When the Denver chapter of Jack & Jill stages its 27th Beautillion on Dec. 19, it will be a night to celebrate the achievements of 32 young men who by any standard are destined to succeed.
But chapter members know that while the shared traits of good grades and strength of character will serve the Beaus well as they head off to college, they will also face challenges — some anticipated, others not — once they leave the comfort of their respective homes, high schools and neighborhoods.
So to better familiarize them with issues their parents, guardians or senior class counselors might not have addressed, they organize a series of workshops that cover topics ranging from joining a fraternity to making informed choices regarding health and wellness — and require the Beaus to attend.
“You will soon be facing things that will affect the rest of your life,” said Dr. Johnny Johnson, “and there will be a lot of choices to be made. You’ll make some good ones, some bad ones, and you will learn from both. Just remember that you have a responsibility to be the best man you can be, and that you need to keep your eyes open and your heads out of the sand.”
Other workshops were “Real Men Stand Up,” conducted by representatives from Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternities; “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” hosted by attorney Don Toussaint; and “Fitness Boot Camp,” led by personal trainer Courtney Samuels.The young men to be presented this year are:
Jimmie Marcel Austin, Bryant Eugene Brown Jr., Paul Alexander Deaderick, Brenden Ray Matthews and Spencer James Whittington of Cherokee Trail High School; Allen Jeffery Bolden Jr. and Nate Lee Sturges, Regis Jesuit High School; Avvery Elijah Boyd, Vincent (VJ) Stacey Brown Jr. and Michael Angelo Carlo, Colorado Academy; David Aaron Alexander Brown II and Gregory Scott Fairweather II, Machebeuf High School; Kyle Nathaniel Patterson and David James Spicely, Denver School of the Arts; and Thomas Jeffery Williams, Holy Family High School.
Also, John Albert Mercer Conway IV, Dakota William Gonring, Clayton Tyler Greene, Brandon Ellis Pollard and Trae Gideon Williams of East High School; Alex Lee Carter, Thomas Jefferson High School; De’Vaughn Jordan Gamlin and Erik Blair Wetmore, Smoky Hill High School; Corbin Chandler Jones, Kent Denver School; Sergio Guillermo King, Mountain Range High School; Danial Curtis Leaver, Arvada West High School; Torre Allen Hill, Kaylan Pamell Penn, Trey Ahmod Richardson and Jeffrey Turhan Smith II, George Washington High School; and Kristopher Maurice Colley II and Kori Cerval Hazel, Cherry Creek High School.
More online: See additional pictures from the Beautillion workshop
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, and GetItWrite on Twitter
MCA/Denver’s LuminoCITY Gala lights up the night
Director Adam Lerner is proud — as he should be — to point out that “MCA/Denver has been called a lot of things over the years: Progressive. Controversial. Intimate. But not predictable, mundane or conventional.” Same can be said about the museum’s fundraising galas. The recent LuminoCITY was, quite literally, one of the brightest events Denver has ever seen, and Joanne Davidson says why in her Seen First blog:
Photos by Steve Peterson, Special to The Denver Post
