Media Arts Academy Filmmaker ALEXIS CAPLES wins Gold Medal in local ACT-SO NAACP Competition 2010
Source-Kalamazoo Public School Website
Ebony Gray and Alexis Caples attended the National ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological-Scientific Olympics) competition held in Kansas City, Mo. Ebony, a Loy Norrix graduate Class of 2010, competed in the oratory category, and Alexis, a sophomore at Loy Norrix, competed in the filmmaking category. The two young ladies earned the invitation when they received gold medals at the local ACT-SO competition.
Dr. Zaheerah Shakir-Khan, director of elementary education, traveled with the youth as a chaperone and attended the oratory and filmmaking categories. “ACT-SO provided an opportunity for us to appreciate the unique talents of students from across America,” said Dr. Shakir-Khan. “The caliber of talent from the high school contestants witnessed in both categories was simply amazing. A total of twenty-one categories across several disciplines make up the competition. The students gained a deeper appreciation of the quality of performance and high expectations needed to compete on a national level.
Alexis truly enjoyed attending nationals and met people from all over the United States. “There were so many students with so many talents. The competition was intense. I was the youngest entry, and it was truly a magnificent experience. My film was called ‘Say What's On Your Mind’. It’s a film about the things that youth go through in life.” Alexis edited, directed and filmed it with the help of her close friends and mentor Deborah Warfield.
“This year I am taking the National Gold home,” she exclaimed, “so they better watch out for me!”
The group also had a chance to do some sightseeing. “The additional experiences of attending the Negro Baseball League and American Jazz Museum enriched the students' travels,” stated Dr. Shakir-Khan. “We also visited the Topeka, Kansas National Historic Registry site (the Monroe Elementary School) of the famous landmark Brown vs. Board of Topeka, Kan., school desegregation case.”
Dr. Shakir-Khan encourages talented young people to participate. “The local NAACP's ACT-SO Competition committee hopes to have more students involved in local competition this school year and to increase the high level of quality contestants that can advance to the national level. Please watch for local announcements about the program that started in October.”
