Tallahassee students welcome community members to share talents at annual Halloween fundraiser
Tallahassee, FL – On October 4, Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society hosted their annual Halloween Talent Show in an effort to raise funds for travel expenses to the upcoming SDS National Convention.
The event was emceed by Tally SDS member Kingsley Early, who kept the evening light with stand-up comedy between sets. Local artists performed in seven different acts, showcasing their talents in poetry, singing, electronic music, rapping, noise music and songwriting. The event was a success in spite of the spookiest thing student activists are confronting this Halloween: political repression.
Tally SDS is made up of Florida State University students, whose admin has been ramping up attacks on free speech, as a reaction to their pro-Palestine protests. Last week, during an outdoor general body meeting, the group was approached and ordered to leave campus by the FSU police department and an administration member. In the wake of these attempts to silence student voices, the talent show served as a place for artists and even audience members to express themselves.
Audience members were welcomed to the microphone to share stories and jokes as the next act prepared. The evening featured an established local rapper by the name J!nX666, who performed one of his high-energy singles. Also showcased was the “jazzy improv noise” project known as “Pondscum,” featuring two SDS members in Joelle Nunez and Joe Shahady. The group welcomed audience members to come up and chant, sing, or scream into the mic. The very loose and community-based structure of this event led SDS member Kingsley Early to refer to it as “chaotic fun and weird in the best way possible.”
Tallahassee SDS will continue to host their events, meetings, and protests regardless of FSU’s attempts to stop them! To keep up with upcoming events follow @TallySDS on Instagram and Twitter.