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Elijah Salem (left) and Jhamori Sargeant (right)
Students, Elijah Salem and Jhamori Sargeant, of the North Dorms brought victory to the Invaders. After rapping four song selections, Salem and Sargeant beat the crowd leaving an impression on the audience’s ears.
After two nights of practice, the duo's performance gained lots of head nods and cheers. Salem, a senior studying Communications, performed with Sargeant, a junior studying Marine Biology, showed their XFactor the night of Oct. 7, at the OEK Dining Hall on St. Thomas.
Every year, the battle of the dorms takes place, revealing the creativity and dancing ability of residents. This year, the goal was to enhance student engagement and thus a talent show was presented. In the past, stepping and mini marching band performances bent the necks of eager students. North Dorms emerged victorious with the 2023 title, much to the delight of attendees.
Balancing school and work, each half of the duo records music to transform it into a lifestyle. There is no doubt that the effort was poured into their performances. Both students have shown active participation from their first year and continue to shed light to their peers.
Salem stated that he loved the energy and feedback they got from the crowd. “Songs that took days and hours to work on feel like everything is paying off once you get on stage and feel the same energy reciprocated from the crowd.”
Sargeant went on to say that he wants his peers to become motivated from [their] performance and take every opportunity to showcase their talents. "My favorite part of performing is the crowd's reaction when I'm finished. Any negative thought or doubts I had at the beginning seem to disappear at that moment."
“We practiced two nights before the show, working on the choreography of our performance and song transitions. We both enjoyed it, but it definitely was an event that needed [more acts]. It ended before it could really get started, but I had fun nonetheless.” says Salem.
Sargeant wants to emphasize to students that “If you stay in your room, the campus will never have anything to do.”
“I want more students to know that UVI offers more than just an education for those looking to earn a college degree. They also offer opportunities to help others work towards their strengths while being a good center for students to work on their weaknesses,” says Salem. “I plan to have a global takeover with my musical talents. I do not know how right now, but I do know [if] I keep finding discoveries like the talent show to put my name out there, my effort and songs will be recognized. This is just the beginning.”
Sargeant loves collaborating with other artists to create new sounds or ideas he would not have created alone. “It does not stop here; music has been a consistent theme in my life from elementary school. Right now, I am working towards my music being heard across the world. Friends and strangers have told me I have what it takes to become a well-known artist, and I too believe it myself.”
