NABJ holds Apollo Night, celebrates students

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) held Apollo Night, an event where students could showcase their talents, win prizes or sit back and watch the show last Wednesday.

During the event, the Trojan Center Ballrooms echoed with the sound of music and laughter as students and organizers shared in lighthearted, audience-driven karaoke along with supportive applause for each performance.

Throughout the event, organizers and participants alike shared their experience of what it’s like to be a part of campus events, like Apollo Night, and what it means to them.

Carrington Thomas, an active member of NABJ and a sophomore broadcast journalism major from Montgomery, Alabama, expressed what the organization meant to her.

“NABJ means inclusion to me,” Thomas said. “NABJ means networking, community and fun.”

Thomas also said this was her first time attending the event and explained what organizers hoped to provide for students.

“With this event being on the first day of school, we just really wanted to bring everybody together to just have fun – just good vibes, no stress, no worries,” Thomas said.

For Paige Evans, a freshman music education major from Apex, North Carolina, the night gave her the chance to step outside of her comfort zone with a solo performance.

Evans has performed in choral and musical theater for almost a decade. She said performing solo is a skill she is still working to improve.

Despite her onstage experience, she still felt nervous before taking the stage.

“I was pretty nervous but having friends in my corner really helped me feel more confident,” Evans said.

That support carried Evans through the competition, where she ultimately won the overall prize. For her, the win was more than just a cash prize; it also reflected her willingness to continue trying through uncomfortable situations.

“It’s so shocking to me because I feel like I’m not always the best in the room, but I always try to push myself to still stay in the room and keep working as hard as I can,” Evans said.

While Evans is beginning her first year at Troy, Hannah Cox, a senior exercise physiology major from Prattville, Alabama, is experiencing Welcome Week from the other end of her college career.

Cox helped with Apollo Night by handing out tickets and collecting money from attendees. This semester marks her first time helping with Welcome Week, but she remembers attending the events as a freshman.

“I remember having Welcome Week my freshman year and really enjoying it, so I would just like to give back to campus,” Cox said.

Cox said events such as Apollo Night can give students opportunities to find friends and a sense of community on campus – something she said can be difficult without opportunities like Welcome Week.

Now, as Cox enters her final year at Troy, watching new students experience Welcome Week has given her the opportunity to look back on her own beginning.

“It’s really interesting to see the new students come in all happy and stuff, and I’m just reliving it,” Cox said.

Looking back at her time at Troy, Cox offered one piece of advice to the freshmen beginning theirs.

“I would say to incoming freshmen, live it up because four years goes by fast,” Cox said.

For more information on NABJ and future campus events, check out @Troy_NABJ and @troyuniversitywelcomeweek on Instagram.