The brothers of the Mu Psi chapter of Omega Psi Phi hosted the “Art & Chill: Wholesome Edition” on Oct. 25. 2017
The event was in call to honor National Domestic Violence Awareness month. The chapter hoped the event would bring more awareness to the serious and often times overlooked topic of domestic violence.
“We wanted to bring as many people as we can and use our star power to give them information that is truly important to their mental health,” said Quincy Holmes, one of the brothers of Omega Psi Phi.
“That’s why we brought counseling services out here to give those people that information.”
The event, held in the student center, was where students could come and enjoy different forms of art all themed around the topic of domestic violence.
There were performances in all forms including song, poetry, rap, and even a theatrical piece.
Between these performances there was also an intermission session which included a counselor from the Counseling Services speaking to the audience about the seriousness of domestic violence and what to do when you are in a position of similar nature.
Holmes stated the Fraternity wanted to host an event where artists could talk about real issues that many in our community face.
“We wanted to connect art with the pain that comes from domestic violence. When you sing, or when you perform a spoken word, you can feel someone,” Holmes said.
Founded in 1911, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. is the first international organization founded on the campus of Howard University.
The Mu Psi chapter is one of three active fraternity’s on campus. The fraternity adopted their Cardinal Principles based on ideas of manhood, scholarship, perseverance, and upliftment.
Towards the end of the program Holmes opened the floor to anyone in the audience who wanted to be heard who hadn’t originally signed up.
Niles Brooks, a sophomore marketing student, decided to use that opportunity to present some of his new work.
Brooks performed an original piece “Summertime Fine.” His song is about the upliftment of Black women in our community.
“Hip-hop today is just so degrading to women, and I wanted to write something to uplift them.” said Brooks. “There are people stuck in those relationships, and raising awareness will help.”
Counseling services offers counseling for individuals and groups and is free of charge for students. The center is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is located in Murphy Hall, Room 109 and can be reached at 336-334-7727.
For more information on Counseling Services and Domestic Violence, visit, http://www.ncat.edu/student-
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