Hip Hop Reliefs De Anza College Students' Social Pressure

Hip Hop Relieves De Anza College Students' Social Pressure

By Megan A. Wong
November 30, 2017

Words spoken at Rock the School Bells, evoked memories from students, faculty and staff, unifying a community. Students were bonding over hip hop and cool performances. The Rock the Bells Conference was created to allow students to feel safe and talk about challenges and problems, one might face in their lives’.

At Rock the School Bells performance students gathered together to share visual and spoken forms of art on Thursday night in the Visual Performing Arts Center. More specifically, guest and student performers demonstrated various forms of hip-hop, R&B, Neo-Soul, spoken word poetry, and dancing.

Guest performers included: Gina Rene, Ruby Ibara, and Embodiment Project. De Anza Performers included: McTate Stroman II, Lina Nelson and the Waves, Adan Perez, De Anza Dance, Four Elements of Hip-Hop Crew, and Get Free Crew.

Raymond Blagmon, 20, administration and justice major and dance performer for De Anza dance. He says Rock the Bells is special because, “we all like the same things, so, we are sharing what we know. We become closer because of that.” This show is demonstrate hip hop and R&B in multiple ways, students are all demonstrating that presence through art. Creating a community through the students common passions and interests.

Opening up, Lena Nelson and the Waves played music about love and heartbreak. The crowd cheered for Nelson as she says, “A different kind of woman” explaining her self-respect and care for individuality.

Audience members cried as Adan Perez states his experiences of loss for a loved one and how he overcomes challenges in his life. The crowd is silent during his poem but cheered loud in support.

Tristan Barrajan, 20, psychology and theater majors, is an audience member he says, “we always put value into the things we enjoy. Hip Hop is difficult to put together, coming to an event like it to basically shows an appreciation for the time people put into their art and to support that.”

The crowd waved their hands and cheered as the Four Elements crew broke out on the track.

Speaking out about the means of facing struggle and success.

Guest performers in the Embodiment Project; Amber Nicole and Sam Mei captured the audience creating awareness about sexual assault and rape at parties. They performed a spoken word piece then finished their performance with a free flow dance to express “knowing your signs” in awareness after alcohol consumption. The audience members were enamored by the guest performers demonstration of strength and courage.

Anthony Santa Ana, A professor for intercultural studies and works in the Office of Equity, Social Justice, and Multicultural Education explains that the conference and performance is for the voices of the young people.” He hopes that this event inspires the young “to produce what is relevant to them and to know that we are here.”

Photo by Megan Wong

The Get Free Crew standing against Deportation and Border Control; the crowd is silent and emotional as the hip hop dance group performs on Thursday, Nov. 30 at the Rock the Bells in the De Anza Euphrat Museum.