Riddim Represents Talent and Diversity

Author: Crystal Belle

With such a headline as "Riddim Rolls Out The Red Carpet" (The Middlebury Campus, April 23, 2003) one would imagine that the article which ensued would contain cultural, factual, unbiased information. Yet once again that failed to be the case, as a prominent dance group like Riddim here at Middlebury College was once again horribly misrepresented in an article drenched in mediocrity. Something was immediately wrong as I observed the photo spread which contained two pictures of the Riddim Rejects who are not even members of the troupe.
Why would The Campus choose to depict a group of white guys in an article about an organization that is mainly comprised of minorities? No, race is not the issue here, however, justice is. Those photos should have captured the diversity of Riddim, which is reflected through our members and choreographed pieces, which range from hip-hop to Salsa.
One does not use the word ghetto to define any form of music: "Music ranged from gospel to ghetto." Let me thus educate you on the word. According to the Oxford American Dictionary ghetto is defined as "a part of a city or region in which members of a minority group live as a result of social or economic discrimination." With that said, one can infer that The Campus was in fact alluding to the notion that hip-hop is only heard in the "ghetto."
I guarantee you that if you go into any white suburban community, you will hear sounds of Nelly, 50-Cent and Tupac echoing through the rows of neatly painted houses and freshly cut lawns. So it is in fact a myth that hip-hop is "ghetto music" as it has transcended racial and socioeconomic barriers worldwide. Secondly, there are many variations as to what a ghetto consists of and trust me it is not constricted to media imagery of baggy jeans, Ebonics and drive-by shootings. Instead of relying on the media for your information, try reading a book or better yet visiting the so-called ghetto yourself. Maybe then you will have somewhat of a concept of the politically, socially and ignorantly incorrect term the article used.
As the article continued to list everything that occurred in the show in chronological order, it failed to offer any form of critique. How can an article on the subject of a performance lack any kind of commentary or criticism? Nine dances in the show included modern dance, hip-hop, salsa and even the sounds of Tahiti as the beautiful women of Riddim rolled their waists seductively to fast paced drum beats. Also, the behind the moves footage captured the acting talents of Riddim members as there were spoofs like the "Real World" and "American Idol."
To add to the variety in the show, there was also poetry. Speaking as the author of the poem performed, I must clarify one thing - I am a poet.
Yes, I do in fact write slam poetry, however, I am still a poet. Although my writing style differs from the traditional European standards of poetry, I find it discriminatory and ludicrous to categorize myself and every other poet who writes and performs slam poetry separately from the more traditional poet. For future reference, those who perform slam poetry are referred to as spoken word artists/poets.
I hope The Campus and every other Middlebury student realizes that Riddim did in fact roll out the red carpet, although the article failed to portray that. Our group has some of the most talented people this campus has to offer. We are dancers, actors, choreographers, poets and most importantly - we are people.

Crystal Belle is an English major from Brooklyn, New York.