Students encouraged at Night of Inspiration
College Democrats hosted the Night of Inspiration on Dec. 1. Sophomore political science major and president of College Democrats Precious McLaughlin organized the event.
The event was done in concert style with performances from both FMU students and local signed recording artists. The keynote speaker, Bishop Michael Blue, spoke at event.
“I noticed that I was having a hard time balancing my school load and spirituality, and the two go hand-in-hand for me,” McLaughlin said. “I thought that, like me, other students could use an up-lifter to get themselves back on track spiritually so that they could knock out exams.”
McLaughlin spent several months organizing the event with the help of the College Democrats.
Boris Thompson, a Christian hip-hop artist who performs under the stage name Jerusalemm, was one of the main performers in the event.
“I never dreamt of anything like this,” Thompson said. “It was a wonderful time, and I enjoy every time I get a chance to share this gift.”
Another main performer, a 19-year-old Christian soul artist Kendra Smith, performed a solo act and a duet with Jerusalemm.
“My greatest inspiration now is just striving to be the best God wants me to be,” Smith said. “I had a blast performing at FMU because I was able to reach the youth and the next generation and inspire them.”
During their performances, both Smith and Thompson recounted their histories with music.
Thompson, who grew up in Dillon, discussed how he wanted to perform since he was 3-years-old, while Smith said she realized she wanted to be a vocal artist when she was 12. Both singers stated that their biggest inspirations are the youth and their personal faith.
“Ever since I could remember, I wanted to be a singer but not only just [to] sing,” Smith said. “I knew that my voice was given to me to be used to bless others and give glory to God.”
Both performers said that it is important for students to maintain their faith throughout hard times and that praise through music and through community are two ways to accomplish this. They also gave advice to students who wanted to perform or share their gifts by telling them to be unafraid and to give the performance and talents to God.
“The event was amazing and eye-opening,” McLaughlin said. “The performers were incredible, but the biggest and most exciting part of the event was the speaker.”
Bishop Blue is the senior pastor at The Door of Hope Christian Church in Marion, S.C. Blue’s goal during the event was to extend the church’s mission statement: “Exalt the Lord. Edify the believer. Evangelize the lost. Enhance the community.”
Between 150-200 people attended this event with the majority being FMU students and their families.
“I really enjoyed the different genres of worship that the event offered,” Leah Power, a recent FMU graduate, said. “I also thoroughly enjoyed Jerusalemm and the way that he presented worship. Coming from a very conservative Methodist church it was definitely a breath of fresh air for me and helped relieve some of the stress I was experiencing from finals.”
Both Thompson and Smith said they would like to return to FMU to perform at future events.
“We have never held an event of this sort before,” said McLaughlin. “The event was successful with a great turnout, and we plan to do another one.”
The College Democrats’ mission statement is to “motivate and empower students who share progressive, democratic values.”
“We’re a growing organization on campus, and we’re dedicated to all things that promote positivity, whether it is political or not,” McLaughlin said.
More information about the speaker can be found at dohcc.com, and more information about the performers can be found on their Facebook pages under their respective names.