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Blue lights reflected the audience’s dazzling dresses and suits at the “Daring to Dream Gala” in Syracuse University’s Goldstein Auditorium. The event displayed Black excellence through performance, showcasing the beauty and vibrancy of SU’s campus culture.

“The culture on the Syracuse campus has definitely been something that evolves every year and changes in one way or another,” Ryan Nkongnyu said.

SU’s Office of Multicultural Affairs organized the “Daring to Dream Gala” on March 3, and students Raven Campbell and Nkongnyu hosted the event by introducing guests. The gala’s title was chosen to encourage attendees to reach for the stars, inviting Leon Thomas III, a musician, actor and recent GRAMMY winner, to highlight Black excellence in media. It also spotlighted several student performers, including bands like The Goods and poets like Arianna Wilson.

Wilson’s poetry influenced sophomore Kim Lucas to dream. Her words about Black Americans having disadvantages but continually lifting each other up inspired Lucas, encouraging the audience to dream among the community.

“We still uplift and we still grow as a community and as a person, but altogether we still grow in harmony and just trying to make a better world for ourselves and for our future children,” Lucas said. “It was really inspiring.”

Lucas, along with many other audience members, watched Thomas in their childhood. Thomas is known for role as André Harris on Nickelodeon’s “Victorious.” Several attendees said his presence at the gala brought people together through nostalgia.

Thomas also played a significant role in many attendees’ childhoods because he was the only Black cast member on the show, said Dashawn Austin, the lead co-chair of SU’s Black History Month Planning Committee. To him, the actor and musician felt like home.

As the only Black character in “Victorious,” Thomas was a large source of representation for children of color. Seeing how he’s grown and become a GRAMMY winner, furthering his career is inspiring to Austin.

Thomas performed the GRAMMY award-winning song “Snooze” by SZA, which he wrote. He also performed several songs from his newest album, “Electric Dusk,” including “Love Jones” and “Blue Hundreds.”

“He was able to dream so big and he was able to make all of his dreams come true,” Austin said.

“Daring to dream” is a large part of Austin’s life because they are a first-generation college graduate. They’re proud to be able to plan events for students who have been in similar situations. By using their own dreams as a map, Austin hopes to expand the dreams of others.

The event reflected the evolving culture at SU, Nkongnyu said. Nkongnyu, a member of the Student Association Finance Board, said many newly registered student organizations or clubs are being added to SU’s campus. These additions help SU’s culture become more diverse.

“We celebrate all kinds of nationalities here. It’s really beautiful symbolism. SU is such a good place to do that.” said Ariana Arias, an attendee of the event. “When I first came here, I was thrilled that this university was celebrating Latin American History Month.”

The gala signifies how SU is continuing to foster the dreams of students through the arts, allowing students to celebrate each other through music, dance and poetry.

“When you find a common ground, so whether that’s your favorite show you watched as a kid, whether it’s your favorite musical artists, music and things you’d like as a kid can really bring people together, even if it’s two people who are very different,” said Kaitlyn Paige, a student organizer for the gala.

Disclaimer: Kaitlyn Paige is a columnist for The Daily Orange. She did not influence the reporting on this story.

Published on March 6, 2024 at 10:42 pm