S.M.O.O.T.H Cafe 2022
Written By Jocelyn Hockaday | Edits and Contributions By The Temple News Staff
S.M.O.O.T.H. Cafe returns in-person after the pandemic begun in 2019
Two years after being restricted behind computer screens, S.M.O.O.T.H. Cafe returned in person for a night of fun, Black elegance, and interpersonal connection.
The gala took place at Howard Gittis Student Center in Room 200 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Roughly 200 people attended and there were 15 performances including spoken word poetry, singing, rapping, and dancing. S.M.O.O.T.H. hosted the gala to bring people together in a safe environment, to celebrate culture, and have a good time. This year's theme was Red Carpet, with a formal dress code, photographers, videographers, a DJ, and performers.
The performers included dance groups BAMN, the trio of Gelan Balcha, Siani Barnes, and TaNiya Rose, D2D (Dare To Dance), Owlettes, Ramajay, and Dynamic Afrique. Singer, rapper and spoken word performances included Proph Rodriquez, Tylia Fountaine, Matthew Taylor, Haweh Kwaidah, and Mohamed Diagne.
Attendees were excited to see the performances, the outfits, and the overall event of itself. Temple students, non-Temple students, alumni, and faculty were present.
“It’s going to be like the Met Gala met a wedding and had a baby,” said Sabir Abdusshaheed, the event coordinator for S.M.O.O.T.H. and communications major.
Performers applied through Google Forms and went through two auditions before being chosen by judges, said Sabir.
“The selection process was harsh because we wanted to make sure that the people that were selected were the ones that are going to reflect us,” Sabir said.
The event was publicized on S.M.O.O.T.H’s Instagram and through word of mouth. Tickets were purchased via Eventbrite for $10-$15, according to Sabir and Smith.
“Honestly, I’m looking forward to just being around like-minded individuals. I'm always excited to be around other people that I know”, said Rodriguez, a freshman criminal justice major, who performed spoken word poetry and rapped at S.M.O.O.T.H. Cafe.
The Temple Owlette’s, a majorette team, who have performed in the past, were glad to be back this year to perform.
“It’s a great outlet for us to finally get to that many performance-based things that we get to like that actually showcase our talent,” said Traci McLean, the president of Temple Owlette’s and psychology major. “So, we're very thankful for Smooth Cafe, you know, it's a performance we can count on every year.”
Many performers, such as the BAMN and D2D dance groups enjoyed performing the most and seeing others perform as well.
Alumni came to visit campus and enjoy S.M.O.O.T.H. Cafe.
“I'm looking forward to some performances in the show, you know, there's a lot of good performances last year,” said Joelle Corpening, a Temple 2020 graduate with a BBA in Finance.
S.M.O.O.T.H opened its first chapter at Temple in 2016 and has two other chapters located at its founding university Morgan State and Coppin State University.
S.M.O.O.T.H. hosts programs such as the Men's Mental Health program and Black Business Pop Up Shop and participates regularly in community service projects such as their monthly Block Clean Ups.
“S.M.O.O.T.H. is important to have on a university level because this is a PWI, and even though we are here, we don't get to see the full gathering of people that look just like you,” said Kai Smith, the president of S.M.O.O.T.H. and a junior Health Professions major.
S.M.O.O.T.H.’s mission is to educate, develop, and organize young black men on a professional level at universities as well as create a social change within the community, according to their website.
“It just gives off a different vibe than, you know, what's normally portrayed as a black male you know we like to get dressed up, show our professionalism, show that we, you know, care about others like the Community around us and get into our own businesses,” Smith said.
Members of SMOOTH hope that what will come after SMOOTH Cafe is that students will partake in student activities and events on campus more. Additionally, the organizations and performers receive more attention and SMOOTH rebuilds its name on campus.
This story is unpublished with The Temple News.
