On April 22nd of 2017, I had the pleasure of attending Virginia Tech’s coolest, most lax showcase, where I was floored with the talent from the contenders, and the talent from the group Expressions. Expressions is a group that focuses on using painting, poetry, singing, rapping and any form of art to express themselves and bring people together. The way they exhibit class, inclusivity and love has also been recognized by Virginia Tech, as they were nominated for a University Student Leadership Award for Outstanding Program of the Year!
Here at Virginia Tech, engineering, football games and Hokie pride are all anyone really talks about. If you’re an art major or just an artsy person in general, it’s common to feel swallowed up by everything else Virginia Tech places emphasis on. This is exactly why we need more groups like Expressions to give Hokies a home to express themselves and their art.
The talent show started with performance from one of Expression’s secretary, Calvin Hoang. Although he wasn’t in the running to win, he still gave an intimate, ridiculously fun performance that captures exactly what Expression is about. Luckily, I had the chance to catch up with him to get an inside look on the club’s mission and his role in Showtime. Calvin says that he and every member of Expressions “helped out as much as possible in terms of outreach,” and that’s because they are “focused on reliance, interdependence, accountability and communication,” which helps each member feel like an important cog in the machine. Although it was a lot of work, he says the reward is “seeing how much talent Virginia Tech has” and how “much more [talent] there is to be explored.”
I also wanted to see what his favorite part about being in Expressions was, and his answer blew me away. He says “a big reason why [he] feels so comfortable at Virginia Tech is Expressions,” and he wants people to know “there is no reason to keep your talents and creative passions behind closed doors.” This quote is something I believe every Hokie should hear. At this school, we all face a challenge to balance rigorous course work, relationships and our mental health. Using creative outlets to express bottled up feelings can help keep a positive mindset when overwhelmed with everything college has to offer.
My friend (and queen) Kat, wanted to do just that when she auditioned to perform in Showtime. Kat comes from Orange County, California, and spent her high school days performing as many gigs as she could with her best friends and bandmates. Since she arrived at Virginia Tech last Fall, she has said she felt “swallowed up by all of the pressure Virginia Tech placed on [her] to conform and do well in school.” It must have been hard to come from a place where everyone expresses themselves, to a place where only a few want to put themselves out there. Thankfully, she felt so “welcomed and supported” by the members of Expressions, that getting back into her performing groove was no sweat.
“On stage, surrounded by my friends and other talented artists, I felt like myself again,” she told me in an interview. I feel that this is something a lot of Hokies go through but don’t talk about. It’s important that we as a Virginia Tech community help everyone feel welcomed and at home, and Expressions is trying to do just that with their talent shows, popular open mic nights and general body meetings held every Tuesday at five in the Black Cultural Center.
Hokies, if this article speaks to you, I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and express yourself in any way, shape or form! Thank you, Expressions, for putting on a great show and sending love to every performer and audience member in that room.