The Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program held its 34th-annual banquet, themed “JUMPin’ into Vegas,” on Saturday. The Old Union Hall was transformed into an extravagant spin on the bright lights and gambling scene associated with Vegas. Embellished in red, white, black and gold balloons, fancy card centerpieces, a red carpet and more, Old Union Hall became the scene for a lavish night of fun.
Hosts Jamirah Hamilton, a senior majoring in biology and president of the Black Student Union, and Ahamadu Lee, a sophomore majoring in business administration, went on stage to kick off the banquet. They provided a brief overview of JUMP, a student organization striving to lower high school dropout rates and promote higher education enrollment in underprivileged and underserved communities.
Guests from a variety of multicultural organizations at Binghamton University were seated at tables decorated with roulette tables and casino chips. Attendees participated in games like blackjack and roulette to earn chips that could be used later in the auction. The room was decorated with many areas where students could pose and take photos.
Hamilton and Lee introduced the first performer of the night, Chinemerem Emenogu, a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law and vice president of Undivided, a student organization dedicated to celebrating the art of R&B music. Emenogu sang two songs, wowing the audience with her strong, jazzy style and impressive vocals.
The hosts then came down into the audience for a few rounds of JUMP trivia. They asked questions about the history of JUMP, giving guests more opportunities to rack up their chips for the auction while sharing valuable information about the organization.
John Cepeda, JUMP’s president and a senior majoring in sociology, took the stage next to present the first award of the night, the “For The Youth” award. This award was given to Jadesola Teriba, a senior majoring in psychology and philosophy, politics and law and a JUMP alumna, for her hard work and dedication for giving back to the community.
It was then time for the second performance of the banquet. Four members from the Binghamton Ballroom Association made their way to the floor to dance a tango that fit into the rich and classy Vegas theme, according to Whitney Tejeda, a co-mentoring committee chair and a senior majoring in linguistics.
“After many itinerary drafts and different versions of what the night could look like, finalizing things from decorations and deciding on a menu to selecting hosts to watching BDA practice their performance has really made all the months of planning worthwhile,” Tejeda wrote in an email.
During a brief intermission, guests enjoyed a nice dinner served right to their table. Attendees were given salad, a choice of pasta and a choice of protein. Guests used this time to enjoy the ambiance, take pictures and catch up with friends from other organizations.
After dinner, it was finally time for the part of the night everyone was looking forward to — the auction. Attendees used chips to bid on items like an Owala water bottle, a Polaroid camera, Uggs, speakers and AirPod Pros.
Hamilton and Lee then called Cepeda to the stage to give him flowers, followed by the presentation of the second award of the night, the “Kevin Hoo” award. This award was given to Powerful United Ladies Striving to Elevate.
Arianna Garcia, PULSE’s president and a senior majoring in environmental science, discussed how the goals of these two organizations align.
“JUMP’s whole thing is that they’re for the children, especially children in the inner city schools,” Garcia said. “We just support women. We also have a program where we support Binghamton schools, too, so it’s just really supporting the idea that children are our future. And then really pushing that, especially kids in multicultural communities, especially Black and Hispanic kids, get to go to college and have this experience like this that is really important and that we should always be supporting.”
Julia Costa, PULSE’s fundraiser and a junior majoring in cinema, shared what she takes away from banquets like this one.
“It’s always fun to go to other clubs’ banquets because you see all the hard work that goes into their org,” Costa said. “It’s a night to celebrate their club and be surrounded by people in the multicultural community that acknowledge what they do during the school year.”
To wrap up the banquet, Hamilton and Lee took a few minutes to recognize the many organizations in attendance and to thank JUMP’s E-Board members for all of their work. As the banquet was JUMP’s first in three years, the event marked an important night for the organization. E-Board members took turns walking down the red carpet to be recognized on stage together.
Art Zeqaj, a co-mentoring committee chair and a junior majoring in economics, played a significant role in putting the banquet together. He promoted the organization’s upcoming JUMP Weekend, one of its most important events of the year.
“JUMP Weekend is an event that we have in March where basically we bring the same kids from different middle schools, DOE middle schools from low socioeconomic areas, and we have them come up for one weekend,” Zeqaj said. “We’ve seen progress throughout the years, and we incentivize five-year plans with these same middle schoolers until they get to college. The progress that we’ve seen from JUMP Weekend alone is just tremendous.”
Zeqaj encouraged all who are interested to get involved in JUMP and make a difference in improving education in underserved communities. This banquet celebrated the accomplishments JUMP has made so far and looked forward to what JUMP has in store for the future.
As another vital member in bringing the banquet to life, Tejada commented on the inspiration for the banquet, noting how her co-chair Zeqaj wanted to create an interactive theme that keeps everyone involved and having fun. She also explained what she hopes attendees will take away from the event.
“My hope is that this banquet shows just how committed JUMP is to uplifting our community and creating meaningful experiences for everyone who stands with us,” Tejeda wrote in an email. “I want people to see this as a night that celebrates our roots, strengthens our bonds and inspires everyone to keep the spirit of JUMP alive.”