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DVD Entertainment presents “Halloween of Lights,” which brings together students of color in a social and entertaining space.Credit: Alex Sensation
Daylan Jernigan and Andre Holland, childhood friends and soon-to-be Ohio State graduates, have spent most of their lives “in the spotlight,” It’s like the life of the party. Their outgoing personalities instantly inspire dancing in even the quietest of the crowd.
They thought the experience would last throughout their college journey at Ohio State, but quickly realized that students of their race — black students — had less of a social experience on campus than their white counterparts Rich.
On weekends, Jernigan and Holland repeatedly made the nearly two-hour drive to the University of Cincinnati, where they would meet up with other black students. They finally realized it was time to bring this experience to Columbus and partnered with senior marketing major Buckeye Ravon Wheeler to do just that.
Thus, DVD Entertainment was born in January 2021 with the primary goal of connecting students of color to each other in an entertainment space that promotes inclusion and acceptance. Acronyms among the students’ nicknames — Dre, Von and D — and the group’s motto: “It’s always a movie.”
“We worked on that mantra,” Jernigan said. “Every event we do, we want to make it memorable. We want to be [feel] Like the movie, like it’s not real. “
Jernigan, a fourth-year business accounting major, said ahead of the DVD that he feels campus life for black students includes traditional social events that are mostly campus-oriented. He said there weren’t many social activities for black students at the time, so weekends were often spent in Jernigan’s dorm, hosting spontaneous games and small parties.
“We made the most of being a freshman,” Jernigan said.
Holland, a fourth-year business marketing major, said their trip to Cincinnati demonstrated the level of preparation required to party. Hosts are responsible for guest safety, promoting the event and sending out invitations, but they are also responsible for entertaining attendees and setting the mood for the event.
The experience allowed them to see not only the difference between energetic parties and those that simply drive ticket sales, but also how to create an inclusive social environment that includes students of color, which has historically been typical Black colleges or universities — known as HBCUs — he said.
“Cincinnati is kind of like[n] HBCU in the sense of how many black people there are in terms of how we felt when we went there [were] There, how many people are having fun, how many people are interacting with each other,” Holland said.
Holland said the trio got off to a rocky start, spending hours walking into the high street venue, echoing their offer to hold at least one private event, which would boost pub sales and clients from a different demographic, but barely Respond, Holland said.
“Socially, before the DVD, there had never been any closed venue events for black students,” Holland said. “We always have to drive 30 minutes, we have to drive 45 minutes, we have to drive far, all over the city to get to popular venues.”
Holland said the group found a venue in March 2021 at Get Air Columbus, a 42,000-square-foot indoor trampoline park at 3708A Fishinger Blvd., and sold out 150 people within hours of opening. tickets.
Holland and Jernigan said the air was filled with laughter as students bounced on diving boards, dodged dodgeballs and danced in unison to booming hip-hop music.
After receiving positive feedback from hundreds of students who urged the DVD to hold more events, Jernigan said the trio didn’t know they were responsible for what would become one of Ohio State’s most popular entertainment groups .
“It made people ask, ‘What’s next?'” he said.
Marcus Garvin, a third-year sports industry student, said he never felt like a minority until he came to Ohio State. That feeling faded when he attended his first DVD icebreaker in January 2022, which included hundreds of students of color who helped him while his crowd surfed.
“That was my first time crowd surfing,” Gavin said. “It’s one of those things you never forget.”
Gavin said it was refreshing to be in a social space that embraced students of the same color as his. He said the welcoming environment is what motivates him to participate in future DVD events.
The creators of the DVD say Garvin’s statement, along with the endless support they’ve received from students across the university, has spurred them to continue organizing the event.
Since then, DVD has hosted dozens of events, including “Ohio’s Official Juneteenth Celebration” in 2022. DVD also works with groups like the Black Students Association, one of the largest student organizations on Ohio State’s campus, to provide black students with safe spaces to build community.
“The Great Gradsby: Celebrating the Gatsby Party,” the next big event on DVD, will take place Friday at The Vault at 35 E. Gay St.It is said to be a graduation season celebration open to all Event site.
Although Jernigan, Holland and Wheeler will graduate this month, they still have plans to continue on DVD.
“We want to continue to use our name, our personality and our willingness to bring people together to create memorable experiences for the people at Ohio State,” Holland said. “stay tuned!”
Tickets for The Great Gradsby: A Celebratory Gatsby Party are still available for purchase at Event site at the time of publication. Holland said the proceedings will eventually go back to DVD Entertainment so they can provide a bigger and better experience for students.
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