behind them. A message to Davis and Jackson was also shown on the screen.

Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity member Justin Johnson, a senior from O'Fallon studying business marketing, said Vanity reached out to all areas on campus.

"The unity scene was very powerful and showed everybody coming together," he said. "Life is too short to hold grudges over petty things."

The screen projected pictures of Obama with the phrase "Yes We Did." The students modeled Saluki clothing from 710 Bookstore while Young Jeezy's "My President is Black" blared over the speakers.

The crowd cheered as the models appeared on stage in various Saluki apparel and SIUC paraphernalia.

The event conveyed a positive message for the future, said Jessica Walls, a junior from Carbondale studying administrative justice.

"The scene showed that everyone's equal and Obama is bringing change," Walls said.

Various students represented their RSOs by walking the runway with their organizations' T-shirts and jackets displaying the organizations' logo.

Groups such as Blacks Interested in Business, Student Programming Council, Black Togetherness Organization, Black Women's Task Force, Black Fire Dancers, Anarki and Fatal Fusion participated in the show.

Colby Chapman, a senior from Chicago studying administration of justice, volunteered to participate in the show and represent SPC.

She agreed the unity scene was the most important of the show.

"It was great to see the all the Greeks and RSOs together and to pay the respects to the two girls and also to President Obama," Chapman said.

Dennis Stout, a junior from Huntsville, Ala., studying administration of justice, said the unity scene was powerful because it addressed the division that exists among Greeks at SIUC.

"The part that had the most impact on me was when a member from Phi Beta Sigma and Alpha Phi Alpha shook hands and ended the conflict between the two Greek organizations," Stout said.

The members of Vanity Fashion Fair Models ended the show with a Millennium scene and all took a bow as the lights dimmed.

Vanity vice president Kyeshea McCord, a senior from Chicago studying elementary education, said she was excited to see the outcome of the crowd at the end of the show.

"It was an incredible feeling to be a part of something so positive," McCord said. "We need to focus on coming together on this campus and our possibilities could be endless."

Shaneika Booker can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 262 or shay1805@siu.edu.